PIQUA — Two executives from Edison State Community College have graduated as fellows of the Ohio Leadership Academy for Student Success on June 15, 2022.

Amber Hare, the registrar, and Amy Crow, the chief information officer, were among more than 40 leaders representing all of Ohio’s community colleges that graduated as part of the academy, organized by the Ohio Association of Community Colleges (OACC). The leadership development cohort program gathers mid-level administrators, faculty, and staff for a year of training, exchanging ideas, and immersion in how to promote student success.

Each of the state’s community colleges could nominate two employees as fellows. They met six times throughout the year for one or two-day meetings, first online and then in person. Sessions were relevant to Ohio specifically and included aspects of the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program curriculum. Fellows also worked on projects in small groups between sessions.

“The OACC Leadership Academy has allowed me to make connections with fellows at other institutions across the state that might have taken me years to accomplish otherwise. Those connections have already helped me strengthen and streamline some internal processes that will allow for greater student success,” Hare said. “The academy facilitated many open discussions among fellows that give you more appreciation for all the different aspects that contribute to student success.”

“The OACC Leadership Academy provided me with a much broader perspective of student affairs and academic affairs and how every employee can help the student succeed,” Crow said. “I learned about the college funding process for state share of instruction, which is something a person in my position doesn’t normally understand. We teamed up with other cohorts from across the state to identify a problem and come up with a solution, such as my team presenting on the possibilities of multi-semester registration.”

The OACC represents the presidents and trustees of the state’s 23 public two-year institutions that work to advance community colleges through policy advocacy and professional development. For more information, visit ohiocommunitycolleges.org.