NEWARK – Central Ohio Technical College (COTC) has become one of five community colleges to join a coalition of 300 institutions focused on success for part-time students.

The 2021 Achieving the Dream Network unites colleges nationwide around the mission of improving student retention and completion rates. The two-year program fulfills a state mandate, according to a recent COTC press release.

“Striving to ensure that it is serving all students in equitable ways, COTC will launch new systems, processes and procedures to better serve first-generation students, racially minoritized students and underserved populations,” said COTC Provost Eric A. Heiser, Ph.D.

Heiser added that COTC seeks to increase the completion rate of part-time students by 10% and improve part-time student retention by 7% over the next two years. Nearly 75% of COTC’s student population attend part time. 

In addition to COTC, four other community colleges were selected: Southeast Arkansas College, Middlesex Community College in Massachusetts, East Mississippi Community College and Madison College in Wisconsin.

COTC operates facilities in Coshocton, Newark and Pataskala as well as Mount Vernon.