Welcome from Dr. Jonathan K. Jefferson, President of Roxbury Community College
Presidential Event Request Form
Dear Friends and Supporters,
Thank you for your continued commitment to the mission, vision, values, and students of Roxbury Community College (RCC). One of our greatest strengths is the extraordinary community of partners, supporters, faculty, staff, and leaders who believe in RCC and the opportunities we create for our students. Together, we are building a College that is increasingly responsive to the needs of our students, our region, and our changing economy.
This fall, we are seeing continued evidence that RCC Connect and enrollment transformation initiatives are delivering results. Fall enrollment is up nearly 27 percent year over year, with significant increases in credits pursued and full-time-equivalent enrollment. These gains reflect the work we have undertaken to make the student journey more coordinated, personalized, and responsive, from the first inquiry through enrollment and beyond. RCC Connect, which welcomed more than 33,000 student visits during its first year, remains an important part of that effort, giving students a central place to access the support they need.
As we grow, however, our measure of success cannot simply be how many students enroll. It must also be how many students persist, complete their credentials, transfer, and achieve their career goals. That is why we are strengthening proactive student support across the College. Our early-alert and academic intervention efforts have already produced measurable results, including a 23 percent reduction in failure rates in our summer College Experience course. This fall, we are expanding these approaches and continuing to build a more holistic culture of Student Success, Wellbeing, and Belonging.
We are equally focused on ensuring that an RCC education leads to economic mobility. Our Economic and Workforce Development division is connecting students to employment, internships, apprenticeships, and career pathways in fields ranging from healthcare and clean energy to technology and business. We have developed more than 90 employment and placement opportunities for Fall 2026, and our workforce programs are expanding pathways into healthcare and clean-energy careers. Our Center for Smart Building Technology, for example, achieved 90 percent retention in its most recent Building Automation cohort, with graduates moving into positions with employers including Johnson Controls, Boston Medical Center, and Schneider Electric.
At the same time, we are continuing to innovate academically. This fall, we are piloting courses for the accelerated online degree pathway in Business Administration and developing new AI-enabled learning opportunities. These efforts reflect our commitment to providing students with high-quality, flexible educational pathways that meet them where they are while preparing them for where the economy is going.
None of this progress happens by accident. We are also strengthening the institutional infrastructure necessary to sustain our growth, from improved technology and digital processes to clearer performance measures, project management, data governance, and stronger alignment between our Strategic Plan and day-to-day execution. Our goal is simple: to build an institution that is easier to navigate, more responsive to students, and better equipped to deliver on our commitments.
I am grateful to everyone who continues to invest in RCC and in our students. We have made meaningful progress, and much more work lies ahead. I look forward to progressing this journey together as we build on our momentum, strengthen our community, and create even more pathways to opportunity, achievement, and economic mobility.
Sincerely,
Dr. Jonathan K. Jefferson
President, Roxbury Community College
