Achieving the Dream

Roxbury Community College and Achieving the Dream

Roxbury Community College is a member of the 2025 Achieving the Dream (ATD) Cohort and the broader Achieving the Dream Network – the largest national nonprofit network of community colleges dedicated to improving student success, particularly for low-income students and students of color.

Through ATD, we’re reimagining RCC to ensure every student feels they truly belong here. We are putting equity into action by using our data to guide decision-making, strengthen retention, and support students’ forward momentum toward their degree and beyond.

Strategic Alignment

Participation in Achieving the Dream advances the 2025–2030 Strategic Plan goals of improving retention and student success, promoting equitable access and belonging, and increasing completion outcomes. Through structured, data-informed action and cross-campus collaboration, ATD provides a framework to translate these priorities into measurable, sustainable improvements for students.

What We’ve Done

During our Discovery Year (2025-26), RCC:

Established a Steering Committee and Working Committee to guide the work.
Partnered with ATD coaches and participated in national convenings.
Reviewed key focus areas including Access & Melt, Financial Reality, and Academic Challenge.
Analyzed student feedback through surveys and data review.
Administered the Institutional Capacity Assessment Tool (ICAT).

What We Are Doing

RCC is building on this foundation by focusing on:

Belonging, melt, access, and retention.
Student surveys and focus groups to better understand barriers.
Hosting a Capacity Café to review findings and identify next steps.
Strengthening onboarding and retention through RCC Connect.
Student-centered Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) training for student-facing departments.

What We Will Do

As RCC moves into implementation, next steps include:

ACS course redesign to address student barriers.
Expanding holistic student support using a trauma-informed lens.
Piloting targeted supports for 18–24-year-old admits with proactive navigation and coordinated check-ins.
Launching a Mid-Semester Safety Net pilot with structured outreach and case management for high-risk students.

Through Achieving the Dream, RCC strengthens systems, leadership, and cross-campus collaboration to ensure all students have equitable opportunities to succeed. This work reflects our ongoing commitment to student-centered excellence and continuous improvement. This work also positions RCC as an essential driver of opportunity, equity, and resilience for our students, their families, and community. It underscores that colleges are more than places of learning—they are catalysts for thriving communities.