MANSFIELD — North Central State College President Dorey Diab said he wants to help NCSC students achieve their dreams.
“We’re committed to meeting every student where they are when they enroll, because each one has a unique dream,” he said. “We’re striving to do all that we can to help them achieve their dream, because we know that each graduate will have a profound impact on our community.”
NCSC serves both urban and rural students, and was recently selected as one of 28 colleges nationwide to participate in phase two of the Rural Guided Pathways Project. The project started in 2022 with 16 colleges. Phase two begins this year and will run through 2027.
Colleges that are part of Rural Pathways work with each other and community partners in their regions to implement evidence-based, institution-wide reforms grounded in the guided pathways framework.
Colleges from phase one recorded “breakthrough moments” and recommendations for institutions that also serve rural students.
Diab said he is eager to start the work on the Guided Pathways initiative.
“This initiative is helping instructors and student services teams better understand the needs of rural students and the challenges they must overcome to persist and accomplish their goal of a college education,” he said.
“In many ways, rural students mirror the challenges faced by urban students. But while similar, cultural and personal responsibilities may bring unique challenges to completion.”
In addition to NCSC, Ohio’s other participating colleges in this project include Marion Technical College and Washington State College of Ohio.
According to a press release issued Thursday, participating colleges commit to:
- Designing and implementing a better student experience at their colleges.
- Ensuring more students earn credentials and move on to living-wage jobs or transfer to a four-year institution with junior status.
- Collaborating with key stakeholders to increase economic opportunity in their region and be partners in the implementation of a cross-sector approach to guided pathways.
- Implementing evidence-based reforms that will address inequity and lead to improved educational and workforce outcomes.
Rural Pathways provides a deliberate venue for rural college practitioners to collaborate while they work to improve student outcomes.
“We are excited to have NC State participate in Rural Pathways,” said Gretchen Schmidt, senior fellow for the National Center for Inquiry & Improvement (NCII).
“Rural institutions have not had many opportunities to problem-solve around the student success and completion issues that are particular to their culture, context and capacity. By joining Rural Pathways, NC State is demonstrating its commitment to making lasting changes that will improve student outcomes.”
With support from peer institutions, coaches and subject matter experts, the Rural Guided Pathways Project, led by the NCII, aims to offer that specific insight.
“This will affect all offices of our college — business, financial aid, academics,” said NCSC director of marketing and public relations Keith Stoner. “Having the opportunity to talk with their peers in the program and implement best practices I think is really going to help our students.”
Stoner said NCSC has already been implementing programs the college believes will reduce barriers for rural students, like advocating for broadband expansion and enhancing dual-credit options in high schools.
“We’re looking for anything that will help students, save them time and money and enhance their experience,” Stoner said.
NCII provides the project leadership for Rural Pathways. Implementation and leadership coaches, as well as subject matter experts, join the participating colleges to develop the project’s curriculum.
“The value of involving external stakeholders in pathways work — and giving them specific roles and responsibilities — is amplified in rural settings where students’ education, residence, economic mobility, and the regional economy are so closely intertwined,” Thursday’s press release said.
NCII is also building on longstanding partnerships with the Community College Research Center and the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program to support participating colleges.
For more information about Rural Pathways, visit ruralguidedpathways.org.
About North Central State College
North Central State is a community college that serves more than 3,000 students on its Mansfield campus, Kehoe Center in Shelby, and the Crawford Success Center in Bucyrus. The College is preparing this area’s workforce by offering more than 60 associate and bachelor’s degree majors as well as certificates of study, including comprehensive technical education in health sciences, general studies, public service, business, engineering technology, and corporate/community services. In addition to technical studies, North Central State College offers numerous associate degrees that allow students to transfer two years of college credit in their pursuit of advanced degrees.