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EGCC one of 27 nationwide chosen for White House meeting
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Meeks
By Denise Dick
YOUNGSTOWN
Laura Meeks, president of Eastern Gateway Community College, was one of 27 community college presidents to attend a White House event this week aimed at improving success for students who need remediation.
“We were one of 27 that were picked based on our success,” Meeks said.
The college, based in Steubenville, but with centers in both Youngstown and Warren as well as Columbiana County, is part of the Achieving the Dream initiative, which focuses on closing achievement gaps and speeding up student success. Zane State College in Zanesville, was the only other Ohio community college at the event.
“The reason for the meeting was to improve the national economy and increase the number of adults with higher-education credentials,” Meeks said.
Cecelia Munoz, director of White House Domestic Policy Council, and Arne Duncan, U.S. Education Secretary, recognize community colleges as the “engines of economic development in the country,” Meeks said. “We were very appreciated.”
The colleges made commitments to implement strategies to help improve college persistence and completion for students who enter college academically underprepared.
“There’s a high level of interest from the administration on the work of community colleges in helping people get credit as quickly, effectively and of as high quality as possible,” Eastern Gateway’s president said.
At Eastern Gateway’s Valley Center, 75 percent of students take at least one developmental course. That’s not unusual, she said. At one California college, 90 percent of students take a developmental course.
Many of those are adults returning to school who need a refresher.
“People just need to brush up, but that brush- up doesn’t count toward graduation,” Meeks said.
The college implemented its Math Emporium at the Valley Center last year, but it’s been in place for several years in Jefferson County. The Math Emporium allows students to work at their own pace on a computer until they grasp a concept.
This year, a learning center will be added at the Valley Center.
“Our goal is to close the achievement gap and to have all students doing well,” she said.
The learning center will use the Math Emporium and a teacher at the same time.
“We thought the Math Emporium was the answer and it isn’t,” Meeks said.
The answer is a combination of the emporium concept and a highly skilled teacher with patience, empathy and listening skills along with concept-based learning, she said.
The changes don’t come with any additional money from the federal government.
“It’s not always about additional money,” Meeks said. “It’s about changing the way you do things and reallocating resources. Math Emporiums are expensive but we know they work.”