Eastern Gateway honored as 2015 college exemplar

Staff report

STEUBENVILLE

Eastern Gateway Community College has been chosen Ohio Community College Exemplar for 2015.

The award, recognizing Eastern Gateway’s comprehensive efforts to prepare a diverse student population for career success, was presented Tuesday during the ACT Ohio State Conference in Columbus.

The Exemplar program, administered by the ACT College and Career Readiness Campaign, celebrates employers, community colleges, high schools and high-school seniors across the nation who promote or exemplify readiness for college and careers. Participating states select one winner in each of the four categories. Each of the state winners then competes in the national Exemplar competition, with one overall winner chosen in each category. This year, 34 states are participating in the Exemplar program. National winners will be announced in May.

“It truly is an honor for us to be chosen as the Ohio Community College Exemplar,” said James Baber, executive vice president for academic and student affairs. “Our faculty and staff are committed to ensuring our students stay in school and graduate with the knowledge and skills they need to be leaders in their chosen fields and in their communities. We work closely with area high schools as well as employers to develop opportunities for our students to learn and thrive. Being chosen as an Exemplar tells us those efforts aren’t going unnoticed or unappreciated.”

The Community College Exemplar award is based on the strength of the college’s relationships with local employers as well as student-success indicators, including retention, graduation and four-year college transfer rates.

Exemplars also are expected to demonstrate a clear dedication to career planning, provide a support structure for students as well as leadership opportunities outside the classroom and maintain a focus on career-readiness assessments and career-preparation programs.