Henrico Times

Reynolds Community College Joins

Achieving the Dream (ATD) Network

Reynolds Will Advance Educational Equity and Accelerate Community Growth in Partnership with Achieving the Dream

Reynolds is joining the 2022 cohort of Achieving the Dream (ATD) Network to holistically advance equity, access, and student success. By joining the ATD Network, Reynolds is committing to a tailored engagement in whole-college transformation and gaining access to a nationwide network of peer support and expertise.

Reynolds is part of a cohort of seven colleges joining the ATD Network during a time of continued enrollment challenges for two-year institutions across the country, when equitable access and community engagement are more important than ever for the students that colleges serve.

"Social and economic mobility for our entire region is core to our mission. This is important work we are embarking on with Achieving the Dream. Transformational work with laser focus on increasing both equitable access to and completion of credentials and degrees that lead to great jobs that pay family sustaining wages," says Dr. Paula P. Pando, president of Reynolds.

“Community colleges, and particularly colleges in the ATD Network, recognize that they serve as engines of opportunity not just for their students, but for the entire communities that they serve,” said Dr. Karen A. Stout, president and CEO of Achieving the Dream. “ATD’s work is centered on equity, and I am excited to see how the new Network colleges in the 2022 cohort start generating transformational change that lifts up their communities and advances the field.”

Teams from each of the seven colleges will convene in Charlotte, NC, from June 14 to 16 for a Kickoff Institute that will set the stage for their partnership with ATD. Representatives from Reynolds will meet with ATD coaches and begin to develop customized action plans based on the college’s strategic direction, It’s a New Day, which was launched in September 2021.  

Reynolds, alongside the 2022 cohort of new ATD Network colleges, is committed to tackling equity challenges, building a culture of data-informed decision-making, and maximizing the student experience through high-quality teaching and learning. 

Reynolds is joining the ATD Network alongside six other institutions:

•Brookdale Community College (NJ)

•Central Carolina Technical College (SC) 

•Community College of Aurora (CO) 

•HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College (PA) 

•Meridian Community College (MS) 

•Northwood Technical College (WI) 

Original source can be found here.