News & Updates
Dr. Marcia Ballinger, president of Lorain County Community College (LCCC) in Ohio, recently joined the Achieving the Dream Board of Directors. A nationally recognized leader in student success, Ballinger has led transformative work at LCCC to reimagine how community colleges support learners — through innovative university partnerships, data-informed strategies, and deep employer and community collaboration. Her leadership has helped expand educational access, boost degree attainment, and fuel economic mobility in Northeast Ohio. Ballinger recently shared with ATD reflections on her student-centered approach, the power of cross-sector partnerships, and her vision for advancing opportunity for all students.
Q: Your leadership at Lorain County Community College has been instrumental in shifting from a “college ready” to a “student ready” institution. How has this philosophy influenced student success at LCCC, and how do you see it aligning with Achieving the Dream’s mission?
A: At Lorain County Community College, embracing a “student ready” philosophy has been transformational — not just for how we serve students but for how we design every aspect of our institution. Rather than expecting students to adapt to higher education, we’ve reimagined our systems, policies, and practices to meet students where they are and support them in reaching their goals.
This shift has allowed us to take a more holistic approach to student success. We’ve embedded proactive advising, accelerated pathways, and wraparound supports that address both academic and nonacademic needs. As a result, we’ve seen significant gains in student persistence, completion, and transfer outcomes — especially among historically underserved populations.
This work is deeply aligned with Achieving the Dream’s mission to champion evidence-based institutional improvement for student outcomes. ATD has been a powerful partner in our journey, helping us turn data into action and foster a culture of continuous learning and improvement. As an ATD Leader College of Distinction, LCCC is committed to continuous improvement through data-informed decision making and a culture that prioritizes student needs, perspectives, and achievement. We know that when we design intentionally with students in mind, transformative outcomes are possible.
Q: You’ve been a key driver in expanding access to bachelor’s degrees through LCCC’s University Partnership, leading to a 77% increase in degree attainment in Lorain County. How can community colleges nationwide replicate these kinds of partnerships to advance economic mobility for students?
A: I believe the foundation of community college leadership is to deeply understand your community. Once the needs are identified, intentional solutions can follow. This philosophy has shaped so much of our work at LCCC, including the creation of the University Partnership, our dual enrollment expansion, and our focus on increasing degree and credential attainment across all levels.
In the 1990 Census report, we discovered that Lorain County was first in associate degree attainment in Northeast Ohio — but last in bachelor’s degree attainment. With no public four-year universities in Lorain County, our residents lacked affordable access to bachelor’s degrees.
Through collaboration with several Ohio universities, and the support of the people of Lorain County, we created the LCCC University Partnership. The program began with five partner universities offering seven bachelor’s degrees. Today, we have 13 university partners that offer more than 100 bachelor’s and master’s degrees on our LCCC campus and at significant cost savings to students. It is no wonder that the LCCC University Partnership has become a popular higher education choice for Lorain County residents. As you noted, since 2000, Lorain County has experienced a 77% increase in bachelor’s degree holders — with 89% of those earning credits from LCCC. In fact, I am a proud graduate of the LCCC University Partnership, having earned my MBA through Kent State University.
We built upon this success to expand access and increase attainment at every level, including associate degrees, certificates, and industry-recognized credentials. From 2019 to 2024, more than 10,000 individuals earned LCCC degrees or credentials in an initiative we called 10,000 Degrees of Impact. Achieving a goal of this magnitude requires holistic support and strategic partners. For example, we’ve expanded dual enrollment opportunities, ensuring that more high school students start their college journey earlier and at no cost to them.
These efforts are working. In 2024, 49% of Lorain County high school graduates had earned LCCC credit by the time they completed high school. Additionally, we developed more flexible and stackable credentials that help busy adults retrain and reskill while working with local employers to fill talent gaps. These gains are creating a vibrant future for our graduates and our entire region.
For community college leaders looking to replicate these levels of success with their own goals, I want to share that there are no limits to what you can accomplish through strategic partnerships. We bring together public and private universities, K–12 partners, employers, and community stakeholders to codesign solutions that remove barriers — not just to enrollment but to completion and long-term success. When community colleges lead with intentionality, strong data, and student-centered design, they can truly transform not only individual lives but entire communities.
Q: Under your leadership, LCCC has been at the forefront of workforce innovation, especially in advanced manufacturing and the semiconductor industry. How can community colleges ensure they remain nimble and responsive to emerging workforce needs?
A: Community colleges are uniquely positioned to adapt to the needs of local industry. That level of agility begins with strategic foresight — anticipating where the economy is heading and preparing students for the jobs of tomorrow. At LCCC, we’ve made it a priority to stay ahead of the curve by cultivating deep, sustained relationships with employers to best understand their ever-evolving workforce needs and adapt our programs to fill talent gaps in in-demand careers with family sustaining wages.
It was local industry and employer demand that led us to develop our microelectronic manufacturing programs more than a decade ago — and we now offer Ohio’s only applied bachelor’s degree in the field, as well as an associate degree and certificates. These programs have a 100% job placement rate for graduates, in part because of innovative earn-and-learn paid internship opportunities built into the curriculum through partnerships with more than 80 Northeast Ohio employers.
One of the key ways we remain responsive to employer needs is through our Fast Track program, which is built around current high-demand fields, including advanced manufacturing, health care, information technology, trade, and finance/financial technology. These short-term programs allow people to retrain or upskill in 16 weeks or less and are available in the areas that local employers need most, leading to employment or continued enrollment.
Ultimately, being nimble and responsive means acting with purpose and partnership. We don’t just react to change — we help shape it. This proactiveness ensures our residents have the opportunity today to train for and excel in the jobs of tomorrow.
Q: Collaboration has been a cornerstone of your work, from OhioTech Net to the Midwest Regional Network for semiconductors. How do you believe cross-sector partnerships can accelerate the success of community college students, particularly in underserved communities?
A: Cross-sector collaboration is one of the most powerful tools we have at community colleges. When education, industry, and community partners come together with shared purpose, we can create pathways that drive student success, especially for communities where opportunity gaps exist.
Success in a silo isn’t helpful: lasting change only happens when we come together around a shared vision for impact. That’s why innovative collaborations like OhioTech Net and the Midwest Regional Network for Semiconductors are so meaningful. By coming together and aligning goals across industries, we can create stronger outcomes and provide greater support for our students and our communities.
Q: As a new member of Achieving the Dream’s board, what insights from your experience at LCCC do you hope to bring to the organization’s efforts to support colleges in accelerating student success?
A: Achieving the Dream has been a catalyst for transformation in community colleges, and I’m honored to join the board and help advance this important work nationally. At LCCC, our partnership with ATD was instrumental in identifying and removing barriers to student success. By leveraging a data-informed approach, we gained deeper insight into the challenges our students face and enacted structural and policy changes to address them. The result has been greater access and opportunity for all students. As a board member, I’m excited to help other colleges not only envision what’s possible, but build the systems and conditions to make lasting, meaningful change.