Fall 2012 - Measuring Success

How do you measure success? At Lane Community College, students achieve their goals in a variety of ways, yet both employers and policymakers are placing an increasing emphasis on completing an associate degree.

There's no doubt that the health of the economy depends on a higher level of educational attainment. We need more college-educated citizens to rebuild our economy for a global era, to strengthen our democracy, and to ensure a better future for all of us.

Holding a degree is more important for job seekers too. Research shows that 66 percent of all jobs will require some level of postsecondary education by 2020. In other words, you have to complete to compete.

Those who most need an academic credential are the very populations Lane serves—high school graduates, low-income students, first-generation college students, students of color, and adult learners. Their individual success determines our collective success as a community and as a nation.

Lane is pursuing several quality, progression, and completion initiatives to help students cross the finish line. But we can't do it alone. We encourage students to reach, take risks, and assume responsibility for success in all aspects of their lives.

Whatever the end goal, one thing remains certain—student success starts at Lane Community College.