TJC was recognized for having dramatically scaled essential practices associated with transforming the college culture through Texas Pathways toward an even higher level of being student-centered and responsive, thereby continuing to improve the student experience.
TJC received the award from the Texas Association of Community Colleges’ (TACC) Texas Success Center (TSC), during the Texas Pathways Institute held recently in Dallas, with over 450 attendees representing colleges statewide.
TSC officials commended TJC for standing out among its peers as an exemplar in the growth of the essential practices associated with the four pillars of the Texas Pathways strategy:
TJC has the second-highest growth rate among Texas colleges for the essential practices relating to Pillar 1, Mapping Pathways to Student End Goals; Pillar 2, Helping Students Choose and Enter a Program Pathway; and Pillar 3, Keeping Students on Path.
Additionally, TJC has the third-highest growth rate among Texas colleges for the essential practices relating to Pillar 4, Ensuring that Students are Learning.
TSC highlighted how TJC has exhibited institutional transformation through the scaling of Texas Pathways. This means that the TJC student experience has been dramatically altered, with each of the 23 individual essential practices impacting a broader group of students.
TJC President and CEO Dr. Juan E. Mejia said, “This award is a direct result of institutional work toward scaling of initiatives that help students be successful through their college experience and journey. I am honored to work with great leaders and scholars at TJC.”
In addition, the annual meeting included in-depth work sessions focused on bringing out the best in all of the state’s priorities regarding academic and workforce preparation.
All attendees from TJC were actively involved prior to and throughout the workshops, strategically identifying ways to better serve the students who enroll at the College.
In addition, Dr. Mejia participated in a number of CEO sessions with key leaders from the Aspen Institute.
“Joshua Wyner, founder and executive director for the College Excellence Program at the Aspen Institute, provided research-based work that can help us accelerate our work toward improving performance indicators, and it is always an honor to represent TJC,” Mejia said.
Dr. Deana Sheppard, TJC provost and vice president for academic and student affairs, provided leadership for the College work sessions, and she also participated in a special panel focused on the Caring Campus initiative.
Mejia expressed special appreciation to Dr. Jo-Carol Fabianke, who serves as the lead coach for TJC and who is also the liaison to the work with the Caring Campus initiative.
“She has been an amazing coach, and it is an honor to have her being our champion in all that we do,” Mejia said. “In addition, on behalf of the institution, we extend sincere appreciation to Drs. Cynthia Ferrell, Christine Bailie and Kristina Flores, for their advocacy on behalf of Texas community colleges.”
