College Purpose

Policy Statement

Oakland Community College’s purpose is to provide affordable higher education services to the people of Oakland County and the regional community, which advance individual economic mobility, personal growth, and the local economy, at a cost commensurate with the value of services provided.

Community Stakeholders benefit from the College in the following ways:

• Students acquire the knowledge, skills, and self-confidence required for employment and career advancement in a global economy. Students also maximize their opportunity for future earnings growth. In addition, students achieve their individual potential as productive, informed and engaged citizens. Student’s lives are enriched when they participate in lifelong learning opportunities that match their personal, avocational and leisurely interests.
• Businesses profit from the associated increase in consumer spending. In addition, businesses receive access to a steady supply of qualified, trained workers. Businesses also have access to customized training that helps them increase productivity.
• The Community receives: economic development opportunities that attract new businesses to the local tax base; economic development opportunities that strengthen existing businesses; increased property values; increased tax revenue due to the growth of individual prosperity; individual lifestyle changes that lead to improved health, reduced crime and lower unemployment; and increased cultural opportunities.
• Educational partners receive opportunities to connect students with the College’s courses, programs, facilities and educational resources.

Community Stakeholders obtain the previously identified benefits through participation in the following Ends:

1. Transfer Programming - Transfer courses and programs designed to provide the first two years of a baccalaureate education. Transfer programming is an essential service that prepares students for the first two years of a baccalaureate education.

Students receive value by engaging in the College’s transfer courses and programs designed to prepare them for the first two years of a baccalaureate education. Students benefit when upper division colleges and universities accept transfer courses and programs as elective credit. Students receive greater value when upper division colleges and universities accept completed courses and programs as major-specific credit. Moreover, students receive the greatest benefit when OCC courses and programs align with the major requirements found at upper division colleges and universities through clearly defined articulation agreements, which clarify the  transfer pathway, reduce time spent obtaining advanced degrees, and potentially limit student
loan debt.

2. Career and Technical Programming – Professional, career-oriented, courses and programs designed to prepare students for entry-level employment and apprenticeships. Professional programming is an essential service that prepares students for entry-level employment and apprenticeships. Students receive value by engaging in the College’s professional (i.e. career technical education) courses and programs which are designed to prepare them for direct entry level employment in the workplace or for an industry recognized apprenticeship. Students benefit from relevant and evolving curriculum that is informed by input from employers, educational partners and economic development professionals. Students are well positioned for future job growth when their professional coursework and program aligns with advanced professional degrees at other colleges and universities. This clarifies the transfer pathway, reduces the time spent obtaining advanced professional degrees, increases career flexibility and mobility, and potentially limits student loan debt.

Employers benefit from a supply of employees who possess the knowledge, skills and abilities needed to succeed. Employers receive value from an agile and skilled workforce that brings new ideas and creativity to a rapidly changing market and work environment.

3. Continuing Education Programming - Continuing education and/or training seminars, courses, certificates and programs designed for individuals who want to upgrade occupational skills for current jobs, retrain for new jobs, or prepare for a new career. Students receive value by engaging in the College’s continuing education courses, seminars, certifications, credentials and continuing education programs designed to help them upgrade their skills for their current job, retrain for a new job, or prepare for a new career. By completing these activities, students potentially increase their employability, mobility and earning potential. Students receive the greatest value when their continuing education programming can be connected to the College’s professional certificate and degree programs and transferred to other systems of professional development. Employers receive value from: an agile and skilled workforce that brings new ideas and creativity to a rapidly changing market and work environment; the alignment of employee skills with business goals and objectives; and improved employee loyalty, morale, job satisfaction and retention. This leads to a culture of continuity and consistency, improved productivity and profitability, and the opportunity to develop future organizational leaders.

Continuing education also includes educational programming that contributes to the personal interest, growth, and enrichment of community members. Students receive value by engaging in the College’s community education courses, seminars, camps, and community education programs designed to help them fully develop their natural abilities by gaining knowledge of skills in topics of personal interest. By completing these lifelong learning activities, students potentially: enrich their lives, increase their personal satisfaction, gain a sense of self-fulfillment, adapt to change, increase their wisdom, and strike a balance between work and life. Furthermore, students benefit from community education programming that enables them to continuously pursue and sustain their passion in ways that leads to feelings of social inclusion and demonstrations of engaged citizenship through active and meaningful contributions to society. Students receive greater value when their passions for community education programming can be linked to their professional interests or work life.

4. Workforce Training - Customized workforce training, consulting and technical assistance programs/services that support public and private sector development. Employees receive value by engaging in the College’s workforce development programs designed to help them upgrade their skills or retrain for a new job assignment; by completing these activities, employees increase their productivity, employability, mobility and earning potential.

Employers receive value from: an agile and skilled workforce that brings new ideas and creativity to a rapidly changing market and work environment; the alignment of employee skills with business goals and objectives; improved employee loyalty, morale, job satisfaction and retention. This leads to a culture of continuity and consistency, improved productivity and profitability, and the opportunity to develop future organizational leaders. Employers also receive value when College provided consulting or technical assistance services lead to improved productivity and profitability.

5. College Readiness - Courses and programs that provide students with basic academic skills needed to succeed in college level study. College readiness programming is an essential service that prepares students with basic academic skills needed to succeed in college level study.

Students benefit from courses, programs and services that develop attitudes, behaviors and strategies needed to facilitate success in their academic pursuits. Students benefit from services that help them identify, select and utilize various college resources that will assist them with academic success. Students benefit from courses that help them close academic achievement gaps that prepare them for success in college-level work. Students receive greater benefit when they can navigate through developmental courses and sequences as quickly as possible.

6. Student Services Programming - Services, activities and programs designed to attract students; help students identify educational goals, select achievable career paths, and enroll in appropriate courses and programs; provide academic support to assist students with their educational goals; assist students with disabilities with equal access to the College’s activities, courses, programs and services through reasonable accommodation; assist students with the attainment of internships and post-graduation employment; enhance classroom learning by providing co-curricular and extracurricular experiences; and develop academic and personal skills to achieve student success. Student services programming provides students with essential resources that enable them to identify, pursue, persist and complete their academic goals.

The community benefits from recruitment activities that help them become aware of the academic options that the College provides. The community receives greater benefits when recruitment activities are timely and personalized to individual needs.

Students benefit from counseling and advising activities that assist them with making informed choices about their educational goals, selecting an appropriate career path, and enrolling in courses and programs that align with their educational goals. Students receives greater benefits if counseling and advising services are proactive, anticipates student needs, technology-driven, timely and personalized to the individual needs. Students also benefit from learning resources
that support attainment of their educational goals. Students receive greater benefit when they have resources that help them obtain post-graduation employment. Students benefit from financial resources and programs that assist them with identifying options to pay for their courses and programs. Students with legally-protected disabilities benefit from participation in services designed to provide equitable access to educational opportunities. Students benefit
from co-curricular and extracurricular activities that promote personal development, leadership development, augments classroom instruction and contribute to academic success.

To achieve the above benefits, the Board directs the CEO to develop and implement programs to accomplish the above Ends.

Change Log

• 04-17-2018  Initial policy approved by Board to become effective 7-1-2018
• 07-01-2018  Effective date of initial policy
• 03-14-2020  Review; no change
• 04-28-2020  Reviewed; no change