How Do I Operate a Center?

A Center is a unique type of organization. The 16 Student Success Centers are situated in both community college systems and community college associations. They system or association office functions as the “host” organization for the Center, and supports the Center in different ways depending on the state. The relationship between a Center and the community colleges in that state is different depending if the state has a community college system or association.

Individual Center Activities

Connecticut

• Agenda – Connecticut Student Success Center Convening: Guided Pathways and Scale of Adoption Assessment

Michigan

• Michigan Center for Student Success - Past Events

New Jersey

• New Jersey Center for Student Success - Meeting Resources
• New Jersey Center for Student Success - Resource Center
• New Jersey Center for Student Success - Guided Pathways Events

Texas

• Texas Success Center Events
• Texas Success Center - Pathways to Progress Summit: November 2015
• Texas Success Center - Resource Library

JFF and national provider Next Chapter Communications create messaging and materials; offer training related to storytelling and communications strategy; and provide direct, customized support to individual Centers.

Click here to view a short webinar and the accompanying slides featuring SSC stories of how they engaged with communications services to address communications challenges in their states.

Student Success Centers, as well as the SSC Network as a whole, produce and curate resources for a wide range of audiences. This section includes communications materials developed for the Network, as well as resources put out by individual Center states.

JFF and national provider Next Chapter Communications create messaging and materials; offer training related to storytelling and communications strategy; and provide direct, customized support to individual Centers.

Network Materials

The following communications materials were developed for the Student Success Center Network.

• SSCN Slide Deck: A PowerPoint template designed to tell the story of an individual Center and/or the Network as a whole. Can be customized for a variety of different uses, including presentations.
• Student Success Centers and the SSC Network Overview: Describes the Centers and the Network, the Centers’ potential for impact, and how Centers serve colleges and students.
• The Evolution of Student Success Centers: Provides a brief history of the Student Success Center model, a map of where the Centers are located, and lists their host organizations.
• Student Success Centers in Action: Gives examples of what the Centers’ work looks like on the ground.
• Student Success Center Messaging (Internal Document): Provides consistent language the Centers can use and customize to describe their work.
• Communications Strategy Worksheet: A template to use to organize your Center's communication outreach.
• Strategic Communications Guidance and Model Plan: Provides step-by-step guidance for strategic communications planning and a sample communications plan for SSCs.
• Student Success Center Audiences: Gives examples of target audiences and desired actions for each.
• Student Success Centers and Guided Pathways: Explains what guided pathways are, why they are necessary, and how the Centers are leading the implementation of guided pathways reforms in their states.
  • Centers can use the customizable Word version to add examples of guided pathways in action in their states! Add your own content to the box on page 2, and then save the document as a PDF.
• JFF Services + Support Brochure: Describes JFF's services and support to the Network of Student Success Centers.

SSCN Logo

SSC Network Logos and Guidelines: Centers have access to the professionally designed SSCN logo. There are 3 logo types (Network, Member, and Center) available in vertical and horizontal; and in color, black and white, and reversed. Use the PNG versions of the logo in Microsoft applications, online applications, and other on-screen applications; and use the EPS versions for printed materials. Please contact us at sscn@jff.org if you would like another type of logo or if you have any questions.

SSC Network Logo – For use on any and all SSC Network materials.

• PNG File (save the image (right click on the image) and insert as an image into document): Vertical - color
• EPS File: Vertical - color

State Version of Logo – SSCs that do not already have a Center logo, or would like to udpate their existing logo, may request a version of the Network logo adapted for their state. See this example with the state name for New York added. Please contact David Altstadt at daltstadt@jff.org to request a state-specific logo for your Center.

JFF Branding

Centers have the option of co-branding their materials with both JFF and SSCN branding. If you have questions about how to use the JFF branding or need another version of the logo, email us at sscn@jff.org.

JFF logo (Vertical, Color, PNG)

SSCN map (PDF)

SSCN reach graphic (PDF)

JFF Boilerplate language: JFF is a national nonprofit that drives transformation in the American workforce and education systems. For 35 years, JFF has led the way in designing innovative and scalable solutions that create access to economic advancement for all. Join us as we build a future that works. www.jff.org

JFF's relation to SSCN: "[Your state]'s Student Success Center is a proud member of the Student Success Center Network (SSCN), a national Network of 16 Centers. JFF manages the SSCN and provides support to Centers."

SSC Resource Websites

• Washington: Student Success & Guided Pathways Resource Center
• Virginia: The Resource Center

Center Resources

Student Success Centers put out publications on topics relevant to colleges and also compile and curate resources for colleges and other stakeholders. Many Centers have developed communications materials and online resource centers that include national and local research, recorded webinars, presentations from conferences, and links to national organizations dedicated to advancing student success. Examples of communications materials and resource repositories created by Centers are included below.

California

• "Aligned Resources and Programs to Put Students First" visual
• About the Success Center
  
• Success Center One-Pager

Connecticut

• About the Connecticut State Colleges & Universities Student Success Center

Hawaii

• Evolution of Collective Work Around Student Success

Michigan

• Michigan Center for Student Success - Publications
• Michigan Center for Student Success - Archived Webinars
• Michigan Center for Student Success - Vision and Background
• 2014-2017: Michigan Center for Student Success Strategic Direction

New Jersey

• New Jersey Center for Student Success - Resource Center
• New Jersey Center for Student Success - New Jersey Community College Completion Challenge (NJC4)
• Center for Student Success at the New Jersey Council of County Colleges - Overview
• Center for Student Success One-Pager

North Carolina

• NC "All In" One-Pager (created by Next Chapter)
  
• NC Pathways Graphic (created by Next Chapter)

Ohio

• Ohio Center for Student Success - Resources

Oregon

• OR and Guided Pathways Graphic (created by Next Chapter)
• OR "All In" One-Pager (created by Next Chapter)

Texas

• Texas Success Center - Guiding Principles and Protocols
• Texas Success Center - Frequently Asked Questions

Washington

• Guided Pathways at Washington State's Community and Technical Colleges - Video
• WA "All In" One-Pager (created by Next Chapter)
• WA and Guided Pathways Graphic (created by Next Chapter)

Advocating for Supportive State Policies

Drawing from our experience as policy lead for multiple nationally recognized community college completion initiatives over the past decade, JFF has developed a suite of policy and advocacy services to help Student Success Centers and their partners at state systems, associations, and institutions to inform and influence education and public policy decisions affecting community colleges, their students, and vitality of communities and regional labor markets.

Policy and Advocacy

JFF helps Centers understand policy development and influence the policy debate in their states. As a result, Centers are better equipped to identify favorable policy opportunities that they can leverage on behalf of their colleges.

JFF Policy Papers and Frameworks

1. National Elections Update
   • Presentation (Jan 2019)

1. Smart Postsecondary Policies that Work for Students and the Economy
   • Policy Indicators (2019)
   • Companion slide deck (2019)
     
   • Annotated 15-state policy scan (2018-2019) – unpublished, provided directly to SSCs
   • National report (forthcoming, 2019)

1. White Paper Series
   • Effective Pathways Depend on Collaboration (Blume, Yeh, 2018)
   • Financing Pathways for Students and Community Colleges (Johnson, 2018)
   • Measuring What Matters (Washington, 2018)
   • Supporting Students Along Their Pathway (Liston, 2018)
   • Policy Discussion Guide (2018)
     

1. Policy Leadership Trust For Students Success
   • State Policy Framework and Principles (2017)
     
   • Policy considerations for College Promise, Dual Enrollment, and Career Connections (forthcoming, 2019)

Policy Services Delivered to States

Florida

Michigan

• Memo (Postsecondary Analytics, 2019) – In-District Tuition Discounts and Free Community College

New York

• Keynote (JFF, 2019) – Lessons from a Decade of Policy Reform
• Pathways Institute Workshop (JFF, 2019) – Pathways Friendly Policies: How Practitioners can Engage and Guide the Policy Conversation – PowerPoint and Worksheet (downloads to Word document)

Virginia

SSC Examples

Michigan

• Michigan Transfer Agreement (The Michigan Center for Student Success was instrumental in the adoption of this agreement.)