CLC earns award for achievements in student success

Graduate walking the stage Published September 11, 2025

College of Lake County (CLC) is the recipient of the Association of Community College Trustees’ (ACCT) 2025 Impact and Success Award for the Central region. The award recognizes the gains made in student success outcomes through transformative efforts implemented through the 2024 strategic plan launched in 2019.

ACCT is a non-profit educational organization of governing boards, representing more than 6,500 elected and appointed trustees who serve on more than 500 governing boards of community, technical and junior colleges in the United States and beyond. CLC’s recognition was based on:

  • Increases in access and success for low-income and first-generation students
  • Increases in basic-need programs and wrap-around services focused on supporting students, including redesigning the onboarding and first year experience to ensure students are supported as soon as they step on campus
  • Increases in opportunities for adult and non-credit students
  • The success of the institution’s community engagement and outreach efforts in attracting and maintaining the interests of these populations

Over the past five years, CLC has achieved historic outcomes with a nine-percentage point growth in its graduation rate. Gains have occurred across student populations, reinforcing CLC’s commitment to equity. As more CLC students accelerate their progress to credentials, returning from one semester to the next and graduating in a timely manner, there is an increase in the diverse skilled talent pipeline needed for businesses in Lake County.

CLC President Dr. Lori Suddick said, “When launching the 2024 strategic plan, CLC set bold goals in recognition that Lake County residents deserve a future-forward institution implementing evidence-based practices to ensure that every student achieves their goal. The college implemented whole system change and transformation that has continuously improved outcomes.”

Assistant Vice President of Strategic Advancement Dr. Nick Branson added, “Sustaining what works well while making meaningful improvements takes coordination and intentional design. That’s why we created the Lancer Success Framework, a purposeful design of the student experience from first connection with CLC through graduation and transition to the workforce or further education. Named after our Lancer mascot, the framework was built on feedback from students, faculty and staff, along with research on top-performing community colleges across the country.”

The ACCT award recognizes exemplary commitment by two-year postsecondary institutions to achieve impact and success in the college’s education programs and services and in the administration and delivery of those programs and services.

CLC officials will accept the Central Region Impact and Success Award at the 2025 ACCT Leadership Congress Oct. 22-25 in New Orleans and is a contender for the national award that will be announced at the event.

In 2025, CLC was also recognized nationally as a Leader College of Distinction, placing it among the top 10% of more than 400 institutions that participate in Achieving the Dream, a non-profit network supporting community colleges’ improvement efforts.

“The Leader College of Distinction designation is a testament to the data-informed, whole-college transformation that faculty and staff have activated over several years,” said Suddick. “It is evidence that implemented changes are making a difference in outcomes for students and the diverse communities across Lake County.”

Using a futures-thinking approach, CLC developed its five-year 2030 strategic plan with input from more than 2,000 individuals, including business leaders, community stakeholders, students and employees during the planning process.

The 2030 strategic plan will be highlighted at the annual state-of-the-college event on Sept. 25 at the Advanced Technology Center in Gurnee. The plan guides the college’s continued pursuit of excellence through three strategic pillars that align to overarching themes that emerged from input sessions.

Suddick explained, “The steps forward deepen the college’s commitment to a student and community-centered approach to advance regional workforce needs. CLC’s pillars and strategies steer toward a preferable future in which CLC contributes as an engine of economic mobility and a community catalyst.”

The 2030 strategic plan pillars include:

  • Student access and success
  • Community vibrancy
  • Future-ready organization