Two Employees Complete Leadership Academy

Two leaders from Edison State Community College have graduated as fellows of the Ohio Leadership Academy for Student Success.

Andrea Francis, Assistant Director of Marketing and Communication, and Ethan Tauscher, Director of Enrollment Management, were among more than 30 leaders representing all of Ohio’s community colleges who graduated in June 2024 as part of the academy, organized by the Ohio Association of Community Colleges (OACC). The leadership development cohort program gathers administrators, faculty, and staff for a year of training, exchanging ideas, and immersion in how to promote student success.

Each of the state’s community colleges could nominate two employees as fellows. They met six times throughout the year for two-day meetings. Sessions were relevant to Ohio specifically and included aspects of the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program curriculum. Fellows also worked on projects in small groups between sessions.

Francis said, “The OACC Leadership Academy for Student Success was an overall great experience. Not only did I hear outstanding speakers share their experiences in higher education, but I also got to work alongside and develop relationships with fellow cohort members from colleges across the state. The Leadership Academy provided invaluable professional growth, and I’m eager to see Edison State students benefit from the ideas and topics shared throughout the year.”

“I’m thankful for the opportunities and networking connections created throughout the past year,” added Tauscher. “My cohort team worked on a project about being transparent on the value of obtaining an education, such as what careers are accessible with program completion, how many positions are available, and who their potential employers are. Fellow cohort member Andrea Francis and I are working to apply this concept to our upcoming website and program pieces, and I’m excited to see how knowledge obtained from the academy will apply to more opportunities in the future.”

The OACC represents the presidents and trustees of the state’s 23 public two-year institutions that work to advance community colleges through policy advocacy and professional development. For more information, visit www.ohiocommunitycolleges.org.