Improving outcomes for all College of Southern Nevada students
CSN is proud to be part of the ATD Network, a national reform of more than 300 colleges across the country focused on helping community college students achieve their academic and career goals. Celebrating over 20 years of work, ATD leads the most comprehensive non-governmental reform network for community college student success in higher education history.
Since 2012, CSN has proudly been a member of the Achieving the Dream (ATD) network. As an ATD member, CSN has developed and implemented research-based policies and practices based on quantitative and qualitative analyses of its institutional strengths, problem areas, and achievement gaps. CSN is committed to institutionalizing practices while empowering students to achieve their goals.
ATD provides…
- Data-informed strategies
- Coaching
- A framework for institutional improvement centered on equity and student success.
For more information about Achieving the Dream, please contact Kimiko Walton, Associate Vice President of Academic Partnerships.
No Greater Odds
This preview of No Greater Odds follows five CSN students whose powerful stories of struggle and perseverance reflect the journeys of millions finding hope and opportunity through community colleges.
▶ More information about the No Greater Odds documentary
Past Events
Achieve the Dream: Where Potential Meets Purpose
The future is being built right now. See how our industry partnerships are fueling innovation in manufacturing. We're investing in the technology and the talent required to keep our industry moving forward.
See how CSN's IT program is training the next generation of tech innovators and problem-solvers. Whether it’s cybersecurity, coding, or network administration, we provide the skills to thrive in a high-growth field.
Experience how hands-on training equips students to diagnose, install, and maintain essential climate control systems. HVAC is just one of the many programs helping students gain the technical expertise they need to succeed!
Get under the hood of tomorrow's transportation! See how CSN's Transportation Technology program is putting students in the driver's seat of in-demand careers. From cutting-edge diagnostics to electric vehicle maintenance, your journey starts here.
More on Achieving the Dream
Achieving the Dream identifies seven essential capacities that must be in place for colleges to create the student-focused culture that promotes student success.
- Leadership & Vision – The commitment and collaboration of the institution’s leadership with respect to student success and the clarity of the vision for desired change.
- Data & Technology – The institution’s capacity to collect, access, analyze and use data to inform decisions, as well as, to use powerful technology to support student success.
- Equity – The commitment, capabilities, and experiences of an institution to equitably serve low-income students, students of color and other at-risk student populations with respect to access, success, and campus climate.
- Teaching & Learning – The commitment to engaging full-time and adjunct faculty in examinations of pedagogy, meaningful professional development, and a central role for them as change agents within the institution. Also, the college’s commitment to advising, tutoring, and out-of-classroom supports as well as restructuring developmental education to facilitate student learning and success.
- Engagement & Communication – The creation of strategic partnerships with key external stakeholders, such as K-12, universities, employers and community-based organizations, and internal stakeholders across the institution to participate in the student success agenda and improvement of student outcomes.
- Strategy & Planning – The alignment of the institution with the umbrella goal of student success and the institution’s process for translating the desired future into defined goals and objectives and executing the actions to achieve them.
- Policies & Practices – The institutional policies and practices that impact student success and the processes for examining and aligning policies and practices to remove barriers and foster student completion.
ATD partnered with network colleges to develop the Institutional Capacity Assessment Tool (ICAT), a self-assessment that helps colleges identify strengths and improvement areas across key capacities.
Transforming campus culture and improving student outcomes requires reflection, feedback, and coordinated action. The ICAT supports this work by guiding colleges to use results for strategic planning, accreditation, pathway development, high-impact practices, campus discussions, and institutional improvement.
ATD helps colleges strengthen their data practices by collecting, analyzing, and sharing student outcome information. Member institutions foster a campus-wide culture of evidence and inquiry to improve student success. Using workforce data, college data, and information from the National Student Clearinghouse, ATD provides each institution with reports that enable them to:
- Track persistence, completion of credential(s), and transfer to four-year institutions longitudinally.
- Evaluate student success efforts through an equity lens through disaggregated data.
- Benchmark performance against colleges in the ATD Network in their state, region, and the ATD Network.
ATD performance metrics:
Early Momentum
- 6+ college credits in 1st term
- 12+ college credits in 1st term
- 15+ college credits 1st year
- 24+ college credits in 1st year
- 30+ college credits in 1st year
Persistence Momentum
- 1st term to 2nd term
Retention
- 1st year to 2nd year
Credit Completion Ratio
- College credits earned vs. attempted in 1st year
Gateway Math and English Momentum
- Completed college Math in 1st year
- Completed college English in 1st year
- Completed both college English & college Math in 1st year
Credit Completion Ratio
- College credits earned vs. attempted in 1st year
The entire CSN community is involved in transforming student success at CSN. To organize, coordinate, assess, and communicate the student success work, CSN has established a Core Team of representatives.
- Dr. Stacey Klippenstein, President
- Dr. James McCoy, Executive Vice President - Academic Affairs
- Dr. Juan Avalos, Vice President - Student Affairs
- Kimiko Walton, Associate Vice President-Academic Partnerships and CSN Liaison for ATD
- Juanita Chrysanthou, Counselor and ATD Student Success Strategy Champion
- Dr. Dan Corsi, Senior Associate Vice President – Academic Affairs
- Dr. Oscar Espinoza-Parra, Associate Vice President- Academic Success
- Dr. Bob Ngo, Executive Director – Institutional Research and Data Analytics
- Dr. Cathy Godfrey, Registrar
- Dr. Jonathan Wright, Director – Career Services
- Dr. Racquel Melson, Director – Civic and Cultural Engagement
- Dr. Lawrence Weekly, Executive Director – Civic and Cultural Engagement
- Dr. Anne DeClouette, Professor – Business
- Dr. Angela Spires, Professor – English
- Torri Kellough, Librarian – Instruction and Reference
- Jyoti Sentil, Assistant Director – Strategic Planning
- Dr. Gillian Silver-Rodis, Professor – Hospitality Management
- Ayesha Kidd, Associate Vice President – Organizational Development & Effectiveness
ATD Coach
- Dr. Jacqueline Taylor – Leadership, Equity, and Teaching & Learning Coach
Network Connection Newsletters & Upcoming Events
The Network Connection brings you the latest from Achieving the Dream and our network of 300+ community colleges.
Resources
| Date | Event / Activity | Insight |
|---|---|---|
| January 2023 | Call for ATD Lead Deployed | Engaging faculty and staff leadership |
| January 2023 | Launch of the CSN Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning | Establishes a centralized hub for professional learning, instructional support, and faculty collaboration |
| April 2023 | Institutional Capacity Assessment Tool (ICAT) administered | 183 respondents. Helped CSN establish a baseline understanding of its capacity across key functional areas such as governance, leadership, financial management, human resources, and program delivery. |
| April 2023 | Four Cornerstones of Teaching and Learning Gathering | Plenary session led by Dr. Taylor |
| September 2023 | Four Cornerstones of Teaching and Learning Gathering | Plenary session led by Dr. Spires and the ATD Team |
| April 2024 | ATD Capacity Café | Faculty and staff engaged in sharing data on success rates by demographics, collaborative conversation on equity gaps |
| April 2024 | Annual ATD Reflection Report Submitted | Reflective process that helps consolidate lessons learned, assess progress on student success initiatives, and document evidence for continuous improvement |
| May 2024 | Annual Site Visit Report Received | Provided targeted recommendations to assist CSN in refining priorities, guiding planning, and strengthening accountability |
| February 2025 | DREAM 2025 Annual Conference | Gather national best practices, strengthen ATD network connections to advance equity and student success |
| March 2025 | 4DX Launched | Execution of CSN’s Wildly Important Goal (WIG), sub-WIGs, and lead measures |
| April 2025 | Annual ATD Site Visit | Dr. Taylor visited campus to assess progress, validate successes, and identify improvement areas |
| April 2025 | Annual ATD Reflection Report Submitted | Reflective process that helps consolidate lessons learned, assess progress on student success initiatives, and document evidence for continuous improvement |
| May 2025 | Site Visit Report Received | Provided targeted recommendations to assist CSN in refining priorities, guiding planning, and strengthening accountability |
| May 2025 | Call for Student Success Strategy Champion Deployed | Engaging faculty and staff leadership |
| August 2025 | Selected ATD Student Success Champion | Identifies CSN’s key campus leader to help drive student success initiatives |
| October 2025 | Leader College of Distinction Application Submitted | Renew our designation as a Leader College of Distinction |
| November 2025 | Fall 2025 Convening | Our mid-year opportunity to recalibrate, share progress, and strengthen cross-functional collaboration |
| December 2025 | ATD Dual Credit SEM Planning Grant Application Submitted | Positions CSN to enhance dual credit strategy and expand early college access and supports long-term enrollment management and pathways alignment. |
| January 2026 | Dual Credit and Strategic Enrollment Management Grant Recipient | This grant builds CSN’s leadership in student success and offers an opportunity to help shape a model for how dual enrollment can strengthen community vibrancy. |
| February 2026 | Dual Enrollment/SEM Grant Recipient | CSN will join the inaugural cohort of the Dual Enrollment / Strategic Enrollment Management (DE/SEM) initiative |
| March 2026 | Leader College of Distinction Designation | CSN's Leader College of Distinction designation renewal was approved by Achieving the Dream. This is a three-year designation. |