Hocking College explores shorter class terms through campus-wide collaboration

Hocking College is continuing its work with Achieving the Dream, bringing faculty, staff, and students together for a recent Professional Development Day focused on student success and shorter academic terms.

The college was selected in 2025 to join a national initiative aimed at expanding shortened academic terms. These shorter, 8 week terms are designed to help students stay on track by focusing on fewer classes at a time while balancing work, family, and other responsibilities.

The recent Professional Development Day marked an early step in that work.

Throughout the day, faculty and staff took part in discussions, planning sessions, and student focus groups. Those conversations helped ground the effort in real student experiences, offering insight into what students need and how the college can better support them.

“Our Professional Development Day with Achieving the Dream reinforced the strength of our student-centered approach and helped us refine how we continue to improve it,” said Samuel Taylor, interim dean of arts, science, and education. “It was a meaningful opportunity to come together and focus on what matters most. I’m looking forward to continuing this work and exploring how 8-week terms can better meet our students where they are while strengthening the hands-on experience that defines Hocking College. I also want to thank our ATD coaches, Stephanie and Keisha, for their time, guidance, and support throughout the day.”

Shortened academic terms are being explored as a way to improve completion rates, increase persistence, and support overall student success. At Hocking College, the goal is to do that while keeping the hands on, career-focused learning that defines the student experience.

The Professional Development Day gave faculty and staff a chance to share ideas, hear directly from students, and begin shaping how shorter terms could work at the college. With continued support from ATD coaches, those conversations are helping guide the next steps.

Hocking College continues to advance equity in education through the ATD initiative, as it works to design shortened academic terms that better support students and their paths to success.