Four New Colleges Earn Caring Campus Certification for Advancing Cultures of Care and Student Success

IEBC CERTIFIED2Four more community colleges have achieved Caring Campus Certification, a distinction honoring institutions that exemplify what it means to lead with care while advancing student persistence, retention, and success.

Patrick & Henry Community College in Virginia is the first institution to earn gold certification, while Northeast Lakeview College in Texas, along with West Los Angeles College (WLAC) and Yuba College in California, have each earned silver certification.

At Patrick & Henry, staff and faculty have full embraced Caring Campus as part of daily practice, from small gestures like greeting students to embedding a tone of care into automated absence notifications.  The college is now expanding its Caring Campus efforts with a focus on mental health and trauma-informed practices. Representatives from Patrick & Henry will showcase this innovative work in a special presentation at the upcoming Caring Campus Conference: Building a National Culture of Care on Nov. 12–14.

“Earning gold certification affirms that Caring Campus has truly become part of our culture and daily practice,” said Meghan Eggleston, Dean of Student Services at Patrick & Henry. “It is a powerful validation for our staff, showing that their dedication and hard work haven’t gone unnoticed. The certification process not only highlighted how far we’ve come, but also provided clarity on where we can grow next.”

At WLAC, staff have championed Caring Campus by building a culture of celebration and connection, from “West Wednesdays” and Donut Socials to embedding care into its Enrollment Management Plan.

“When we got the news that we achieved silver Caring Campus certification, it just made my whole day,” said Vicky Nesia, WLAC’s Executive Assistant to the President and Caring Campus lead. “We have really seen a shift in our culture, and students are noticing. Many have shared that they feel authentically cared for and that they matter at West. And our president, Dr. James Limbaugh, continues to show his support and trust in this staff-led implementation.”

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