Unlocking Opportunity
Unlocking Opportunity is a national plan led by the Aspen Institute College Excellence Program in partnership with the Community College Research Center. It supports community colleges in strengthening programs and advising so more students complete degrees that lead to high‑demand careers with livable wages or successfully transfer to and complete a bachelor’s degree.
Launched as a pilot in 2023, the program expanded in 2025 to include 55 colleges nationwide. Montgomery County Community College is proud to be among those selected.
Over the next three years, Montco will work closely with Aspen to improve student outcomes by advancing degree completion, workforce success, and transfer pathways.
How do we define post-completion success for our students?
- Post-completion success (also called post-graduation success) is how we and the Unlocking Opportunity Network measure students’ access to high-wage occupations and to successful transfer and bachelor’s degree attainment.
- Workforce programs are programs that offer either an associate degree (often the AAS degree) or a credential
that fully prepares students to enter the workforce after completion.
- Workforce/Career success is measured by a graduate’s access to enter a high-wage occupation after earning a college credential designed for that occupation.
- Transfer programs are associate degree programs that are designed to help students transfer to a four-year
institution. These are often Associate in Arts (AA), Associate in Fine Arts (AFA),
and Associate in Science (AS) degrees.
- Transfer success is measured by students’ attainment of a bachelor’s degree within six years of starting college at a community college (high transfer).
- High opportunity programs provide data-supported access to high wage occupations and high transfer.
Unlocking Opportunity Project Team and Working Groups
Unlocking Opportunity Project Team
- Vicki Bastecki-Perez, President
- Chae Sweet, Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs and Provost, Project Lead
- Mike Bettinger, Chief of Staff
- Alaina Hausman, Director of Business Intelligence and Analytics, Data Lead
- Katherine Carter, Trustee
- Ayo Patterson, Trustee
- Lianne Hartman, Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs
- Bill McDonald, Vice President of Finance and Enrollment Services
- Jenna Meehan, Vice President of Institutional Effectiveness
- Diane O’Connor, Vice President of Administrative Services
- Diane VanDyke, Director of Strategic Communications & Marketing
Working Group I
- Rosann Bar, Dean of Academic Innovation
- James Bretz, Dean of Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics
- Suzanne del Gizzo, Dean of Liberal Arts
- Lianne Hartman, Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs
- Natalie Palmer, Executive Director of Enrollment Services
- Matthew Swatchick, Dean of Student Services
Dual Enrollment Working Group
Team Leads
- Matthew Swatchick
- Natalie Palmer
- Rosann Bar
Teaching Faculty:
- Theresa Napson-Williams, history faculty
- Victoria Vetro, English faculty
- James Muscatell, math faculty
- Judith Higgins, part-time psychology faculty
- John Lynsky, English faculty
Advising Faculty:
- Jen Gordon, advisor/faculty
Administrators:
- Shannon Harley, DE Manager
- Rob Vogel, IT
- Sherry Phillips, registrar
- Nicole Savitsky, IR/BI
- Michelle Kulla, Gateway to College
- Michael Harcum, admissions
Pre-Health Working Group
Team Leads
- Jamie Bretz
- Kelly Strunk
Teaching Faculty:
- Michelle Donovan, nutrition faculty
- Natalia Griga, dental hygiene faculty
- Kelly Lyles, nursing faculty
- Shauna LaMagna, medical asst. faculty
- Anne Marie Donahue, psychology faculty
- Dave Whalen, biology faculty
Advising Faculty:
- Janet Fithian, advisor/faculty
Administrators:
- Stephanie Prazenka, registrar
- Katherine Browna, admissions
- TJ Augustine, IR/BI
- Takisha Mundy, career services
- Benjamin Sacks, PTA director
- Bill Mullen, Massage Therapy
- Patty Abdalla, academic support
Transfer Program Working Group
Team Leads:
- Suzanne del Gizzo
Teaching Faculty:
- Beth Lattanzi, education faculty
- Sanket Desai, history faculty
- Cathy Carsley, English faculty & Liberal Studies coord
- Marie Hartlein, CIS faculty
Advising Faculty:
- Stefanie Crouse, advisor/faculty
- Derrick Smith, advisor/faculty
Administrators:
- Kimberly Murphy, Academic Affairs
- Leslie Calimer, Advising
- Becky Hays, Academic Affairs
- Mary Beaver, IT
- Dennis Duett, admissions
- Katherine Moore, registrar
- Christal Chatman, financial aid
- Bethany Eisenhart, career services
- Shuktara Das, Institutional Effectiveness
Timeline
Timeline (to be updated)
September-October 2025
- Set wage standards
- Compile transfer and bachelor’s degree completion outcomes
October-November 2025
- Classify programs by post-completion success
- Workforce programs classified by access to earning high wages
- Transfer programs classified by successful bachelor’s degree attainment after transfer.
January-May 2026
- Review and analyze program classifications and other data gathered in Fall 2025.
- Analyze all data sets to identify strategies to strengthen and expand post-completion success for the greatest number of students
- Set quantitative goals and aligned strategies to strengthen and expand post completion success at the College over the next 2 years and beyond.
Engagement Timeline
Download the Unlocking Opportunity: Engagement Timeline PDF
Final Goals and Strategies
View this PDF to learn more about the College's Final Goals and Strategies.
For questions, please email [email protected].
