Ocean County College OceanViews Magazine 2026 Winter Volume 19 Issue 02 - Flipbook - Page 4
OCEAN NEWS
OCC Partners
with Achieving the Dream
Ocean County College is one of nine
institutions in the 2025 cohort joining
the Achieving the Dream (AtD) network,
a national organization committed to
advancing community colleges as accessible hubs of learning, credentialing, and
economic mobility. OCC entered AtD’s
Foundations of Transformation engagement, a three-year program designed to
help colleges strengthen key systems,
expand learning opportunities, and
improve student success.
In the fall, faculty and staff members
participated in “Achieving the Dream:
Considering the Student Journey,” a
thought-provoking activity in which players step into the shoes of college students
and reflect on their real-life experiences
and the barriers they face every day. AtD
coaches also visited the OCC campus to
provide an opportunity for stakeholders
to understand the work and their roles in
this collective effort to improve student
success.
A team of OCC representatives, including
President Pamela Monaco, attended AtD’s
three-day Kickoff Training, an event that
orients incoming colleges to the organization and introduces its Institutional
Capacity Framework. “We read a lot and
learned a lot about the framework and
how the college can serve students even
better than we are now,” Dr. Monaco said.
“Based on our experience, we are focused
on the work ahead.”
“Joining Achieving the Dream represents a
pivotal step in our ongoing commitment to
achievement for all, community vibrancy,
and—most importantly—student success,” said Dr. Monaco. “This partnership
will provide us with additional strategies
as well as access to a national network of
support to help us better understand and
remove barriers to student achievement,
especially for historically underserved
populations in our communities.”
Board of Trustees
Elects New Officers
that the College continues to meet the
evolving needs of its students and community. The Board also welcomed a new
trustee, Dr. Theresa Kubiel. Dr. Kubiel was
appointed by the Ocean County Board of
Commissioners to serve the remainder
of the term of Joanne Pehlivanian, who
resigned from the board in July. Full
details on the elected officers and board
members are available on ocean.edu.
At the annual reorganization meeting
on November 6, the Board affirmed the
following officers for 2025-2026: Steven
Zabarsky, Board Chair; Lynn Canfield,
Vice Chair; Frank Dupignac, Jr., Treasurer;
and DiAnne Gove, Secretary. The newly
elected officers will lead the Board in
working with OCC leadership to ensure
Academic ESL Program
Creates New Pathways
Ocean County College is helping learners strengthen their English skills and
move confidently into college coursework through its Academic ESL Program.
Designed for students at all stages, the
program builds reading, writing, listening,
speaking, and grammar skills from the
ground up.
The curriculum includes four levels of ESL
4 Winter 2026
courses, beginner through advanced, with
each carrying four credits. Students who
complete Level 4 earn the OCC English
Language Certificate and become eligible
to enroll in select college-level courses.
Convenient evening classes, offered twice
a week, make the program accessible for
those balancing work, family, and education. Affordability is another key advantage:
scholarships and grants are available, ensuring that high-quality instruction from OCC’s
experienced faculty remains within reach.
For many learners, the Academic ESL
Program is more than language training:
it serves as a pathway to higher education
and expanded career opportunities. By
strengthening essential communication
skills, the program prepares students for
success in college and beyond.
Students interested in enrolling can
contact the Academic ESL Program
at ESL@ocean.edu or 732-255-0400,
ext. 7918.
