CSN Earns National “Leader College of Distinction” Recognition

Good news worth sharing across campus: the College of Southern Nevada has once again been recognized as a Leader College of Distinction by Achieving the Dream, a national organization focused on improving student success at community colleges.

This designation is not handed out lightly. Colleges that earn Leader College of Distinction status must show sustained progress in key areas like course success, student retention and completion, while also demonstrating a strong culture of using data to guide decisions and improve outcomes.

In other words, it recognizes the kind of steady, behind-the-scenes work happening across CSN every day.

“This recognition speaks to the culture of continuous improvement we have built,” said Dr. Stacey Klippenstein, president of the College of Southern Nevada. “Our teams are not only measuring early momentum and completion outcomes, but acting on what the data tells us. That discipline, paired with a deep commitment to equity and access, is what continues to move the needle for our students.”

So what does that actually mean for CSN?

It means more students are getting the support they need early in their college journey. It means departments across the college are paying close attention to what helps students succeed and adjusting along the way. And it means the work happening in classrooms, advising offices, student services and leadership meetings is translating into real progress.

Achieving the Dream created the Leader College of Distinction designation to recognize institutions that demonstrate sustained excellence in improving student outcomes over time.

For CSN, the recognition reflects a campuswide effort. From faculty redesigning courses to improve success rates, to advisors helping students navigate their path, to teams analyzing data to identify where students need support, it takes a lot of people pulling in the same direction.

And that direction is simple: help more Coyotes cross the finish line.

National recognition is nice, of course. But the real win is seeing more students persist, complete their programs and move forward with the careers and opportunities they came here to pursue.

That’s the kind of progress worth celebrating.