Connecting Community College Students to Completion: Engagement, Commitment & Institutional Planning Presented in Partnership by: Phi Theta Kappa & The New Jersey Council of County Colleges Center for Student Success

Our Presentation Team Lou Venturelli Assistant Director NJ Center for Student Success Jennifer L. Blalock Chief Student Support Officer Phi Theta Kappa Cassie Bryant Special Initiatives Coordinator Phi Theta Kappa Jake Farbman Director of Communications New Jersey Council of County Colleges

Our Leadership Vision “To return our nation to economic prominence, which will require producing 5 million more adults with 21st Century workforce credentials — certificates and associate degrees or higher — we must completely transform how our colleges operate, what and how they teach, how they are funded and incented, how they work with other education institutions, and how they engage with industry.” ---Dr. Rod A. Risley, Executive Director & CEO of Phi Theta Kappa

A Call to Action: Community College Completion as a National Initiative Democracy’s Colleges Call to Action The President’s 2020 Challenge The Completion Challenge Democracy’s Colleges Call to Action The President’s 2020 Challenge The Completion Challenge

Our Shared Challenges Student Success Rates Employment & industry needs gap Increase in underprepared college students Rapidly changing enrollment demographics Reduction in college funding Declining enrollments Student Success Rates Employment & industry needs gap Increase in underprepared college students Rapidly changing enrollment demographics Reduction in college funding Declining enrollments

The Community College Completion Corps

The Community College Completion Corps is a: Student-Led Initiative Increase student awareness Promote benefits of completion Engage campus & community stakeholders Faculty Staff Administrators The Community College Completion Corps is a: Student-Led Initiative Increase student awareness Promote benefits of completion Engage campus & community stakeholders Faculty Staff Administrators

Students Commit To Complete Planning for completion Career planning Advisement on course selection & degree progress Role model in class participation & preparation Each one help one Planning for completion Career planning Advisement on course selection & degree progress Role model in class participation & preparation Each one help one

Faculty & Staff Commit To Complete Completion Champion Pledge Identify two specific, measurable action items to promote completion Data and research driven initiatives & programming Culture of completion Emphasis on student success Mentoring, coaching, & guiding toward completion Completion Champion Pledge Identify two specific, measurable action items to promote completion Data and research driven initiatives & programming Culture of completion Emphasis on student success Mentoring, coaching, & guiding toward completion

NJ Council of County Colleges State association for all 19 community colleges Statewide Center for Student Success, funded by Kresge Foundation Provides technical support to NJ’s community college administrators Convenings, collaborations, coherence, change, & communication Introduction

NJ Council of County Colleges Establishing Interest: Digitally Survey Chapters for Statewide Interest Awareness: Hold Statewide Conference Calls with PTK Advisors and Student Leaders Commitment: Distribute Chapter Commitment Form Inventory: Distribute Chapter Event Form Launch: Visit colleges, hire videographer and promote program. Roadmap: New Jersey Community College Completion Challenge

NJ Council of County Colleges Tips for Success 1.First thing’s first: partner with your PTK Regional Coordinator on the front end – they have star power 2.Identify a statewide C4 Advisory Board 3.Hold numerous conference calls with chapter advisors and student presidents – facilitate exchange of ideas 4.Engage other student organizations in the program 1.Communicate your plans with statewide leadership including deans of students, chief academic officers and college presidents 2.Engage distance education students through the online pledge 3.Fundraise through state organizations for chapter programmatic support 4.Capture and tell your story

Partnership with New Jersey Education Association NJEA represents 90,000 K-12 stakeholders Includes faculty & staff at NJ Community Colleges Advocates for community colleges as the NJEA’s New Jersey County Colleges Association Invested $15,000 in NJC4 Funded local activities for all 19 chapters and statewide viral campaign Funding NJ Council of County Colleges

Created #NJC4 and asked all community colleges to use it on social media – Facebook, Instagram & Twitter Created four viral news segments featuring campus events Publicized on NJCCC, Phi Theta Kappa & NJEA websites Media coverage in The Star-Ledger, Philadelphia Inquirer, Press of Atlantic City, Inside Higher Education, and others 30-minute feature on Caucus: New Jersey (PBS) NJ Council of County Colleges Promoting

Social Media

News Media Coverage

Campus Spotlights

Involve all levels of campus & community participation Athletics, Instruction, Staff, Student Organizations & leadership, Student Activities, Orientation, Career Services, Alumni, Business & Industry Introduce additional partnerships for sustainability including 4-years Promote the Completion Corps’ Online Pledge Measuring, comparing, and evaluating impact of student participation Establish a Spring Semester Completion Celebration Day Identify a Completion Challenge Theme Involve all levels of campus & community participation Athletics, Instruction, Staff, Student Organizations & leadership, Student Activities, Orientation, Career Services, Alumni, Business & Industry Introduce additional partnerships for sustainability including 4-years Promote the Completion Corps’ Online Pledge Measuring, comparing, and evaluating impact of student participation Establish a Spring Semester Completion Celebration Day Identify a Completion Challenge Theme Expanding

“Each One, Help One.”

Goal-setting Monitor progress Personal and academic milestones Next steps and forward thinking Connect to two- year and four-year resources

Getting Started Survey of engagement & investment of campus stakeholders Student leadership, ownership, and implementation Collaboration Showcasing and integrating on-campus resources Showcasing and integrating off-campus resources and partners

The Challenge Continues o Federal national community college agenda for funded two-year tuition o Increased access & enrollment o Impact on student demographics & motivation o State community college initiatives o Department of Education College scorecard and rating system

Q&A