Students should expect to see more initiative being placed by various departments on campus such as Student Services, Counseling, etc. due to the Accountability Reporting for the Community colleges 2009 report.
ARCC reports that there is a decline in student progress, achievement, and basic skills improvement with an increase in ESL improvement and successful course completion.
“This report helps us determine what barriers are for student success and removing these as much as possible. also allows ECC to see if students are not only succeeding but helps see if they are moving to higher courses,” Graff said.
EC’s decline in student progress and achievement calls for faculty members to put more effort on checking up on students. Faculty is taking intrusive counseling into consideration in order to keep students on track.
“Intrusive counseling is where a counselor sends an e-mail to students to keep them on track and alert them when grades are slipping,” Irene M. Graff, Director of Institutional Research, said.
EC plans to emphasis more efforts into student academic strategies such as new student orientation, counseling, developing education plans, and assist with time management study strategies.
“These outcomes are a great way to profile the effect community colleges have,” Graff said.
ECC is ranked as above average in various categories although in some areas there were declines.
“There will be a campus-wide effort to focus more on basic skills and meet [students] educational goals,” Graff said.
According to ARCC report, more than one-third of ECC students place into the basic skills English or math courses. They have taken a variety of steps to provide effective academic support for these students. A large-scale computer lab and learning support center for basic skills students is part of the new Learning Resources Center.
“More students feel comfortable going to community college that’s why they don’t take the tests that seriously,” Kathryn Thebodeau, Physical Therapy major, 19, said.
Successful course completions are those students who earned 30 units or more.
According to ARCC, the percentage of students with 30 or more units increased last year, but is below the peer average. ECC’s student rate increased by a 3,000 jump in a headcount.
The ARCC compares all of California Community Colleges (CCC) in this report to rank them individually. The ARCC measures a three year trend for all community colleges within California. EC takes all transfer-ready students into the report.
“Transfer-ready students are those who have taken all the required transfer courses in English and Math,” Graff said.
EC’s faculty and staff seem committed in making any changes that they can to aid students. Expect to see more initiative from student services, counseling
“I think that the changes this college is making happen should continue to provide a supporting environment for students. it is important to know whether students are staying in college,” Graff said.
Only about 40% of students who intend to transfer do so. In a national administered in 2007-08, students ranked ECC above average on academic challenge, active and collaborative learning and support for learners.