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Practice and Policy Checklist Examples of Policy Questions/Institutional Statements Regular contact with a consistent advisor/counselor to develop and monitor each students education plan.

Institutional Practice/Policy Area Academic Advising

NECC Strengths Students do have regular contact with advisors. Those assigned to faculty members have consistent contact with same advisor unless student change majors. Students on Academic Suspension have assigned advisors

NECC Gaps No mandatory Academic Plan in place

Academic Planning

Mandatory process for students to plan degree/certificate programs. Availability of computer resources, including open labs, at times matching student schedules. Corporate discounts for student purchases. NECC has 35 computer labs across 3 campuses. 7 are dedicated to Reading, Writing, Math, ESL, tutoring, and testing. 25 are dedicated reserved for teaching and testing. 2 are Mac labs, all others are PC labs. 1 computer lab in Lawrence (21 seats) and 1 computer lab in Haverhill (50 seats) are dedicated for student walk-in. Walk-in labs are open Monday Thursday 8:00am - 10:00pm, Friday 8:00am 9:00pm and Saturday 8:00am 3:45pm. Programs with specific admissions criteria do exercise cutoff dates Open access programs have no cut off Dates

The college does not have mandatory Career Planning and Advising in place. Because so many of our classes are scheduled weekdays before noon, and more faculty request computer lab time for their classes each semester, we are not always able to accommodate every request.

Access to Technology

Admissions Cycle

Cut-off dates for admissions either to institution or specific programs

Open Access extends too far into the start of the semester. Should end during add drop. No new students should be allowed to register after Drop/Add including courses offered 2nd half of semester. Students after placement assessments are no longer available or who need financial aid and have not applied in time to have an award in place at the beginning of classes are encouraged to begin classes the next

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available semester or summer session. Turn around time for writing assessment results may take as long as two weeks, depending on the time of year. Writing samples are difficult to track as they are passed between evaluators for further review.

Assessment/ Placement

On-going evaluation of efficiency of cut scores, and periodic evaluation of the appropriateness of the placement instrument itself. Recognition of need for prompt feedback to students and faculty.

Cut scores for college level proficiencies are established by the State Board of High Education. These scores are standardized across all state colleges in Massachusetts. Cut scores within the developmental reading, writing, and math sequence are continuously evaluated by faculty and are adjusted as needed. Borderline placements in developmental reading and math are further validated by subsequent retesting The battery of Assessment instruments for ESL has recently been improved to include the LOEP. The LOEP was piloted with est. 500 students before implementation. Results for Math and Reading are available to students and advisors within 45 minutes after testing. There are bilingual staff at the Welcome Desks and in the Career Counseling and Advising Centers on both campuses. ESL advisors help with the placement and registration of ESL students Some admissions materials are in Spanish

Bilingual Intake Services

Access to college admissions processes for non-English fluent students.

Only Spanish/English bilingual staff; other languages not represented Website is only in English. Basic information should be translated into other languages for easier initial student access

Campus Climate

Recognition of the value of all learners to the campus, zero tolerance for aggression based on race, ethnicity, income status, and other characteristics.

Mission clearly reflects value of all learners to the campus Student Code of Conduct clearly delineates zero tolerance offenses CCSSE results point to students

Climate could be more appealing to students of color with more minority faculty on board Increase organized mentoring opportunities for Latino students

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satisfaction with campus climate PACE/Title V, NCBI, Clubs & Athletics The college has staff with expertise in this particular area. Increased cross training of all staff within CPAC is in progress the result of which will be enhanced expertise across specialty areas, i.e. all staff whether will be able to discuss with students how to plan whether academic or career and the intersection of the two. Awareness/understanding/response across faculty of obstacles/crises faced by students The coordination of Career Planning and Academic Advising (counseling) is just taking form. Much work is needed in this area. However there are indications that the newly implemented integration of operations within the Haverhill Career Planning and Advising Center is taking hold towards the realization of a true OneStop Model wherein everyone does (at least some) of everything providing services to students. Data and monitoring of student, faculty/staff usage was not reliable from vendor. Contract had not been re-bid in 10 years. (currently in progress).

Career Development

Services that assist student to develop clear, realistic aspirations for future work. This area should be coordinated with academic planning and counseling.

Childcare

Provision of care for students dependent children, especially children of single parents.

Community-Based Organization (CBO) Links

Working agreements with CBOs who are often the first point of contact with higher education for low-income students/students of color.

Both campuses have on-site childcare with students children as first priority placements. Childcare centers serve as practicum sites for ECE students under apt supervision. Childcare is discounted for students, subsidized slots are available; evening /Saturday hours in Lawrence Dedicated position in Lawrence to CBO outreach, increased visibility in community. LCW, Notre Dame, churches, GLCAC Participation on several community partnerships, task forces, host site for Upward Bound, HERC, others. CSL taking root. All of these services exist and students benefit from all of them. Staff in these areas are aware of the relative functions of each area and some referral occurs

Comprehensiveness of Student Services

How well do academic guidance and counseling, academic support, personal guidance and counseling, career counseling and supplemental services function together?

Efforts are not always formalized, clearly articulated and tracked. At times NECC may be viewed as a competitor to community-based efforts or as not integrated with community. Mission and boundaries of NECC services not understood by all stakeholders. There are Gaps as far as inclusive consistent training of staff and sharing of information. In some areas there exist too much seclusion. More sharing is needed for the

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benefit of our students. We are in process of better integrating the IE cycles within institutional planning processes, such as the Strategic Directions, the Perkins Five Year Plan, the Academic Master Plan, and the Achieving the Dream initiative.

Continuous Quality Improvement

Use of data, information, and evaluation to accelerate success rates for low-income/students of color students that is part of a quality cycle leading to improved instruction, support programs, and services.

Counseling (Personal Guidance)

Services that are distinct from advising that provide emotional and personal support for education success.

The college has an institutionalized process for the continuous evaluation of Institutional Effectiveness (IE). The IE process evaluates KPIs for student success across several variables, including income and ethnicity. The evaluation process includes annual reports from all areas of the college, including academic areas, as well as student services. Reports include updates on continuous improvements in relation to the targeted KPIs. A lot of personal guidance happens in successful work-study placements. Social Services aspect of Joselyn Martes position PACE model of support. Mentoring and peer groups like the Law. Book club, Womens Support Network, Mentor w/male athletes. Student Engagement Center

One Social Service staff for both campuses leaves problems to be dealt with by untrained staff. Training gaps for staff and faculty around where to refer students, although the information is out there.

Curricular Alignment

Alignment of competencies between basic skills/ESL programs and collegiate-level classes to bridge gaps and ensure seamless movement of students.

Significant efforts have been made to align the skills between ESL and Developmental Reading and Writing Clear alignment of skills exists between Basic Writing and Comp 1 supported by data. Developmental Algebra curriculum was recently realigned in collaboration with the Math Dept. Success of Developmental students in gatekeeper courses as seen in the KPIs is further evidence that the skills needed for success have been established.

More needs to be done to align ESL with Developmental Math. Some collaboration between the Developmental reading and the content areas has occurred especially through LCs but the exit from reading to the content courses is more broad based and therefore more difficult to establish or address. This needs to be improved. Some topics in Developmental Math courses are not emphasized as much as they could be because of the time

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constraints of the semester. Degree Auditing Availability of student progress toward degree checks after completion of a threshold number of credit hours. The college instituted automated Degree Audit 1.5 years ago. Students can also perform a WHAT IF Analysis-checking progress towards a degree or certificate other than the one in which they are not matriculated. Students can use the system at any point in their academic career at NECC. The College recognizes and supports the celebration of the Hispanic week. The college supports the ESL learning social club where Hispanic instructors develop several activities in/out the classroom for the ESL students. There is an effort to hire more minority faculty and staff reflecting the diverse population of the college.

Diversity

Institutional statements and other evidence recognizing the importance of diversity in multi-cultural/racial society.

Engagement Strategies for LowIncome/students of color Students

Existence of purposeful strategies for low-income students/student of color that increase their interactions with the college in ways that are culturally-sensitive

Northern Essex has a number of programs which are purposefully designed to increase retention by fostering student engagement. Such programs include: A comprehensive network of support services for athletes; Retention and early intervention strategies for students enrolled in extracurricular organizations and clubs; The TRIO funded PACE project (Pathways to Academic and Career Excellence). PACE was one of nine programs nationwide which was recently identified by the US Dept of Ed as a national model for outstanding retention practices for low income, first

The need for multicultural clubs/organizations that will include faculty and students to promote and/or support cultural and social activities. The need to integrate ESL students with the rest of the college community. (note: sometimes ESL students are seen as outsiders; many college activities do not include them; in Lawrence they are even more segregated since most, if not all the ESL classes are on a separate building). Many of our most effective student engagement strategies are happening in specialized programs or grants. There is a need to take what we have learned from successful programs such as PACE, and begin to institutionalized these services to benefit all students.

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generation students. English as a Second Language Programs Availability of instruction and programming to increase language acquisition skills for limited-English students. The students that transition from ESL have strong English oral and written skills, sometimes higher than native speaker students. Students with difficulty in A&P may receive tutorials in English/Spanish. Many ESL students have the opportunity to participate from college level seminars and lectures increasing their English skills confidence. On the process of revising the competencies and requirements for the Human Nutrition and Health course and lab so upper level ESL students can take it. Supporting low income students has been greatly enhanced with the improvement of processes for awarding financial aid packages to new and returning students. The colleges federally funded (TRIO) Student Support Services project targets low income students and providing them with additional services to enhance their persistence through graduation and transfer to four year colleges. Services include tutoring, academic survival skills workshops, cultural enrichment and other activities. Specific recruiting is done to identify prospective students from ABE, GED, homeless shelters, halfway houses, treatment centers, alternative programs, clients of the Massachusetts Department of Transitional Assistance, after-school programs for low income high school Tutorials in Spanish/English are limited to A&P only. Not all students have the opportunity to experience college level seminars. Students spend so much time in ESL that they become discouraged and leave the college without completing a degree. The need for more college level courses with competencies that ESL students can meet

Enrollment Management

Targets established for low-income student recruitment and retention and corresponding support practices (similar to those depicted in this checklist).

Enhanced relations between the colleges and the communities that it serves, particularly those in Lawrence will lead to more targeted recruitment of low-income students who might not ordinarily see college as an option.

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students, TRIO programs for low income and first generation college attending students, county and federal corrections institutions/agencies. Exit competencies addressing these skills are well defined in the Outcomes Assessment Documents for all of the Developmental courses. Developmental reading, writing, and math exit criteria correspond with (or exceed) the state-wide college entrance guidelines recognized by the Mass. Board of Higher Education. Exit criteria are clearly stated in course syllabi for exit-level courses Exit competencies are aligned with proficiencies for developmental reading and writing courses PACE program The Transitioning Latino Students Program from ESL to Baccalaureate Degree Project in-class activities with Latino Faculty and ESL students through the ESL Social club

Exit Criteria for the Developmental Education program

Specification of competencies required by Developmental Education completers to succeed in college-level programs. Evidence of correspondence with competencies specified in college-level programs

Content area faculty may not be aware of these exit competencies this should be improved.

Exit Criteria for the ESL program

Specification of competencies required by Basic Skills/ESL completers to succeed in collegelevel programs. Evidence of correspondence with competencies specified in college-level programs Programs that pair specific faculty with low-income students/students of color in need of intervention and support.

Faculty Mentoring

Exit criteria should be clearly stated in college catalog and advising handbook Exit criteria should include a course grade which reflects specific competencies and should not be based on a single exam. provide students with the opportunity to choose a mentor with whom they feel identified the need for activities/social interactions between faculty and students (i.e. once a semester lunchdepartment meeting including all the students and faculty) more committed faculty to work with students.

Financial Aid

Examples include flexible cut-off dates for institutional financial aid, earmarking a portion of tuition increases for low-income students, using financial aid to promote articulation with 4-year institutions, and targeting specific aid, i.e., grants v. loans, to low-income students.

Waiting for Tina Favaras Response

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First Year Success Classes Available? Required? Optional? Are success classes supplemented with information reinforced in other classes and/or/ first year experiences College Success Seminar(CSS) is a new course here which has only been offered a few times. So far, it has not been directly connected with other courses. However, the skills are applicable and instructors have been inviting guest speakers into the classroom. AI Strategic Planning process was very inclusive Process Mgmt teams and Retention Committee Academic Master Plan One-Stop Student Services Model NCBI Administrative responsibility identified for overall institutional efforts to promote low-income students/students of color student success. Strength (1) PACE program; (2) the creation of the tutoring center. Institutional Research Capacity Identified responsibility for research on student success, especially lowincome/students of color student success. Data on student enrollment patterns, especially course-taking and completion behaviors, disaggregated by race/ethnicity, first language, and socioeconomic status. The Office for Institutional Research is responsible for research and reporting on student success. Reports are prepared at the collegewide level and stratified to the program, department, and course levels. Reports on student enrollment include data disaggregated by ethnicity, ESL, and income levels. The office participates in and supplies data/reports for Institutional Effectiveness, Program Review and Assessment, and institutional and program accreditations. We also administer and analyze the Community College Survey on Student Engagement (CCSSE), an annual WEB CSS could be linked with other courses in learning communities; actually the first one is scheduled for the spring semester. The course needs to be used more and linkages to college content courses strengthened. Deep, coherent, multi-pronged analysis of data around this population Deeper knowledge about students real need for financial aid. (i.e. if they know they dont qualify for Pell, and they dont file because they dont want a loan, they may be right on the edge of leaving due to finances, but we dont know.

Institutional Organization

Administrative responsibility identified for overall institutional efforts to promote low-income students/students of color student success

We do not anticipate any difficulties in meeting Achieving the Dreams expectations of colleges regarding the submission of annual student cohort data and the collection, analysis, and presentation of student outcome data.

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based Student Satisfaction Survey, and an annual follow-up survey of graduates one year after the date of graduation. http://www.necc.mass.edu/irp/index.php Institutional Scholarships for LowIncome Students Intake Orientation Dollars earmarked from institutional revenues for low-income student financial aid. A brief, mandatory session or sessions providing students an overview college policies and services available to them. Distinct from a longer-term student success class. Waiting for Tina Favaras response

There are Information Sessions on both campuses for new students whether they have previously attended college or not In these sessions attendees get an overview of the enrollment process (listed on a new student applicant checklist) including applying to the college, how to apply for financial aid, taking placement assessment tests, and planning for advising and registration with an advisor College support services are outlined along with some tips for being a successful student Some literature outlining services that are provided by the college are distributed.

These sessions are not mandatory and many of the colleges policies and services are not reviewed although subsequent meeting with advisors provide opportunities for students to hear in more detail what college policies are and what services the college provides. During these meetings additional literature which speaks to college policies and services can be distributed to students There is no mandatory Orientation Session to provide students with this information-it is assumed that during their Academic Advising Session this information is covered. Students are often bombarded with handouts regarding academics and other information relevant to their personal and academic goals while being advised and registered and tend to become overwhelmed

Late Class Adds

Procedure for permitting (or denying) late registration for classes.

The college community recently agreed on a process which has been embraced both by faculty, and administration.

Prior to spring 2007 the form was handed out to students by front desk staff when students would ask to join courses that were filled and closed.

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There is a form that has clear instructions and requires the signature of faculty. The form is primarily faculty driven Late Start Classes Procedure for creating late start classes based on demand produced by late registrations. The Department Academic Area Schedulers and the Registrars have agreed to keep the Wish List on courses once they are filled well into the Drop/Add period to determine if there are enough students to warrant adding sections. Over the years, the Academic areas have been consistent in offering sections of courses that begin midsemester There is interest among faculty to develop ESL/college level course learning communities The service learning tree project is impacting the learning of students of different disciplines. Faculty are encouraging service learning Our commitment to serving low income students and students of color is inherent in all of the colleges institutional mission and values statements which emphasize appreciation for diversity; educational opportunity for diverse student populations; and dedication to enhancing the social, cultural and economic life for students and for the broader community. As opposed to being in separate buildings and offices, admissions, financial aid, career planning, Academic Advising, Learning accommodations Some staff still struggle with the change.

Courses that are offered in the second 8 weeks are in need of more publicity Not enough variety of courses are offered in the 8weeks session of fall and spring semesters

Learning Communities

Identify cohorts of students for support of common learning experiences, including classes and co-curricular activities.

It is challenging to enroll enough students in learning communities some students see service learning or community service as extra work and not as civic responsibility.

Mission Statement

Mission statement indicates commitment to serve low-income students/students of color

One-Stop Shopping

Making necessary pre-admission and post-admission services more convenient for all students, but especially single parents and others

Bookstore hours and center hours sometimes vary.

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with multiple time commitments. (disability services), Center for Adult and Alternative Studies (including GED,TOEFL, CLEP testing, and Military Credit evaluation), and social service referral are housed together within the Behrakis One-Stop Student Services Center at the Haverhill campus and in Career Planning and Advising Center at the Lawrence campus. Hours of operation are 8am through 7pm Monday through Thursday and 8am through 5pm Friday Both locations provide convenient access for students with multiple commitments and other potential obstacles that potentially thwart educational pursuits During peak enrollment periods both locations have Saturday hours Staffs are available through Web Advising, telephone, email, and in person A bookstore is located in the Behrakis One-Stop Student Services Center and a bookstore is located in the same building as the Career Planning and Advising Center at our Lawrence campus. The college has hired a Web Advisor and purchased licenses for a Web Based product. Students are now able to get Academic Advising and referrals to other services completely online. The Website as well as individual Web Pages has been undergoing changes to better accommodate students by using language that is more user friendly and creating links that assist students and visitors to navigate with

On-Line Support Services

Web-based availability of critical college facts and links to services

With the continued increase in on line courses offerings, there is a need to expand the on line instructional support resources, including support staff, faculty advisors, and tutors.

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ease. The colleges student friendly web site is strategically designed to provide students with easy access to information and support services Links are conveniently situated to connect students to resources such as the One Stop Student Services Center which includes the Career Planning and Advising Center; Enrollment Services, including Financial Aid and Bursars Offices; Learning Accommodations Center, extracurricular clubs, organizations, and activities; athletic resources; the Tutoring Center and tutoring schedules; Reading, writing, ESL, and Math Learning Centers; assessment schedules and practice tests; etc. Out-of-class Interactions with Faculty Mechanisms for increasing interaction of low-income students/students of color with faculty outside of the classroom setting, a consistent factor in improved retention rates. The ESL learning social club provides students with the opportunity to interact with faculty out-of-class The Natural Science department is developing a science club where students can socialize and interchange ideas with the natural science faculty. students do not make use of faculty office hours organizing out-of-class interactions can be challenging because many students leave the campus immediately after class most of the faculty is adjunct thus, they should be encourage and/or support to dedicate out-of-class time with students. The college lags behind in Pathway and Support Programs for lowincome/students of color to assist them in moving on to 4-year colleges

Partnerships with Other Higher Education Providers

Written agreements with other colleges for all students that can include transfer articulation agreements, sharing of resources, articulation of curricular competencies. Pathway and support programs for low-income/students of color students.

The college has over 40 transfer articulation agreements with both public and private institutions as well as corporations. The college also shares resources with its 4-year counterparts who are on campus offering Bachelor Completion Programs in Nursing and Education and offer graduate Education courses

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Partnerships with the K-12 Sector

Written Agreements with those secondary schools with large proportions of low-income/students of color that might include dual credit classes, early college programs, collegiate and financial planning, sharing of instructors, and/or curricular and competency alignment

The college participates in the MVOTECH Consortium and has a TECH Prep program-This program has over 70 agreements with Technical High schools around the area There are a variety of courses articulated for credit under specific guidelines and are transferable to NECC once students enroll. Examples are Greater Lawrence Tech High School; Whittier Technical; The college also shares instructors at some area high schools where instructors actually report to the high school and teach classes there Students gain college credits that are also used toward high school graduation. GEAR UP collaboration/dual enrollment Career planning, financial aid workshops, Orientation to college-Getting on Track in local schools Campus tours Pre-admissions testing to show current levels of competency Collaborations with HERC and Upward Bound. The college is proactive in establishing effective partnerships with local high schools, particularly those schools serving large numbers of disadvantaged students. Examples of K-12 partnerships include: The early assessment/intervention program, which is currently under

More curricular and competency alignment are needed; more agreements with comprehensive high schools and early college prep programs are needed. Relationships with local K-12s change with leadership; inconsistent. Uneven alignment of curricula Marketability to students/parents unwilling to consider community college as an option. There is no correspondence between Dept of Ed mandated high school exit criteria (MCAS) and BHE mandated college entrance proficiencies. This disconnect underscores the need for structured initiatives to assist high schools in developing appropriate interventions based on early assessment results.

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development with Methuen High School The Tech Prep Program which links curriculum through articulation agreements. Tech Prep also provides highs schools with early assessments of college entrance competencies. The ARC Program (Another Route to College) which hosts 30 high school seniors who have not passed the Massachusetts exit criteria for high school graduation. These students spend their senior year at NECC, taking MCAS remediation concurrently with NECC developmental/ESL courses. The Natural Science department through the Applied Science program is developing agreements with Andover High School and Haverhill High School to integrate their science curriculum to facilitate transitioning into the AS program. The AS program is also looking into facilitating professional development for the science teachers. Partnerships with Workforce Agencies Written agreements with local Workforce Investment Boards that provide access to college training for low-income/people of color. Career pathway partnerships with private and public entities that result in increased employability for lowincome/students of color students The college maintains written agreements with Local Workforce Investment Boards that address third party payment provisions and requirements. These agreements facilitate access to credit and non-credit programs for clients of career centers including displaced workers and underemployed workers toward their acquiring skills in demand in the work marketplace On-going articulation between the college and area offices of the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Turnover of Workforce Investment Board and Career Center personnel sometimes impedes establishing and nurturing relations between WIB/Career Center Staff and college staff.

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Commission facilitates the retraining of workers with disabilities that prevent continuation in previous careers toward their acquiring new skills for entering new careers. The Academic Resource and Tutoring Center offers a comprehensive network of academic support services to supplement classroom instruction. Services include: Peer and professional Tutoring; in class tutors; study groups; walk in writing lab; and workshops on topics such as learning styles, study skills, test anxiety, etc. The area of Academic Affairs is in process of developing the Academic Master Plan. The AMP will be integrated with the colleges Strategic plan.. Together, these plans will provide the framework for prioritizing resource allocations. Fiscal planning will be also be guided by data collected through ATD, and other Institutional performance indicators. The Retention Committee is currently researching Forgiveness Policies, Fresh Start, and Early Warning systems The Bursar and others conducted research of other community colleges and concluded that our reimbursement policy once classes began did not serve students well. The schools policy was amended to allow 100% refund during the first week of classes as opposed to the first 3 days During the second week refunds drop to 50% Newsletters, published newsletters, NECC campus news website report out

Peer Tutoring/counseling

Formal programs that supplement instruction with inside and outside of class peer tutoring

Existing resources (space, tutor stipends) has not kept pace with ever expanding need for tutoring services. In addition to Peer Tutors, there is a need for permanent tutoring staff to provide on going tutoring

Planning, Resources, & Budgeting

Data-based planning for low-income students/students of color success, accompanying budgetary allocations, and evaluation of program impact informing future planning and budgeting.

Historically, resource allocations were not always informed by data; nor guided by demonstrated need. The expectation is that this will improved with the integration of institutional planning processes.

Research and Policy Development

Policies and practices created or modified based on research

Unofficial Forgiveness Practice that is not consistent because not all students are aware of the practice The college have policies focused on Academic Standing, but no early Warning System in place A weak Academic probation Policy that has no plan of action attached to it

Research on the Effectiveness Counseling, Advising, & Student

Identified part of overall institutional agenda for communicating student

We do not report our retention graduation rates in any prominent

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Orientation success to the community and donors Local Newspapers Annual Awards Convocation Subject awards Honor Society Induction ceremonies Observer (Student Newspaper) Many instructors provide with a detailed syllabus that includes the responsibilities of the students; some instructors even require a signed document from the student that state they understand the syllabus. Many students take the success course which stresses on students duties. One of our Natural Science department faculty spends the first week of classes teaching students to be effective learners; her students also take an exam on the first day of class to assess their knowledge and set the tone for the class. Other faculty in the department are following up her steps and planning to also do the same with their students next semester. locations Public Display Wall of Achievement should be considered for students, similar to the NISOD display Most students have wrong expectations for the class and for the instructor Most students do not know they are accountable for their education The course of college success is not compulsory for all students entering NECC Many instructors assume all students have basic level of knowledge when in reality is lower than expected having the expectations for the class too high. Many instructors may not be sensitive to the fact that community college students are different from other college students (many have full-time jobs, are single parents). Thus, may be inflexible to accommodate their needs. Instructors may not intervene when students are failing because the students have the right to fail. This mentality must change. Instructors need to be more proactive. Intructors may not be sensitive to the language barriers (communicating in English while thinking in Spanish) that sometimes students encounter when taking for the first time a college level; it takes time, training and assistant to overcome this barrier. Instructors may presume all students have basic knowledge and the pace of the class may be to fast for many

Student Responsibilities

Statement of students role in education process including expectations

Teaching Practice

Classroom practices that have been shown to promote student success for all students, including cooperative learning, active learning, and creation of learning communities.

More instructors are using different types of technology to present information Online-courses provide students with a more flexible schedule.

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students to follow. More students should be encourage to create study groups and use the academic tutoring center services. Teaching Quality Reward structures for gains made by low-income students/students of color in classes and programs Many instructors accommodate alternative learning styles and strategies in their classes (more instructors are using the learning service methodology) Provide with a system to educate and encourage parents and/or other relatives in promoting/supporting the students career Evaluate teaching quality not only at the end of the semester when is already too late (note give the opportunity to students to provide the instructor with feedback to modify the teaching method accordingly). Some Faculty who are assigned advisees do not have clear understanding of the transfer process Information on the Academic Advising Website is not being used as much as it should be

Transfer Policies

Identified entity/individual to work with students to understand and complete transfer processes

The college has two professional Transfer advisors-one based on the Haverhill Campus and one on the Lawrence Campus. In addition, all of the academic advisors are required as part of their responsibilities to assist students in understanding and completing transfer processes. The Academic Advising Website houses a plethora of information and tools to assist students, staff and faculty with transfer issues Student learning, engagement, and academic excellence are the guiding principles which shape all of the colleges institutional statements and activities, including statements regarding our mission and, values and newly defined Strategic Plan. These values are also the central focus for the development of our Academic Master Plan, which is currently under construction.

Value of student learning

Institutional statement/activities that place premium on student learning

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