Section II: Core Requirements

2.10. The institution provides student support programs, services, and activities consistent with its mission that promote student learning and enhance the development of its students. (Student Support Services)

JUDGMENT OF COMPLIANCE

Compliance.

NARRATIVE/JUSTIFICATION FOR JUDGMENT OF COMPLIANCE

Northeast Alabama Community College demonstrates compliance. The college is committed to the support of students in order to promote their success both academically and personally. Goal Eight of the Mission and Goals Statement is to provide “Student services which assist individuals to formulate and achieve career, educational and personal goals through counseling and academic advisement services and provide opportunities to participate in social and cultural activities.” At Northeast, the Student Services Program functions to promote student learning and personal development. This emphasis points to the necessity of melding student services with academic services to provide a seamless experience and continuity. These services begin with recruitment and follow through with admissions; registration; counseling in academic, personal, and career concerns; tutoring; participation in campus organizations; and participation in college-sponsored forums and other cultural presentations as well as in social events.

The Student Services Program includes the following:

Recruitment. All college personnel are recruiters. However, the college employs a Director of High School and College Relations and an assistant to recruit students from the 25 high schools in the college’s service area. The director and assistant visit all of the schools at least once per year, sometimes twice or more. Other activities include campus tours for prospective students, participation in College Day/Night events for school systems and individual high schools and high school Awards Day/Night events, industry visitation, community presentations, speaking engagements at civic clubs and other organizations, and college publicity. The Office of High School and College Relations strives to maintain positive ongoing relationships with area high schools and with businesses and civic organizations. The Office hosts an annual luncheon for guidance counselors, providing an opportunity for counselors to visit the campus and discuss college opportunities with both faculty and administrators. The Office coordinates various activities with area businesses. For example, in March 2003 the Director of High School and College Relations presented a workshop entitled Dress for Success to the Junior Board of Directors of North Jackson Bank. In May 2003 Northeast hosted the Farmers’ Telephone Cooperative Career Days, attended by more than 1,000 high school students in the college’s service area.

One of NACC’s Directive Goals for the 2003-2004 through 2005-2006 planning cycle is providing greater access to the college among racial/ethnic minorities and nontraditional age students. The college has established a minority institutional scholarship, awarding five to seven per year. In 2003 the college held a minority recruiting dinner in Jackson County and plans to continue this event while exploring the possibility of conducting a similar event in DeKalb County. The college annually sends faculty and staff to the Alabama College System Human Resource Management Association Diversity Conference in order to enhance awareness of diversity issues. In 2002, with the objective of improving contact with the population at large, Northeast presented an information booth at the DeKalb County Fair, continuing this recruitment project in 2003 and also initiating representation at the Jackson County Fair. This will be an annual project for the college.

Others specifically involved in recruiting are the Dean of Technology and Workforce Development, the Director of Admissions and Student Services, the Director of Financial Aid, the Dean of Extended Day, and the Director of Promotions and Marketing. During the past two years the college has increased its promotion efforts through television, radio, newspaper, and billboard advertising as well as through the college Web site.

Retention. The college utilizes numerous strategies in retention efforts. Basically, all components of the Student Services Program relate to retention:

Placement assessment, using the COMPASS computerized assessment instrument as required by State Board of Education Policy 902.01, is designed to direct entering students into the courses appropriate to their skill levels in written composition, reading, and mathematics.

GED testing is coordinated by the Admissions Coordinator. The GED test is administered approximately every two weeks throughout the year. An annual GED graduation ceremony is coordinated by the Northeast Alabama Adult Basic Education office.

Orientation for first-time students follows COMPASS testing. A typical orientation session is conducted by the Director of Admissions and Student Services and the Director of Financial Aid and includes welcoming talks by the president and deans, followed by the presentation of detailed information concerning financial aid, college majors and course selection using STARS, counseling services, the registration process, and assignment of advisors. A major objective of orientation is to make students feel welcome at Northeast and to provide each with relevant written policies, procedures, and regulations through the distribution of the college Catalog. The Director of Admissions and Student Services also uses the orientation session to encourage involvement and leadership in campus organizations. A new component of orientation, implemented Fall 2003, is “Unleash Your Inner Monster,” a one-hour presentation by a professional motivational speaker including topics such as goal setting, time management, study skills, career/major choice, and extracurricular activities.  The speaker uses audience participation to motivate the students. The orientation session concludes with a reception for the new students, providing both students and their families the opportunity to meet faculty, staff, administrators, current students, and other new students.  

Academic and transfer advising is performed by faculty, with student assignment based on their stated majors. Seven division chairs and 23 additional full-time faculty members serve as academic advisors. This procedure is designed to help create a mentoring relationship between advisor and advisee, as the student retains the same advisor throughout his or her time at Northeast except when a change of major requires a change of advisor in order to better serve the student. Advisors and students work together using the Statewide Transfer and Articulation Reporting System (STARS) guides to plan student schedules, thereby ensuring transfer of courses to any other public institution in the state. For transfer to nonpublic or out-of-state institutions, the advisor and student employ the catalogs of the intended transfer institution. The Director of Admissions and Student Services serves as the official college liaison to assist students who encounter problems with the transfer of credit.

Personal counseling. The college recognizes the value of personal counseling. The Northeast student population is from a rural region. Many students come from lower to middle income families, and many are first-generation college students. This sometimes leads to difficulties in upward mobility, with a lack of family support and understanding. Many students, both male and female, are single parents who work full time while attempting to improve their quality of life by attending college. And many students are traditional students from middle income families with excellent family support. Regardless of a student’s situation, difficulties do arise. Proper counseling can enhance student transition to postsecondary education and assist students in resolving personal problems. The college currently employs two counselors, both of whom perform student counseling in concert with other duties, one as Director of Admissions and Student Services, the other as an instructor of psychology. The QEP Development Committee has indicated an interest in hiring as coordinator of the developmental studies program a person qualified in student counseling. This step would greatly enhance the college’s ability to meet student counseling needs.

Financial aid services are an essential support to the educational process of Northeast. The college is in compliance with State Board of Education Policy 714.04 and with its program responsibilities under Title IV of the 1998 Higher Education Amendments. The Federal Pell Grant program, in conjunction with College Work-Study (CWS), forms the basis for most financial aid awards. Pell Grant funds are disbursed according to federal guidelines in a timely manner for student convenience and for facilitation of the registration process. The college also engages in the Alabama Student Assistance Program Grant and the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant Program (SEOG). In February 2003 the college created the position of Student Financial Resources Coordinator and implemented the Federal Family Education Loan (Stafford) Program in an effort to enhance financial assistance to the student body. The Coordinator holds an M.B.A. and has extensive experience in economics and finance. To date, the loan program has served 274 students for a total of $632,401 in loans. The Financial Aid Office also administers institutional as well as non-institutional scholarships from businesses, churches, civic organizations, and other private entities.

The Division of Technology and Workforce Development plays a vital role in student financial assistance, working with local agencies and industries to coordinate the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) scholarships and private scholarships related to job training. This office also administers the Alabama G.I. and Dependents Scholarship Program.

The Veterans Services Office coordinates financial assistance to eligible veterans and dependents as well as eligible Army National Guard members and Army Reservists.

Table 1 includes benefits for the past three years:

Table 1