Maximize Northern Essex Community College’s innovative spirit to create equitable teaching and learning experiences to increase student success.
NECC proactively addresses the needs of students, and a key part of this process is academic innovation. This spirit is evident in the many firsts this college has accomplished, such as offering Competency Based Education, launching one of the largest police academies in the state, and hosting an International Virtual Exchange.
Strategies
- Use data to inform strategic initiatives aimed at increasing equity and closing racial equity gaps on student success metrics.
Through ongoing commitment to scalable best practices in all disciplines (such as our Academic Centers, First Year Seminar (FYS), SOAR, Student Ambassadors, and Faculty Equity dashboards) we will better engage students and improve their success. - Integrate the foundational justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion principles appropriately into instruction, course design, and academic program development.
In allowing the flexibility to innovate and prioritize these principles in the classroom, we can ensure academic content is accessible and approachable by the largest number of students. Review all academic policies and processes to ensure alignment with equity goals. - Develop new degree programs and expand course offerings, ensure that they align with workforce demand, student interest, and community needs.
Creating additional, sustainable programs will ensure the college’s fiscal health and long-term value to the community. Explore opportunities for non-credit to credit pathways. Align programmatic offerings with Northeast Labor Blueprint and similar studies, with particular attention to ensuring access to regional high-skill, high-demand, high-wage jobs for students of color. - Expand Competency Based Education program options as well as instructional delivery options (including shorter, 7.5 week section offerings) by 50% to enhance course-taking, to improve equitable access to education, meet student demand, and provide quicker degree completion for highly motivated students.
- Develop internship/experiential learning courses for every major at the college in programs where they currently do not exist to encourage an Earn-to-Learn and Learn-to-Earn mindset.
- Institutionalize funding for the International Virtual Exchange program into the annual operating budget of the Office of the Provost to expand multicultural student learning experiences.
- Develop and launch a robust Honors Program on both campuses that meets and exceeds the standards for the Commonwealth Honors Program.
Metrics
- Increase Six-Year Comprehensive Student Success Rate to 67%.
- Eliminate the equity gap between Hispanic and white students, with an emphasis on closing the gap in online courses, particularly for male students.
- Increase Successful Course Completion Rate (SCCR) to 74%.