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Dear Students, Faculty, Staff, and Administrators: I am proud to say that the staff, faculty, and administrators of the Division of Student Affairs at Bergen Community College are truly committed to student success. This annual report documents the many accomplishments, vision for the future, and our undeniable commitment to helping students complete what they’ve started. As you read through this report, you’ll get a glimpse of our commitment to research, assessment, and best practice. We are Student Affairs at Bergen! Sincerely,
Dr. Naydeen González-De Jesús Vice President, Student Affairs
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Table of Contents Mission of the Division of Student Affairs . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Values of the Division of Student Affairs . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 Research: Mandatory New Student Orientation . . . . . . . .2 Research: Project Graduation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Office of Student Affairs at CLC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10 Bergen Community College Monthly Shuttle Report . . .12 Career Development and Workforce Center . . . . . . . . . .13 Academic Advising . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 International Student Center Accomplishments: AY 2013-2014 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .15 Admissions and International Programs Action Plan: AY 2014-2015 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Office of Student Affairs at the Meadowlands Accomplishments: AY 2013-2014 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Action Plan: AY 2014-2015 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16 Office of Student Life and Judicial Affairs Accomplishments: AY 2013-2014 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .18 Action Plan: AY 2014-2015 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19 Office of Financial Aid Accomplishments: AY 2013-2014 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20 Action Plan: AY 2014-2015 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .20
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Mission of the Division of Student Affairs
Educate and empower students to become responsible life-long learners within a global society. Values of the Division of Student Affairs 1. Student success through continued collaboration and assessment. 2. Diversity and mutual respect for all members of the community. 3. Holistic approach to student development—intellectual, physical, mental, spiritual, and emotional. 4. Empowerment through advocacy and guidance. 5. Fiscal integrity to ensure student access to services.
Summary This annual report is a reflection of outcomes, research, and implementation of evidence-based best practices that has taken place within the Division of Student Affairs during the 2013-2014 Academic Year (AY). Throughout the 2013-2014 AY, members of the Division have experienced and participated in monumental changes that stress the importance and put the focus back on students.
Tangible Changes The College’s strategic plan called for the following to occur during its first year of implementation: • “Plan and launch a ‘one-stop-shop’ for admission, registration, and financial aid.” A one-stop strategic plan implementation team met once every week to assess all necessary changes to implement a One-Stop for student service, in addition to identifying implications of changes related to the implementation of the OneStop. • Improved Use of Space. Staff members were relocated to various offices to create space for the One-Stop. These moves made way for the newly created Veterans and Military Affairs Center, an expanded computer and assistive technology lab for students with disabilities, the Office of Violence Intervention Prevention, and a new Career and Workforce Development Center. • Social Needs Met. Food pantry services moved and expanded. The X-Change: Food Pantry was implemented. A new partnership with the Center for Food Action within The X-Change provides students with rental assistance, housing information, connection to county health services, financial literacy, tax assistance, and food for students and their families.
• Strategic Location of Services. The Student Help Desk was moved from the 2nd floor to the 1st floor in a centralized location adjacent to the Public Safety Office; conveniently located to provide students with username/password and other Help Desk related functions and Student ID’s. • Clear Signage. New signs were installed and continue to be installed throughout the Pitkin Building to clearly communicate locations of all the services described above. All signage is to become ADA compliant. • Cross Training. Financial aid and registration personnel were cross trained at the beginning of fall 2013 and training continues to occur on an ongoing and systematic basis with pre- and post- training assessment inventories to evaluate subsequent training needs and identify staff progress. Cross training is a tool to facilitate the full array of services that are expected of a One-Stop. • Q-Nomy. The installation of a virtual queuing system throughout the Paramus campus and Lyndhurst center launched in August 2014. This intuitive technology routes the student to the appropriate office for prompt service while making use of algorithm based technology intended to make wait time seamless, faster and allows for monitoring of individual student visits and issues addressed per visit. • Project Graduation Launched. Bergen graduated its largest graduating class in May 2013 with 2,862 completers. This was made possible through an intradepartmental steering committee which was developed to: – Identify the point at which students at Bergen separated from the institution, – Evaluate and improve our graduation processes, – Design proactive approach to increase student retention, – Engage the entire Division in conversations centered on student success and completion. Project Graduation Outcomes: – Mandatory new student orientation. – Proactive outreach of students when completing 15, 30, and 48 college-level credits (data showed these were the points at which students separated from the institution). – Seamless graduation processes with clear guidelines for students and staff.
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– Auto-graduation by eliminating the Application to Graduate and substituted with a Confirmation to Graduate form, in addition to ongoing communication management internally (with staff) and externally (with students). • Reassignment of Personnel and New Hires. Strategic hiring and reassignment of staff helped to cut down on use of new funds and position existing human resource in areas of high demand.
Staffing New Hires (NH) and Promotions (P) The following positions were filled during the 2013-14 AY thus increasing availability of staff to serve students: • Executive Director of Financial Aid: Dr. Sharon Audet (NH) • Assistant Director of Financial Aid: Patricia Pappas (NH) • Financial Aid Representative: Giselle Pacheco (NH) • Managing Director of Office of Specialized Services: Tracy Rand (P)
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• Managing Director of Records and Registration: Jacqueline Ottey (P) • Managing Director of Admissions and Recruitment: Jude Fleurismond (P) • Managing Director of Student Affairs at the Meadowlands: Magali Muniz (P) • Managing Director of Athletics: Jorge Hernandez (P) • Coordinator of Office of Specialized Services: Jennifer Flynn (P) • Coordinator of Enrollment Services at the Meadowlands: Greg Reilly (P) • Interim Coordinator of Veteran and Military Affairs: Violet Surdyka (P) Although three full-time positions were filled, the Division experienced a large number of retirements and/or resignations. To ensure a fiscally sound operation, reassignments took place to meet the needs of the College while making use of existing funds. All of the positions that were filled, were made possible through existing funds for these positions.
Research: Mandatory New Student Orientation During the summer of 2013, students who had applied and registered in courses beginning in fall 2013, were invited to face-to-face orientations held at the main campus in Paramus and at the Lyndhurst satellite center. In addition to providing students with college tours and with information on student life programming, these orientations were redesigned to include academic components such as: • Understanding the student portal, • Reviewing academic policies and procedures, • Understanding transfer partnerships and articulation agreements, • Meeting an Academic Dean, and • Reviewing expectations of classroom behavior. The data that follows shows the persistence and retention rates of the 141 students who attended the revamped New Student Orientations (NSO), in addition to utilizing student support services throughout their first semester. Based on this data, the Division of Student Affairs recommended the implementation of mandatory NSO’s that include academic and student support modules.
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Highlights of Data: • Qualitative data shows students appreciated and were in need of the information provided during the NSO. • Quantitative data shows over 96% of students who attend the fall NSO enrolled and persisted by completing the fall semester. • Over 87% of those who attended the fall NSO were retained by enrolling in spring ’14 courses. • Data shows that students who: – Participated in engagement activities such as making use of the tutoring center and attending student life events and – Attended the fall NSO were more likely to be retained from fall to spring. • 10th day Fall 2014 data showed a 75% fall to fall retention rate of students who attended NSO — significantly higher than the rest of the student population.
Next Steps: • Develop and implement a rigorous mandatory NSO program.
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Cohort Size: 141 New students, first time at Bergen Community College.
Fall 2013 to Fall 2104 Retention: 75% New Students, first time at Bergen, attended Fall Orientation (141) Persistence 96.5%
New Students, attended orientation and enrolled in Fall 2013 semester (136) Persistence 87.5%
New Students, attended orientation, enrolled in Fall 2013 semester and Spring 2014. (119)
Persistence 87.5%
New Students, attended orientation, enrolled in Fall 2103, Spring 2013 and returned in Fall 2014. (102)
Sample of Participants: 141 new randomly selected first-time students at Bergen Community College who attended fall 2013 New Student Orientation. Calculation tabulated after 10th day enrollment.
New Student Engagement (New Students: 141) Semester
Enrollment (After 10th day)
CLAC* Utilization
Trip** Participation
Fall 2013
136
33
0
Spring 2014
120
37
0
Fall 2013 & Spring 2014
119
22
0
Fall 2014
102
Club Participation
*CLAC: Cerullo Learning Assistance Center/Tutoring & Supplemental instruction **Trips: Student Life/Leadership or Diversity weekends
Qualitative Data Student A: “Thank you for the opportunity to tour the college.” Student B: “I enjoyed meeting with deans and financial aid.” Student C: “How about offering lunch?”
Student D: “Some people talked too much, but it was helpful regardless.” Parent: “The staff was very helpful, friendly, and informative. Bergen was a good choice.”
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Research: Project Graduation Cohort
Quantitative Data • • • • •
Increased May ‘14 Candidate pool by 15.1%. Increased number of December ‘13 Graduates by 44.4%. Increased May ‘14 Graduates by 4.2%. Application to Graduate eliminated. Auto-graduation processes implemented.
Graduation Promotion Graduate Data Mining and Manual Auditing
Four-prong approach applied throughout Project Graduation:
IN THE NEWS Qualitative Data Bergen Grads Turn Tassels at Commencement Author: Larry Hlavenka Friday, May 23, 2014 Categories: Bergen Community College EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. – Nearly 1,000 of the 2,862 Bergen Community College candidates for graduation celebrated their achievements at the 45th commencement ceremony May 22 at the Izod Center. Headlining the group, valedictorian Maria De Abreu Pineda, of Hackensack, and salutatorian Katarzyna Jankowski, of Lodi, offered encouragement to the largest class in the College’s history. Graduates included 66 students with 4.0 GPAs, including De Abreu Pineda and Jankowski; men and women ranging in age from 17 to 65; and a mother and daughter both receiving degrees. American Express CEO and Chairman Kenneth Chenault delivered the keynote address.
Persistence and Progress Initiatives
Systems and Process Improvements
Izod Center in East Rutherford for the seventh consecutive year. Vilava went back to school two years ago to obtain a degree in nursing, after working at Tenafly Pediatrics for 13 years. And next year, her son is to graduate from high school. “It was tough,” Vilava said. “I’m a wife, I’m a mom, I’m a fulltime student. But you’ve just got to pull through.” Maria De Abreu, 20, moved to Hackensack 2½ years ago from Caracas, Venezuela, to pursue her degree at BCC in engineering science. After taking Basic English classes in her home country, De Abreu was honored to stand before her peers Thursday night to deliver the valedictory address – one of her goals from the first day she stepped onto the college’s Paramus campus, she said in an interview. Next, De Abreu plans to complete a degree in biomedical engineering at a to-be-determined university.
May 22, 2014, 11:29 PM Last Updated: Thursday, May 22, 2014, 11:31 PM By Mary Diduch, Staff Writer The Record
De Abreu said her keys to success were hard work, dedication, organization and campus involvement. De Abreu was vice president of the international honors society for the college, Phi Theta Kappa; a member of the Science, Technology, Engineering and Math team, an ambassador for the math club; and a math, science and Spanish tutor at the tutoring center. In her valedictory speech, De Abreu – one of 66 graduates with a perfect 4.0 grade-point average — challenged her peers to break the mold and never settle. She also challenged them to do work that inspires others and changes the world for the better. “Be unique. Be different. Do the impossible. It’s kind of fun,” De Abreu said.
Lisa Vilava, of Teaneck, knows a little something about hard work. The 41-year-old mother, wife and medical assistant was one of 2,862 graduates in Bergen Community College’s Class of 2014, the school’s 45th and largest ever. The college held its commencement ceremony Thursday night at the
Keynote speaker Kenneth Chenault, chief executive officer of American Express, reminded the graduates that people do not achieve success on their own; he urged the graduates to use their success to help others reach their goals. “Real leaders are simply people who know their values, act on
Bergen Community College graduates its largest class ever
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those values and empower others to do the same,” Chenault said. David Tavares, a 24-yearold from Bergenfield, worked full time at Seasons Catering in Washington Township while working his way toward a degree in accounting. Tavares will now attend Rutgers Newark to complete his accounting education. Tavares attended the community college because it was cheaper than a four-year school. But he said the professors he met taught him how to work more effectively — a tool that came in handy when he had 12-hour shifts over the weekend and schoolwork. “It really put how much I wanted to graduate to the test,” Tavares said of balancing school and work.
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Former Opt-in Process for Students
Student Opts-In by completing application. Commencement
Application returned within deadlines.
n Denotes proven problem areas based on project’s analysis
Graduation
Student solves problem. Problems identified. Communication sent to student.
Next Steps: • Identify students who may be eligible to receive a certificate. • Identify students who may be eligible to receive a degree in a different major from the one included on their college application. • Design clear pathway programs for all certificate and degree-seeking students through advisor-advisee engagement.
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Graduation eligibility evaluated.
Eligibility problems identified.
Project Graduation’s New Opt-out Process for Students
College outreach at 32 credits completion.
Commencement
College outreach at 48 credits completion.
Graduation
College outreach at program completion.
Congratulations letter sent. Student can opt-out.
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Project Graduation: Data Mining Update Report Project Overview: In the Fall of 2013 the ‘Project Graduation’ Committee was established to improve the college’s graduation rate (14% as of 2011). Sub-committees were formed to work on a fourpronged Action Plan: • Graduation Promotion • Persistence and Progress Initiatives • Systems and Process Improvement • Data Mining and Manual Auditing
Data Mining and Manual Auditing Sub-Committee Update Report: The Data Mining and Manual Auditing Sub-Committee collected, analyzed and categorized 1,878 records of students from 2010 to present. These students were no longer attending Bergen Community College, had earned 60+ college level credits, had a GPA of 2.0 or higher, and had not graduated.
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The student records were organized and processed as follows: • Category 1. Eligible to graduate, completed all requirement, did not graduate. These students were contacted and informed of their graduation eligibility, given a choice to decline if desired, degrees were conferred and graduates were invited to attend Commencement. A total of 245 students were graduated as a result of this initiative. Additional students were identified, who were not slated to graduate because they had not submitted the application. This increased the candidate pool by an additional 185 students. • Category 2. Potential graduates, needing simple interventions for program completion. A total of 80 student records were reviewed by Committee Members, Academic Counselors and Academic Deans to identify if interventions, such as course substitutions or curriculum changes, could be implemented to complete graduation requirements. Upon approval, students were contacted to obtain permission to adjust their student records and graduate them, resulting in an additional 25 graduates.
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12% 25%
2% 2% 2%
13%
2%
41%
2%
3% 12%
3% 3%
34% 4% 6%
7%
12%
Figure 1. 329 Students, Missing a Total of 505 Courses n MAT GE
n HUM
n NAT SCI
n WEX Elect
n ANY 3 credits
n WRT 201
n MAT 012
n MAT 280
n MAT 032
n MAT/NAT SCI GE n ANY 4 credits n ANY 1 credit n INF 257 n INF 101
n ART Elect
n MUS Elect n EBS 031 n PHY 294 n VET 221
n MOA 218
n MAT 031 n MAT 035
n DIVERSITY n INF 228
n BUS Elective n INF 163
n ART 105
n CHM 240/241 n POL SCI Elect n DHY 214
n MAT 180
n INF Elect
n COM 100 n WEX 101 n CO-OP
n ACC 210 n PHY 291 n INF 252
n MUS 131
n CHM 102 n ACC 202
n DHY 203
n MAT 282
n ANY 2 credits
Figure 2. Frequency of Missing Courses n NAT SCI
n HUM
n All Other Courses
n MAT All Levels
n MAT 010/11
n SOC SCI GE n MAT 011 n CRJ 105
n LIT 202 /218 n MUS 232 n WEX 182 n ACC 203
n DHY 219
n MAT 283
• Category 3. Not eligible to graduate, missing courses. This group totaled 1,066 and it was further divided into two categories: a. Not eligible to graduate, missing 4 or more courses for program completion This student cohort was eliminated from the Project due to the large number of missing program requirements. b. Not eligible to graduate, missing a maximum of 3 courses for program completion. This group totaled 329 students. The following pages contain data snapshots, committee observations and recommendations for next steps for these students.
Observations and Recommendations Figures 1 and 2 An overall disproportionate number of students are missing Mathematics, Natural Science and Humanities courses Figure 3 • A total of 187 students were missing only 1 course to graduate. Of those students 73% left BCC without completing their curriculum requirement of a Mathematics course, a Natural Science elective or Humanities elective. • These findings should be shared with the relevant academic areas
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2% 2% 3%
33%
Figure 3. Students Missing One Course Only
4%
n MAT
n NAT SCI
n HUM
n COM 100
n CO-OP
n ACC
n ART
n BUS
n WRT 201
4%
n PHY n INF
n MAT/NAT SCI
17%
n ANY 2 CR
n ANY 3 CR
n CHM
n CRJ
n LIT
n MOA
n POL SCI
n SOC SCI
n ANY 4 CR n DIVERSITY n MUS
n VET TECH
23%
Figure 4. Student Academic Standing Totals Students on Dean’s List
35
Honors Students
12
33% Students with 4.0 GPA
5
Figure 4 Academic Standing Related Data Of the 329 records reviewed, 14% (47) of the students were either on the Dean’s List or in the Honors School, with 5 students having earned a 4.0 GPA • Learning communities can be utilized to encourage students to graduate before leaving
Figures 5 - 7 Of the 155 students in AS.PS.GEN., 89% had multiple curriculum changes • 40% changed their curriculum 3 - 4 times • This data should be shared with Faculty Counselors, as opportunities exist to increase retention and encourage graduation • Tracking systems, related to multiple curriculum changes, can be created to monitor student success and to provide additional academic guidance
Figure 5. Students Enrolled in a Total of 46 Majors 155
22 3 3 3 1 3 2 4 1 2 1 3 1 1 1 2 4 2 1 1 5 4 1 1 4 1 2
27 6 4
3 5 6 7 2 4
1 1 3
AA AA .FPA . AA FPA. .ART .FP MU AA A.MU SC. .FP SC A. ... AA THTR . .LA ... .C . AA OMM .LA A .G AA A.LA EN .LA .HI .PO ST L AA I.SC AA .LA.P I S AA .AH. SY . M AA BT.HR OA S.B .C AA T.HR A... S .H AA .BT.N O... S.B ET T .A AA .OFF ... S. .T AA BUS. E... S. AC AA BUS. CT S.B BA US NK .P AA AR.. AA S.H . S.H .VE AA P.DEN T S AA .HP.R TL S AA .HS. ESP S. CR AA HS.E IMJ S.H AR S. LY. AA LAW .. S.I EN AA DT.A F S N AA .IDT. IM S.I DR DT FT .G AA RAPH AA S.IT.N S.M E AA ED. T S. IN AS ST.H F .EN OR G T AS IN. AS .NSM SCI .NS .B M IO AS .COM . AS NSM ... . AS PS.B .GEN .PS RC AS .BUS AST .PS .A AS .BUS CCT .P . AS S.BU ADM .PS S. AS .BU INTL .PS S.M .BU G. AS S.M .. .PS K.. . AS .CRIM .PS J AS .EDU .PS C AS .EXER .P AS S.GE .P N AS S.IN . AS PS.J FO .PS OU .SO R. C.W K
4 1 2 3 1
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4% 10%
7%
33% 5% 6%
30%
49%
6% 13% 7%
11%
Figure 6. 155 Students in AS.PS.GEN Missing a Total of 220 Courses n MAT GE
n HUM ELCT
n NAT SCI
n ANY 3 CR
n MAT 012
n MAT 031
n WRT 201
n ANY 1 CR
n ANY 2 CR n ANY 4 CR
n MAT 032
n MAT 010/011
n COM 100 n MAT 035
Figure 7. Curriculum Change Totals of the 155 Students in AS.PS.GEN n First and Only Choice Major n Second Major n Third Major n Fourth Major n Default Major for Health Professions Admissions Denial
n WEX ELECT n DIVERSITY
Next Steps Project Graduation’s next phase will include: • Collaborating with the Center of Institutional Effectiveness (CIE) and the National Student Clearing House to obtain data related to student actions post Bergen Community College. • Outreach will take place to students that have transferred to assess eligibility for “Reverse Transfer” of appropriate courses to complete their Bergen Community College Associate’s degree
• Recruitment outreach will take place to students that have not transferred to re-enroll them at Bergen Community College to complete their missing degree requirements • Additional research will be done to analyze and compare the data patterns of Bergen Community College unfulfilled degree requirements with transferability alignment and course acceptance policies at other Institutions
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Office of Student Affairs at The Philip Ciarco Jr. Learning Center (CLC) in Hackensack 2013/2014 EVENT
DESCRIPTION
DATA Qualitative/Quantitative: Outcomes
Financial Literacy Seminars: Educational Tax Credits for Students
H&R Block tax organization educated students, staff & faculty on the newest education tax credit and deductions
• 1 event presented in English • 1 event presented in Spanish
Affordable Health Care Act: Information Workshop and Sign- ups
Presenter, Sheila Thorne, from Multicultural Healthcare Marketing Group, educated the CLC community on The Affordable Health Care Act
• 80 + attendees • Large interest from students, faculty and staff. • Evidenced by multiple follow-up inquires for literature and copies of presentation
Student Orientation: “Welcome to the Neighborhood”
Met with local businesses, eateries, public library etc. to (1)promote BCC students at the start of the newest semester/ cycle & (2)invited them to attend a follow-up event at CLC center
• 40 local resources were met with • 6 vendors attended the event and set-up displays and distributed free food, samples and discount coupons for future use
Creation and distribution of Evaluation of International Academic Credentials Literature
Literature was created & distributed to students and staff to promote and demystify the often complicated process of evaluation of overseas education credentials
• 2 pamphlets were created in both English and Spanish • 4 Manuals were created • 100 flyers were created & distributed
Student Life events
• Musician John Rush • Choir Sing Sing Sing, • Customizable Road Signs creation • Musician Gary Johnson
• 4 events • Over 100 students, faculty & staff attended each event • The Student Affairs staff continue to receive positive feedback on these events and request for future events
Community outreach & holiday fundraiser/collection drive
Collaborative event with Bergen County Executive’s Office, Parisian Beauty Academy & Bergen County Animal Shelter
• 10 boxes of food and pet supplies were donated and distributed to the County Animal Shelter
Student Government Association (SGA)
Discussions took place based on student feedback, addressing improved incorporation of CLC Students into the college experience and community
• 4 mtgs. with CLC Student Representative • 1 mtg. with incumbent SGA Officers
1-2-3 Connect
Provided oversight for Service Learning Project
• Collected 30 bags of non-perishable food
Co-curricular activity with ESL course titled “Preparing for a Successful Career”
Collaborated with course instructor and students. Provided support, advice and resources for a student-run presentation and class project.
• 4 students who presented their projects to 2 classes
College recruitment plan
Collaborated with the Office of Recruitment and Admissions to help develop plans specific to CLC population & support college enrollment by attending recruitment events
• Glen Rock High School • Tenafly High School • Paramus Catholic High School • Hackensack Night Out Event
CLC advertisement
Created postcards and posters to market courses specifically targeting and promoting CLC
• 1,000 postcards distributed throughout the county
Non-credit ESL student transition to college credit courses
Visited highest level classes to promote and discuss next steps toward a college education. Distributed leaflets with additional information.
• 4 Classroom visits per each 7.5 week cycle • CLC Instructors & Students routinely request and receive testing, tutoring, registration & admission information
2014 Safe Space Training
Completed training given by Bergen Faculty
• 1 Department member certified as a Safe Space Employee
Sexual Harassment Awareness for Employees
Completed on-line course LCO0201
• Entire department received Certificate of Completion
2014 Student Success Best Practices Conference
Co-presented at Mercer County Community College Conference Center titled “Data Mining for Completion.” Shared Bergen’s new graduation initiatives.
• Contacted by Faculty and Administrators from RVCCC, HCCC & UCC for additional information and copies of the presentation for use at their colleges
Published: Volume IV, Spring Issue April 2014 HETS Online Journal
Co-authored and published in HETS a peer review journal. Article titled “Infusing Technology to Boost Completion: A Practical Approach”
• Accepted for publishing
BCC Strategic Enrollment Management Plan (SEM)
Assisted with development and helped facilitate the College-wide Open Forums
• 3 College-wide Open Forums
Project Graduation
Coordinated and participated in the 4-prong graduation approach to increase graduation numbers and rates
• Increased May ‘14 Candidate pool by 15.1% • Increased # of December ‘13 Graduates by 44.4% • Increased May ‘14 Graduates by 4.2%
Commencement participation
Assisted with the 2014 Commencement Event
• “Bergen Graduates Its Largest Class Ever”(Bergen Record) • 2,862 Graduates • An increase of 13.9%
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Student Affairs at CLC Action Plan: AY 2014-2015 Mission of Student Affairs at Philip Ciarco Jr. Learning Center (CLC)—Hackensack Location: To increase student success rates for Non-credit and Credit seeking students by offering a comprehensive range of onsite student support services, together with programs and workshops, that will foster a climate of student connections and engagement.
Goal 1: Increase Recruitment/Enrollment by 2.5% during AY 2014-15 at Hackensack location. • Plan Open Houses specifically for the CLC location • Increase enrollment in ESL/HSE programs • Research and offer credit course programming that will be more successful at the CLC location • Research new student markets and programming for CLC
Goal 2: Increase student success/retention by 5% during AY 2014-15 at Hackensack location.
• Determine when and why students leave, and develop interventions to encourage retention • Expand Student Life Programming & Co-curricular Initiatives to increase student success and engagement • Provide resources and support to faculty and staff in their endeavors to promote student success • Continue works on Project Graduation and other completion initiatives to increase graduation rates and numbers
Goal 3: Transition .5% of ESL/HSE students to credit courses during AY 2014-15 at Hackensack location. • Research and identify programs and services inside/outside of Bergen that will meet the transition goals of CLC Students • Develop Community partnerships that will provide resources to students and parents
• Create Student Tracking system to identify and monitor progression/persistence rates
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Bergen Community College Inter-Campus Shuttle AY 2013-14 Shuttle Trip Report October to December 2013 Month
Days
Meadowlands to Paramus
Paramus to Meadowlands
Total
October
21
305
275
580
November
16
303
345
648
December
16
360
399
759
January to June 2014 Month
Days
Meadowlands to Paramus
Paramus to Meadowlands
Total
January
19
407
364
771
February
15
705
734
1,439
March*
21
874
905
1,779
April
21
1,134
1,087
2,221
May**
21
688
697
1,385
June***
21
456
455
911
* The Shuttle ran 21 days in March. However, Bergen students were on Spring Break from 3/17 - 3/21, with hours of operation from 7:00 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. ** The Shuttle ran 21 days in May. However, Bergen classes ended on 5/16, and during the week of 5/19 - 5/23, the Shuttle hours of operation were from 7:00 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. Graduation took place on 5/22, and the Shuttle was used after 5:30 p.m. on a limited run. Classes resumed for the summer on May 27.
*** The Shuttle ran 21 days in June. However, Bergen summer classes and enrollment is lower, resulting in fewer students and faculty on campus in need of the Shuttle. Summer classes are from May 27 - August 14, 2014. Information Submitted by: Estelle Rondello, Coordinator for Bergen County, NJ
The Bergen Community College Inter-Campus Shuttle is made possible by a collaboration between Bergen Community College, Bergen County and a three-year U.S. Department of Transportation Agency “Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality Improvement (CMAQ) Grant.�
12 B E R G E N C O M M U N I T Y C O L L E G E
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2013 - 2015
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Career Development and Workforce Center 2013/2014 EVENT
DESCRIPTION
DATA Qualitative/Quantitative: Outcomes
Student Appointments
Career and major exploration
• 2,157 student visits
Fall Volunteer Fair
A student volunteer recruitment fair for community-based organizations and non-profits. The fair is for students to find placements for Cooperative Education, Service Learning classes and Federal Work Study off-campus jobs.
• 15 non-profits attended
Fall and Spring Career Fairs
Employers offered full-time, part-time, and temporary jobs for students.
• Fall: 29 employers; 452 students • Spring: 32 employers; 267 students
Cooperative Education
The Cooperative Education program offers eligible students the opportunities to integrate classroom study with specific planned periods of supervised learning through productive employment experiences related to their academic major and/or career goals. By completing 180 hours of work per semester, a student can graduate with experience in his/her chosen field.
• Co-op Fall 2013 – 66 students • Spring 2014– 81 students • Summer 2014 – 31 students
Service Learning
Service Learning at Bergen Community College involves students in organized community service initiatives addressing local needs, while developing their academic skills, sense of civic responsibility and commitment to the community. Students enroll in courses that provide the service learning option, perform community service as part of their coursework and receive academic credit. Students reflect on their experiences through journals, essays, research papers, group discussions and in-class presentations. Service learning is an option in numerous disciplines across the curriculum. Through the leadership of the faculty, we have been able to initiate a cocurricular track through clubs, which makes service learning available to every student on campus.
• Fall: 218 students •Spring: 286 students
Federal Work Study Job Placement and Student/Supervisor Training
The Federal Work-Study is a federally-funded program for students who need financial assistance with educational expenses. The program offers part-time employment either on campus or with a community service organization off-campus to eligible students who work and earn money to pay for educational expenses at Bergen Community College. The numbers below are placements into jobs; students could still be occupying these jobs or may have left them.
Placement Category FWS FWS Community Service Non-FWS
Total 271 69 406
Additional data to consider: • On-line Job Search Program: Internships, on-campus and off-campus positions are posted on www.collegecentral.com/bergencc
Users Registrations n Students......................................................................2,268 n Alumni............................................................................487 n Employers...................................................................3,431 As of 6/17/2014
BERGEN COMMUNIT Y COLLEGE
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2013 - 2015
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Career Development and Workforce Center 120 107
104 100
98 93
87
82
81
80 61
60
55
54 42
40
40
20
0
07/13
08/13
09/13
10/13
11/13
12/13
01/14
02/14
03/14
04/14
05/14
06/14
Pipeline: Retention Alert. Web-based software that increases communication between faculty and counselors. System is used to document and provide alerts of at-risk students throughout the year.
Closure Reason Count Case Opened in Error 3 Dropped Course Or Registered for Different Section 7 Grades Have Improved 7 Has Turned in All Past Due Assignments 4 No Contact From Student 95 No Follow-Up Necessary (documentation) 9
Closure Reason Now Attending Class Participates in Class Student Did Not Make Improvement Test Case for Training Purposes Understands and Grasps Class Withdrew From All Courses/Bergen
Count 16 2 9 14 4 12
Total Closed Cases
182
Category
0-30 Days Old
31-60 Days Old
61-90 Days Old
Over 90 Days Old
Total Open Cases
Academic
3
3
7
91
104
Judicial
0
2
2
4
8
Personal
0
1
0
3
4
14 B E R G E N C O M M U N I T Y C O L L E G E
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2013 - 2015
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Academic Advising Action Plan: AY 2014-2015 Goal 1: Increase student retention through cohort advising.
Goal 2: Increase persistence and success of students on probation.
• Assess cohort advising program that took place during AY 2013-14 with athletes and STEM majors. • Expand cohort advising based on assessment and recommendations from pilot. Expansion will include student organizations and additional majors (i.e. LASA, music, theater).
• Conduct proactive outreach of students on probation. • Provide one-on-one counseling and cohort specific workshops for students on probation. • Provide additional faculty training on the use of Pipeline, a retention alert software.
International Student Center: AY 2013-14 Accomplishments • The ISC sponsored two sessions per semester on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals and the NJ Dream Act. Immigration Attorney, David Nachman, presented to Bergen Community College Community faculty, students and staff. On average, 50 people attended each event. • The Primary Designated School Official and the Designated School Officials in the ISC completed the SEVIS Conversion Project, a mandatory update to the College’s I-17 form which allows the College to continue to admit and enroll F-1 visa students. • Doubled the number of F-1 visa students engaged in Curricular Practical Training (CPT), an immigration approved internship for F-1 visa holders. The ISC staff facilitated 5 CPT workshops per semester and worked closely with Career Development to promote the availability of internships to internationals students. • In Fall 2013, the ISC staff piloted “Operation EVAL.” All 576 F-1 students were mailed their current Program Evaluation along with a personal note from an advisor/ counselor with recommendations on which classes to take; number of credits needed to graduate; student holds and how to resolve them; academic standing issues and notes about courses pursued outside of the student’s major. The EVAL also included encouraging notes as well as the counselor’s direct phone number and email.
• The number of F-1 students receiving one or more E grades decreased from 67 in AY 2012-2013 to 44 in AY 2013-2014 through use of the custom report XFIU (preliminary E grade or “non-attending” report), intrusive counseling, emails, postcard reminders, and Operation EVAL. F-1 student records are terminated in SEVIS for non-attendance, and therefore this significantly cut back on the number of terminations. • Worked closely with Margarita Valdez, Board of Trustees Alumni Representative, to encourage the Bergen Community College Foundation and the Board of Trustees to change their policy to allow all international students to apply for the College’s Merit scholarship.
BERGEN COMMUNIT Y COLLEGE
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2013 - 2015
15
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Admissions and International Programs Action Plan: AY 2014-15 The Office of Admissions and Recruitment has been phased out and strategically substituted by the new Office of Admissions and International Programs. To meet the growing needs of domestic and international recruitment and admissions, the title of Managing Director of International Programs has been eliminated along with the title of Managing Director of Admissions and Recruitment. Instead, one position will manage all admissions and recruitment functions, under the direction of a Managing Director of Admissions and International Programs. This strategic modification meets the demands of our domestic and international students and institutional partners (i.e. universities, study abroad agencies, high schools, etc.)
Goal 1: Increase productivity of Admissions and International Programs staff. • Fuse domestic and international admissions under one department. • Increase domestic new student recruitment by 5%. • Increase new international student recruitment by 2.5%. • Implement and roll out Hobson’s Admissions CRM. • Re-design and redeploy New Student Ambassador Program.
Goal 2: Increase faculty engagement in Recruitment activities. • Develop new student orientation for specific majors with faculty input. • Conduct faculty focus groups. • Re-design and implement discipline specific open houses.
Office of Student Affairs at the Meadowlands AY 2013-14 Accomplishments • New Student Advisement Packets. Implemented a system where new students receive a personalized packet after their counseling/advising session. Packets include: students’ program evaluation, financial aid information, current semester calendar, copy of general education courses, bursar payment options, student portal instructions, copy of registration bill, student affairs services pamphlet and staff business card. • Meadowlands Food Pantry. Established in a centralized location within the Office of Student Affairs (Room 133). The pantry is available to meet the urgent needs of members of our campus community and provides non-perishable food items, toiletries, and additional support services in an environment that emphasizes discretion and confidentiality. • Collaboration with Faculty. Collaborated with Professor Sarah Shurts to inform Meadowlands faculty of the food pantry and help promote the services to their students by providing information through course syllabi—“Students needing assistance are encouraged to visit Room 116 and ask to speak with a Personal Counselor, Monday through Thursday, from 9 a.m. -3:30 p.m. and on Fridays from 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. For additional information, please contact the Director of Student Affairs at (201) 689-7006, Room 116.” 16 B E R G E N C O M M U N I T Y C O L L E G E
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• Collaborated with Dean of Meadowlands. Meal vouchers are provided to students, not to exceed $10.00 and to be used in Gourmet Dining, 3rd floor cafeteria. Students must meet with Managing Director of Student Affairs to obtain voucher and to document need. • Call Center. Established in a central location within the Office of Student Affairs, (Room 141). The Call Center consists of four (4) part-time employees, each assigned to answering calls from areas of college switchboard, Admissions & Recruitment, Registration and Financial Aid. • Staff Cross Training. Arranged for directors of each area to provide an overview/training of their department function to Meadowlands staff. • Phone Menu Revamped. Excessive/overabundance of the old telephone menus and sub-menus were reduced to four (4) menu prompts for the offices of Admissions & Recruitment, Registration, Financial Aid and College switchboard. Provided updated call tree to departments. • Meadowlands Student Reporting Tool. With the assistance of OIT, a Query/Report was created via CROA to identify Meadowlands faculty and students on a semester
2013 - 2015
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basis. The excel file will contain data on student profiles, the semester enrolled inclusive of total credits, total withdrawal credits, withdrawal date, faculty name and email. 1. The report will be provided to Student Affairs Director & Dean of Meadowlands biweekly/semester. Allow easier monitoring of Meadowlands stats. Enhance communication with Meadowlands faculty. 2. The objective of the report is to gauge and assess student progress mid-way and at the end of the semester. Provide intervention and connections among students and counselors to help maintain satisfactory academic progress that will lead to successful completion and graduation. 3. Utilization of report will allow for communication with students via postal mail, email (student portal) and phone. • One-Stop Website. Through team work and collaboration with Paramus personnel, the “one-stop” webpage was created, inclusive of student services links, as well as an information forms page and campus announcements links as an enhancement to the one-stop model.
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1. Afford easier navigation of student services through one central location. 2. In conjunction with OIT, creation of a forms page will direct questions or concerns to the department of interest. 3. Through observation, college administration will witness the satisfaction students feel as a result of speedy and customer friendly service without having to stand in line. • Scanning Room. Established a scanning location (Room 135) within the Office of Student Affairs to be utilized by part-time and full-time staff. 1. Allow efficient and security of data entry for incoming Meadowlands student documentation. Documents will be stamped received at the Meadowlands, scanned, and stored in clearly labeled boxes to meet the standards of college record keeping. 2. To streamline the process of incoming documentation. 3. To eliminate the delay in processing by mailing documentation to the main campus.
BERGEN COMMUNIT Y COLLEGE
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2013 - 2015
17
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Office of Student Life and Judicial Affairs Student Life The Office of Student Life working collaboratively with student leaders, faculty advisors, and academic departments was able to generate 222 events for the 2013-2014 academic term. Spread over the course of two semesters, the events and activities were comprised of social, educational, spiri-
tual, emotional/psychological, wellness and physical activities. Events are not always tracked in terms of attendance, but analyzing space/venue usage and occupancy rules, we are able to estimate attendance. The following list gives a breakdown of event types and attendance figures:
Club Events
Bake Sales
Weekends
Student Life Events
Student Life Trips
Grand Total
123
21
4
57 (on-campus)
17
222 Events
Students Attended
Students Purchased
Students Attended
Students Attended
Students/Staff Attended
Total Students Served
6993
600
160
3755
770
12,278
Judicial Affairs The Office of Judicial Affairs worked tirelessly to implement the Maxient software at Bergen Community College in an effort to streamline campus incident reporting. Maxient will allow the College to better leverage its human and material resources, and to ensure efficiency and effectiveness in managing campus incident submission, tracking, distribution, escalation, and essential reporting (base and custom), including the vital Clery Report, campus-wide. Maxient Conduct Manager (Maxient) is a cloud-based software solution, pro-
viding centralized reporting and recordkeeping for all aspects of conduct management reporting, information dissemination, and coordinating the efforts of various departments in order to provide follow-up with other key College stakeholders. Through the Maxient system, Judicial Affairs staff was able to create location specific incident reporting forms, Behavioral Intervention Team (BIT) reporting forms and a grievance reporting form, all hosted on various strategic webpages on the College website.
Goal 1: Bergen Community College will aim to maintain a campus climate that is conducive to the educational mission of the College.
2014 will show if interventions were significant enough to reduce incidences on campus or if further efforts must be employed.
Outcome 1: Incidents reported through the Judicial Affairs system were reviewed and administered through the Judicial Process and collaborative efforts with Public Safety, the Bergen County Police Department and the College’s Behavioral Intervention Team.
Goal 4: The administrators of the conduct process will adhere to the applicable policy, process and procedural standards of the College.
Goal 2: The Office of Judicial Affairs will make students aware of the College’s expectations regarding student conduct by providing students with information on how to access the related policies and procedures. Outcome 1: A Judicial Affairs website was created with updated Student Code of Conduct pages (English and Spanish versions) and new students were informed through the New Student Orientation of their accessibility.
Goal 3: Students alleged to have been engaged in behavior that violates the College’s Student Code of Conduct will be addressed through the student conduct process and encouraged to refrain from engaging in such behavior. Outcome 1: A comparison of AY 2012-2013 and AY 2013-
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Outcome 1: Professional staff participated in webinars, workshops and conduct conferences to remain abreast of best practices and vital issues in student conduct practice. Nature ..............................................................................Total BIT .........................................................................................26 General Conduct...................................................................47 Grievance ................................................................................2 TOTALS .................................................................................75 * This chart, generated by Maxient, shows system reporting from March 20th (Maxient start date).
Nature ..............................................................................Total BIT ........................................................................................2 5 General Conduct..................................................................7 8 TOTALS ...............................................................................103 * This chart shows incident reports from September 2013 to March 20th 2014, prior to launch of Maxient. These reports were hand counted by Juhi Bhatt.
2013 - 2015
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AY 2014-2015 Action Plan: Student Life
Rationale
Initiate the multi-location roll-out of the Student Life Office Expansion project
In coordination with the Vice President of Student Affairs, Student Life will support efforts to plan, coordinate and supervise events, activities and cocurricular offerings at the Hackensack and Lyndhurst locations. This initiative supports Strategic Plan efforts.
Hire a Coordinator of Judicial Affairs (full-time) and fill the vacant Student Life staff full-time position
Discussion with colleagues and peers at professional student conduct administrator conferences, institutes and peer group discussions about a need for expansion of professional staff to meet the needs of a growing campus. Reviews of peer institutional organizational charts demonstrate that multiple conduct officials enhance efficiency, response time and management of conduct caseloads. The vacant Office of Student Life staff member position provides crucial office and event support to continue to serve the ever expanding roster of student organizations and activities.
Increase the number of events, activities and co-curricular offerings of the 2013-2014 semesters.
Increasing student engagement and involvement are crucial factors in establishing student success. Offering events at multiple locations and increasing the number of extra and co-curricular opportunities will enable the Office of Student Life to fulfill Strategic Plan Themes 1 (Student Success and Excellence) and 2 (Faculty and Staff Success and Excellence).
BERGEN COMMUNIT Y COLLEGE
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2013 - 2015
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OďŹƒce of Financial Aid 2013/2014 EVENT
DESCRIPTION
DATA Qualitative/Quantitative: Outcomes
Review internal processes.
Review of business processes to identify process improvements.
Identified areas of weakness and embarked on establishing improvements.
Compliance Review.
Identify non-compliance items.
Established processes which ensured compliance.
Technology Enhancement.
Review of current processes to see where technology could be used to increase productivity.
Many manual processes were enhanced to include technology such as tracks, automatic email notices, etc.
Enhanced communication with students.
We established communication with students throughout the entire FA lifecycle.
Students are now aware of the entire process of document submission and awarding.
Conducted several FAFSA Workshops.
Invited students in to get assistance with completing their FAFSA.
Turnout varied and was minimal.
2014/2015 ACTION PLAN
DESCRIPTION
POTENTIAL OUTCOMES
Breakdown barriers to financial aid.
Improved our packaging strategies to inform students in a more timely manner.
Students made more informed decisions. Reduced wait time for award packaging.
Establish more effective communications venues with community.
Hold public financial aid sessions to inform public of options regarding financing their child’s education.
Better informed public.
Increase FAFSA workshops.
Increased workshops for FAFSA completion.
Increased number of correct FAFSA. Earlier completion of FAFSA.
Cross-training of one-stop staff.
Include all one-stop staff in training sessions.
More informed staff and better communication.
Cross-training of FA Staff.
Cross train staff in other areas of FA than what their current programs entail.
Increased skills, knowledge and abilities of staff. Ability to back-up other staff members.
Professional Development.
Offer financial planning certification.
Ability to advise and counsel students in responsible borrowing and developing personal budgets.
Establish a FA Newsletter.
Keeping students informed on financial aid area.
More informed in what the department does and what regulations drive our decisions.
Get to know our students.
Conduct research on our students so that we can find ways to help them fund their education.
Retention, advanced packaging strategies, fewer student issues.
Relationship building.
Work with various departments to provide knowledge of our processes and regulations.
More informed departments that are directly involved with students.
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2013 - 2015