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The college is looking to improve its completion rates by enhancing the student services experience.
All you have to do is take a look at the numbers and you can see that far too few of our students who come to us saying they want a degree actually end up earning a degree or credential from us, and that’s for a variety of reasons, but there’s no doubt that we can do better.
The numbers don’t lie so the college is setting its goals on helping students create goals of their own.
We have far too many students that walk in the door and say I’m not sure what I want to do. I’m just going to take my general education courses. I’ll take a few classes and then see if I can make up my mind. And the reality is those students end up swirling, swirling and swirling, they get frustrated, they don’t make progress, they don’t know where they’re going and they leave.
The current research is that when students have a goal in mind, a specific major, a specific career in mind when they are going to college they are more likely to take courses that will contribute to that major, their motivation is higher and they will complete quicker.
This is Judy’s first semester at LCCC, but she has worked in the student services business for around 22 years and wants to use her expertise to improve the student success rate at LCCC.
They will work with their advisors to make sure that they are taking all the classes that they need in the order they need them, and they make good use of their time and their money.
This shouldn’t deter students from going to college if their mind isn’t made up on a major or even from changing their course. The college simply wants to be more involved in helping students guide their decisions.
If you haven’t made a decision by the end of your first semester, it’s optimal, but we don’t want to force that until a student is actually ready and makes a good decision. It’s all about that good decision and a good fit for that student.
The important thing is they’re on a path and they can always see that goal, that light at the end of the tunnel, and that’s what we have to keep them focused on.
I’m Lisa Murphy with this Laramie County Community College Spotlight.