the completion challenge

The Completion Challenge

CC Completion CC Completion Challenge WebsiteChallenge Website

The Completion The Completion Challenge – WHY?Challenge – WHY?

• Double the number of United States citizens who have earned a higher education credential or degree by 2020

• Five million more community college graduates by 2020

The Completion ImperativeThe Completion Imperative• The United States has fallen from #1 to #16

among 36 industrialized nations in terms of the percentage of adults having earned a college credential.

• Two years ago, the United States ranked #12 overall,

• The United States ranks #25 among 36 in student math scores.

The Completion ImperativeThe Completion Imperative• In 2018, less than four years, 2/3 of all new jobs

will require a post-secondary credential.

• The United States cannot compete in a global economy without a 21st Century Workforce…of highly-skilled engineers, researchers, healthcare professionals, teachers, and trades workers.

• A child born into poverty in the U.S., will likely never emerge from poverty

The Completion ImperativeThe Completion Imperative

• In the future, even more students entering college will not be “college ready”

• 60% of students entering community colleges, take at least one developmental education class.

• Nearly all students who are required take three levels of developmental education classes fail to make it to college credit classes


• Students with only a high school diploma or no diploma will will compete for the same jobs - but fewer jobs will be available for which to compete – and most will not provide a liveable wage.

• Students with a two-year college credential or degree in “hot fields” are paid significantly higher starting wages than most with a baccalaureate degree.


• Those with a college credential vote more often than those without

• Those with a college degree lead healthier lives than those without

• Those with a college degree volunteer in their communities more often than those without

• Those with a two-year college credential were 30% less likely to be unemployed during the great recession than those without


Declining tax revenue available to:•Support a crumbling infrastructure – bridges, roads.•Provide a financial safety net for those who are in need•Support public education at all levels•Support an aging population – Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, healthcare•Support national defense

Unskilled workforce implications:

The Disconnect Between The Disconnect Between

Education and EmploymentEducation and Employment• More Americans are enrolled in higher education

than every before, but the number of these completing credentials has not increased proportionately.

• Universities awarded more PhD’s in STEM fields than ever before, but the majority were international students who returned home to emerging economies to compete against the U.S.

• Studies show students in California’s Community Colleges amass over 120 credits – twice that needed for an associate degree – and yet most have not earned a credential.


•American companies bringing jobs back from overseas – but no skilled workers to fill them•600,000 jobs in manufacturing are unfilled•500,000 jobs in healthcare are unfilled•27,000 jobs in the state of Washington are unfilled•100,000 jobs in Chicago are unfilled•In Idaho – Burlington Northern Railroad – 12,000 workers needed in three years – but no labor pool to fill jobs

Realities of an unskilled workforce:

The Disconnect Between The Disconnect Between

Education and EmploymentEducation and Employment

Leading Job Areas of the Future:•Health•Trans/Distrib/Logistics•Business•Information Technology•Manufacturing•Culinary/Hospitatlity

Department of Labor reported in June 3.6 million livable wage job openings in the United States.

Developing a Culture of Developing a Culture of CompletionCompletion

• Trustees• Faculty• Staff• Students• Industry• K-12 Partners• Four-year institutions

To change organizational culture – members of a group first must collectively understand why behavioral change is necessary:

“WHY COMPLETION MATTERS”

Conversations with Conversations with StudentsStudents

• Do you realize that by transferring to a senior college prior to earning an associate degree that you increase the likelihood of never earning a baccalaureate degree?

• Do you realize that in less than four years, nearly all new jobs will require a post secondary credential or degree?


• Do you realize that if you have to dropout of college due to an unforeseen life experience without having earned a credential or degree you will be hired less often than those with a degree or credential?

• Do you realize that transferring without a degree gives the senior college license to require you to retake/take additional classes? Time to degree and money – to major barriers to completion.


• Did you know that those students having earned a credential or degree will earn $500,000 more over their lifetime than those without a degree?

• Do you realize that it matters as much what happens outside the classroom in terms of interacting with faculty and engaging in student organizations? Engaged students complete.

Community College Community College Completion CorpsCompletion Corps

A student led initiative to:

o Increase student success

o Increase student awareness on the benefits of completion and the consequences of not

o Engage faculty, staff, and administrators in the efforts to establish a culture for completion on campus

The Student The Student CommitmentCommitment

Student Pledge:•Commit to planning for college completion.•Commit to discussing career planning with college instructors and staff.•Commit to seeking advisement on course selection to ensure timely college completion.•Commit to serving as a role model by attending classes, being prepared, participating in and engaging in discussions with instructors and students inside and outside of class.•Commit to reaching out to students in need by encouraging, nurturing and guiding them toward college completion•Commit to helping at least one other student succeed


•C4 Program Plan – Students Commit to Complete •Distribute Commit to Complete cards to student organization leaders, who collect contact information section of the cards.•College flags records of students who sign Commit to Complete card. College sends communications to students to ensure that they are on track to complete, identifying in sequence tasks they should complete and support resources.•Students who sign Commit to Complete cards are invited to sign banner and are given a Completion Champion card to take to faculty or staff.•Students present Completion Champion card to faculty or staff member. Student collects card and returns it to Phi Theta Kappa or the coordinating group for C4 efforts on their campus.

The Faculty/StaffThe Faculty/StaffCommitmentCommitment

• Commit to change in the community college culture, from an emphasis on access only to an emphasis on student success

• Commit to eliminate the attainment gaps that separate student groups

• Commit to acting on facts and proven research to make positive changes in the interest of student success and college completion

• Commit to reaching out to students by mentoring, encouraging, and guiding them toward college completion


Completion Champions Pledge

•Faculty and staff are presented the Completion Champion card by a student who has signed the Commit to Complete card. •Faculty and staff sign the card and write on the back of the contact section two ways they will help the student complete.•Faculty and staff are invited to sign the Completion Champion banner.•College recognizes campus-wide those who have signed the Completion Champion pledge and compiles and circulates collectively the specific ways they have committed to helping students complete.


•C4 Program Plan •Phi Theta Kappa chapter officers and/or select student leaders meet with college president, administrators, and faculty leaders to discuss C4 initiative and gain commitment for college-wide support. •College President, administrator, chapter advisor, and chapter officer sign C4 Commitment letter and send to Phi Theta Kappa Headquarters. •C4 planning committee formed.


•C4 Program Plan •C4 materials requested from Phi Theta Kappa Headquarters, provided at no charge whiles supplies last.•Set date for week during the term when C4 activities will be held.•Plan C4 activities (example one stop: degree audit, declare major, meet with career advisors and local employers, meet with advisor, attend senior college fair, etc. Check cccompletioncorps.org for ideas)


•C4 Program Plan •Display student posters in high traffic areas on campus.•Display faculty/staff posters in faculty/staff lounges or office areas.•Hang C4 Student & Completion Champion Banners in a high traffic area.•Student organization leaders discuss with their student members why college completion matters and encourages each to sign the Commit to Complete pledge during the designated C4 activities week.


•C4 Program Plan •Student leaders present to faculty/staff members during convocation or other meetings why college completion matters and discuss the C4 initiative.•During the week of C4 activities, students sign Commit to Complete cards, C4 student banner and gain commitment from faculty/staff members to become Completion Champions.


•C4 Program Plan •At conclusion of C4 week of activities, college holds a press conference – inviting trustees, administrators, faculty, staff, and community leaders to publicly announce the college's commitment to help students complete college – revealing the number of students who have committed to complete, the support that will be provided them, revealing the number of faculty and staff who have pledged to serve as Completion Champions, etc.


•C4 Program Plan •College monitors progress of students in their completion efforts throughout the year and intentionally and intrusively provide the support and identify the resources needed to help students complete their credentials and degrees.•C4 week of activities repeated in the winter/spring terms.


•C4 Program Plan •At end of year, college measures success of C4 effort following graduation to determine the percentage of students who actually completed their credential or degree at their anticipated graduation date. •College reports to Phi Theta Kappa via the C4 website www.cccompletioncorps.org an overview of C4 activities conducted and the number of students who committed to complete.


•C4 Program Plan •C4 activities are reviewed and enhanced for launching in the following fall-term.

WebsiteWebsite

ToolkitsToolkits• Promotional posters (5 for students; 2 for

faculty/staff)• “Call to Action” poster• Student “Commit to Complete” cards• Faculty/staff “Completion Champions” cards• C4 Planning Guides• Student signing banners• Faculty/staff signing banner

Planning a Statewide Planning a Statewide

EventEvent1. Gain Commitment from all colleges in the State to

conduct C4 activities during the same week in late

October or early November.

2. Each college president meets with their Phi Theta Kappa

chapter to plan various C4 activities.

3. Hold Local C4 Commit to Complete Kick-Off Event

engaging as many student organizations in the C4

activities as possible.

4. Record number of students pledging to complete and

number of completion champions

5. Repeat C4 activities in January/February.

Planning a Statewide Planning a Statewide

EventEvent5. College begins to send email/text messages to encourage and monitor

student progress toward completion, identifying resources to keep

students on track.

6. Each college counts the number of students committing to complete

and faculty/staff who serve as Completion Champions. Colleges then

monitor effectiveness of program by monitoring progress of students

moving toward completion.

7. Statewide C4 Completion Rally as part of All-State Academic Team

Ceremony. Each college brings signed banners. Press event held at

State Capitol.

8. C4 activity report sent to Phi Theta Kappa Headquarters

Statewide InitiativesStatewide Initiatives

the completion challenge

Documents

twoyear college credential

college credential vote

college degree volunteer

completion imperativethose

college ready

higher education credential

community college graduates

new jobs