While community college students face many of the same challenges as students attending other higher education institutions, they also have their own obstacles to overcome.
In order to uncover a clearer path to student success, institutions and administrators must focus on redesigning America's community colleges on a fundamental level. Institutional support can better equip students with the skills and resources they need to thrive, allowing schools to see better outcomes, like higher retention and graduation rates.
Common obstacles to community college student success
Community college students are busy individuals. Many of them are nontraditional students — primarily older students who need to balance lots of priorities at once, from their studies to their jobs to their family commitments.
Although community colleges provide more flexible schedules and lower tuition fees than other higher education institutions, students often struggle to make ends meet. Coping with increased mental and physical health demands, as well as facing a lack of access to adequate technology, also puts them at a disadvantage.
As a result, they're significantly less likely to earn any kind of credential than their peers who begin at four-year institutions.
Because every community college is unique, making an effort to listen to and understand the student population will help administrators and faculty design programs and services that better meet student needs.
What makes a successful community college student?
The characteristics of successful community college students are diverse and versatile. Their skills and experiences can shape them into excellent students who make the most of their education and careers. Some characteristics that can set students up for success at community college include:
- Resourcefulness: Whether it's seeking financial aid or reaching out to an academic advisor, community college students have many resources and services available to them. The most successful students know where and when to take advantage of these resources.
- Social engagement: Social isolation can cause students to disconnect from the rest of your institution, potentially leading to higher dropout rates. Successful community college students get involved with campus and community organizations to make connections that will support their education and personal lives.
- Independence: While social elements are essential to student success, students must also be able to rely on themselves and their skills. Independent work is an integral part of college curricula, requiring students to research and complete assignments alone. Knowing how to manage time and execute tasks can boost student performance and success at your college.
- Resilience: Students who are resilient adapt well to changing circumstances and stressful situations, which is essential for remaining invested in their education and progressing toward their goals. Helping students develop persistence and resilience can help prevent them from dropping out or transferring.
The diversity present at many community colleges means student success, and the characteristics associated with it can take on many different forms. Each student has their own unique strengths that set them up for success, and your institution can help by providing the proper support services.
Opportunities for improving community college student success
When schools want to boost student success, implementing the right strategies and tactics can support your population and help students achieve their academic and educational goals.
Here are some ways excellent community colleges set their students up to succeed:
- Helping students feel connected: Students who feel connected to their campus are more likely to stay through graduation. Whether they are looking for social or research opportunities, schools can meet various demands by offering diverse ways for students to connect with each other and faculty. Some ideas include transfer student introductions, organizations for students or color, and support groups for studying parents.
- Advertising student services: Many students are unsure of where various essential resources are and how to access them. Clarifying what resources are available can highlight opportunities for students to get the essential help they need. You might consider adding certain services and locations to campus tours or sending out reminders throughout the semesters about your offerings and where to find them.
- Implementing technology to identify student risks: Technology and data collection tools can help your school understand and identify the risks most prevalent on your campus. When you know the specific challenges your students face most, you can design and implement programs that better meet their needs. Data can also identify specific struggling students so faculty and staff know who to reach out to and when.
North Carolina is home to multiple leading community colleges. What's their secret to student success?
Some of the nation's best community colleges are located in North Carolina, according to a 2023 SmartAsset study. In fact, the state’s community college system is so strong that it swiped 9 of the top 25 spots.
The ranking is based on various factors, including:
- Student-to-faculty ratio.
- Cost of tuition.
- Graduation and transfer rates.
While the first two metrics are relatively easy to control, it's harder to pin down the reasons behind overall student success. So what are North Carolina community colleges doing right? And how can other community colleges tap into similar success?
Besides their location, there's another common thread among many of the top-performing community colleges — they use Watermark Student Success & Engagement, a student success solution.
The platform uses predictive analytics to identify at-risk students early on and connect them to the necessary resources or interventions, thereby improving student engagement. Watermark has delivered proven results nationwide in engagement, retention, persistence, and completion rates, measuring its technology’s efficacy by the number of students crossing the finish line to graduation or transferring to a four-year institution.
We spoke to some of the top-performing community colleges about how Watermark solutions are helping them stand out among the nation’s more than 1,000 community colleges. Let’s look at these institutions in greater detail to hear their firsthand experience with Watermark.
1. Brunswick Community College | Bolivia, North Carolina
SmartAsset named Brunswick Community College the nation’s number one community college for two consecutive years in 2020 and 2021. The school’s 2021 graduation and transfer rate of 82 percent is part of what propelled it to the top of the list. So what's the key to their success?
The school’s president, Gene Smith, said that partnering with Watermark has bolstered the school's focus on student success. President Smith said, “Since implementing Watermark, we are so much better equipped to identify students in need and connect them to campus support services.”
He continued, “We’ve opened up communication lines with students about their course successes and struggles, and as a result, we’ve increased our understanding of persistence and retention patterns amongst our student populations.”
Vice President of Student Affairs Denise Houchen-Clagett, Ed.D., added that Watermark’s platform helped faculty and staff provide seamless support services during each student's transition to remote schooling. She highlighted that the platform’s texting capabilities were especially helpful as they enabled Brunswick staff to communicate with students to assess their technology needs.
Houchen-Clagett said, “With Watermark, success coaches are able to continue working their caseloads, communicating with students, and providing outreach services to those in need.”
2. Pamlico Community College | Grantsboro, North Carolina
Pamlico Community College in Grantsboro, North Carolina, boasts a 63 percent student retention rate and is one of the most affordable community colleges in the top 15. By leveraging Watermark’s notices about student performance, Cristy Lewis Warner, Counselor and Director of the Career Center at Pamlico, stays ahead of student needs. She explained, “Watermark keeps instructors, advisors, and counselors updated on students in real time with any concerns regarding the student, as well as how they are doing academically.”
The institution participated in the First in the World (FITW) research program with impressive results. FITW, a five-year study, was designed to determine if proactive and individualized success coaching at 10 North Carolina community colleges would improve student success. At Pamlico Community College, course completion rates for students attempting spring and fall coursework increased 16.3 percent since working with Watermark.
3. Carteret Community College | Morehead City, North Carolina
Carteret Community College is one of the state's highest-ranking community colleges.
Allison Daniel, former Director of Counseling, Disabilities, and Retention at Carteret, said she appreciated Watermark’s holistic approach to student information. “Watermark gives us the ability to quickly and easily access the right information and get it in the right hands to make decisions, ensuring we support the right student at the right time.”
During her time at Carteret, Daniel used the Watermark platform to encourage success among struggling students. She appreciated the ability to tailor the software to each student's and school’s needs and added that through Watermark, success coaches and counselors could “track the students and the communication from all campus stakeholders in seconds.”
Carteret participated in a five-year study with First in the World as well as the Minority Male Success Initiative (MMSI). The MMSI, which concluded in 2023, was a three-year research study with Watermark that aimed to improve minority male student outcomes by promoting participation and collaboration between the student and institution.
4. Montgomery Community College | Troy, North Carolina
Montgomery Community College in Troy, North Carolina, takes great pride in its graduation and transfer rate of 70 percent.
“Witnessing a student be successful is one of the most rewarding aspects of working in education,” said Diana Sanchez, leader of Counseling & Disability Services at Montgomery. “The Watermark early alert system is a tremendous asset in helping us increase student success.”
Montgomery Community College used the Watermark student success platform to increase retention and completion rates among minority male students as part of the MMSI.
5. Sampson Community College | Clinton, North Carolina
With a graduation and transfer rate of 92 percent, Sampson Community College earns its spot as one of the top U.S. community colleges. “When asking other institutions how they addressed retention and completion, Watermark was always one of the top three answers,” said Dr. Marvin Rondon, Dean of Student Services and Institutional Effectiveness at Sampson.
Dr. Rondon found Watermark’s data-driven approach and predictive analytics to be especially insightful when presenting opportunities to expand the college's enrollment and retention strategies. Automated alerts and easy-click referrals allowed his team to proactively reach out to students and provide more personalized support. He noted, “With the help of Watermark, we are able to serve all students in a way that we’ve never been able to before.”
Sampson Community College was also a participant in the MMSI.
6. College of The Albemarle | Elizabeth City, North Carolina
College of The Albemarle in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, boasts a graduation and transfer rate of 85 percent, one of the highest in the U.S. Since 2015, Watermark has been a valuable partner with the College of The Albemarle.
Dr. Eushekia Hewitt, former Director of Advising and Student Success at Albemarle, appreciated the transparency the Watermark platform provides, as well as the ability to send alert notifications and track team progress to avoid duplicate work.
As Hewitt explained, the information and insights Watermark provided helped Albemarle ensure the institution personally reached out to and engaged all students. Student success teams saw the direct impact of their efforts on the student population.
The institution also participated in the five-year study with First in the World, and the team found the platform “easy to use, intuitive, and extremely user-friendly.”
7. Randolph Community College | Asheboro, North Carolina
According to recent community college student success statistics, Randolph Community College is yet another high-ranking North Carolina institution. Former Randolph Success Coach Pam Wiggins credited Watermark with keeping students in school, saying that the platform is one of the most critical tools in her success coaching toolbox.
Wiggins used Watermark’s data-specific tools daily to uncover the risk factors that affect individual students and develop interventions that enable success. With comprehensive outreach tools and trend-setting patterns, she identified which students required interventions.
Suzanne Rohrbaugh, Vice President for Instructional Services, added that the Watermark platform “improves internal communication among various areas of the college to be better informed about students and their progress.”
The persistence rate for high-risk students increased by 12 percent since working with Watermark.
Support your students with Watermark
Completing higher education is hard, but the challenges are even harder for at-risk students. Today's community college students often flounder before finding the help they need, and the institutions they attend struggle to identify these students before it's too late. Student Success & Engagement can help you navigate the challenges and opportunities for improving community college student success.
With Watermark, institutions like yours can follow the examples set by these North Carolina community colleges. Implementing Student Success & Engagement at your institution can open at-risk students up to avenues they previously may not have considered, which can significantly improve their chances of getting back on track.
Contact us today to find out how a partnership with Watermark can help both your institution and your students succeed.
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