Strategic Commitment 2: Retain Students and Foster Completion

Strategic Commitment 2: Retain Learners and Foster Completion

We are committed to positive relationships, effective processes, improved services and available resources that promote the retention of learners as they achieve their educational goals. We will increase graduation rates to 15% to align with the Council of Regional Accrediting Commissions guidelines.

“We are committed to guiding and supporting HACC’s students on their educational pathway. We provide programs that help students advance in their current career or begin anew. We provide support for learning experiences in and out of the class with dedicated faculty, advisors, and learning support.”
- Cynthia Doherty, Ph.D., Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs

“The Office of Inclusion and Diversity will continue to work to create an inclusive environment for all learners. Creating an atmosphere of belonging enhances the wellbeing of HACC student and produces greater retention and outcomes.”
- Armenta Early Hinton, Ph.D., Vice President of Inclusion and Diversity and Title IX Coordinator

Subgoal 1: Ensure learners have access to low- or no-cost textbooks

Objective 1 - Provide resources to support three faculty-led projects to develop open educational resources (OER) by June 30, 2021.
Objective 2 - Add OER or free or low-cost textbook options for 25% of classes by June 30, 2022.

Subgoal 2: Support initiatives to advance faculty excellence

Objective 1 - Update faculty expectations to include a requirement to participate in at least one diversity and cultural competence professional development event each year by June 30, 2020.
Objective 2 - Develop and implement three new initiatives that foster cultural and intercultural competence within curricula by June 30, 2022.

Subgoal 3: Promote the effective use of assessment

Objective 1 - Align classes, programs and general education assessment by June 30, 2021.
Objective 2 - Take actionable steps based on assessment outcomes to improve teaching and learning by June 30, 2022.

Subgoal 4: Enhance academic and non-academic learner support systems

Objective 1 - Create centers for learner well-being to provide nonacademic support, such as emergency assistance, food and clothing assistance and connections to community resources by June 30, 2022.
Objective 2 - Embed tutors into 50% of gateway and high-risk classes by June 30, 2022.
Objective 3 - Leverage technology to monitor learner progress to increase persistence rates by 1.5% by June 30, 2022.
Objective 4 - Transition to offering two programs each academic year in a seven-week format and develop inter-semester support programs by June 30, 2021.
Objective 5 - Increase the graduation rates of underrepresented, underserved and minority populations to 11% by June 30, 2022.
Objective 6 - Establish a pilot program to increase enrollment and retention of the adult learner population, assist returning learners to adapt to the current higher education environment, and provide physical space for learning and interaction by June 30, 2020.