The San José Evergreen Community College District (SJECCD) regards student success as the forefront mission.  On January 22, 2013, the SJECCD Board of Trustees adopted its own student success definition and policy (BP 5050).  Policies that not only uphold the State’s new mandates and the California Community College Board of Governors recently adopted title 5 regulations but embody a broader and more holistic definition of student success.

SJECCD Student Success Definition

Student Success for community college students means more than just obtaining degrees, transfer, certificate, or career advancement.  It also means the achievement of the individual student’s self-established educational goals including completing a specific course, program, career and/or technical education to maximize the skills necessary for becoming a better person, worker, and/or citizen. Student success is not merely an outcome, but also a process.  It’s a journey that encompasses multiple levels of achievement and milestones such as abilities to: analyze, synthesize, and evaluate information; effectively communicate with others; achieve proficiency in subjects including science, mathematics, computer/technical skills, world languages, history, geography, and global awareness; collaboratively work in culturally diverse settings; be leaders who see projects through to completion; be responsible decision makers who are self-motivated; be active civic participants; and be ethical individuals who are committed to their families, communities, and others.  Student Success is everyone’s responsibility demonstrated through role modeling, support, opportunity, equity, and social justice.

Leadership/Governance

Students succeed because of the work of the governing boards, chief executives, faculty, staff, administrators and students.  Strong and supportive leadership is required to overcome cultural assumptions and systemic inertia that accepts the behavior that says “but we have always done it this way.” 

The Board’s commitment to student success is to ensure the availability of resources for the colleges to:

• Ensure that Student Success is a shared responsibility.
• Mandate college orientation.
• Limit or eliminate late registration.
• Mandate advising and counseling and educational plans, targeted support and/or student success courses especially for high-risk students.
• Require or strongly encourage students to enroll in needed basic skills and prerequisite courses in their first term(s).
• Promote the use of disaggregated student progress data (qualitative and quantitative) and cohort tracking to foster inquiry and improve programs; engage in “courageous conversations.”
• Foster common definitions of student progress and the ability to benchmark progress.
• Foster curricular and program design that addresses diversity in learning styles and cultural backgrounds.
• Engage employees in professional development focused on improving student success, including cultural competency and effective teaching/learning for students with a wide variety of backgrounds and skills.
• Revisit hiring practices for faculty to ensure effective teaching skills, including and particularly for faculty teaching basic skills courses.
• Adequately fund, staff and support programs on both campuses to create a culture of service and civic responsibility, and to provide students with opportunities to engage in social change work.

State Mandated Enrollment Priority Regulations

In September 2012, the Board of Governors unanimously approved title 5 regulations that established system-wide enrollment priorities designed to restructure the matriculation process and standardize student registration.  Accordingly, the regulations are intended to ensure that students who wish to transfer, pursue a degree, complete a certificate program, or seek career advancement have access to the necessary courses and are provided support and encouragement to make progress toward achieving their educational goals.  The regulations require that information about the new policies be disseminated to students beginning in spring 2013 and mandates full implementation by Fall 2014.

Title 5 – Enrollment Priorities

Under the new priority enrollment regulations, priority registration dates will be assigned to active duty military and recently discharged veterans, current and former foster youth, followed by students in Disabled Student Programs Services and Extended Opportunity Programs & Services. These student groups are permitted to enroll during the first week of continuing registration.  Accordingly, under the new mandates, students in the “protective title 5 category” must maintain satisfactory academic progress in order to be assigned a priority registration date.

Student Success Mandates

The main objective of the Student Success Act of 2012 is to assist students in planning and achieving their academic and career goals. In accordance with this act, students are required to complete mandatory orientation and counseling (educational plan) prior to registration.

Maintain Satisfactory Academic Standing

Both new and continuing students who maintain satisfactory academic progress and are in good standing will be granted an earlier registration date and time over those who are not in good academic standing. 

Students who are on academic or progress probation for two consecutive terms will lose ability to register early over those students who are in good academic standing.  A one-time appeal will be allowed for students who can demonstrate that the unsatisfactory academic standing is based on extenuating circumstances.

100 Unit Cap

Students who have less than 100 units (not including units in basic skills English, Math or English as a Second Language) completed will be granted an earlier registration date and time over those who have exceeded the 100 unit threshold.  Exemptions to the high unit cap will be granted for students enrolled in high unit majors.