Edgecombe Community College’s commitment to student success is exemplified through our focus on key performance indicators that reflect our educational effectiveness. Central to these is the 150% completion rate, which serves as our Key Student Completion Indicator (KSCI) in alignment with student achievement core requirements for ECC’s institutional accrediting agency.
Understanding the 150% Completion Rate
The 150% completion rate measures the percentage of first-time, full-time degree- or certificate-seeking students who complete their program within 150% of the standard program duration (i.e., within 3 years) .This metric provides a comprehensive view of student progression and completion, accommodating those who may require additional time to fulfill their academic goals.
Significance of the 150% Completion Rate as Our KSCI
Selecting the 150% completion rate as our KSCI underscores our dedication to accurately assessing and enhancing student achievement. This metric allows us to benchmark our performance against peer institutions and national standards, facilitating a nuanced understanding of our educational impact. Moreover, it aligns with expectations of ECC’s institutional accrediting agency to utilize graduation rates as a primary measure of student success.
Performance Trends and Analysis
An analysis of our recent cohorts reveals the following 150% completion rates:
| Cohort Year | Completion Rate |
| 2017 | 29.2% |
| 2018 | 19.55% |
| 2019 | 27.69% |
| 2020 | 57.58% |
These figures indicate lower 150% completion rates than the national average of 35.9%, 36.3%, 35.5%, and 39.4% three out of the last four years. As a result, ECC has explored ways to improve on this metric and to support our students overall.
Strategies for Improvement
To bolster our 150% completion rate, ECC has implemented several targeted strategies:
Enhanced Academic Advising: Providing personalized guidance to help students navigate their academic pathways efficiently. For example, the Division of Arts and Sciences has started biannual advising training sessions to support college transfer and pre-nursing student advisors.
Support Services Expansion: Offering tutoring, mentoring, and counseling services to address academic and personal challenges.
Curriculum Streamlining: Reviewing and optimizing program curricula to eliminate unnecessary barriers to completion. General education courses that are frequently under enrolled at the college (e.g., Geography 111, Economics 252, Sociology 225) have been put on a regular rotation which has been shared with advisors and administrators. This will help students be able to better plan their pathway to graduation.
Early Alert Systems: Identifying and supporting at-risk students through proactive interventions.
These initiatives are designed to create an environment conducive to timely program completion, thereby enhancing overall student success.