Erie Community College, State University of New York

Erie Community College has been awarded $320,798 in funding for the fifth and final year of the federal Title III Strengthening Institutions grant. The grant project, “Increasing Student Success through the Integration of Academic and Student Support Services,” is funded through the United States Department of Education.

The Title III grant program assists eligible higher education institutions by providing funds to improve and strengthen academic quality, institutional, management and fiscal stability. Funds may be used for faculty development, funds and administrative management, development and improvement of academic programs, joint use of facilities and student services.

ECC is utilizing these funds to accomplish three main goals: increase academic placement and enrollment rates; reduce student withdrawal and failure rates and increase student retention and graduation.

The first phase of the project had focused on enhancing the admissions process through the computerization of the assessment of student skills, abilities and career interests.

In the second year of the project, ECC continued with the implementation of College-wide systems for student support and assistance. In years three and four, the project focus shifted to departmental-based activities designed to improve student success.

In the fifth year, ECC will be implementing the Student Retention Alert program, which will enable computerized tracking of at-risk students in a secure environment. This program also facilitates direct communication between counselors and faculty to provide more timely support for struggling students.

ImageNow, a complete document scanning and routing system for the admissions process, will be undergoing testing this summer and will be ready for Spring 2010 college applications.

In addition, a new online student orientation is in development and is expected to be launched in May 2010. This online version of the new student orientation will be a hands-on, interactive, engaging and information multimedia experience to help students transition to a college environment.

By the end of the fifth year, all activities initiated with support from the Title III grant will be fully implemented.

“These activities have created a more holistic, comprehensive support system for ECC students, starting with their application to ECC and continuing through the critical first semester, project director Mary Beth Orrange said.

“I would like to thank Mary Beth Orrange and the rest of the team at ECC that worked tirelessly to secure this funding for the college. This grant will strengthen areas of ECC, such as the admissions process, that will directly impact and improve the college experience for our incoming students,” ECC President Jack Quinn said.

Erie Community College meets the needs of a diverse student body and contributes to regional economic vitality by providing excellent, flexible, affordable and accessible educational programs in a multi-campus environment committed to continuous improvement.