Focusing on what college students care about most

April is Community College Month, a time to reflect on the impact community colleges have on students, families, workplaces and entire communities. At Elizabethtown Community and Technical College, this month is a special time to celebrate student success, highlight community partners and recognize the many individuals and organizations across our region who provide vital support to our college.  

It is truly an exciting time in the life of ECTC. Just last fall, for the first time in college history, the Aspen Institute named ECTC a Top 200 Community College in the country. This is the nation’s premier recognition of two-year colleges, and it’s an incredible honor for the college and our region. The 200 colleges were selected based on student outcomes data, including retention, completion, transfer, and bachelor’s degree attainment rates.  

One student success metric I’m especially proud of at ECTC is our graduation rate. It’s now in the top 10% nationwide. Hitting about 59% last year, it’s up 28 percentage points over the last eight years and well above the national average of about 39%.

The rising graduation rate and other exciting outcomes are the result of the innovative work faculty and staff have done over the last several years. They’ve implemented complex changes to help students succeed and make our programs and services more relevant to students. The development of the Student Success Hub, our move to 8-Week Advantage scheduling and the realignment of the Automation, Industrial and Robotics Technology program are all great examples of that work.

And if you’ve been following ECTC, you know we have begun thinking about student success differently. As community colleges evolve, the best of them are becoming 3.0, the third iteration of community colleges. While 1.0 increased access to higher education, and 2.0 increased program completion rates, 3.0 focuses on how well students are doing after graduation.  
Our students come to us to find their path to a better life. The path is a means to an end. To judge the college’s success, we must know if our students used their credentials to land jobs in their chosen fields, if they are earning good incomes, or if they successfully transferred to a university and completed a bachelor's degree.  

That’s why the Aspen Institute’s recognition is so special. The organization’s work shines a light on what matters most to students: earning a credential that leads to post-graduation success.  
As a first timer on the Top 200 list, it’s difficult to predict the results of the competition for the $1 million Aspen Prize. I will note, however, that participating in the initial round has given college leaders, faculty and staff a unique opportunity to reflect on the relevance of everything we do at ECTC. It has certainly fueled our journey to becoming a 3.0 college and challenged us to keep our place on this prestigious list.  

This Community College Month, I hope the members of our community see our work to improve post-graduation outcomes as proof of our commitment to our mission: to add value to our students’ lives and return that value to the community. I also invite you to consider how you can be a part of the college community.