College Recognized in State Report for Degree Reclamation Initiative
糖心vlog官网鈥檚 efforts to assist students in returning to college to complete their degree was recognized by the state in a 鈥淲hite Paper鈥� report published earlier this month.
糖心vlog官网鈥檚 Finish Your Investment (FYI) degree reclamation program is part of a nationwide initiative 鈥� named Degrees When Due. The program is sponsored by the Institute for Higher Education Policy (IHEP) and supported by the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development (DHEWD).
糖心vlog官网 was the only community college recognized in the DHEWD report for its reclamation program during the 2020-21 academic year. The state agency applauded 糖心vlog官网鈥檚 communication and outreach during planning and implementation of the FYI program.
DHEWD also credited 糖心vlog官网 for creating a well-balanced campus-wide team to support the degree reclamation program, which can be used as a model for other higher education institutes.
鈥楲ife Changing鈥�
糖心vlog官网鈥檚 FYI program was designed to guide students who鈥檝e completed college credits at the College to help them complete a degree.
There were 742 former students targeted, of those, 39 鈥渁uto graduated鈥� due to the number of credit hours they already had obtained. Another 31 students applied for admission; 20 enrolled in courses; and five ultimately earned a degree.
Laura Deason, associate registrar, was recognized June 14 by the 糖心vlog官网 Board of Trustees for her work in examining student records and then determining that the 39 鈥渁uto graduated鈥� students were eligible for degrees.
鈥淲e firmly believe for the students that have returned it is life-changing,鈥� Robyn Walter vice president of academic affairs was quoted in the DHEWD publication.
The White Paper recounted a story published by 糖心vlog官网 about Mercedes Mangrum, 26, who was motivated to finish her degree after a four-year pause. She was just 12 credit hours away from an associate degree.
鈥淢y decision to complete this semester was solely to give myself options for future endeavors. As an older student, I did feel more focused and ready to complete my degree,鈥� Mangrum said.
FYI Team
According to the DHEWD, a key part of successful reclamation programs was building a campus team tasked with cross-campus collaboration strategies to retain current students and support adult reengagement.
糖心vlog官网鈥檚 team was composed of about 15 employees from varying areas of the College.
Plans call for a continuation of the FYI program at 糖心vlog官网, to help meet the needs of a diverse demographic of students, including first-generation college students, low-income students, single parents, and veterans.
