2021FallWarrior

ECCC to Focus on Financial Literacy with Reaccreditation Quality Enhancement Plan

East Central Community College is in the process of its 10th-Year Compli- ance Certification for Reaffirmation of Accreditation, with an On-Site Peer Review scheduled for September 2021 and an announcement of ECCC’s ac- creditation status expected in Decem- ber 2022. SACSCOC is the recognized re- gional accrediting body in the 11 U.S. Southern states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missis- sippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia and in Latin America for those institutions of higher education that award associate, baccalaureate, master’s, or doctoral degrees. In order to maintain accredi- tation, an institution must comply with the standards and requirements in The Principles of Accreditation: Founda- tions for Quality Enhancement and with SACSCOC policies and proce- dures. Reaffirmation of accreditation oc- curs every 10 years. ECCC is accredited by SACSCOC to award the Associate Degree. Questions about the accreditation of East Central Community College may be directed in writing to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, GA 30033-4097, by calling 404-679-4500, or by using information available on SACSCOC’s website (www. sacscoc.org).

Following a two-year collaborative process involving the entire campus community, East Central Community College has chosen a financial literacy initiative known as Dollars and Sense as its Quality Enhancement Plan topic as it prepares for 10-Year Reaffirma- tion of Accreditation. Beginning with the Fall 2021 Se- mester, ECCC is offering practical and applicable financial-oriented content to first-time college students, concentrat- ing on options for paying for college through the completion of student educational pathways, as well as strat- egies for lifelong economic well-being. Delivered through the freshman orientation course LLS 1312 Warrior Path to Success with credits counting toward graduation, the goal of Dol- lars and Sense is to prepare students for their college journey and beyond with real-world knowledge gained in an engaging setting with personalized attention. “Over the course of two years, ECCC administrators, faculty, and staff ana- lyzed data and research, brainstormed, solicited student feedback, and par- ticipated in conversations centered around ways to advance the educa- tional experience for its students,” said ECCC President Dr. Brent Gregory. “This collaborative work resulted in three possible QEP topics. After care- fully considering the input and recom- mendations of college councils and

committees, student and employee survey responses, and student focus groups, Financial Literacy was chosen as ECCC’s 2022 SACSCOC Reaffirma- tion QEP topic.” The name of the QEP—Dollars and Sense—was chosen by vote of the en- tire campus community. “The QEP must reflect and affirm a commitment to enhance overall institutional quality and effectiveness by focusing on an issue that ECCC con- siders important to improving student learning outcomes and student suc- cess,” explained Gregory. “We believe our focus on Financial Literacy the next five years through the Dollars and Sense QEP will do just that.” The Quality Enhancement Plan, or QEP, is an integral component of SACSCOC (Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges) reaffirmation of accredita- tion and is derived from the college’s ongoing comprehensive planning and evaluation processes. SACSCOC requires its member institutions to develop a five-year QEP in order to be reaffirmed for accredita- tion at the institution’s 10-year review.

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BOYKIN, HUGHES GRADUATE FROM LEADERSHIP ACADEMY East Central Community College employees Regena Boykin (left) and Leslie Hughes completed the Mississippi Community College Leadership Academy last spring. They received their diplomas and medals of completion from ECCC President Dr. Brent Gregory. Boykin serves as associate director for information technology, and Hughes is dean of learning resources. The MCCLA was developed in 2009 to address the projected need for upper-level leaders in the Mississippi community college system. The year-long program consists of workshops designed to strengthen supervisory and management skills, using participants’ current work situations to apply new skills and tools. It is also an opportunity to network and strengthen system-wide collaborative efforts.

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