HUDSON COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE FACT BOOK

2013-2014

FACT BOOK

Mission Statement, Vision Statement, Values Statement ...4

An Overview of Hudson County Community College ...5

I. ENROLLMENT

II.

STUDENTS

What Do Our Students Look Like? ...11

AGE ...11

GENDER ...13

DIVERSITY ...14

Where Do Our Students Live?...16

What Do HCCC Students Study?...17

FIVE-YEAR TREND...17

FALL 2013...20

III.

FINANCIAL

AID

FINANCIAL AID FOR ALL STUDENTS ...22

FINANCIAL AID FOR FIRST-TIME, FULL-TIME STUDENTS...23

PELL GRANTS...24

PELL GRANTS FOR ALL STUDENTS...25

PELL GRANTS FOR FIRST-TIME, FULL-TIME STUDENTS ...26

IV. RETENTION AND STUDENT SUCCESS

FIRST-TIME, FULL-TIME RETENTION ...27

FIRST-TIME, PART-TIME RETENTION ...28

GRADUATION, TRANSFER, AND OVERALL SUCCESS RATES ...29

V.

DEGREES

AND

CERTIFICATES

TABLE

OF

Message from the President

Welcome to the 2014 edition of the Hudson County Com-munity College Fact Book, compiled by the Office of Institutional Research and Planning. Here you will find information about the College’s history, mission, vision and values, and data that informs our planning and decision making. There are statistics on enrollment, thor-ough information about our students, and their courses of study, and data on financial aid for our students, as well as the College’s funding.

We hope this Fact Book will provide you with a better understand-ing of Hudson County Community College, and answer questions you may have had. A copy of the book will be available on the College’s web-site.

We are grateful to all of you who have supported Hudson County Community College and thank you for the roles you have played in our students’ success and the College’s growth and development. We look for-ward to continuing our partnerships with you in the future.

Sincerely,

Glen Gabert, Ph.D.

Message from the Associate Dean

of Research and Planning

One of the many roles of the Office of Institutional Research and Planning (OIRP) is to provide data and analysis that will help de-partments make informed decisions and will keep the College’s constituents informed of pertinent institutional data. The integri-ty and continuiintegri-ty of the information distributed by OIRP is of the utmost importance as we strive to support the College’s process of continuous quality improvement. All data contained within this Fact Book are official institutional figures, most of which have been submitted in both federal and state regulatory reports, including but not limited to the federal Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) and to the State of New Jersey’s Office of the Secretary of Higher Education. Historical data and narratives have also been included to assist in providing contextual information. If you have any questions regarding the content of the Fact Book or would like to further discuss any of the data, please contact the Of-fice of Institutional Research and Planning at research@hccc.edu. Happy reading!

Sincerely,

Alexa M. Beshara

Mission Statement

The mission of Hudson County Community College is to provide high quality educational opportunities that promote student success and are accessi-ble, comprehensive, and learning centered.

Vision Statement

We continually aspire to make Hudson County Community College such an excellent and innovative urban college that it can be a first-choice option for the students and communities it serves.

Values Statement

To fulfill the mission and vision of Hudson County Community College, we commit ourselves to these values:

• student success;

• academic excellence and learning support services; • integrity, ethical behavior, and respect for others;

• celebration of our commonalities and respect for our differences; • championship of innovation;

• inquiry and data-informed decision making;

• high quality and affordable educational opportunities; and • responsible stewardship of the resources entrusted to us.

Hudson County Community College (HCCC) is a vibrant, comprehensive, urban institution offering courses and classes in a wide variety of disciplines and studies. The College services the people and businesses of one of the most densely populated and ethnically diverse areas of the United States.

Hudson County Community College was founded in 1974 when the New Jersey Board of Higher Educa-tion approved the establishment of a community college commission in Hudson County, the first of its kind in the country. The College was initially a “contract” college. As one of only two such colleges in the United States, and the sole contract college in New Jersey, its goal was to offer programs to students that reflected the nature of the job market.

In 1992, Dr. Glen Gabert became the College’s President and focused on creating stability and building for the future. In the mid-1990’s, the College formulated and began implementing strategic plans for its academic and physical growth that were based upon the community’s needs. The administration and Board of Trustees worked to ensure that all of the people of Hudson County have access to an affordable education that provides them with the knowledge and skills needed in today’s global society.

The College has since realized unprecedented growth, with enrollment and graduation rates increasing significantly the past few years (enrollment has risen from 4,129 students in 1996 to more than 9,000). This growth is a result of thoughtful plans that: enlarged the depth and number of course/class offerings; and en-hanced students’ experiences (including the establishment of a central counseling program, and newly organized student activities and student government programs).

Hudson County Community College now offers 49 degrees and 14 certificate programs, including its signature programs in Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management, Nursing, Allied Health, and the nationally acclaimed English as a Second Language (ESL) studies. There are also growing and increasingly in-demand Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) offerings. Classes are conducted seven days a week, day and evening, in Jersey City and Union City as well as satellite locations throughout the County. An expanding on-line education program, robust partnerships and transfer programs with many four-year colleges and universities, plus more scholarship programs and scholarship opportunities provide more options for students.

In 1992, the College owned one building with approximately 11,000 sq. ft. of space. Today, the College has two, vibrant urban college campuses comprised of state-of-the-art, College-owned buildings.

The primary HCCC campus consists of twelve facilities within a ten-square-block area of the Journal Square section of Jersey City. These facilities include the 72,000 square-foot Culinary Arts Conference Center, the College’s first, from-the-ground-up construction. The site has hot-food and cold-food kitchens/classrooms (where TLC’s Cake Boss: Next Great Baker and Progresso Soup’s “Ring-Ring” commercials are filmed), bakeries, an ice-sculpting studio, a fish-and-butchery room, mock-hotel hospitality suite, and library, plus meeting rooms and classrooms with advanced technologies, and pre-function and banquet rooms that are utilized by more than 25,000 people each year. In 2014 grand-opening ceremonies will take place for the College’s six-story, 117,000 square-foot Library & Academic Building, and ground is expected to be broken for a 39,540 square-foot Science Building that will provide nine new laboratories, nine science classrooms and offices for Science faculty and staff.

The College’s second campus, the 92,250 square-foot, seven-story North Hudson Higher Education Center (NHHEC), is situated in the heart of Union City. Opened in September 2011, NHHEC operates as a thriving, full-service facility that provided programs and services to nearly 2,800 students in Fall 2013 (initial plans for the building called for a headcount of 3,000 students over the course of five years). NHHEC is also home to Hudson County’s One-Stop Career Center and the offices of the Hudson County Department of Family Services’ Divisions of Welfare.

HCCC is fully accredited by the Commission on Higher Education of the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools. The College is known for its nationally acclaimed Culinary Arts and Hospitality Manage-ment program — one of just two in the New York/New Jersey region to be accredited by the American Culinary Federation Accrediting Commission. The College is also accredited by: the Technology Accreditation Commis-sion of the Accreditation Board of Engineering Technology; the Accreditation CommisCommis-sion for Education in Nursing and the Committee on Accreditation of Respiratory Care.

The College’s Community Education Division provides a portal to lifelong learning, offering non credit classes and courses, career certificate programs, seminars and training sessions in more than 15 areas of study.

The HCCC Center for Business & Industry (CBI) provides basic skills workforce training, affordable customized training, job-readiness/lifeskills instruction, and certification examinations to area businesses, nonprofits and government organizations.

In addition to offering one of the most extensive programs of financial aid, the Hudson County Community College Foundation provides scholarships for deserving students, and has awarded over $1.5 million in scholar-ships to more than 1,000 students since its founding in 1997. The HCCC Foundation supports faculty devel-opment and the College’s physical expansion. The Foundation is also the force behind the College’s Permanent Art Collection, which includes more than 500 works in media from painting and sculpture to photographs to American craft pottery and ephemera, and is displayed in the public spaces of the College.

Throughout the year the College offers a variety of enrichment programs free-of-charge to the community. These include the HCCC Lecture Series (which has featured Cornel West, Pete Hammill, Ralph Nader, Julian Bond, Jonathan Alter, Ruben Navarette, Judge Marilyn Milian, Juju Chang, Edward James Olmos, America Ferrera, Sandra Guzman, Paul Rusesabagina, and Hill Harper), as well as the Foundation Artist Talk Series, and a variety of educational and entertainment events.

Hudson County Community College has been recognized by the Association of Community College Trustees with its 2012 Northeast Regional Equity and Professional Board Staff Member Awards, and its 2013 Northeast Regional Chief Executive Officer Award. The College was also recognized as one of just five finalists in the U.S. with the American Association of Community Colleges’ 2013 Student Success Award, and won the National Tutoring Association (NTA) 2011 Program of the Year Award, and New Jersey Business & Industry Association’s New Good Neighbor Awards for the Culinary Arts Conference Center and North Hudson Higher Education Center. However, the College considers the community’s recognition of the institution as a valuable asset – and the college of choice – to be its largest source of pride.

How Many Students Does HCCC Serve Each Year?

Evaluating enrollment is one way to determine how many students are served by HCCC. From Fall 2009 to Fall 2013, HCCC realized growth in enrollment, with the number of students attending the college peaking in Fall 2011. In the past five years against trend, over 60% of the College’s student body have been full-time students, with the largest number of full-time students being enrolled in Fall 2013 when they comprised 67.13% of the total number of students.

The College’s overall enrollment trend is consistent with the New Jersey public two-year sector. Since Fall 2010, there has been a decline in the combined fall enrollment totals of New Jersey’s nineteen public, two-year colleges, including a 7% decrease from Fall 2010 to Fall 2013**. However, in that same time period enrollment at Hudson County Community College has remained above 9,000 students, despite the economic downturn and changes in federal student aid funding criteria.

Figure 1-1. Total Fall Enrollment, Fall 2009 - Fall 2013

Figure 1-2. Total Fall Enrollment By Attendance Status*, Fall 2009 - Fall 2013

Source: 10th-Day Fall Enrollment as reported to SURE (Student Unit Record) System. * Full-time students are those with a course load of 12 or more credits; part-time students carry a course load of less than 12 credits.

In higher education, full-time equivalent (FTE) is an important and universally used calculation because of the variation in credits in which a student may enroll. For instance, a full-time student may be enrolled in 12 or more credits while a part-time student may be enrolled in 1-11 credits. FTE is calculated by dividing the total number of credit hours by the number of credit hours in a full-time course load (12 credits for HCCC). The FTE is important in determining ways for the College to maximize its use of facilities and resources. The FTE also provides a more accurate basis for comparison with other institutions and plays an important role in the amount of funding received.

As demonstrated by the figures below, HCCC has realized a significant increase in FTE from Fall 2009 to Fall 2013, with the largest FTE in Fall 2011.

Figure 1-3. Total FTE, Fall 2009 - Fall 2013

Figure 1-4. Annual Comparison: Headcount vs. FTE, Fall 2009 - Fall 2013

Figure 1-5. Credit Hour Activity, Fall 2009 - Fall 2013

Source: 10th-Day Fall Enrollment as reported to SURE. Note the following terms as defined by SURE: Attendance Status - an indication of the course load for which a student registered as of the reporting date. Credit Hour - A unit of measure representing the equivalent of an hour (50 minutes) of instruction per week over the entire term.

Who Enrolls at HCCC?

One of the ways higher education institutions assess the composition of its student body is by “student type,” which is based upon registration status. Registration status includes: first-time students (students who have no prior enrollment at this degree level and have zero-earned college credits [may include students who earned credits while still in high school]); continuing students (those who were enrolled in the previous semester); stop-out/readmit students (those who previously attended the College but dropped out or stopped for a period of time and have now returned); and transfer students (those who had not been previously enrolled at the College and are coming to the College with credits from another institution).

With the exception of Fall 2010, the majority of HCCC students have been continuing students at a percentage of at least 50% or more, with the second-largest group being first-time students who comprise be-tween 27% and 31% of total enrollment.

Figure 2-1. Total Fall Enrollment By Student Type, Fall 2009-Fall 2013

Source: 10th-Day Fall Enrollment as reported to SURE.

Fall 2011 showed a downward trend in the number of transfer students from the previous year, when transfer students comprised 10% of the College’s enrollment. However, the percentage of transfer students has steadily risen from Fall 2011 to Fall 2013.

Note the following terms as defined by SURE:

• First-Time Student – A student who has not previously enrolled at this degree level at the institution and who has not earned college credits. However, students who have enrolled in high school initiative programs, such as LEAP, are considered First-Time, as well as students enrolled in the fall term who attended college for the first time in the prior summer term, and students who entered with advanced standing (i.e., college credits earned before graduation from high school).

• Continuing Student – A student who has enrolled in courses during the previous regular semester at the same level (graduate or undergraduate).

• Stop-Out/Readmit Student - A student who previously attended the institution, but dropped out or stopped out for one or more semesters and returns to resume studies, and may or may not have gone through a formal admissions process again.

• Transfer Student - A student who has not been previously enrolled at the institution, and brings or seeks to bring college credits from another institution. Includes students who transferred for the preceding summer session.

HCCC students are also categorized as full-time (taking a course load of twelve credits or more) or part-time (carrying a course load of less than 12 credits). The table below defines the annual comparison of enrollment by student type and attendance status.

Figure 2-2. Fall Enrollment by Student Type and Attendance Status

What Do Our Students Look Like?

Hudson County is one of the most ethnically diverse areas in the nation with its residents representing more than 90 nationalities, nearly 58% percent of whom speak a language other than English in their homes; the College’s student body reflects the County’s demographics. Hudson County Community College’s student body is also distinguished by the ages and gender of those studying here.

AGE

As one can see from the chart below, for the most part HCCC students are not seventeen- to eighteen-year-olds straight out of high school. Within the past five years, a majority of students have been between the ages of 18 to 21, and this group grew by 11% from Fall 2009 to Fall 2013 (an indication the College is becoming an institution of first choice). While HCCC learners are represented in all age brackets, a significant amount are between the ages of 22 and 29; this group made up 31% of the HCCC student population in Fall 2013.

Figure 2-4. Total Fall Enrollment By Age Bracket: Fall 2009-Fall 2013

Over the course of the past five years, the majority of Hudson County Community College students have been female and have comprised nearly 60% of total enrollment from Fall 2009 to Fall 2013. This is approxi-mately a 6:4 ratio of female to male students, and somewhat in keeping with national findings from the American Association of Community Colleges, which reports in its “2014 Fact Sheet” that women make up 57% of all community college students in the United States.

Figure 2-5. Total Fall Enrollment Percentages By Gender and Attendance Status, Fall 2009 - Fall 2013

Figure 2-6. Total Fall Enrollment By Gender and Attendance Status, Fall 2009 - Fall 2013

DIVERSITY

Since the founding of our nation, Hudson County has been a gateway to America, and that tradition continues to this day as tens of thousands of people come to our area in search of a better life. Hudson County Community College’s students mirror the enriching, ethnic diversity of the County.

HCCC utilizes categories set forth by the U.S. Department of Education for reporting purposes. Over the past five years, the majority of our students identify as Hispanic or Latino (in fact, over half the total enroll-ment from Fall 2010 onward). The second largest racial/ethnic group is Black/African-American, and the third is White.

Figure 2-7. Total Fall Enrollment By Race/Ethnicity, Fall 2009 - Fall 2013

The tables below present race/ethnicity demographics by attendance status at Hudson County Commu-nity College over the past five Fall semesters.

Figure 2-8. Full-Time Enrollment By Race/Ethnicity: 5-Year Comparison, Fall 2009 - Fall 2013

Figure 2-9. Part-Time Enrollment By Race/Ethnicity: 5-Year Comparison, Fall 2009 - Fall 2013

Where Do Our Students Live?

In Fall 2013, more than 99% of the students attending Hudson County Community College lived in the State of New Jersey, and over 90% were residents of Hudson County. The majority of students attending the College in Fall 2013 (41%) called Jersey City home, followed by 13% living in Union City. Another 20% of the student population is made up of women and men from Bayonne and North Bergen.

Figure 2-10. Fall 2013 Enrollment By Residency: In-State or Out-of-State

Figure 2-11. Fall 2013 Hudson County Enrollment: City of Residency

Source: 10th-Day Fall Enrollment as reported to SURE. Note - Residency means the place where a student claimed he or she legally resided at the time of reporting.

What Do HCCC Students Study?

Hudson County Community College presently offers 49 degree and 14 certificate programs, including its signature programs in Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management, Nursing and English as a Second Language (ESL) studies as well as increasingly growing demand for Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) offerings. Courses are offered day and evening, seven days a week.

FIVE-YEAR TREND

Below is a five-year annual comparison that outlines enrollment by major from Fall 2009 to Fall 2013. Research shows declaring a major earlier in a student’s academic career increases the probability that the student will graduate. Over the past five years, HCCC has advised students to choose more defined majors over those in general-study subjects. The number of Liberal Arts General A.A. degrees has declined in this time period as the number of degrees in specific liberal arts disciplines has risen. Prime examples of these more focused majors are Sociology and Psychology, which increased 81% and 46% respectively from Fall 2009 to Fall 2013.

Figure 2-12. Annual Comparison: Fall Enrollment Headcount By Major, Fall 2009-Fall 2013

Figure 2-12. Annual Comparison: Fall Enrollment Headcount By Major, Fall 2009-Fall 2013 (continued)

*Non-matriculated majors and other non-academic programs have been clustered together to enhance readability of this table. Source: Fall 2009-Fall 2011 Rebuilt 10th Day files; Fall 2012-Fall 2013 Hudson 10th-Day files.

FALL 2013

The table below defines the Fall 2013 enrollment headcount by major and further broken down by full-time and part-time status. In Fall 2013, the top five majors were Liberal Arts General A.A. (17%), Pre-Nursing A.S. (12%), Business (Liberal Arts) A.A. (7%), Criminal Justice (Liberal Arts) A.A. (6%), and Culinary Arts A.A.S. (5%).

Figure 2-13. Fall 2013 Enrollment Headcount By Major and Attendance Status

Figure 2-13. Fall 2013 Enrollment Headcount By Major and Attendance Status (continued)

* Non-matriculated majors and other non-academic programs have been clustered together to enhance readability of this table. Source: Fall 2013 Rebuilt 10th-Day file.

Who Receives Financial Aid at HCCC?

FINANCIAL AID FOR ALL STUDENTS

More than 90% of all Hudson County Community College students receive financial aid and/or schol-arships. These include financial assistance from the U.S. Department of Education to students who meet the prescribed qualifications and apply for assistance by submitting the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid). In addition, the College offers a number of scholarships to students through the Hudson County Community College Foundation and other organizations and individuals. The HCCC Financial Aid Office is highly successful in assisting students in obtaining grants and scholarships.

Below shows total financial aid awarded to all HCCC students from Academic Years* (AY) 2009 through 2012. The amount of aid awarded has increased significantly from AY 2008-2009 to AY 2011-2012 by 63%.

Figure 3-1. Financial Aid for All Students: Total Grant Aid Awarded, AY 2008-2009 to 2011-2012

Source: Student Financial Aid IPEDS Survey. *Awards are distributed during the Academic Year (e.g., AY 2008-2009 runs from Fall 2008 through Summer 2009).

FINANCIAL AID FOR FIRST-TIME, FULL-TIME STUDENTS

A student’s first year of study is critical to them going on to attain their higher education goals, and for that reason, financial aid for first-time, full-time students is crucial.

Financial aid for first-time, full-time student Fall cohorts has steadily increased in the past four academic years, soaring from $6.7 million in Academic Year (AY) 2008-2009 to $10.2 million in AY 2011-2012, repre-senting an increase of 52.3% in financial aid dollars.

Figure 3-2. Financial Aid for First-Time, Full-Time Student Fall Cohorts Academic Years* 2008-2009 to 2011-2012

Source: Student Financial Aid IPEDS Survey. * Awards are distributed during the Academic Year (e.g., AY 2008-2009 runs from Fall 2008 through Summer 2009).

PELL GRANTS

There are a variety of types of financial aid accepted at HCCC. A Pell Grant is a type of financial aid awarded to students based on financial need by the Federal Government. The program is designed to provide assistance to eligible, undergraduate post-secondary students with demonstrated financial needs. Unlike loans, these grants do NOT have to be repaid.

While the following figures show an increase in Pell awards, there have been significant changes to Pell eligibility criteria. For AY 2012-2013 (which is not reported in this document), Congress implemented four changes* to Pell Grant eligibility which severely impacted Hudson County Community College students. The changes were:

1. Elimination of Ability-to-Benefit students. (Prior to the changes, those individuals who did not possess either a high school diploma or GED were allowed to take a general skills test for admission. Those who scored high enough were deemed to have the “ability to benefit” and were

eligible for admission and financial aid. The new regulations not only removed eligibility for financial aid to students but made entire institutions ineligible if they admit ABT students.)

2. Changes to income levels for Zero Expected Family Contribution (EFC). (The eligibility income threshold was changed from $32,000 to $23,000.)

3. Elimination of students receiving 10% of the maximum award. (Students eligible for less than the minimum Pell Grant award of $555 no longer qualify to receive Pell.)

4. Reduction in the maximum number of semesters of full-time enrollment during which a student is Pell-eligible from eighteen to a total of twelve semesters.

For community colleges, elimination of the Ability-to-Benefit students represents the greatest im-pact. In fact, financial aid projections show at least a 20% decline of Pell recipients in Academic Year 2012 to Academic Year 2013. Such drastic changes in regulations not only impact enrollment, but overall success rates as well.

From AY 2008-2009 to AY 2011-2012, there was a substantial increase in Pell Grant award dollars for the total HCCC eligible student population (by 116%). In this same time span, the percentage of students receiving Pell from the total population has increased 34%. The changes to Pell Grant eligibility did not affect this period as they began AY 2012-2013.

Figure 3-3. Financial Aid for All Students: Pell Grants, Academic Years* 2008-2009 to 2011-2012

Source: Student Financial Aid IPEDS Survey. * Awards are distributed during the Academic Year (e.g., AY 2008-2009 runs from Fall 2008 through Summer 2009).

PELL GRANTS FOR FIRST-TIME, FULL-TIME STUDENTS

There was also a significant increase (85%) in the amount of Pell Grant award dollars to first-time, full-time students from AY 2008-2009 to AY 2011-2012;. Additionally, during that period the percent of first-time, full-time Pell Grant recipients increased by 27%. The changes to Pell Grant eligibility did not affect this period as they began AY 2012-2013.

Figure 3-4. Financial Aid for First-Time, Full-Time Fall Cohorts: Pell Grants Academic Years* 2008-2009 to 2011-2012

Source: Student Financial Aid IPEDS Survey * Awards are distributed during the Academic Year (e.g., AY 2008-2009 runs from Fall 2008 through Summer 2009)

How Do First-Time, Full-Time, Degree-Seeking

Students Fare at Hudson County Community College?

Among the measures colleges and universities use to assess student progress are retention, graduation, trans-fer and success rates. To do this, these institutions track their first-time, full-time students by cohorts – specific groups of students established for tracking purposes. Cohorts are based on the Fall semester in which a first-time, full-time, degree-seeking student begins their degree or certificate program at the College.

FIRST-TIME, FULL-TIME RETENTION

The first-time, full-time Fall-to-Spring retention rates at the College have consistently been over 70% for the Fall 2008 to Fall 2012 cohorts. This means that at least 70% of the first-time, full-time students who started in Fall re-enrolled for classes the following Spring semester. Additionally, the Fall-to-Fall retention rate has been over 50% – at least half of the students were still taking classes one year after first starting studies at HCCC. These rates are in line with our peer institutions in urban, Northern New Jersey (Passaic County Community College and Essex County College).

Figure 4-1. 5-Year Comparison: First-Time, Full-Time Fall Freshman Retention*, 2008-2012

Source: Hudson County Community College 10th-Day Data. *Note - Retention numbers will not match one-year retention in IPEDS due to updated Social Security Numbers.

FIRST-TIME, PART-TIME RETENTION

Even though Colleges focus mainly on first-time, full-time retention rates, Hudson County Community College also tracks retention rates for its first-time, part-time students since at least 30% of our students have taken classes part-time over the past five years.

For first-time, part-time students in the Fall 2008 to Fall 2012 cohorts, at least 56% of our students re-en-rolled the Spring semester following their first Fall term at HCCC. At least 37% of HCCC students returned the following Fall after their first semester at the College. Fall-to-Fall retention rates for our first-time, part-time students are in line with our urban peer institutions (Passaic County Community College and Essex County College).

Figure 4-2. 5-Year Comparison: First-Time, Part-Time Fall Freshman Retention*, 2008-2012

Source: Hudson County Community College 10th-Day Data.

GRADUATION, TRANSFER, AND OVERALL SUCCESS RATES

Three other measures used to assess student progress are graduation, transfer, and overall success rates. Here’s how these rates are determined:

• Graduation rates represent the percentages calculated by the number of first-time, full-time students who are awarded a degree or certificate within three years of their first term divided by their initial Fall cohort’s total number of students.

• Transfer rates are the percentages calculated by the number of first-time, full-time students who have transferred to a four-year institution within three years of their first fall term at HCCC divided by their initial Fall cohort’s total number of students.

• Overall success rates are the percentages calculated by adding a Fall cohort’s graduation and transfer rates.

To provide some context for the rates in the table below, HCCC students entering the College often need to take remediation or ESL courses before moving onto college-level academic programs. This is a challenge that institutions serving urban areas often encounter. While preparatory courses are necessary and beneficial for students’ long-term academic success, remedial and prep courses cause students to take longer in completing their programs, and impact the College’s graduation, transfer, and overall success rate calculations.

Figure 4-3. Graduation, Transfer*, and Success Rates: Cohort Comparison, Fall 2007-Fall 2010

Source: IPEDS Graduation Survey.

* Transfer: Students did not graduate at HCCC, but transferred to another institution before August 31st (e.g., For the Fall 2007 Cohort, students who transferred before August 31, 2010).

How Many Academic Credentials are

Awarded at HCCC?

Hudson County Community College offers a comprehensive selection of academic degrees and certificates. Below is an annual comparison chart illustrating the breadth and variety of programs in which HCCC stu-dents have earned either an associates-level degree or certificate-level credential. The total number of conferred degrees/certificates has steadily increased over the past five fiscal years - from 659 in FY2009 to 861 in FY2013, a 23% increase.

In June 2013, the top five credentials conferred upon graduating students were Liberal Arts General A.A. (12%), Business (Liberal Arts) A.A. (12%), Criminal Justice (Liberal Arts) A.A. (9%), Culinary Arts A.A.S. (8%), and Nursing (8%).

Figure 5-1. Degrees and Certificates Conferred, Fiscal Years 2009-2013

Figure 5-1. Degrees and Certificates Conferred, Fiscal Years 2009-2013 (continued)

Source: SURE Completions files.

How is Hudson County Community College Funded?

To fund operating costs, the College relies upon a mix of revenue from public appropriations and tuition and fees. As State and local budgets have become more strained, there has been a shift in financial responsibility from public appropriations to student tuition and fee revenue.

Tuition and fee revenue as a percent of all revenue sources has increased from 59% in Fiscal Year 2010 to 65% in Fiscal Year 2014. Conversely, State and local appropriations as a percent of total operating revenue declined form 38% in 2010 to 34% in 2013. This shift in financial responsibility presents a number of challenges for the College, especially in light of recent changes to federal financial aid and increasing balances in student uncollectible accounts.

Figure 6-1. 5-Year Comparison: Revenue Sources and Public Support

Source: HCCC Colleague System.

* The HCCC fiscal year runs July 1 to June 30 (e.g. FY 2008 was from July 1, 2007 to June 30, 2008).

Total revenue has increased 26% from 2010 levels primarily as a result of significant enrollment growth from FY 2010 and FY 2011. Consistent with many of in-state community colleges, we have experienced enrollment declines since 2012, which may be related to overall economic considerations and changes in PELL eligibility.

Thomas A. DeGise, County Executive

Jose Muñoz, Chairperson

Thomas F. Liggio, Vice Chairperson

E. Junior Maldonado, Chair Pro Temp

Albert Cifelli, Esq. Doreen M. DiDomenico Jeffrey Dublin William O’Dea Tilo E. Rivas Anthony Romano HUDSON COUNTY COMMUNITY COLLEGE BOARD OF TRUSTEES

William J. Netchert, Esq., Chair

Bakari Gerard Lee, Esq., Vice Chair

Karen A. Fahrenholz, Secretary/Treasurer

Kevin G. Callahan, J.D., J.S.C. (Ret.) Roberta Kenny

Joanne Kosakowski Jeanette Peña Adrienne Sires Harold G. Stahl, Jr. James A. Fife, Trustee Emeritus

Dr. Glen Gabert, College President

Ramsey Olivencia, Alumni Representative

Thomas Brodowski

Vice President for Administrative Services

Dr. Eric Friedman

Vice President for Academic Affairs

Dr. Paula P. Pando

Vice President for Student Affairs and North Hudson Center

Joseph Sansone

Vice President for Development/ Assistant to the President

ALL COLLEGE COUNCIL THE STEERING COMMITTEE:

Ara Karakashian, Chair

Joe Caniglia, Vice Chair

John DeLooper, Secretary Committee Chairs and Secretaries are:

Academic Affairs: Velino Joasil and Nadia Hedhli College Life: Denise Rossilli and Dorothea Graham-King Development and Planning: Ellen Renaud

and Mirta Sanchez Space and Facilities: Sean Egan

and Allen Foster Student Affairs: Angela Pack

and Darlery Franco Technology: Elizabeth Nesius

Officers:

James Egan, Chair

Mandy Otero, Vice Chair

Michael Raimonde, Treasurer

Richard Mackiewicz, Jr., Secretary

Dr. Glen Gabert, College President

Joseph Sansone,

Vice President for Development

Mark Bann Donnett Barnett-Verley Orlando Bru John M. Burns, Jr. Anthony Catanio Jeanne Cretella Angel Denis Richard Di Marchi Patrick Di Santo Richard Dwyer Lisa Epstein Karen Fahrenholz Shannon Gallagher Chanda Gibson, Past Chair (‘12-’14)

Scott Harwood Joseph Hottendorf

Antonio Ibarria

Philip Johnston, Past Chair (’10-’12)

Kenneth Lindenfelser, Sr. Joseph Napolitano, Jr. Joseph Napolitano, Sr. Maria Nieves Kevin O’Connor Raju Patel Charlene Pecora Tony Rico Mark Rodrick Michael Ryan

Ronald Schwarz, Past Chair (’08 - ’10)