Welcome Back

We are off to another great start this semester with lots of activity, new and returning students and new faculty and staff. I hope you had a restful and enjoyable holiday break and that you are having a good beginning to this new year. We have much to be proud of as we look back on 2008. Great progress was achieved on many fronts including the following:

· Strengthened efforts to Maximize Student Success.
· Increased credit course enrollment 12 percent between fall 2007 and fall 2008.
· Expanded dual enrollment offerings.
· Developed a new partnership with Encompass Machines.
· Completed the Chester Center.
· Installed a new phone system.
· Expanded articulation efforts with Winthrop University and College of Charleston.
· Phi Theta Kappa received numerous awards for their community service.
· Celebrated the 25th Anniversary of the College Foundation.

Throughout 2009, our goal of Maximizing Student Success will continue to be at the forefront of all that we do. Our retention goals are provided in the left sidebar. Click on the picture to enlarge for better viewing. I have also provided links to student success related websites for your review. Over the next few months, I plan to meet with each division to discuss progress on Student Success initiatives and will specifically discuss the strategies and measures you have set to improve student engagement and/or persistence.

We will continue to make progress this year on the other five themes that support Student Success: Organizational Development, Partnerships, Branding, Campus Environment, and Programming. Improvement efforts in each of these areas are underway. Just as a reminder that these themes were developed to represent the 650 ideas that you shared with me along with input from our many other key stakeholders.

Stay tuned for details on three specific initiatives that came directly from those inputs.