Sharon Blackman, Ed.D.
Well, it is finally here - The 2006-07 Academic Year! We are beginning the second half of the first decade in the 21st century. It seems like only yesterday that we entered the year 2000. What great things are in store for us as we begin a brand new academic year! We will continue on our path to helping students achieve their dreams and our dreams as a Success College. Ive heard about so many exciting things that will be happening in classes this year. Many of the faculty members were able to take a break this summer to get rejuvenated to take new approaches in their classes this year. Other staff members were able to take some well deserved vacation to be able to handle the new challenges of focusing on student success. Whatever time you spent to relax, I hope you had a great break.
As we enter this new year, I ask that you remember the importance of retaining our students. Our marketing and outreach services offices do a wonderful job of reaching out and recruiting students. The challenge for all of us is retaining our students so that we can help them to reach their goals. The first couple of semesters are critical to our students reaching their goals. We have an approximate 50 percent retention rate of first-time-to-Brookhaven College cohort group of students that return the spring semester, after their first fall semester. We have a 22 percent drop in students between their 14th and 15th earned credit hours. We can make a difference in the lives of our students and how we engage them in their educational experience is critical to their success.
Several professional development workshops have been scheduled for this week. All of them are centered on student success. However, I would like to point to one in particular that warrants your interest: Successful Beginnings: Preparing for the Critical First Three Weeks of Class. Whether this is your first time teaching or you are a veteran instructor, it does not hurt to learn or reinforce some effective teaching strategies and techniques that will help students continue and complete their courses.
You see, we are working towards excellence as a Success College. We know that it all begins with dedication and commitment to help students succeed by dreaming and achieving!
I wish you the best semester ever!
