NRCC History Book

74 Session 2013, Dr. Heidi Morehead, sociology professor, taught the first ALP course Race and Ethnicity. Additional online ALP courses taught between Fall 2013 and Spring 2017 included Advanced Creative Writing I, Applied Calculus I, History and Art Appreciation I and II, IT Systems Analysis and Design, Mathematics for the Liberal Arts I, Music Appreciation I, Principles of Sociology, Social Problems, and U.S. History I. Faculty used Blackboard Collaborate, a web-conferencing tool, and Panopto, an online video platform, to engage the online ALP students. Early Achievement Through Distance Education . The early achievement through distance education initiative, not to be con fused with dual enrollment, allowed high school students to attend distance education classes offered by NRCC instructors. To be eligible, students received permission from a parent/guardian and the school principal or superintendent and paid the tuition and fees. Advantages of the early achievement initia tive were a broader scope of class offerings and an early start on college for high school students. Open Textbook Initiative System (OTIS) . In 2013, faculty learned about the Open Textbook Initiative System (OTIS) spearheaded by the English department and the college’s IT department. English faculty realized textbooks often cost more than class tuition, new editions were released quickly without substantial revisions or new material, and students were not reading the textbooks. OTIS provided a free repository of digital learning resources collected and uploaded by faculty to be shared and used by departmental faculty and students. Some of the academic departments using OTIS, which usually eliminated textbook costs for

students, included business, English, health, and social sciences. Student Assistance in Intervention for Learning Success (SAILS) . At the beginning of Spring Semester 2014, NRCC began using a faculty-driven early alert system called Student Assistance in Intervention for Learning Success (SAILS). Using SAILS, faculty sent email alerts to students who were not meeting class expectations. Also, the email was sent to each student’s connection specialist who contacted the student and, together with the faculty, developed an improvement plan. In addition, faculty used SAILS to send emails praising students who were doing well in class or who had shown improvement. Positive results from sending early alerts included a decrease in the number of students who withdrew and fewer “F” and “W” grades. The withdrawal rate dropped from 12 percent in Spring 2013 to 10 percent in Spring 2014, and the combined number of “F” and “W” grades earned were the lowest in five years. I was hired in August 2023 and feel very fortunate to work at NRCC. Unfortunately, I can’t speak to the history and any changes at NRCC, but I can say that so far it has been an amazing place to work. I have never been surrounded by so many colleagues eager and willing to provide support. Even to this day, when I have a question, I can turn to any colleague in Student Services and receive assistance. Another thing that really stands out at NRCC is the number of resources available for students. Faculty and staff build relationships with students and seek to help remove any barriers to academic success. GRACE BOCCHINO FastForward/G3 Career Coach Employment at NRCC: Full-time August 2023-present

Chapter 2