Did You Know?

 

Did-you-know-01

Submitted by Dr. Cat Finnegan, Academic Services & Research

  • 110,050 students applied for admission to the VCCS in Fall 2015.
  • 87% of first-time-in-college (FTIC) full-time students enrolled in Fall return for the spring semester. (Note: 63% of FTIC students are full-time.)
  • 64% of first-time-in-college (FTIC) full-time students enrolled in Fall return the following Fall.
  • 33,580 degrees, certificates and diplomas awarded by VCCS during the 2015-2016 school year, a 7.6% increase over last year.

Did-you-know-02

Submitted by Dr. Cat Finnegan, Academic Services & Research

During the 2015-2016 school year:

  • 26,899 individuals earned 33,580 degrees and certificates.
  • Three out of five of those graduates are minorities, first-generation students and economically disadvantaged individuals.
  • College graduates today hold 65% of the nation’s jobs.

Did-you-know-03

Submitted by Dr. Cat Finnegan, Academic Services & Research

  • 37% of graduates were minority in Academic Year (AY) 2016 compared to 29% in AY 2007.
  • Hispanic students made up more than 9% of graduates in AY 2016, compared to 4% in AY 2009.

Submitted by Dr. Lisa Jackson Hamiel, Academic Services & Research

  • In academic year 2015-2016, Virginia’s Community Colleges, collectively, served 38,082 military-connected students, which included active service members, reservists, retired military, veterans, and their spouses and dependents.
  • Virginia is ranked 7th nationally in veteran population, a ranking that is expected to rapidly increase in subsequent years. By 2022, Virginia is expected to be ranked 4th in veteran population.
  • Virginia also is one of the states with highest population of college-aged veterans (under 25 years old) and has the largest population of veterans under 40, which is the population most likely to be attending college or pursuing additional training.

greatexpectattions

Submitted by Rachel Strawn, Great Expectations Program Director

Great Expectations is a nationally recognized program that helps Virginia’s foster youth earn the postsecondary credentials they need to achieve an independent and successful life, and is currently available at 18 of Virginia’s Community Colleges.

Submitted by Dr. Catherine Finnegan, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Institutional Effectiveness

  • More than 42,000 students enrolled in a college-level math course during Fall 2015.
  • 39% of Fall 2014 first-time-in-college students were placed in at least one lower level developmental math module.
  • Only 11% of those students had completed a college math course by Spring 2016.

Submitted by Dr. Catherine Finnegan, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Institutional Effectiveness

On average, among VCCS’s first-time-in-college, degree-seeking students:

  • Six out of 10 who pass all first semester courses will complete a degree (at either VCCS or a transfer institution) within six years.
  • Four out of 10 who withdraw from at least one course, but pass all others will complete a degree (at either VCCS or a transfer institution) within six years.
  • Only two out of 10 who fail a course in their first semester will complete a degree (at either VCCS or a transfer institution) within six years.

Submitted by Dr. Catherine Finnegan, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Institutional Effectiveness

  • Prior to the adoption of the Multiple Measures for Placement Policy, 95% of students entering the VCCS took the placement test, although other placement options were available.
  • 61% of recent high-school graduates who enroll in the VCCS have either an SAT or ACT score.
  • 78% of recent high-school graduates have taken Algebra 2 or higher.

# of students enrolled in the first 7 months of the Workforce Credential Grant (WCG) program: 3,309 (as of 2/1/17).

% of WCG students pursuing credentials by field:
• Logistics: 30%
• Healthcare: 30%
• Manufacturing & Welding: 15%
• Other Skilled Trades 10%
• Information Technology (including Cybersecurity): 11%
• Business, Customer Service and Education: 4%

graph-02-02

Submitted by Rochelle Fisher, Workforce Development Services

The Workforce Credential Grant (WCG) program continues to outpace expectations.

Below are the most recent stats about the program (as of 2/14/17):

WCG Enrollments: 3,514
WCG Training Program Completions: 1,774
Average Age of WCG Students: 34

Top Enrollments (by Credential):
• Commercial Driver’s License
• Certified Nurse Aide
• Comptia (Network, A+, Security)
• Clinical Medical Assistant
• Welding (various certifications)
• Pharmacy Technician
• Manufacturing Technician
• Teaching License (Career Switcher)
• Billing and Coding Specialist
• Core - Introductory Craft Skills

DID YOU KNOW?
 
Who were the first college graduates to throw their caps up in the air at commencement?
 
“We can thank the Navy for this tradition. It's thought that the practice of chucking one's cap to the heavens at the end of the ceremony started in 1912 at the U.S. Naval Academy's graduation. For the first time the Navy gave the newly commissioned graduates their officers' hats at graduation, so they no longer needed the midshipmen's caps they'd been wearing for the past four years.
 
To show how pleased they were, the new officers tossed their old headgear up in the air. Other students heard about the practice and followed suit.” 
(Source: “The Stories Behind Graduation Traditions,” by Ethan Trex)