Burlington County College is hosting a series of campus-based activities for the first-ever New Jersey Community College Completion Challenge week. Activities run through Friday, Oct. 18.
Sponsored by the New Jersey Council of County Colleges, Center for Student Success and the New Jersey Education Association, the NJ C4 initiative is an effort to increase the number of community college students completing their associate degrees or certificates before transferring to a four-year college or entering the workforce. Student leaders in Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society for community college students, will lead the initiative.
“BCC is proud that our honor society students are taking the charge to encourage students to complete their degrees and certificates,” BCC President David C. Hespe said. “Our new Student Success Division is committed to seeing students succeed and the NJ C4 program fits well into BCC’s new initiatives, which are designed to support a student through degree completion, successful transfer and gainful employment.”
“We believe all students can succeed with the proper guidance, motivation and instruction,” said Dr. Terrence Hardee, Vice President of BCC’s Student Success Division. “Students who make a personal commitment to completing their education have a better chance at achieving their goals.”
BCC’s Chi Iota chapter of PTK will be working with students, staff, faculty and administrators to encourage degree completion through C4 pledge card signings at different BCC locations each day.
C4 Signing day and Staff and Faculty Appreciation will be at the main lobby of Willingboro Center on Oct. 16 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. The signing day will continue on Thursday, Oct. 17 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the Laurel Hall lobby on the Mt. Laurel campus. The final signing day is at the Academic Building lobby of the Pemberton Campus on Friday, Oct. 18 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Activities during the week also include faculty and staff appreciation days where students will provide coffee and baked goods, and faculty and peer advising in preparation for spring 2014 registration, which begins on Monday, Oct. 21.
“We will be asking students to sign pledges committing to their education and encouraging faculty, staff and college administrators to sign pledges recognizing their role in student success and the college completion,” said William Whitfield, Chi Iota chapter adviser.
“Phi Theta Kappa is committed to actively promoting completion of a college credential — an associate degree or certificate among college students,” said Dr. Rod Risley, executive director of Phi Theta Kappa. “Throughout this completion week in New Jersey we hope to encourage students to take that pledge and declare that they will, indeed, complete their
