Introduction 
The Student Support Services Subcommittee is charged with reviewing the student experience, identifying needs and pain points, and recommending improvements to student support processes. In developing this recommendation, the Student Support Services Subcommittee collaborated with the Academic Affairs Committee, representatives from IT, and members of VP Council and Deans Council.   

Deliverable 1. Streamline application process so students do not need to apply at multiple colleges 

Recommendation  

The Student Support Services Subcommittee recommends Implementing a web-based tool that allows prospective students and community members to explore all colleges, programs, locations and modalities available through the Colorado Community College System in an accessible, centralized, and front facing manner. This tool would then direct prospective students to the home institution that best meets their wants and/or needs to complete an application for admissions. We recommend that this tool be embedded into all CCCS College websites.  

Here is an example of a web-based tool that provides similar functionality for the Minnesota Community College System.   

Rationale 

The subcommittee considered whether a single application for the entire system would be beneficial, but it was determined that this was not feasible based on past attempts to do so.  While colleges use similar applications, there is some unique information required by different colleges in the system. A web-based exploration solution allows students to get the information they need to make an informed decision in choosing a home college that meets their needs in terms of the program of study offered, location, desired extracurricular activities, and other considerations.    

With all colleges being part of the consortium, students can still enroll in courses that appear in the registration schedules/tables for other institutions and have those courses appear on their transcript without needing to transfer the courses or credits (similar to the way CCCOnline sections appear on transcripts in the current model). 

Factors to Consider 

  • Students would need to identify and select a “home” institution.  The home college would need to be identified within Banner. 
  • Some students currently take classes at multiple colleges.  We need to explore what is prompting them to do this and see if this same mechanism would simplify the student experience in those situations as well. 
  • This project will need to coordinate with other projects already underway to provide search capabilities using Courseleaf. 

Required Resources 

  • IT Resources 
  • Possible consulting time and/or licensing costs to implement an effective solution. 
  • Up to 3 full-time staff may be needed to assist in managing the platform and to provide assistance and guidance to prospective students. These staff would coordinate with the college recruiting staff to ensure students are guided correctly.  

Next Steps 

  • Identify search fields that will be needed for students to be able to select their preferred college 
  • Work with IT to develop an estimate for implementing this solution 
  • Consider as part of system and college marketing and communication plans