Mission
Manchester Community College advances academic, economic, civic, personal and cultural growth by providing comprehensive, innovative and affordable learning opportunities to diverse populations. We are a learning-centered community committed to access, excellence and relevance.
Academic Excellence
MCC demonstrates academic excellence and rigor in its programs and courses, and continually improves the quality of learning, teaching and student support.
- Provide and clarify effective student paths from entry to credentials through implementation of Guided Pathways practices.
- Increase student success as evidenced by key measures of first year success and completion.
- Engage in assessment projects each year at the department and program level that examine program, discipline, and/or general education outcomes.
- Develop, align, and enhance curriculum to meet current and emerging student and workforce needs as determined by program and discipline reviews.
- Enhance and expand use of innovative teaching and learning methods and modes that support high quality and equitable educational experiences for all students.
Enrollment Management
MCC is committed to recruiting new students and retaining current students through the achievement of their academic goals
- Implement a coordinated annual plan of outreach and communication to students and applicants.
- Increase the number of applicants and yield rate by 1% each year.
- Improve retention rates for both new and continuing students by 1% each year.
- Increase number of adult students by 1% each year by identifying and addressing impediments to enrollment, including access to basic skills and course delivery offerings that align with student goals.
- Increase course offerings that accommodate entering students, including those needing developmental options, those pursuing Guided Pathways areas of study, and those seeking a full-time schedule.
Student Support
MCC provides a holistic network of student support programs designed to address the academic and life challenges of our students and close achievement gaps.
- Provide training for faculty and staff to address students with special needs, including those with mental health issues, those on the autism spectrum, Veterans, the unemployed, and adults returning to education.
- Develop a system and protocol for referrals to MCC supports and regional human service agencies.
- Invest in student support programs that provide opportunities for cooperating and networking with peers, faculty, and staff.
- Create a sustainable model that will address food insecurity among MCC students.
- Invest in traditional student and academic support programs as part of holistic network of support: including the library, tutoring, career services, disability services, student clubs and activities, and Veterans O.A.S.I.S.
Advising
MCC is a college where all students develop a clearly identified pathway to meet their educational goals.
- Increase access to advising opportunities for MCC students by increasing the number of faculty and staff engaged in advising, offering and promoting student success courses, and effectively utilizing advising tools.
- Invest in training for faculty and staff to advise and efficiently use Degree Works and Insight.
- Implement a holistic case management advising model in order to focus more specifically on identifying and meeting individual student needs.
- Coordinate onboarding curricula presented in testing, new student advising, orientation and program-specific orientation programs for new students.
Partnerships
MCC meets the needs of our students and stakeholders by leveraging the collective creativity, experience, and commitment of the college community and our regional partners.
- Expand and develop connections with local and national government, cultural institutions, businesses, and educational institutions.
- Promote the work of MCC faculty, staff, students, and alumni in the community.
- Develop a culture of philanthropy with internal and external partners.
- Deepen connections between non-credit programs and our regional workforce partners to increase enrollment, job placements, and workplace credentials.
College Culture
MCC is a world-class organization that intentionally builds its capacity for shared leadership, shared understanding, and shared responsibility. The college fosters a culture that values diversity, inclusion, equity, and data-driven decision-making that creates a positive and innovative working and learning environment.
- Invest in internal communication that fosters shared leadership, shared understanding, and shared responsibility related to the needs of the college and our students.
- Promote faculty and staff professional development by providing meaningful opportunities for training and exposure to innovative practices.
- Invest in activities that promote and reinforce a culture of diversity, inclusion, collaboration, civility, and equity.
- Ensure that academic and business processes for faculty and staff are consistent, streamlined and transparent.
- Hire a workforce that is reflective of the diverse student population we serve.
Stewardship
MCC actively protects its assets and continually seeks to develop new resources. The college’s reputation, human resources, physical spaces, capital assets, technology infrastructure, alternative funding sources, and accreditation are all critical components of student success. The college explores and adopts sustainable practices.
- Under a balanced budget, provide infrastructure that supports learning.
- Use broad engagement of faculty and staff to complete NECHE Accreditation report and processes.
- Manage new regional and system approaches to service delivery that had previously been campus-based, including HR, IT, IR, Facilities, Finance and others.
- Update governance documents to accommodate changes to administrative structures.
- Clearly connect faculty Additional Responsibilities and Release Time to department, division, college, and system goals.
Seven “goal areas” each with an aspirational description of who we’d like MCC to be; Numbered “measurable” objectives under each goal identify key ways we can go about achieving those goals