EMCC Office of Planning and Institutional Effectiveness
Now You Know

Volume 1, Issue 1

                           www.emc.maricopa.edu/ie

Spring 2004

 Student Cohort Tracking System

    In October of 2003, Estrella Mountain Community College (EMCC) presented the Student Cohort Tracking System (SCTS) at the National Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) held in Anaheim, California. This system was presented by Dr. Bryan Tippet, Dean of Academic Instruction, Maria Reyes, Director of the Nasa Center,  Rene Willekens, Director of the Office of Planning and Institutional Effectiveness and Luvia Rivera, Math Faculty. The presentation helped explain the purpose and importance of a system that monitors the college’s growing cohort population.

What is the purpose of a Student Cohort Tracking System?

     A recent report issued by the Institute for Higher Education Policy suggests that being successful in college begins years before a student ever enrolls at the campus. Successful evaluation of outreach programs requires identification of K-12 students.

Measuring activity and program effectiveness means linking those activities to individual students. Typically, students that participate in an outreach program are never entered into the college or university student information system as it is primarily reserved for “traditional” students.

A Student Cohort Tracking System program provides coordinators a means to track and report the progress and long-term goals of the program, ensuring that students who participate in outreach and special service programs are successful. The Student Cohort Tracking System provides continuous intervention for student success.

OVERVIEW:

The EMCC Student Tracking System is designed to monitor and evaluate students’ participation in activities and programs prior, but not limited to enrolling at Estrella Mountain Community College.

DESCRIPTION:

The EMCC Student Tracking Database allows its users easy access to create and maintain identified cohort programs and events. Students are associated to a program by a college term and categorized by status. Students entered into the system are observed across multiple semesters as they enroll, exit, and/or transfer between identified programs. As students attend and participate in events, their enrollment and program history are captured and student information is generated in a detailed report.

CAPABILITIES:

Questions the system was designed to answer. (not an exhaustive list).

  1. How many students participated in a specific event?
  2. How many students are active in a defined program cohort?
  3. How many students continued involvement in a cohort from one semester to the subsequent semester?
  4. What type of financial aid did a student in a cohort receive?
  5. What school prior to having contact with Estrella Mountain Community College did the student attend?
  6. How many advisors/teachers/parents were involved in a defined program’s activities?

Additional questions system was designed to answer with the assistance of the EMCC existing data warehouse systems (SIS).

  1. Did students who were enrolled in a defined program receive higher term GPA’s when compared to other students not affected by the program?
  2. How many identified students who were associated with a defined program transferred to a four-year degree granting institution?
  3. How many students enrolled in a defined program graduated Estrella Mountain Community College with a degree or certificate?
OTHER USES:

Program correspondence
  • Event and program detailed reports
  • Student guardian information – including demographic information on Education Attainment, Work Experience and Income.



Click to View the EMCC Student Cohort Tracking System Presentation at HACU - Powerpoint Slide Show
UPCOMING EVENTS
  • Core Values Survey
  • Student goal survey

UP NEXT
  • What students are telling us about their needs.
  • Core Values Report Card

EMCC Office of Planning and Institutional Effectiveness