NC State’s Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research visits RCC, conducts focus groups, interviews

This past Spring, Robeson Community College became a part of the NC Reconnect initiative, in partnership with the John M. Belk Endowment, which seeks to engage adult learners and get them back in the classroom to complete a degree or post-secondary credential.

As part of the efforts, RCC was afforded a rare opportunity for a marketing study conducted by NC State’s Belk Center for Community College Leadership and Research. The data collected by the Belk Center, both quantitative and qualitative, will help establish key performance indicators of the initiative and provide valuable insight into the hearts and minds of adult learners at Robeson Community College.

The marketing research by the Belk Center included analysis from focus groups and interviews with students, faculty, staff, and administrators.

As students talked with the researchers, they talked about how coming back to school as an adult can be challenging.

“I’ve always wanted to be a nurse,” one of the students told the researchers. “I worked full time, I had a baby, life was chaotic… but my daughter was the main reason I came back to school… she’s the reason I wanted to be something in life.”

“I had maxed out my financial aid, but I found out I could apply for a scholarship, so now it’s not so hard financially… I don’t know how I would have made it without that scholarship.”

“I changed my major four times…”

“It’s hard for me to ask for help… my instructor referred me to the tutoring center, which at first I didn’t know how to take that… but after meeting with the tutors, we were able to figure out how I study… I went from making 45’s and 60’s to getting 98’s in like one week.”

“I was struggling between going back to school or finding a job, I can only work certain jobs… financial aid helped me out, and now I’m back in school… I’m trying to take it just one day at a time.”

Staff also shared tidbits of how they are working to better serve working adults.

“Services are more targeted.”

“This effort has helped to make us more mindful.”

“Life happens… but we want students to know, that help is available.”

“We’re meeting students where they are at… in the community, through video chats, phone calls, at events… we are everywhere.”

“We are trying to make RCC more accessible, offering students and families a one-stop shop.”

Faculty from various disciplines joined together in a session to discuss how they’ve adapted their classrooms and programs to appeal more to adult learners.

“Offering hi-flex courses works really well… it adds flexibility… it’s more advantageous for those with children.”

“Our program went completely online… which for our main audience offered more convenience and has helped increase our enrollment and our success rates.”

“Scheduling of classes… We’re trying to schedule courses later in the day…students have daycare issues, and children get sick, so being on campus at 8:00 in the morning, doesn’t always work for everyone.”

“Creating communities within our classes, creating a sense of belonging.”

“Staying connected with students is important… we reach out if they are not in class.”

Leaders hope hearing the opinions and testimonials of students, as well as receiving feedback from faculty and staff will help them in understanding the adult learner in more detail and how to better connect with them in the future.

“What do adult learners need?” asked RCC President Melissa Singler. “How do we get them back and why did they leave in the first place; those are the types of questions we are seeking to solve.”

“And we’ve found out that with adult learners, that although getting a job or a better job is important, sometimes it’s a personal goal and about finishing what you started,” Singler told the researchers.

As part of the Reconnect efforts by RCC, student services extended its operational hours and made it a campus-wide endeavor through RCC Cares, to which everyone has an opportunity to contribute.

“It helps support adult learners to be able to offer access to RCC after hours, through extended hours where they can make appointments,” stated Dr. Johnny Smith, the vice president of instruction and student services. “Through the President’s Leadership, we were able to start RCC Cares, which provides care beyond the classroom through gas cards, financial assistance with rent and food… we are really just trying to remove any barrier that we can.”

After identifying 709 students who had previously attended RCC but did not complete a degree or credential, many on campus and in the community have made RCC’s Reconnect Initiative a personal mission.

“I got a call from our Board Chair Mrs. Shirley Stockton, and she said, “I found one of the 700!” Singler said. “At first I did not know what she was talking about and then I realized, she was talking about Reconnect!”

“Mrs. Stockton is very involved in the community, and she is always so excited to talk about RCC,” Singler said. “So, for her to be able to speak with a former student and guide them back into school was very significant and meant a great deal to her and it goes to show how this effort has grown across Robeson County… that’s when I knew this was working.”

RCC hosted “I’m Next” fests in the summer as part of the initiative, in which 108 families attended. Of the 108, 72 have enrolled in classes this fall.

“We received many calls from the faith-based community asking for permission to put our ‘I’m Next’ Fest events in their church bulletins,” Singler said. “Our partnership with Communities In Schools has been huge in reaching students as well… this initiative has grown much bigger than just our community college.”

The research findings by the Belk Center should be made public later on this year.

RCC culinary students catered a luncheon for the visit from the Belk Center with a “Taste of Robeson,” which included collard wraps with pepper jelly, homemade potato chips, collard sandwiches with fry bread, collard chips, sweet potato pie, barbeque, and more.