Jackson College and Jackson County Early College Partnership: A Pathway to Student Success and Opportunity

In January 2018, 14 superintendents and the Jackson College President launched Jackson County Early College (JCEC), designed to offer students the opportunity to earn a high school diploma and either an associate degree, certificate, or up to 60 college credits beginning the following fall semester. In a survey of JCEC students, 99 percent responded that they would recommend the program to other students. A Columbia Central student offered this statement: “I will have 43 credits when I transfer in the fall, and it saved me a lot of money. The professors were all very helpful and staying at home my first year was also beneficial for me. I could not have asked for a better first year at Jackson College or a better experience in the Early College Program.” The cohort has grown from 293 to over 400 students and a total of 1,075 students have taken advantage of this opportunity.  Success rates have improved each semester, from 75 percent in fall 2018 to 90 percent in fall 2021.

Innovators

• Monica Bouman, Associate Dean, Student Services
• Todd Butler, Dean, Humanities and the Sciences
• Jeremy Frew, Provost, Student Services
• Christopher Kimball, Student Success Navigator
• Zak McNitt, Registrar, Student Services
• Jamie Witt, Student Success Navigator