First-Year Experience Program Aims to Strengthen Retention Through Engagement and Outreach with Students

MAYS LANDING — The first year of a college student’s academic career is foundational. Ensuring that each and every student, both full-time and part-time, is provided with all of the necessary resources, benefits and attention required for them to flourish academically is of paramount importance.

To achieve this goal, Atlantic Cape Community College, this past March, created the First-Year Experience (FYE) Program to promote the engagement and retention of our first-time, full-time students during their initial 30 credits at the College, while personally supporting their college journey and fostering academic success through graduation.

Overseeing the day-to-day operations of the program is Assistant Director Jerome Ingram, who earned his Associate Degree in General Studies from Atlantic Cape in 2004, and his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Thomas Edison State University in 2014 and 2023, respectively. He is also currently a member of the New Jersey Army National Guard.

“I am excited to lead the First-Year Experience program to help Atlantic Cape actively guide our first-time, full-time students through their new journey,” said Ingram. “Some of our students will join clubs, athletics, or other special programs. However, those who may not have the interest or the time to engage in extracurricular activities may miss out on all that the College has to offer. I believe the FYE program can supplement or complement the experience our students may receive in our clubs and special programs.”

When a first-time, full-time student enrolls at Atlantic Cape, he/she is provided with a dedicated academic advisor, who will support that student through his/her first year at the College. Each student will have multiple outlets, such as a specific FYE email address, a web page on the College’s website and an FYE course on Blackboard Learn, to connect with and seek assistance from the FYE program.

“The FYE program's goals are to support full-time students during their first 30 credits and ensure a warm handoff to their second-year student service navigator (advisor) or counselor,” said Ingram, who has been employed at Atlantic Cape since 2018 as an admissions assistant, enrollment navigator and academic advisor in the Center for Student Success. “We also want students to have fun, make connections, persist and graduate with an associate degree within three years. We promise to acknowledge and appreciate all of our new students who have decided to enroll in our College and trust us with their academic future.”

First-time students who are registered part-time (fewer than 12 credits per semester) will receive communication from the College’s Advising Department about special programs that do not require full-time status, such as Student Support Services. More specifically, students who are currently taking 10 or 11 credits will be identified on a weekly report and receive frequent communication, advising them of the benefits to taking another class and becoming a full-time student.

Ingram and his FYE team began introducing themselves to the incoming freshman class during the New Student Orientation sessions that were held at each campus prior to the start of the Fall Semester. There, they shared free tools, tips and resources on how each student can succeed at Atlantic Cape.

The program also hosted its inaugural First-Year Experience Day on the Mays Landing campus in the Student Center on September 17. The event welcomed new and incoming students to Atlantic Cape and familiarized them with the College’s campus resources and exciting upcoming events. The students in attendance also listened to Ingram and Terrance Witcher, First-Year Experience manager, give overviews on the FYE and Educational Opportunity Fund programs, respectively.

Throughout the year the FYE program will conduct classroom visits to meet students where they are to personally connect with them. Various in-person and virtual events are planned throughout the year to bring students together. Ingram will be joined this year by Erick Wilson, who will assist with planning FYE program on-campus events, conducting classroom visits and communicating with students. Wilson, who earned a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Stockton University, will also help with advising of walk-in students.

According to Ingram, the College plans to create a Peer Mentor Program for first-team, full-time students beginning with the Spring 2025 Semester. This will allow second-year students to mentor and guide their peers through their first year while sharing important lessons learned along the way.

Atlantic Cape’s Cape May County campus will host its own First-Year Experience Day on Monday, October 7, 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. in Room 113. This event is open only to full-time students.

Visit atlanticcape.edu/firstyear for more information.

About Atlantic Cape Community College

Atlantic Cape Community College is a Middle States accredited, 2022 Achieving the Dream Leader College and Hispanic Serving Institution proudly serving the residents of Atlantic and Cape May counties. As a comprehensive, two-year community college, Atlantic Cape offers 47 undergraduate degree programs, and 33 certificate and professional series programs at its Mays Landing, Atlantic City and Cape May campuses. Atlantic Cape is home to the renowned Academy of Culinary Arts, rated the top culinary school in New Jersey, and for more than 50 years, our highly-acclaimed Nursing program. Atlantic Cape also partners with more than 30 colleges and four-year universities to offer students the opportunity to seamlessly earn a bachelor’s degree upon graduation.