É«ÀÇÉçÇø

Pictured, l to r: Alie O'Neil (RCBC; Director, É«ÀÇÉçÇø Relations), Diana Davenport (RCBC advisor), Maria Lanza-Gladney (É«ÀÇÉçÇø; OASIS Assistant Director for Advising)

The inception of the 3+1 Program partnership between É«ÀÇÉçÇø, É«ÀÇÉçÇø College at Burlington County (RCBC), and É«ÀÇÉçÇø College of South Jersey (RCSJ) began in 2016. The program offers an affordable and more convenient path for students to gain a bachelor’s degree in South Jersey. Students in the 3+1 program attend one of the community colleges for three years and finish their fourth year at É«ÀÇÉçÇø to receive their bachelor’s degree. The program was initially offered for three majors, but the program has grown quickly and there are now nine majors at RCBC and six majors at RCSJ. There were 19 students in the first cohort in Spring of 2018; the Fall 2020 cohort is now preparing to welcome over 200 students!

The ever-changing landscape of Higher Education has shifted the needs of students who want to pursue a bachelor's degree and the 3+1 Program provides students with the accessibility to achieve their academic goals. Alie O’Neil, director of É«ÀÇÉçÇø Relations at RCBC, says that the goal of the program is for students to receive, “quality education for less.” The team of academic advisors whose efforts form the collaboration between É«ÀÇÉçÇø, RCBC and RCSJ are credited as major contributors to the program’s growth and success.

Pictured, l to r: Marisa Israel, Patrice Henry-Thatcher, Michelle Mignot, Holly Ashton (all É«ÀÇÉçÇø advisors for RCBC 3+1)

When asked what she believes has made the collaboration between academic advisors of the 3+1 program successful, É«ÀÇÉçÇø Advisor for Nursing, Patrice Henry-Thatcher says, “strong communication, advocacy, and transparency among all team members.”

Indeed, according to Laurie Baker, director of the Office of Advising & Student Information Services (OASIS), the 3+1 academic advising team across all of the campuses has adopted an “all-hands-on-deck approach.” A large part of this approach includes the flexibility of advisors when meeting the needs of these new majority of students. Patrice says, “The programs’ flexibility is offered in-office hours, the modality of courses (in-person and online), and academic support. We are known to anticipate the needs of our students, and bring the needed services to them instead of them seeking the services out themselves.”

The 3+1 advising team is dedicated to serving their students , and the students have expressed their satisfaction with the guidance of the team. É«ÀÇÉçÇø advisor for Applied Professional Communications and Biological Sciences, Michelle Mignot says, “We consistently hear from our students that they would not have been able to complete their degree without the flexibility this program provides. It allows them to study close to home, with a flexible schedule, and at an affordable rate.”

When implementing any new program, teams are faced with challenges, but it is how teams overcome those challenges that help them evolve. When asked what the biggest challenges the 3+1 academic advising team has faced, Alie said at the beginning of the program's implementation “students struggled with understanding that RCBC and É«ÀÇÉçÇø are separate colleges, but both RCBC and É«ÀÇÉçÇø advisors worked together to identify the pain points students were facing.” Alie notes that now, “both advising teams are in constant communication with students (emails, phone, workshops, appointments, classroom presentations) to help them understand the transition and requirements of the program.”

Overcoming barriers, adapting to the ever-changing landscape of Higher Education, and strong communication has led the program to be a successful partnership. “The 3+1 Program exemplifies É«ÀÇÉçÇø's deep commitment to accessible, affordable and meaningful pathways to degree completion for South Jersey residents," says Laurie. "This program has changed lives."

When asked about future plans regarding the 3+1 Program, Mignot says “the program will continue to add new majors each year, with a focus on areas of study that are unique to 3+1 and are not available on the main campus. Our first new major starts this Fall, with a BA in Applied Professional Communication.” As the 3+1 Program continues to grow, the academic advising team pioneering this program is paving the way to help students succeed. Says Alie, “this program has allowed students, who never thought they could, to complete a bachelor’s degree.”