Lorraine De Leon, who works in Campus Activities at Ammerman, writes about the vital role that nonclassroom faculty play in student retention and success at the college.

When asked “Who do you believe is responsible for student retention in a college?” many people might say professors, chairs, deans, upper administration or perhaps the college president. Although not wrong, people sometimes forget about the professionals who are less front and center and more behind the scenes.

Colleges across the country are supported by professional staff who are critical to support the growth and development of students. They all play a special role in what makes a college a place for students to not only get an education but also build a community on campus. Here at SCCC these nonclassroom faculty include librarians, counselors, coordinators, specialists and professional assistants in the areas of technology, Central, student affairs and academic affairs. We help form the backbone of this institution as our roles are vital for our college’s success.

Non-classroom faculty contribute to student retention by focusing on new strategies to help our current students. For example, the nonclassroom faculty in the Office of Campus Activities meticulously put together programs that support service learning, relationship building and leadership development. They provide students exposure to opportunities they wouldn’t be able to experience anywhere else. This helps our students build a deeper connection with the college community, which in turn creates a sense of belonging and a desire to return each semester.

Our mental health counselors help provide a space for students to feel safe mentally and emotionally, while providing support to students when they feel overwhelmed. To help retain our military-connected students, Elyse Quirk, PA II from the Office of Veteran Services, oversees the Buddy Check phone call program, which goes out to every registered military-connected student as a check-in to ensure students are having a successful semester, identify any issues they may be facing and provide assistance and resources as needed. Another example comes from Kristie David, specialist II in the SCC Foundation, who states:

I educate students about our scholarship opportunities, which play a large part in retaining students through access and affordability. The Suffolk Community College Foundation offers hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarships to our current students annually. My job is to provide students the knowledge needed to apply for these scholarships, giving them the opportunity to afford the cost of continuing their education here at SCCC.

Our students rely on our members in Financial Aid who ensure our students get economic support from the state and federal government to help fund their education. They rely on our counselors to ensure they are on the right path for graduation or workforce certificate attainment. Our members in the technology area support students by ensuring that all of their online services, from DegreeWorks to their email accounts, are up and running.

As you can see, when it comes to student retention, success requires efforts from our members both within and beyond the classrooms. These are just a few examples of how our nonclassroom faculty come together behind the scenes to support retention.

Our nonclassroom faculty are mission critical in the daily operations of the college and in how they support the college’s institutional plan.