MEDIA CONTACT:
Kenyon “KJ” Askew, Jr.
Director, Marketing & Strategic Engagement
klaskew736@nashcc.edu
252-451-8235

Nash Community College Announces Student-First Enrollment Plan

ROCKY MOUNT, North Carolina (September 29, 2025) – Nash Community College today announced the public rollout of its 2025–2028 Strategic Enrollment Management (SEM) Plan, a college-wide blueprint designed to expand access, strengthen student supports, and accelerate completion and career outcomes. Guided by the College’s mission to meet students where they are and prepare them for rewarding careers, the plan aligns efforts across marketing, admissions, advising, teaching and learning and workforce partnerships.

“Strategic enrollment is about the people we serve, not just numbers,” said Dr. Lew K. Hunnicutt, president of NCC. “This plan keeps students at the center, removing barriers to entry, supporting persistence and connecting students to real opportunities in the workforce. This plan expands on the work of our mission to meet students where they are and help them get to where they want to go.”

The SEM Plan focuses on four core areas of student success:

• Marketing, Recruitment & Outreach: Meeting students where they are through authentic storytelling and community partnerships; recent deliverables include Voices of a Nighthawk student testimonials, a virtual campus tour, and targeted streaming-audio outreach.
• Onboarding, Entry & Enrollment: Streamlined, student-friendly communications and application follow-ups using the College’s CRM; clearer steps to enroll and earlier academic planning.
• Persistence & Retention: Proactive, data-informed outreach by Success Navigators; early-term student check-ins; and support to reduce online course withdrawal, including a new faculty-research led success module.
• Completion, Credentials & Post-Graduation Success: Stronger transfer pathways and employer partnerships, stackable credentials, and career-ready experiences that connect classroom learning to livable-wage jobs.

“This is a campus-wide effort with community partners at the table,” said Dr. Wendy Cook, vice president of student services at NCC. “From first touch to first job or transfer, we’re aligning services and communication so students experience a seamless path from application to graduation.”

What’s already live for students and families

• Real student voices: Voices of a Nighthawk showcases diverse student journeys and outcomes.
• Virtual tour: A 24/7 way to explore programs and campus, especially helpful for working adults and rural learners.
• Targeted outreach: Streaming audio placements (Spotify/Pandora) and community touchpoints to increase awareness of scholarships, advising and flexible program options.

By the numbers (key targets)

• Enrollment growth: 5–7% annually over three years.
• Onboarding & enrollment: 10% increase in admissions yield; 5% increase in full-time enrollment.
• Student success: 85% fall-to-spring persistence and 70% fall-to-fall retention (excluding dual-enrolled) by 2027; reduce overall course withdrawal to 10% or less, with a focus on online courses.
• Outcomes: At least 70% of graduates employed in a field related to their program with a livable wage or enrolled in advanced study within two years of graduation; 20% increase in credential completion.

The plan is led by the SEM Council, a cross-functional group that includes College leadership, faculty and staff, students and community partners. The Council will coordinate implementation through subcommittees and share regular progress updates.

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About Nash Community College 
Nash Community College’s mission is to provide an affordable educational environment which prepares students for university transfer and rewarding careers. Through quality instruction and services, technology, work force development, and community partnerships, Nash Community College provides lifelong learning opportunities to individuals, communities, and organizations. Nash Community College is a public community college in Nash County, North Carolina. It is part of the North Carolina Community College System.