Methuen resident and NECC student Carlos Rivera, who is a student assistant in the Student Success Center, reviews a math problem with a student.

Northern Essex Community College’s Student Success Center was recently lauded for its effective use of federal funds in educating Latinos successfully.

The Alliance of Hispanic Serving Institution Educators (AHSIE) recognized Northern Essex for creating programs that contribute to an increased level of academic achievement among its Hispanic students.

In a report titled “From Funding to Practice: A Status Report on Federal Funding and High Impact Programs among Hispanic Serving Institutions,” Northern Essex was one of just 12 educational institutions nationwide recognized for its success serving the Hispanic population.

“Through this report we are highlighting 12 of the top performing institutions and departments that have used Department of Education Title V grants and have established programmatic initiatives in a manner that demonstrates innovation in practice and excellent stewardship of federal monies,” says Dr. David A. Ortiz, AHSIE vice president. “Northern Essex was selected from a competitive group of applicants to represent a paragon of excellence in applying federal grants to the development of high impact programs that contribute to an increased level of academic achievement for Latinos at NECC.”

This was the second time in just a few short months that NECC’s Student Success Center received national recognition for its work with the Hispanic community. In September, it was one of 20 programs recognized as “Examples of Excelencia”. This initiative was created by “Excelencia in Education” an organization that promotes Latinos in higher education.

NECC’s Student Success Center (SSC), which is located on the Lawrence campus, is committed to providing Northern Essex students with resources, services, and programs that will help them succeed both in and out of the classroom. Staff at the SSC help students with academic resources, career exploration, classroom behavior and expectations, financial literacy and planning, life planning, and workshops. The SSC is funded, in part, by the federal Title V program which is designated for “Building Bridges for Hispanic Student Success: To Improve Academic Performance, Retention and Graduation/Transfer Rates”.

“As an Hispanic Serving Institution, NECC is committed to Latino student success,” says Gisela Ramirez Nash, director of NECC’s Title V/Student Success Programs. “Northern Essex is continually exploring opportunities to advance its educational achievements. In four short years the Student Success Center has made a positive difference in the lives of many Latino students, helping to increase their academic performance, and retention.”

The SSC serves approximately 600 Northern Essex students a year; the majority are first generation Latino  students who have multiple and competing needs that can prevent them from completing their degree.

Statistics show that Latino students using SSC services had an 11.3* higher course completion rate and a 19* higher retention rate when compared with Latinos not using SSC services.

The Alliance of Hispanic Serving Institution Educators (AHSIE) was created to support the work of Hispanic Serving Institutions (HSIs) across the nation as they seek to provide quality educational opportunities to their students and communities. AHSIE’s HSI/Title V annual best practices conference provides members opportunities to network and share feedback with other HSI member institutions while learning how to effectively manage educational initiatives and maximize grant funding.

For additional information contact Ramirez Nash at 978-738-7413 or gnash@necc.mass.edu