August 17, 2018
Students who transferred from East Central Community College in Decatur to public four-year institutions earned the highest cumulative grade-point average (GPA) of all community and junior college transfers in the state of Mississippi in 2017.
Students who transferred from East Central to one of the state’s eight public, four-year institutions earned a 3.34 GPA at baccalaureate graduation, according to data just released by the Mississippi Institutions of Higher Learning (IHL). The 3.34 GPA was the highest cumulative grade-point average of any community or junior college in Mississippi over the past five years.
Students from the community/junior college with the second highest GPA in 2017 earned a 3.28. The average for all 15 community/junior colleges combined was a 3.18 GPA.
It was the third time in the past five years that students who transferred from East Central Community College to a public four-year college or university in Mississippi earned the highest GPA of all state community and junior colleges. ECCC transfers earned a cumulative 3.29 GPA in 2016, and 3.22 each year from 2013-2015.
The report also again showed that community college transfer students performed academically as well or better in university courses than students who began their education at the senior institutions. The “native” students earned a 3.15 GPA.
ECCC President Dr. Billy Stewart said that he was extremely proud of the former students and for the role East Central Community College faculty and staff play in preparing the students to transfer to the four-year university level.
“This data, compiled and reported by the IHL, affirms that we are meeting the institutional commitments of Student Success and Teaching and Learning, two of the hallmarks of our 2020 Vision strategic plan,” said Stewart. “I’m extremely proud of the academic accomplishments of our former students and of our faculty who work so diligently to prepare them to be successful once they leave our campus. Based on the performance of our transfer students, no one does a better job of preparing students to be successful at the next level in the state of Mississippi than East Central Community College.”
East Central Community College offers the two-year pre-baccalaureate Associate of Science and Associate of Arts degrees, with numerous areas of concentration. These academic courses are guaranteed to transfer as a result of an Articulation Agreement between Mississippi’s community colleges and the state’s public four-year colleges and universities.
The college also offers two-year terminal degrees in healthcare, career, and technical fields of study.
For more information about attending East Central Community College, contact ECCC Student Services at 877-GO-2-ECCC or e-mail go2ec@eccc.edu.
