KVCC Faculty Orientation Manual Online
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Introduction: First Year Initiative

The First Year Matters at Kennebec Valley Community College

KVCC is a founding partner with the Policy Center on the First Year Experience in thier effort to apply the First Year philosophy from traditional 4-year colleges to 2-year colleges. KVCC is dedicated to programming and initiatives to ensure that students have a great first year...which will then lead to great years after!

The college is dedicated to this mission based upon the following mission:

Whereas, the first year of college is the foundation upon which rests the future academic and professional success of our students

Whereas, it is in our nation’s interest to improve the first year of college in order to increase student learning and persistence rates

Whereas, an improved first year requires the dedication and concern of educators who band together to address first-year issues

Whereas, the generosity of the Lumina Foundation for Education has made possible a national project intended to serve the larger interests of American higher education and its students

Whereas, this project, known as Foundations of Excellence® in the First College Year, has created a set of aspirational standards for the design of the first year and a system for measuring institutional performance in accordance with those standards, leading to a plan and action for strategic improvement of the first year

Whereas, Kennebec Valley Community College was selected from a national pool of applicants in recognition of its commitment to enhancing excellence in the first college year and its readiness to conduct the work of the project and has subsequently played a significant role in establishing standards for improving the college experience

Now, therefore, we commend Kennebec Valley Community College for exemplary service and for their contributions as a Founding Institution in the First College Year. In witness thereof, this is hereby proclaimed on May 5, 2006.

POLICY CENTER ON THE FIRST YEAR OF COLLEGE