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College of Coastal Georgia Campus Plan Update 2025

Mission Statement

Revised and approved in November 2015 and reaffirmed by the Board of Regents in January 2021, the CCGA mission statement reads as follows:

As a state college of the University System of Georgia, the College of Coastal Georgia will be a college of choice for residents of Georgia and beyond by providing an accessible and affordable quality education. Advocating excellence in scholarship and community engagement, the College promotes student progression and timely graduation through student-centered programs that offer a rich and diverse student experience. Students are prepared for meaningful careers, advanced study, lifelong learning, and participation in a global and technological society. The institution will provide associate and baccalaureate degrees that support the intellectual, economic and cultural needs of the community and region.

The mission aligns with the University System of Georgia, reflects the core principles of a state college, and emphasizes leadership, community engagement, and student development. It underscores the College’s sustained commitment to community engagement that encompasses service-learning, volunteerism, practica, and internships, contributing to the cultural, economic and social well-being of the local community, southeast Georgia and beyond.

Fall 2025 Student Profile[1]

  • Enrollment: 3,629 students (FTE: 2,949).
  • Demographics: 59% White, 20.5% Black/African American, 10% Hispanic/Latino, 2.1% Asian, others <1%.
  • Average age: 22.7; 71% female; 58% full-time. Residency: 91% Georgia, 7% out-of-state, 1.5% international.
  • First-generation students: 54.4%; adult learners: 21%; military/veterans: 7.9%; Pell recipients: 39.6%.
  • Dual enrollment: 490 students (+5.4% from Fall 2024).
  • Academic profile: Fall 2024 freshmen averaged a 3.21 high school GPA, attempted 25.4 credits, earned 19.4, and persisted at 56.7% with a 2.36 GPA.

First-generation students (whose parent(s)/legal guardian(s) have not completed a baccalaureate degree) account for 54.4% of the 3,467 students for whom we know parent/guardian educational attainment. Adult learners (25 years of age or older) and military/veterans account for 21.0% and 7.9% of the total student body, respectively. Pell recipients account for 39.6% of students, while dual-enrolled students total 490, which is a 5.4% increase compared to fall 2024. Academically, the class of new freshman (for fall 2024) came to the institution with a 3.21 average high school GPA, attempted an average of 25.37 credits during the first academic year, and earned an average of 19.44 credits. This cohort persisted through fall 2025 at a 56.7% rate and had an average GPA of 2.36. The work on completion is imperative as we continue to support this student population.

Influence on Completion Work

CCGA’s institutional mission is a beacon that guides three completion priorities:

  1. Access and affordability for underserved communities (90% of graduates remain in Georgia; 76% in the region).
  2. Student progression and timely graduation through proactive engagement and support (Momentum Plan strategies).
  3. Career readiness and community engagement (54.6% of graduates employed full-time at or immediately after graduation, exceeding the national average of 53.7%).

In 2024, CCGA was one of only six institutions selected for NISS Diagnostic and Playbook services, providing three years of implementation support to improve student success. This partnership enables the institution to address unique institutional challenges with evidence-based solutions and support from NISS, enhancing the institution’s ability to develop and implement strategies that increase retention and completion rates. The institution has carefully reviewed the data provided by NISS and is already addressing some of the identified challenge areas. Key focus areas include strengthening the first-year experience (DECK 1000), operationalizing academic data, and enhancing advising and financial support. These efforts align with CCGA’s commitment to every student, every time. While not formally part of the Momentum Plans, the institution is actively working on the development and implementation of processes to collect, analyze and apply academic data, particularly the data provided through USG’s M.E.T.R.I.C.S. dashboard. Additionally, as previous Momentum goals are accomplished (such as the post-admit checklist), the institution will focus—in the next planning cycle—on steps to address other key challenges such as strengthening advising practices and finding proactive ways to provide students with greater financial support.  The next sections provide a progress update on the programs/projects/activities/initiatives that were selected as part of the institutional Momentum plan for 2025.

[1] Total enrollment, FTE, and all demographic information are based on USG Semester Enrollment Report and persisted report data for fall 2025; the academic achievement metrics are based on Banner SIS data for the fall 2024 cohort.

Success Inventory

Post-Admit Checklist Phase 2 (College of Coastal Georgia-2025)

Strategy/Project Name: 
Post-Admit Checklist Phase 2
Momentum Area: 
Data & Communications
Category: 
Onboarding
Orientation
Transition to College
Strategy/Project Description: 

The College will create a dynamic roadmap to guide students on all the steps they need to take and the information they need to learn after they are admitted to the college, to ensure a successful start of their college career at Coastal.

Activity Status: 
Scaling
Evaluation/Assessment plan: 

Completion of a dynamic checklist that guides students after admissions, based on certain student characteristics.

KPIs:

  • Development Stage: Number of checklist items assigned to each student population.
  • After implementation: Percentage of checklist items completed per admitted students

Baseline measure (for each KPI):

  • Development Stage: No dynamic post-admit checklist items currently active on the student application. Only static checklist is available online.
  • After implementation: We will monitor percentage of items completed for admitted students. We will also monitor the percentage of students registered after admittance to see if the availability of checklists appears to have an effect on registration after admission.

Current/most recent data (for each KPI):

  • Development Stage: All static checklists are currently available online. Dynamic checklists are live in Element451 for the Spring 2026 term.
  • After implementation: Data will be available once dynamic checklists are fully implemented
  • Preliminary data:
    • Spring 2024 (pre-static-checklist): Registered to Admitted 45.5%
    • Spring 2025 (after static checklists): Registered to Admitted 56.1%

Goal or targets (for each KPI):

  • Development Stage:
    • By End of July: All dynamic post-admit checklist items created and available in Element451 for Spring 2026 application launch.
    • By December: All static and informational items will be available in student portal/hub.
  • After implementation: This value will be determined after the dynamic checklists are in use for at least one term.

Time period/duration: All static checklists are publicly available online on our website. Dynamic checklists are available for all applicants for the Spring 2026 cycle and forward.

Progress and Adjustments: 

Static checklists are available on the website, and now dynamic checklists are available for students on their Element451 application dashboard starting with the Spring 2026 term.

Although it is still early, we have already seen admitted students progressing and completing their checklists. We expect this to translate to earlier submission and completion of important items that will allow our team to register students sooner and address any issues for areas such as Financial Aid earlier than in the past. We will have more concrete data once the Spring semester is over.

Plan for the Year Ahead: 

Now that post-admit checklists are live within Element451, we will consider 2 items for focus.

The first one is to analyze the completion of the checklists and develop robust communication plans around it with the goal of increasing early submission of crucial items such as FAFSA completion.

The second one is to work on recurring checklist items for returning students in preparation for the next term. This would include items such as the yearly completion of the FAFSA, scheduling an appointment with their advisor, applying for graduation (if applicable), etc.  We believe these continuing checklists will be particularly important for students moving into their sophomore year, transitioning away from the high-touch work of COMPASS advisors and transitioning to a faculty advisor.

Challenges and Support: 

Maintenance of the post-admit checklist remains a challenge given the multitude of offices that are involved. Ensuring that items are revised constantly will ensure that the lists are accurate going forward.

Finally, the use of Element451 presents a challenge simply due to it being a relatively new tool for our institution. As our expertise increases, and the tool is rolled out to more offices on campus, we will be better equipped to enhance the lists and adjust them with ease.

Primary Contact: 
Diana Leal, Director of Enterprise Services
Colleen Knight, Interim AVP for Academic Student Engagement

A Coordinated and Cohesive FYE – Phase 1 (College of Coastal Georgia-2025)

Strategy/Project Name: 
A Coordinated and Cohesive FYE – Phase 1
Momentum Area: 
Purpose
Category: 
First Year Experience
Strategy/Project Description: 

Pull together stakeholders from across campus to synchronize a robust and coordinated first-year experience that facilitates academic, social, and institutional integration that fosters student feelings of belonging.  This translates to student success, retention, and, ultimately, completion.

Activity Status: 
Initiating
Studying
Evaluation/Assessment plan: 

KPIs:

  • Development Stage: FYE Inventory – Collect points of integration for freshmen students
  • After implementation:
    • Building a cohesive schedule of interventions
    • Identify barriers in the college pathway, academic and otherwise.

Baseline measure (for each KPI):

  • Development Stage: Cataloging interventions throughout the first year
  • After implementation:
    • Using the FYE Inventory, quantify the number of redundant processes
    • Cross-functional Confidence Survey (faculty/staff) Fall 2025
    • Survey students at Anchor Day (2-3 prior to start of Fall 2025) to self-report how many post-admissions tasks have been completed.

Current/most recent data (for each KPI):

  • Development Stage: Inventory results are pending (Summer 2025)
  • After implementation: Baseline will be available by the end of Fall 2025.

Goal or targets (for each KPI):

  • Development Stage: Completion of the FYE Inventory
  • After implementation:
    • A coordinated schedule of freshmen-level touchpoints to prevent redundancy and identify gaps in support.
    • Increase faculty/staff levels of confidence in providing timely cross-functional information. (survey) Goal will be set after obtaining baseline survey.
    • Percentage completion goal for student self-reporting post-admissions tasks will be set after obtaining baseline data.

Time period/duration

  • Development Stage: Completion of the FYE Inventory – Completed by Summer 2025.
  • After implementation:
    • A coordinated schedule of freshmen-level touchpoints to prevent redundancy and identify gaps in support. – completed by end of Fall 2025.
    • Increase faculty/staff levels of confidence in providing timely cross-functional information. (survey) Baseline survey to be administered at the start of Fall 2025.
    • Student post-admission tasks survey to be administered at the start of Fall 2025.
Progress and Adjustments: 

September 2025 Progress Update

Inventory by departments is complete. Key findings of the Inventory:

  • Inbox & app overload – Missed tasks, late forms, accidental holds, anxiety.
  • Stacked deadlines (payment, housing, registration) – Missed early payments, lost housing preferences, late fees.
  • Parents completing student tech/housing set-ups – Portal lockouts, unwanted room assignments, extra staff time.
  • Confusion about true cost & payment routes – Unpaid balances, registration holds, withdrawal risk.
  • Technology hurdles & too many log-ins – Late course access, missed alerts, reliance on peers.
  • Residency & lawful-presence documentation maze – Unexpected out-of-state charges, enrollment delays.
  • Advising awareness & schedule changes – Late schedule fixes, credit-momentum loss.
  • Fragmented early-alert follow-up – At-risk students slip through or experience duplicate outreach.
  • Accommodation paperwork complexity – Delayed accommodations, academic stress.
  • Housing app nuances & ESA approvals – Lower satisfaction with living arrangements, diminished sense of belonging.
  • Clustered co-curricular schedule – Decision fatigue, non-attendance, lower social integration.
  • Academic peaks colliding with institutional deadlines – Cognitive overload, missed forms/payments, GPA dips, hold-induced withdrawal.

At this time departments have been briefed on potential implementation strategy for improving the FYE experience. The institution is currently working to align this internal evaluation with the NISS strategic planning.

Plan for the Year Ahead: 

Analyze Inventory results. Collect baseline data. Complete a synchronized schedule for cross-campus touchpoints. Incorporate NISS feedback and explore how to tie this work to the recommendations.

Challenges and Support: 

This will require a large group of people to work collaboratively across varying departments and units. The bandwidth necessary to coordinate this many people will require open channels of communication and division of labor. This analysis was led by the Executive Director of Campus Community and Belonging but that position is now vacant. The institution will strategically align this work with the recommendations from NISS to identify the best path moving forward.

Primary Contact: 
Colleen Knight – Interim AVP for Academic Student Engagement

Student Engagement Framework (College of Coastal Georgia-2025)

Strategy/Project Name: 
Student Engagement Framework
Momentum Area: 
Purpose
Category: 
Faculty Development
Student engagement
Strategy/Project Description: 

The College would like to develop a framework for how we define and evaluate student engagement in the classroom. From this framework, we will be able to evaluate professional development opportunities and pedagogical methods to increase student engagement in the classroom. This project will require interdisciplinary collaboration to first define student engagement. Once this is defined, a means to evaluate student classroom engagement will be developed.

Activity Status: 
Studying
Evaluation/Assessment plan: 

The first few months of this project will involve gathering data and input to determine how faculty define student engagement in their classrooms. The next stage will be to compile the data into a summary document that outlines various ways engagement can be measured. The document will then be used to develop professional development events provided by the Center for Teaching and Learning focused on increasing classroom engagement.

KPIs:

  • Deliverable: Faculty survey collecting data on how engagement is measured in the classroom.
  • Deliverable: Student Engagement Framework: Summary document outlining various methods of measuring engagement.
  • Deliverable: CTL Professional Development Topics addressing Student Engagement

Baseline Measure:

  • There is currently no standardized method on our campus to measure student engagement.

None of the proposed documents currently exist.

Current/most recent Data:

  • We are in the development phase.

Goals or Targets:

  • By October 15, 2025, have a draft of the engagement measure survey.
  • By November 1, 2025, distribute survey to all faculty. Collect results 4 weeks later.
    • Target participation rate: 35%
  • By January 31, 2026, compile survey results.
  • By April 1, 2026, hold focus groups for both faculty and students regarding engagement in the classroom.
  • By May 31, 2026, develop 3 professional development events to be held in AY 2026-2027.

Time period/Duration:

  • This project will span the AY 2025-2026. Additional work using the data and documents obtained will extend into the next Momentum Plan in AY 2026-2027.
Progress and Adjustments: 

This project is at the very beginning stages. No work has been completed beyond recognizing the importance of defining and measuring student engagement.

The survey is on-schedule for a November 2025 distribution. We are only awaiting IRB approval to collect data.

Plan for the Year Ahead: 

The Assessment Plan above outlines our key deliverables and the timeline.

Timeline was developed considering other campus event that are tied to survey collection. To avoid survey fatigue, we decided that November is the best time to distribute.

Challenges and Support: 

We anticipate that there will be a wide variety of methods varying by instructor and discipline to measure engagement. Compiling and organizing the survey data will likely pose a significant challenge to creating a guiding document. It will require creative thinking to develop a guide that can serve across disciplines.

For the student focus group, we will need to strategically choose the right student population to consult. Choosing students who are already engaged and highly motivated will not necessarily help us to reach the population who needs more support and external motivation to be successful. The initial list of possible participants will be nominated by faculty recommendation from students in their courses that could be defined as the “murky middle”.

Primary Contact: 
Mary McGinnis, Director for the Center for Teaching and Learning
Colleen Knight, Interim Assistant Vice President for Academic Student Engagement

DECK 1000 Continued Development (College of Coastal Georgia-2025)

Strategy/Project Name: 
DECK 1000 Continued Development
Momentum Area: 
Purpose
Pathways
Mindset
Category: 
First Year Experience
Strategy/Project Description: 

Continuing to develop a first-year experience course, using high impact practices. This course will, ideally, be taken by all incoming freshmen who have not already completed their Institutional IMPACTS requirements. However, due to resource restraints, preference will be given to students who are first-time freshmen with no college credit. The course meets 3 hours per week and covers topics for academic and personal growth and wellness. Active Learning techniques will encourage students to tackle diverse perspectives and practice collaboration. Students will be guided through defining what it means to be a college student, properly communicating with campus community members, preparing a career plan, finding campus resources, accessing campus tech, employing effective learning strategies, following academic integrity guidelines, and other essential topics for successful campus life.

This year there will be a particular focus on increasing retention and progression for these students. Activities and lessons will be timed within the curriculum to specifically target retention and building connections within the classroom.

Activity Status: 
Scaling
Evaluation/Assessment plan: 

First-time Full-time Freshman Retention Rates will be compared for students participating in DECK 1000, non-DECK students, and the retention from prior years.

KPIs:

  • First-time Full-time Freshman Retention Rates for DECK students compared to non-DECK students.
    • Fall-to-Spring
    • Fall-to-Fall

Baseline measure (for each KPI):

  • After Implementation:

For Fall 2022 cohort of First-time Full-time Freshman pre-DECK1000:

  • Fall-to-Spring retention rate: 79.0%.
  • Fall-to-Fall retention rate: 52.6%.

For Fall 2023 cohort of First-time Full-time Freshman DECK vs non-DECK:

  • Fall-to-Spring retention rate: 74.3% DECK vs 79.6% non-DECK
  • Fall-to-Fall retention rate: 50% DECK vs 57.6% non-DECK

For Fall 2024 cohort of First-time Full-time Freshman DECK vs non-DECK:

  • Fall-to-Spring retention rate: 82.5% DECK vs 82.6% non-DECK
    • Notably, the registration rate 20 days after registration opened was 10% higher for DECK 1000 students. An encouraging result.
  • Fall-to-Fall retention rate: 55% DECK vs 59% non-DECK
    • This is another surprising outcome, but as discussed elsewhere, the Fall 2024 DECK cohort was chosen by only selecting students who had no previous college coursework. This means that we unintentionally turned away any high-achieving students such as those who took AP or Dual Enrollment courses.
    • Case in point: the average HSGPA of non-DECK students for Fall 2024 was 3.82, while the average HSGPA of the DECK cohort was 3.06.

For Fall 2025 cohort of Freshman DECK vs non-DECK:

  • Fall-to-Spring registration rate 3 days into General Registration
    • 57% of DECK students are enrolled in Spring 2026
    • 43% of non-DECK freshmen are enrolled in Spring 2026

Current/most recent data (for each KPI):

  • See Data in the previous section

Goal or targets (for each KPI):

  • Complete additional revisions, including activities and lessons that would specifically pinpoint retention efforts.
  • After Implementation: First-time Full-time Freshman students enrolled in DECK 1000 will have at least a 1% higher retention rate than students who were not enrolled in DECK 1000.

Time period/duration: Completion of revisions of the course completed by July 15, 2025. The evaluation of retention rates will be conducted in Spring 2026 and Fall 2026, respectively.

Progress and Adjustments: 

While preliminary data from the Fall 2023 pilot indicate a lower Fall-to-Spring retention, it is important to note that after propensity score matching analysis, we determined that there is not sufficient evidence to claim an impact of DECK as a treatment. The Fall 2024 pilot was populated by first-time freshmen with no prior college credit and was a group more representative of the freshmen class; however, it still excluded some of the most highly motivated students who would have completed dual enrollment and AP courses. We found it encouraging that the new DECK cohort had a similar retention rate to the non-DECK freshmen. Our first full implementation of DECK 1000 is occurring this Fall 2025, with any freshman who has not yet fulfilled the Institutional requirement for IMPACTS being enrolled into DECK 1000. Once Fall 2025 to Fall 2026 retention data is available, we will complete propensity score matching analysis to determine the true impact of DECK 1000 on student retention. We believe the more general population will prove to be the more reliable analysis.

To begin addressing student retention, we have made some curricular changes to trim down the number of assignments students completed. Our end-of-the-semester survey indicated that students were overwhelmed by the number of assignments included on the ePortfolio, the bulk of these were reflective assignments that took place after specific course modules (e.g. well-being reflection, academic integrity reflection, AI reflection, etc.). Removing these six reflective assignments cut down on the amount of students’ perceived “busy work,” making them feel less overwhelmed.

In addition, we capitalized on the team building aspect of the collaborative assignment from Fall 2024, moving it from the end of the semester to the middle. In the end of semester survey, students reported that their second favorite thing about the course was their classmates, and moving this assignment works to create solidified relationships with their classmates earlier in the semester. In addition, in qualitative responses, students reported that the group infographic helped them develop “strong communication and teamwork” skills and that they “loved working with [their classmates].” They also found that “students who were well-connected and social were more successful.” Shifting this assignment forward may affect student retention by building connections and solidifying community earlier in the semester.

Plan for the Year Ahead: 

In Fall 2025, we continued with the uniform structure and schedule of the course and implemented community-building exercises for an extended amount of time in the course to capitalize on the success we found with the Fall 2024 community-building practices. Daily lesson plans were continued, and, after seeing some instructors’ success with incorporating PowerPoint files in their daily work plan, we incorporated active learning strategies by creating daily Nearpod (a platform like PowerPoint, but with additional interactive components) that instructors may use to rate student engagement and further active learning in the course. Use of these materials reinforce a consistent experience for students in the course.

As we plan for Fall 2026, in alignment with NISS recommendations, we will consider further developing DECK courses into meta-major specific courses and engage academic departments to help with these developments.

Challenges and Support: 

One of the key areas we continue to work on is strengthening student attendance and engagement. We found that fostering a sense of community early in the semester and sustaining it through collaborative assignments can significantly support these goals. Encouraging peer relationships and mutual accountability helps students feel more connected, which we hope will positively influence attendance.

A second challenge has been maintaining continuity and a similar depth of instruction across all sections. With a course as large and multifaceted as DECK 1000, ensuring a consistent and unified experience across all sections is an ongoing effort. While many instructors are deeply committed to the mission, the scale of the program sometimes means we are working with a diverse range of teaching styles and levels of familiarity with the course goals. We continue to explore ways to support alignment and shared ownership of the DECK 1000 vision.

Primary Contact: 
Mary McGinnis, Director of the Endeavor Center for High Impact Practices
Colleen Knight, Interim AVP for Academic Student Engagement

Supplemental Updates

If there are elements of your critical Momentum/CCG/student success work that is not detailed above that you wish to provide an update on, please use this section to indicate this.

CCGA’s commitment to student success extends beyond the strategies outlined in the Momentum Plan—it is a cultural promise to support every student, every time.

We are actively implementing recommendations from the National Institute for Student Success (NISS) while prioritizing resource allocation. Many recommendations, such as strengthening the first-year experience, were already underway, and we will continue that momentum.

A working group has reviewed feasibility and determined that of the 12 NISS recommendations, CCGA will advance 8 and explore 4. These efforts reflect our strategic approach to addressing key challenges while maximizing impact with limited resources.

Key Challenges and Actions (current progress in bold italics)

  • Key Challenge 1: Underdeveloped first-year experience:
    • Create and refine intentional and mandatory pathways designed to help new students find their right fit majors during their first year – Previously implemented but undergoing refresh
    • Scale DECK 1000 course and connect the course to academic pathways, co-and extra-curricular activities, and career resources – Previously in progress     
    • Enroll students who are most academically at risk in a for-credit summer bridge program – Exploratory phase
  • Key Challenge 2: Untapped potential in academic advising:
    • Establish and empower an Academic Advising Council to align advising practices across campus – In Progress with NISS Cohort Support
    • Ensure all students receive a standard of care that includes proactive outreach based on academic maps and early alerts – In Progress with NISS Cohort Support
    • Standardize processes and technologies across advising units through mandatory training and routine refreshers - In Progress with NISS Cohort Support
  • Key Challenge 3: Underutilized academic outcome data:
    • Empower administrative structures to coordinate and improve the regular distribution, analysis, and collaborative use of course-level and student success data – Previously in progress
    • Use time to degree and course availability data to inform course and program design and to identify and analyze bottlenecks to student progression - Previously in progress
    • Focus academic supports in high enrollment courses with significant DFW rates - Previously in progress
  • Key Challenge 4: Nontargeted financial wellness supports:
    • Track early warning signs of students facing financial risk and leverage staff across student support units to proactively reach out to these students - Exploratory phase
    • Use data to launch targeted, proactive financial support programs for students needing help before they stop out - Exploratory phase
    • Promote understanding of financial aid and wellness supports through personalized, strategically delivered communications - Exploratory phase