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.
This mission statement is fully aligned with the University System of Georgia’s (USG) mission, it represents the core principles and unique institutional characteristics of a state college, and it is accentuated by strong leadership, worthwhile community linkages, and exemplary 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.
The College of Coastal Georgia’s fall 2023 enrollment stands at 3,200 students and an FTE of 2,599. In terms of self-declared race/ethnicity, 9.0% identified as Hispanic/Latino, 0.3% American Indian or Alaska Native, 1.7% Asian, 20.0% Black or African American, 0.2% Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, 60.7% White, 1.6% two or more races, and 6.5% undeclared. With an average age of 23.4, the College’s student body is composed of 70.1% female and 55.7% full-time students with 90.06% indicating Georgia residency, 8.28% out-of-state, and 1.66% out-of-country.
First-generation students (whose parent(s)/legal guardian(s) have not completed a baccalaureate degree) account for 55.8% of the 3,174 students for whom we know parent/guardian educational attainment. Adult learners (25 years of age or older) and military/veterans account for 24.0% and 6.8% of the total student body, respectively. Pell recipients account for 37.4% of students, while dual-enrolled students total 372, which is a 25.7% increase compared to fall 2022. Academically, the class of new freshman (for fall 2022) came to the institution with a 3.17 average high school GPA, attempted an average of 24.14 credits during the first academic year, and earned an average of 17.44 credits. This cohort persisted through fall 2022 at a 50.1% rate and had an average GPA of 2.1. 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 its completion priorities. First, by providing access and affordability, CCGA addresses the needs of the region and is particularly impactful for communities that are traditionally underserved by postsecondary education (data from the College’s First Destination Survey shows 76% of graduates remain in the state and 62% in the region). Secondly, the College promotes student progression and timely graduation by proactively engaging and supporting students at every stage of their collegiate journey (as evidenced by the process improvement, strategies, and activities, being implemented as part of the 2023 Momentum Plan). Finally, by increasing student campus and community engagement, the institution prepares students to engage in meaningful careers and to satisfy the economic and cultural needs of the community and the region (data from the First Destination Survey shows that 59% of respondents were employed full-time at or immediately after graduation, nearly equal to the national rate of 51.9% (class of 2021), which includes graduates of highly selective institutions).
In its commitment to student success for every student, every time, the College of Coastal Georgia continues to work with its Student Success and Completion Team to strengthen the services, activities, interventions, and communication protocols targeting students who may be at academic risk. The strategies reviewed and developed from this work not only focus on students exhibiting poor academic performance but also focus on proactively guiding students to maintain positive academic practices and mindset. The next sections provide an update on the work from this team and the progress on the programs/projects/activities/initiatives that were selected as part of the institutional Momentum plan for 2023.
[1] Total enrollment, FTE, and all demographic information are based on USG Semester Enrollment Report and persisted report data for fall 2023; the academic achievement metrics are based on Banner SIS data for the fall 2022 cohort.
