News

May 10, 2006
ECC Officials Present at National Conference

 
From left, ECC officials Kristi Snuggs, Shawna Andrews, Dr. Deborah Lamm, and J. Lynn Cale spoke recently at a national community college conference on the Edgecombe Early College High School.

Edgecombe Community College leaders were members of a panel that focused on the Edgecombe Early College High School at a national conference in April.

      Dr. Deborah Lamm, president of ECC; Kristi Snuggs, vice president of instruction; J. Lynn Cale, associate vice president of instruction; and Shawna Andrews, principal of the Edgecombe Early College High School, spoke at the annual convention of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) in Long Beach, California.

      They were invited to present by the AACC, an organization that is "the leading proponent and the national voice for community colleges," according to its Web site. AACC's membership represents about 95 percent of all accredited U.S. two-year community, junior, and technical colleges.

      ECC officials focused on the Early College concept, what sets it apart from a traditional high school, and why it's working in Edgecombe County.

      "We were very pleased with our presentation and the subsequent response," says Cale. "School officials from Texas, Georgia, and New Jersey have already planned trips to the ECC campus to learn more about our Early College." ECC participants continue to get calls and emails regarding their presentation.

      In addition, Dr. Lamm has been asked to coauthor an article on the Early College concept for the Community College Journal, a highly regarded national publication for community colleges.

      The Edgecombe Early College is a high school on the ECC campus that begins with the ninth grade and ends with the 13th year of study. In five years, students earn a high school diploma and an associate's degree or two years of university credit toward a four-year degree.

      The program offers small class size and a challenging curriculum. Every student is assigned an advisor, and students often interact with ECC staff. Students are treated like college students, which eases their transition into a college program.

      The Edgecombe Early College enrolls about 70 students.

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