College and Career Success
Please consult the complete College & Career Success Policy for additional detail.
The Board of Regents for Higher Education directed the Connecticut State Community College, in conjunction with the CSCU System Office through the leadership of the CSCU Provost and Senior Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs, to:
- Require all Connecticut State Community College programs of study to include the three (3) credit CCS 1001 College and Career Success which is focused on college success and career exploration.
- Require all degree-seeking students to enroll in CCS 1001 College and Career Success within their first nine (9) credits.
- Ensure that CCS 1001 College and Career Success includes a component that meets the general education core diversity requirement, with the acknowledgement that diversity topics should ideally be embedded throughout the General Education core and across the curriculum.
- Ensure that CCS 1001 College and Career Success fulfills one of the general education core competencies.
- Make recommendations regarding which programs of study might add CCS 1001 College and Career Success as an exception to normalization, in accordance with BOR policy.
- Provide guidance regarding which circumstances allow a student to request exemption from taking CCS 1001 College and Career Success with final decisions on exemptions made by campus academic leadership.
- Ensure that CCS 1001 College and Career Success is regularly updated to align with the latest research and evidence from the field regarding successful first year experience courses, noting that current research demonstrates that the most successful first year experience courses use pedagogies that promote learning-for-application, use equity-minded pedagogies and inclusive formats, give instructors the tools and structural supports to teach effectively, and substantively link the course to other academic courses to improve transfer of learning.
- Provide administrative oversight of CCS 1001 College and Career Success to ensure consistency of delivery and outcomes.
Student Exemption for CCS 1001 effective Fall 2023
The exemption only applies to two student populations: LEGACY and TRANSFER-IN students. If a student is eligible for an exemption, the student can meet with their advisor and/or Program Coordinator for substitution guidance. Aside from these two student populations, all students will be required to take CCS 1001 College and Career Success starting in Fall 2023. Please see the Student Exemption Procedure for full details.
Legacy Students
A “legacy student” is a student was enrolled in a Connecticut community college prior to Fall 2023 but did not complete a degree program and is now enrolling in a CT State Community College degree program.
If a student has completed 24 or more college-level credits and has not taken an equivalent course (outlined in the exemption), a student will be eligible1 for a course substitution.
If a student has completed any of the outlined 1 or 1.5 credit courses (as listed in the exemption) at the CT Community Colleges, the CCS 1001 College and Career Success requirement may be waived, and the student will be eligible1 for a course substitution.
If a student has completed CCS 1001 College and Career Success at any of the colleges prior to Fall 2023, that course will fulfill the CCS 1001 College and Career Success requirement in CT State programs.
Transfer-In Students:
If a student has completed an equivalent 3 credit course at an accredited college or university with a C- or higher, that course will be transferred in and will fulfill the CCS 1001 College and Career Success requirement.
If a student has NOT completed an equivalent 3 credit course at an accredited college or university but has 24 or more transferable credits with a C- or higher, the student will be eligible1 for a course substitution of CCS 1001 College and Career Success.