Student Achievement Statement
In the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) Policy “Institutional Obligations for Public Disclosure”, it requires that institutions publish “statements of goals for student achievement and the success of students in achieving those goals.” Compliance with SACSCOC Core Requirement (CR) 8.1 (Student Achievement) includes the requirement that institutions publish goals and outcomes for student achievement appropriate to the institution’s mission, the nature of the students the institution serves, and the kinds of programs offered.
Mission Statement
At Southwest Tennessee Community College, community is our middle name. As a teaching, and learning centered college, our students pursue associate degrees and technical certificates and engage in workforce development training to prepare them for the demands of an evolving marketplace. Our ability to change and adapt to uplift our students and serve our community makes us unique. At Southwest, we believe everyone deserves.
Southwest Tennessee Community College (Southwest) strives to excel in providing an environment where teaching and learning supports students in the pursuit of a certificate and/or associates degree, or workforce certificate. To ensure we accomplish our mission, Southwest provides an array of academic programs to meet the demands of an ever-evolving marketplace. As a Workforce Solutions: A Center of Excellence, the college provides specialized career training and technical skills development. Comprehensive support services are offered to each student to help reach their academic, personal, career and employment goals.
Southwest assesses its success with respect to student achievement in relationship to its strategic plan, Focus 2025; Students, Community, and Excellence. Southwest has identified the following criteria for these assessments; student retention, Associate degrees awarded, graduation rates (6 Year National Student Clearing House Total Completion Rate), Transfer, Workforce training (contact) hours, and passage rates for national licensure exams. Southwest continuously collects and monitors data to measure the college’s annual progression toward achieving its Strategic plan, that directly supports its mission statement.
First-Time Freshman (FTF) Fall-to-Fall retention rate is the number of students who enroll in Fall and are retained in the subsequent Fall semester, this includes all enrolled degree-seeking students (full-time & part-time).
Appropriateness of Criterion and Threshold of Acceptability
Southwest Strategic goal three, Focus on Excellence is to ensure students have every opportunity to achieve their goals by gaining competencies to be successful college graduates. Southwest selected First-Time Freshman (FTF) Fall-to-Fall retention rate as a criterion for student success because it reflects not only the student’s commitment to their personal goal, but it also aligns to Southwest’s commitment to foster student academic growth, career readiness, and personal development.
For Fall 2021 retention, Southwest set a goal to increase Fall-to-Fall retention to 55.2% with a minimum threshold of acceptability of 55%.
Table 2: Fall-to-Fall Retention
| Cohort | Fall 20 | Threshold | Fall 21 Actual |
| 54.8% | 55% | 47.2% |
| Fall-to-Fall Retention | Fall 16 | Fall 17 | Fall 18 | Fall 19 |
| 53.4% | 49.4% | 53.3% | 54.6& |
The total number of associate's degrees conferred in an academic year, unduplicated completer headcount.
Appropriateness of Criteria and Threshold of Acceptability
Southwest selected Associate degrees awarded because it directly aligns to Strategic goal one outcome, Focus on Student (Access, Success and Completion). This outcome is also directly aligned to the Tennessee Higher Education Commission Funding Formula. Southwest selected Associate’s degrees conferred as a criterion for student success because it indicates not only the student’s success in completing the program, but it also demonstrates Southwest’s success in supporting the student from inception to completion.
Appropriately, Southwest’s Focus 2025 scorecard has set a goal to increase Associates degrees awarded by 3% at the conclusion of 2025 academic year.
Southwest set a goal to increase unduplicated Associates degree completer headcount by 1% (852) with a minimum threshold of acceptability of .5% (848) by the conclusion of academic year 2022-23.
| 2022-2023 Goal | Threshold | 2022-23 Cohort Actual |
| 1% (852) | .5% (848) | -9% (767) |
| Completers | 2019-2020 | 2020-2021 | 2021-2022 |
| 868 | 872 | 844 |
NSC’s six-year completion rate tracks cohort outcomes of first-time and degree-seeking students (full-time and part-time) transfer/completions at subsequent institutions.
Appropriateness of Criteria and Threshold of Acceptability
Southwest selected NSC six-year completion rate as a criterion of student success because it is an indicator of how many students either completed or did not complete a certificate or associate degree and/or transferred to a subsequent institution (2-yr or 4-yr) to obtain a credential. As an open-admissions institution, Southwest enrollment consists of a significant number of non-traditional and transfer-in and/or out student populations. NSC’s Six-year graduation rate captures students’ long-term success, which allows Southwest to gauge the impact of learning resources that assist in the student’s journey to success.
Southwest set a goal to increase the six-year completion rate to 45% with a minimum threshold of acceptability of 44% for the 2017-18 cohort by the conclusion of the academic year 2023-24.
| 2017-18 Cohort | Goal | Threshold | Actual |
| 45% | 44% | TBD |
| 2014-15 | 2015-16 | 2016-17 |
| 45% | 45% | 44% |
Rationale for Disaggregation of Six-Year Graduation Rate
| Cohort Year | 2013-14 | 2014-15 | 2015-16 | 2016-17 |
| First-time | 40% | 41% | 40% | 40% |
| Full-time | 44% | 45% | 39% | 40% |
| Part-Time | 44% | 45% | 53% | 51% |
| 20 & Younger |
45% | 44% | 40% | 39% |
| >20-24 |
50% | 51% | 51% | 56% |
| Older than 24 |
39% | 42% | 47% | 43% |
| Female |
48% | 49% | 48% | 47% |
| Male |
39% | 40% | 38% | 37% |
| African American |
36% | 38% | 38% | 36% |
| Hispanic |
53% | 48% | 43% | 48% |
| White |
58% | 58% | 55% | 55% |
The Transfer Rate is the percentage of students transferring to subsequent institution after completing 12 credit hours with Southwest.
Appropriateness of Criteria and Threshold of Acceptability
Southwest selected transfer as a criterion for student success because it directly aligns to strategic goal one, Focus on Students (Access, Success and Completion) and Tennessee’s Higher Education Funding Formula. This criterion of student success indicates how well the college removes barriers and provides a seamless experience of equitable and intentional academic and wrap-around support. Appropriately, transfer directly aligns with Southwest’s Focus 2025 scorecard to increase the percentage of Southwest students transferring to a subsequent institution by 9% at the conclusion of 2025 academic year.
Southwest set a goal to increase the percentage of students transferring out who continue at another institution from the 2021-22 value of (leavers continuing) to 3% (493) with a minimum threshold of acceptability of 2% (489) by the conclusion of the academic year 2022-23.
| Cohort Workforce Training Contact hours | 2022-2023 Goal | Threshold | 2022-2023 Actual |
| 2% (61,537) | 1% (60,933) | 3.9% (63,954) |
| Workforce Training Contact hours | 2019-20 | 2020-21 | 2021-22 |
| 69,578 | 58,863 | 60,330 |
Appropriateness of Criteria and Threshold of Acceptability
Southwest selected National Licensure examination as a criterion for student success because it directly indicates the program’s effectiveness in preparing students for their chosen career paths. The following Academic programs sit for national licensure exams; Nursing (A.A.S), Medical Laboratory Technician, Laboratory Phlebotomy Technician, and Physical Therapy Assistant.
The goal for each program was either determined by the Programmatic Accreditor or program faculty, which is published on the academic programs designated webpage. The Threshold of Acceptability was determined by program faculty.
Nursing (A.A.S)
Southwest Nursing program set a goal to increase the NCLEX-RN passage rate by 18% with a minimum threshold of acceptability of 85% by the conclusion of the academic year 2022.
| Cohort | Cohort Actual | Goal | Threshold |
| 2022 | 67% | 85% | 85% |
| NCLEX - RN Pass Rate | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 |
| 92% | 88% | 80% |
Medical Laboratory Technician
Southwest Medical Laboratory Technician program set a goal to maintain national passage rate of 100% with a minimum threshold of acceptability of 85% by the conclusion of the academic June 2023.
| Cohort | Goal | Threshold | Cohort Actual |
| July 2022 to June 2023 | 100% | 85% | 91% |
| National Examination Passage Rate | July 2019 to June 2020 | July 2020 to June 2021 | July 2021 to June 2022 |
| 79% | 100% | 100% |
Laboratory Phlebotomy Technician
Southwest Laboratory Phlebotomy Technician program set a goal to maintain national passage rate of 100% with a minimum threshold of acceptability of 85% by the conclusion June 2023.
|
Cohort |
Cohort Goal |
Threshold |
Cohort Actual |
|
July 2022 to June 2023 |
100% |
75% |
No test takers |
|
National Examination Passage Rate |
July 2019 to June 2020 |
July 2020 to June 2021 |
July 2021 to June 2022 |
|
80% |
100% |
100% |
Physical Therapist Assistant
Southwest Physical Therapist Assistant program set a goal to increase National Physical Therapist Examination (Ultimate Licensure passage rate) by .04% with a minimum threshold of acceptability of 81% by the conclusion of the academic year 2022
|
Cohort |
Goal |
Threshold |
Cohort Actual |
|
2022 |
85% |
81% |
63.62% |
|
National Examination Passage Rate |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
|
84.2% |
79% |
84.6% |
Radiologic Technology
Southwest Radiologic Technology program set a goal to increase National Credentialing Examination passage rate by 34% with a minimum threshold of acceptability of 60% by the conclusion of the academic year 2022.
|
Cohort |
Goal |
Threshold |
Cohort Actual |
|
2022 |
75% |
60% |
40% |
|
National Examination Passage Rate |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
|
53% |
76% |
41% |
Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
Southwest Emergency Medical Services program set a goal to maintain National Credentialing Examination passage rates 100% with a minimum threshold of acceptability of 70% by the conclusion of the academic year 2023.
|
Cohort |
Goal |
Threshold |
Cohort Actual |
|
2023 |
100% |
70% |
100% |
|
National Examination Passage Rate |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
|
100% |
100% |
100% |
Related Links
Contact Us
- Erica Hughes
- Associate Vice President of Institutional Research, Planning and Effectiveness
- 901-333-4946
- Selena Grimes
- Director of Planning and Accreditation
- 901-333-4109
- Bimal Kunwor
- Director of Institutional Research and Effectiveness
- 901-333-4946