ILEA Equity Plan | Elgin Community College (ECC)

African American students who start at four-year institutions earn bachelor’s degrees within six
years – a rate 32.7 percentage points below that of their White peers. For Latinos, 49.3 percent
are earning degrees, a gap of 17.1 percentage points. The completion gap between low-income
and wealthier students is also alarming: according to Advance Illinois, only 37 percent of lowincome
students graduate in six years while 75 percent of wealthier students do.
Increased and more equitable graduation outcomes across the diversity of our state’s higher
education institutions benefits students, their families and the state of Illinois. A 3% increase in
graduation rates is projected to produce $1.7B increase in net earnings, $132M increase in tax
revenue, and $35M in public system savings. The progress of the ILEA member colleges and
universities will provide a set of learnings that the Partnership will document and share with
practitioners and policymakers across Illinois, the region and the nation, establishing a path
forward that will promote equity in college achievement.
For more information on ILEA, please visit: http://partnershipfcc.org/ilea.
1B: Institution Overview
Elgin Community College is excited to be a part of the Illinois Equity in Attainment (ILEA) cohort.
Regarding our participation, ECC President Dr. Sam states: “We look forward to using the
frameworks and tools developed through this partnership to enhance our ability to fulfill the
Elgin Community College mission: ‘to improve people’s lives through learning’. Through the
expertise and support of ILEA members, we intend to strengthen our skills in defining,
deploying, and assessing equity-based quality practices that remove barriers and ensure the
delivery of resources needed by all students to achieve their goals.”
Mission
ECC’s mission is to improve people’s lives through learning. The mission is the core driver
behind every goal and objective in Elgin Community College’s 5-year Strategic Plan for 2018 to
2022. Our promise to the residents of Illinois Community College District 509 is to create and
provide high-quality learning environments that meet their needs while enriching their lives
and communities. Our mission was crafted along with our vision, wherein we challenge
ourselves to achieve excellence in how we improve lives. Our Mission is to be a national leader
in promoting success for all students. Specifically, we strive to make recognized institution and
to benchmark our performance against peers nationally. The Vision is attained through a
commitment to provide innovative and affordable learning opportunities for all constituencies
and to promote cultural competence and community partnership in our decisions and actions.
Taken together, the mission and vision guide everything we do. Our mission calls us to improve
the lives of others, and our vision promises excellence in how we do this.
Background
Elgin Community College was founded in 1949 as an extension of Elgin Area School District U46
and later incorporated in 1966 under the Illinois Community College Board. Presently, District
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ILEA Equity Plan
Introduction