Cengage and Rowan-Cabarrus Community College Partnership Increases Affordability and Retention, Improves Outcomes for More than 4,000 Students

RCCC e-Text Initiative Saves Students up to 50 Percent Over Print Materials

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Jan 09, 2017, 01:00 ET

BOSTON and SALISBURY, N.C., Jan. 9, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- A partnership between Cengage, an education and technology company, and Rowan-Cabarrus Community College (RCCC) has saved students up to 50 percent on the cost of their course materials while increasing course engagement and retention. The RCCC e-Text Initiative, now in its third year, delivers Cengage materials to over 4,000 students in more than 30 courses.

The college's retention rate for the Developmental Reading and English III course increased nearly 18 percentage points, from 77.4 percent to 95.1 percent, between fall 2013 and fall 2015. The pass rate for the same course increased from 68.8 percent to 76.6 percent. The program has seen similar success in the Writing and Inquiry course, where the pass rate increased by more than six percentage points in just one year.

In addition, e-Texts have allowed students to save up to 50 percent over print materials and have their course materials on the first day of class, while conveniently providing digital access to their resources directly through their Learning Management System (LMS).

"This initiative has made all the difference at our institution; our students are saving money, they are more successful in their coursework, and they are seeing the same, streamlined technology in their course sequence. We have seen improvements in retention and significant increases in confidence in technology, especially in developmental students," said Jenny Billings, Chair of ACA, DRE, and ENG at Rowan-Cabarrus Community College and Faculty Partner with Cengage.

"We are excited to be a part of RCCC's implementation of programs that lead to a better teaching and learning experience while reducing costs for students," said Lori Hales, SVP Institutional Sales, Cengage. "In addition to improving retention rates, ensuring that students are equipped with the right materials from the start helps build confidence and momentum towards their goals."

The RCCC e-Text Initiative was recently presented with a faculty-led, Digital Learning Innovation Award (DLIA) from the Online Learning Consortium (OLC). For more information on the award win, click here. For more information on Cengage inclusive access programs, visit http://solutions.cengage.com/institutional/inclusiveaccess/.

About Cengage

Cengage is the education and technology company built for learners. The company serves the higher education, K-12, professional, library and workforce training markets worldwide. Cengage creates learning experiences that build confidence and momentum toward the future students want. The company is headquartered in Boston, MA with an office hub in San Francisco. Employees reside in nearly 40 countries with sales in more than 125 countries around the world. Visit us at www.cengage.com or find us on Facebook or Twitter.

About Rowan-Cabarrus Community College

Rowan-Cabarrus Community College has spent over 50 years serving Rowan and Cabarrus counties. Opening its doors in 1963, the College offers a wide-variety of programs to serve a diverse population. Rowan-Cabarrus has a deep commitment to teaching excellence, student care and education affordability. Our multiple campuses are conveniently and strategically located. Rowan-Cabarrus offers associate degree programs in more than 30 areas of study, including business, IT, health, engineering and biotechnology. The College offers numerous degrees entirely online, as well as certificates focused on career training. Rowan-Cabarrus provides more than 2,000 course offerings, serving a yearly overall enrollment of more than 20,000 students. In 2015, an app launched allowing Rowan-Cabarrus students to register for classes and view schedules on the go. In both 2015 and 2016, Rowan-Cabarrus placed as one of the Top Ten Digital Community Colleges in the country by the Center for Digital Education (tenth and sixth place, respectively). An ever-expanding set of extra-curricular activities creates a holistic experience and develops well-rounded graduates. Simply put, Rowan-Cabarrus Community College is a way forward – for our students, our economy, our community.