As Eastern Shore Community College begins registration for the Summer and Fall semesters on April 8th, they will also be launching a new online tool called Navigate to help students with everything from admissions to deciding on career paths. The implementation of Navigate is a system wide project of the VCCS (Virginia Community College System) and will be employed at all 23 community colleges in the state.
Navigate will be available to students using their ESCC log in, either through the school’s website portal or through a downloadable smart phone app.  It is designed to give students a more efficient college onboarding experience with tools that will help them create an academic roadmap to graduation and a timeline to degree completion, as well as serve as a primary communication channel with academic advisors. The platform promotes strategies on saving time and working toward degree completion on a successful track that, with the help of advisors, is built around a student’s goals and commitments inside and outside the classroom.

ESCC administration, faculty, and staff have been working with Navigate specialists throughout 2018, customizing the platform to local student needs.  A full implementation team was formed at the college tailoring every detail to address the tools that will most benefit anyone who attends Eastern Shore Community College.  Factors that slow or over-complicate enrollment were identified and addressed early on in the process and many months of work will be coming to fruition on April 1st when the Navigate tool will be accessible for the first time at ESCC.

The debut of Navigate coincides with “Advising Week” (April 1-5) at ESCC as existing students meet with advisors for guidance on class selections for the upcoming semesters.  Registration for Summer and Fall classes will begin on Monday, April 8^th.  Summer classes will begin on May 20th, and the Fall 2019 Semester starts on August 19th.  A reminder that the deadline for Summer 2019 financial aid is May 1st, with Summer class payment due May 13th.  For help with FAFSA (financial aid) applications, walk-ins are welcome every Monday and Tuesday from 8:00am-6:00pm at Student Services on campus.

As the excitement builds for the debut of the new ESCC Academic Building opening this Summer, the college is working hard to offer even more for the community, and to make its offerings even more accessible to all.

Amira Ezzat coaches ESCC Staff and Faculty on the uses of the “Navigate” platform debuting April 1st.