Higher Ed Utah » Community College

Community Colleges: “America’s Best Kept Secret”

dolson — Wed, 06 Oct 2010 14:54:38 +0000

(White House Blog) – Today, Dr. Jill Biden hosted the first ever White House Summit on Community Colleges. The summit brought together community colleges, business, philanthropy, federal and state policy leaders, faculty and students to discuss how community colleges can help meet the job training and education needs of the nation’s evolving workforce, as well as the critical role these institutions play in achieving the President’s goal to lead the world with the highest proportion of college graduates by 2020.

The entire blog post is available here.

Community College 2.0

gwixom — Mon, 10 May 2010 13:57:58 +0000

Last week, the Center for American Progress (CAP) released Community College 2.0, a brief that calls on the federal government to help community colleges reach their goals of improving student success and helping train our workforce for the future. According to CAP, new funding is needed for the Departments of Education and Labor to be directed toward community colleges, and used to foster innovation in three key areas:

Faculty and staff professional development to help ensure that these school leaders are prepared to teach integrated developmental, occupational, and academic courses and provide career advising
Data systems that help community colleges better understand student learning and provide students with information to better plan their education
New associates degree education models built on a foundation of apprenticeship and career pathways

View the Full Article Here

Younger Students Increasingly Considering Community Colleges

gwixom — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 13:39:53 +0000

The Washington Post (4/11, Davis) reports, “As the economy continues to falter, job losses rack up and families’ savings dwindle, more students who saw themselves going directly from high school to a four-year institution are instead carving a path to their local community college.” And the younger demographic — “nationally, about 46 percent of students on community college campuses are younger than 21″ — is changing the public perception of such institutions. While “there’s a stigma that remains about community colleges,” students and parents are increasingly realizing “that if they succeed in community college, they might be able to transfer to prestigious schools…and pay half the price.” Advocates also note the advantages of smaller class sizes and access to educators that aren’t focused on research. “Community college officials say they hope the schools’ reputation as a place students don’t attend by choice is changing, and even Washington is taking notice” with programs such as the American Graduation Initiative.

Community Colleges Get Attention

gwixom — Mon, 05 Apr 2010 13:26:30 +0000

The AP (4/5, Gorski) reports, “Politicians and policymakers are lavishing unprecedented attention on community colleges, promoting them as engines to train workers in the recession and boost the country’s college graduation rates. … Grappling with soaring enrollment and plummeting state support, community colleges are grateful for the higher profile but disappointed money has yet to materialize to help them keep up with demand, let alone meet ambitious Obama administration goals to make the US the global leader in college graduates again by 2020.” The AP continues, “No longer the afterthought of higher education, the nation’s 1,200 community, technical and junior colleges enroll more than 6 million students – almost half the nation’s college population.” But “the economic downturn has pressured both schools and their students, most of whom work long hours. Sinking tax revenues at state and local levels have forced public colleges to cut courses or schedule them around the clock, slash summer sessions, eliminate academic programs and even restrict enrollment.”

The Future of Higher Education May be the Community College

gwixom — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 20:54:08 +0000

When President Obama outlined his plans for the American Graduation Initiative, he emphasized the critical role of community colleges in educating and training students and adults for the jobs needed to keep the United States economically competitive.

Now is the time to build a firmer, stronger foundation for growth that will not only withstand future economic storms, but one that will help us thrive and compete in the global economy, he said in July at Macomb Community College in Michigan. Its time to reform our community colleges so that they provide Americans of all ages a chance to learn the skills and knowledge necessary to compete for the jobs of the future.

Click here for the full details.