Community Colleges: Access, Growth, and Change

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Operation Inform 07
Community Colleges Access, Growth, and Change
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Community Colleges

• Community Colleges are critical to SUNYs mission
  but also to higher education across the country.
• 46 of all U.S. undergraduates are enrolled in a
  community college
• 56 of all public postsecondary enrollment is in
  community colleges

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SUNYs Community Colleges

• SUNY's 30 locally sponsored Community Colleges
  are located strategically throughout New York
  State
• More than 210,000 full-time and part-time
  students are currently enrolled
• More than half of all first-time college freshman
  attend community colleges
• Full-time enrollment at community colleges range
  from 700 to over 10,000
• Overarching mission provide excellent transfer
  and career education, and degree programs,
  supported by comprehensive student services

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Community Colleges

• Misperceptions
• - Community college is not college
• - Community college is not the destination of
• choice for first-year college students
• - Difficulties/restrictions in transferring to
  highly-
• selective institutions
• Lets refute some myths
• (Source collegeboard.com)

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Why Community College?

• Transfer to Four-Year Colleges and Universities
• Cutting-Edge Technology
• Lower Cost
• Accessible Faculty
• Small Classes
• Variety of Courses and Majors
• Flexible Schedules

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Why Community College? (cont)

• Commitment to Diversity
• Support Services
• Community Service
• Student Success

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Access

• Community Colleges participate in the Full
  Opportunity Program of the State University of
  New York
• Each college has specific admissions
  criteria-check with individual campuses regarding
  policies, prerequisites and special admission
  programs
• Student Success Freshman Seminar and first-year
  programs, placement testing assessment,
  academic advisement, counseling support
  services

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Growth

• Many community colleges now offer student
  housing. Campuses are enhancing facilities and
  services health and fitness centers, dining
  halls with meal plans, libraries, classroom
  buildings, computer labs, extension
  centers/branch campuses, etc.
• Expanding technology, distance learning
  opportunities, hybrid courses, Dual
  Enrollment/College in the High School programs,
  etc.
• Unique programs of study community colleges can
  quickly adapt to community and industry needs

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Unique Programs

• Adirondack Adventure Sports Leadership
  Management
• Broome Chemical Dependency Counseling
• Cayuga Geographic Information Systems
• Clinton Industrial Technology
• Columbia-Greene Massage Therapy
• Corning Fire Protection
• Dutchess Aviation Science
• Erie Surgical Technology
• FIT Toy Design
• Finger Lakes Fisheries Technology
• FMCC Multimedia Technology
• Genesee Biotechnology
• Herkimer CyberSecurity
• Hudson Valley Supermarket Management Operations
• Jamestown Psychology of the Workplace

• Jefferson Animal Management
• Mohawk Valley Digital Animation
• Monroe Optical Systems Technology
• Nassau Mortuary Science
• Niagara Gaming Casino Management
• North Country Computer Graphics Design
• Onondaga Respiratory Care
• Orange Exercise Studies
• Rockland Performing Arts
• Schenectady Nanoscale Materials Technology
• Suffolk Dietetic Technician
• Sullivan Professional Chef
• TC3 Global Communications
• Ulster Paramedic
• Westchester Electronic Music

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Change

• More interest from high achieving
  students-community colleges are no longer a
  backup choice
• Grants Scholarships for academically talented
  students campus based scholars programs for new
  and returning students
• Academic Competitiveness Grant
• Increased transfer opportunities more
  partnerships with four-year colleges and
  universities, four-year institutions now offering
  baccalaureate degrees on some community college
  campuses
• More than half of all community college graduates
  transfer to four-year colleges and universities.
  Credits transfer to both SUNY schools and private
  institutions

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Choosing a Community College

• Similar to a four-year college search
• Consider location, cost, class size, and campus
  environment
• Students should weigh their options carefully
  living at home and commuting to their local
  community college, vs. attending a residential
  community college
• Research availability of support services,
  course offerings, student life, etc.
• Your students may think they know their local
  community college-encourage them to speak with an
  admissions professional and schedule a campus
  tour

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Community Colleges

• Discussion points
• Results of a recent study in California have
  implications for all of us
• the first semester in community college is a
  pivotal point in students academic careers.
  Students whose first academic experience in
  college is positive and successful are more
  likely to remain in school , and to sustain their
  aspirations to transfer to a four-year college.
• (Source Pace Policy Brief, Aug. 2007)

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• Students who took a full courseload of
  transfer-eligible courses (four or more) in the
  first-semester were far more likely to transfer
  than other students.
• To realize the goal of extending higher
  education to a larger proportion of the next
  generation, policy makers must focus on access,
  but also on the factors that foster student
  persistence in college.
• (Source Pace Policy Brief, Aug. 2007)

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• Questions?
• For more information, please contact
• Your local community college
• SUNY Recruitment Response Center
• 1-800-342-3811
• SUNY Center for Student Recruitment (NYC)
• 212-938-1209
• SUNY Web site
• www.suny.edu/student

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