Methods of Promoting Academic, Business, and Community Partnerships

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Methods of Promoting Academic, Business, and
Community Partnerships

• Dr. Peg Morelli
• Colorado Community College System
• Tuesday, October 8, 2002
• 1045 - 1215

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Topics for discussion

• Overview of Colorado System
• Colorado Rural Development Council
• Rural Telecommunications Summit
• Opening Windows
• Rural Education Access Program
• Rural Colorado E-Commerce Initiative
• Rural New Economy Initiative
• Academic Workshops
• Challenges and Conclusions
• Replicating Successes

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Overview of Colorado System

• Individual community colleges for decades
• CCCOES created by Colorado General Assembly
  (1967)
• Governing board appointed by governor
• has full governing authority over 13 community
  colleges
• regulation and administration of all CTE at Area
  Vocational schools (8) and public secondary
  system (154 school districts)
• coordination of two local district colleges
• Colorado Community College System operates under
  the authority of the Colorado Commission on
  Higher Education (CCHE)
• Name changed to Colorado Community College System
  (2002)

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Colorado Rural Development Council (1993)

• Is part of National Rural Development Partnership
• Began formation in 1993
• 30 member interim steering committee created
• Interim steering committee hired the councils
  executive director
• Partnerships
• Each CRDC sector has two private, two non-profit,
  and two local government representatives
• Denver supplied ten federal liaisons
• Governor appointed ten state partners at cabinet
  level
• 2 tribal nations have seats
• 1 general member

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• Full CRDC Board meets in rural communities around
  Colorado each quarter.
• Executive Committee meets 8 times each year in
  rural communities.
• Each meeting is preceded by a community forum.

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• CRDC Benefits to Rural Colorado
• Facilitates statewide networking and idea
  sharing.
• Serves as rural representation to numerous
  organizations and initiatives to encourage
  accountability to grass roots.
• Forum for information sharing between rural
  communities and governmental agencies.
• Provides educational opportunities at request of
  rural communities.
• Directly involves state and federal agencies in
  rural issues.
• Encourages partnerships to address challenges.
• Addresses rural policy issues at the federal
  level through involvement with the Rural
  Development Council and National Rural
  Development Partnership.

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Rural Telecommunications Summit (1997)

• CRDC compiled partnerships to sponsor and host a
  summit on current and future status of rural
  access to telecommunications and technology.
• Established resources data base.

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Opening Windows (1998-2000)

• Theater and human services project that addresses
  adolescent health and behavior issues.
• CRDC brought Opening Windows to Colorado and
  purchased exclusive rights for two years.
• Play was made available, at minimal cost, to
  rural theater/drama groups for performance
  throughout Colorado.
• Reached about 600 people in five performances.

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Rural Education Access Program (2001)

• The Rural Education Access Program (REAP)
  provides financial support to four-year colleges
  to deliver degree completion programs on the
  campuses of rural community colleges.
• The student earns an Associate Degree and stays
  to earn an advanced degree.

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Rural Colorado E-Commerce Initiative (RCECI)
(1999)

• CCHE leveraged 1.3 million dollars in Colorado
  technology funds.
• RCECI included seven community colleges.
• Community colleges are now working with local
  businesses and individuals.
• Community colleges share resources and products
  with each other

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• Results of RCECI
• Small business development center programs
• All seven community colleges to offer 30 hour
  program designed to promote development of
  business networking
• Emphasis on local accountability
• Colleges offer customized programs to meet
  employer needs
• When local programs are in place, colleges focus
  on bringing them to scale by sharing programs and
  curricula

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• RCECI Strengths
• Shared governance
• Increased resources because of pooling, shared
  networking, and leadership support
• Responding to local needs

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Rural New Economy Initiative (2001)

• Includes fourteen colleges
• Seven state-run rural colleges
• Four four-year colleges
• Two local district colleges
• One area vocational center

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• Present outcomes of Rural New Economy Initiative
  (RNEI) project
• More than 500 participants currently in RNEI
  workshops.
• Local needs and gaps in available programs and
  resources have been pinpointed to decide how to
  best address them.
• Focus
• Educate elected officials
• Fulfill need for healthcare workers
• Increase offerings to small business
• Pilot a leadership development effort to address
  the digital age
• Local resources are being gathered in a common
  statewide pool
• One of the four-year colleges is formatting
  outlines/ curriculum in a database that other
  institutions can access
• RNEI will fund curriculum development for areas
  of interest that have not been addressed

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Academic Workshops (2001 - Present)

• Provided throughout Colorado for secondary and
  post-secondary teachers
• Topic is Incorporating E-Commerce Into
  Curriculum
• Four days training, participants receive
  resource materials, curriculum notebooks and
  CDs, lesson plans to facilitate incorporation
  into programs at participants home sites.

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Challenges and Conclusions

• Role (s) identification
• Provision of business services
• Customized training based upon specific
  local/regional needs
• Community training
• Industry certification programs
• Skills upgrades
• Language and employability skills for immigrants
• Entrepreneurial training
• E-Business, E-Commerce

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• Keys
• Clear mission identification, particularly as it
  relates to rural identity
• Rather than all things to all people, need to
  fulfill mission that will compliment and
  supplement own strengths
• Leadership
• Is critical to identification, fulfillment of,
  and improvement upon roles
• Must be devoid of self-grandisement, truly
  cognizant of needs and how to leverage
  multiplicity of partnerships to meet those needs

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Replicating Successes

• Community colleges are important to rural
  economic development
• Quality of leadership is critical
• A state system influences the nature of
  replication
• Finding money to replicate innovative practices
  can be difficult