U.S. Community Colleges Open Doors

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U.S. Community Colleges Open Doors

• IGNOU
• November 2009

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U.S. Community Colleges

• Began 105 years ago at Joliet Junior College (IL)
  to prepare students to enter senior
  institutions after first two years of study
• 1930s offered technical/ occupational programs
• 1960sbecame more comprehensive to address
  educational, economic and social needs of local
  community

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U.S. Community Colleges

• Largest and fastest growing sector of higher
  education in the U.S.
• Play a unique and vital role to ensure
  opportunity for individuals and economic vitality
• Ensure that people of all socio-economic
  backgroundsfrom new immigrants to laid of
  workers to those who have advanced degreeshave
  access to education and services
• Play a significant role in developing students
  for the workforce and are of equal value to
  adults as they are to traditional age students

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U.S. Community Colleges Offer

• First 2 years of a university educationwith
  transfer opportunities
• Workforce preparation
• Educate and train workers for jobs
• Lifelong Learning
• Update skills Learn new knowledge

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How Community Colleges Fit Into U.S. Higher
Education Structure
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Regional Accreditation of Post-secondary
Institutions

• External quality review is carried out by
  private, nonprofit agencies in 6 different
  regions of the United States
• Regional agencies must be recognized by the U.S.
  Department of Education
• Universities, 4-year colleges, and community
  colleges are accredited by the same regional
  accrediting agencies
• Ministries of Education recognize
  regionally-accredited higher education
  institutions

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1,195 regionally-accredited U.S. community
colleges
11.5 million students.

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Student Enrollment

• 46 of all postsecondary students in U.S. begin
  at community colleges
• 6.5 million credit programs
• 5.5 million non-credit
• Average Age28
• 87,000 international students in 2008
  (__ from India)

Alumni include Pulitzer Prize recipients, chief
executives, scientists, governors, U.S.
Congressional representatives, producers, actors,
athletes
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Such as.

• Arnold Schwarzenegger, CA Governor
• Eileen Collins, Space Shuttle Commander
• Oscar Hijuelos, Pulitzer Prize Winner

• Bruce Merrifield, Nobel Prize-Chemistry
• Kweisi Mfume, President Emeritus, NAACP
• George Lucas, Producer/Director of Star Wars
• Tom Hanks, Clint Eastwood, Actors
• 2008 Gold and Silver Medalists in Track

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Types ofU.S . Community Colleges
Total 1,195
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Community Colleges Are

• AccessibleConvenient, flexible hours
• AffordableLow Tuition and Fees
• AdaptableResponsive to local and regional needs
• AccountableMeets standards established by
  regional accrediting agencies

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Why Students Choose U.S. Community Colleges

• Credits Transfer to a University
• Cost Effective Tuition
• Pre-college English (ESL) programs
• Focus on Teaching
• Supportive Learning Environment

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• 4 Senior
• Junior
• 2 Sophomore
• 1 Freshman

College Transfer
Associates Degree Year 2 Year 1

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Sample of Associate Degrees

• SCIENCES (AS)
• Agriculture
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Computer Science
• Engineering
• Environmental Science
• Forestry
• Geology
• Mathematics
• Oceanography
• Physics
• Zoology

• ARTS (AA)
• Anthropology
• Art History
• Business
• Communications
• Economics
• Geography
• History
• Languages Literature
• Philosophy
• Political Science
• Psychology
• Sociology

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Student Transfer2 2 Articulation Agreements

• Formal agreement between
• community colleges and
• universities to
• Facilitate and maximize the seamless transfer of
  credits transfer between and among post-secondary
  institutions
• Ensure courses taken will satisfy the lower
  division requirements at the university required
  for the students major
• Usually within same state but not always

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Importance of Student Transfer and Articulation

• Primary access vehicle for the bachelors degree
• Platform for the value of the associate degree
• Reinforces the value of the associate degree

• Improves relationships at a systemic level
• Enable students to start their studies at a
  community college and taking credits to a
  university

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Transfer Support for Students

• College Transfer Center
• Transfer links to universities
• Academic Advising
• Career Center with Assessment tools
• Transfer fairs

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Cost-Effective Tuition

• State and Local Funding enable community
  colleges to charge 50 less than public 4-year
  institutions

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Community College Funding Sources
Tuition Fees
State Funds
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Local Funds
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38
15
9
Federal Funds
Other
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Teaching and Learning Focus

• Classes are taught by faculty with advanced
  degrees as well
• as by instructors experienced in their field
• Programs designed for student success
• Small Classes (25-30 students) provide more
  opportunity for dialogue

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Supportive Learning Environment to Ensure Student
Success

• Tutoring
• Academic Advising
• Counseling
• Intensive English programs
• Study Skills Classes
• Career Planning
• Student Clubs
• Cross-Cultural Programs
• Assistance with Housing

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Housing Options at Community Colleges

• 25 have dorms on campus
• Others offer home stays, apartments near campus
  and/or provide transportation to classes

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U.S. Community Colleges also

• Play an important role in the area in which they
  reside
• An economic catalyst by providing employers
  with an educated trained workforce
• Serve all members in the community who can
  benefit from their services

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And Responsive to the Labor Market

• Colleges work with industry to determine what
  type of learning and skills students need to
  enter the workforce
• Students are educated and trained for jobs
  available in the community
• Hands-on, progressive, customized training and
  learning opportunities are provided
• Investment in education and training has
• a direct impact on the local tax
• base and ensures the ongoing
• vitality of the local labor market

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Degrees/Certificates Given in Such Programs as

• Architectural Design
• Computer Technology
• Culinary Arts
• Diesel Technology
• Digital Imaging
• Electronics
• Fashion Design
• Graphic Design
• Hospitality/Tourism
• Film TV Production
• Health Sciences
• Protective Services

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U.S. Community Colleges at the Forefront of
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Degrees and Certificates Change Lives

• Higher levels of education lead to higher
  earnings
• Community college graduates generally earn 20 to
  30 more than people with only high school
  diplomas

• 500,000
• Associate
• Degrees

270,000Certificates
Annually Awarded
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America Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)

• Stimulus funds to retrain displaced workers and
  to work with area industries that currently needs
  workers
• Expertise IT and networking systems
• Create new innovation economy jobs to help
  foster economic growth and stability
• Colleges working with their one-stop career
  centers to provide instruction for work in local
  community, i.e., medical fields, heating and
  cooling, construction

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President Obamas Community College Initiative

• 12 billion program designed to improve student
  learning, track progress and train workers
• Goal is to produce an additional 5 million cc
  graduates by 2020
• The nations two-year colleges and their
  students have experienced significant economic
  hardship. Were very concerned

• about providing access and
• opportunity
• Martha Kanter , Undersecretary of Education

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Federal Opportunities to Help Adults and
Displaced Workers

• U.S. Department of Education awarded 11.25
  million to design and implement 29 projects to
  help students pursue degrees or credentials in
  U.S. community colleges
• Milwaukee Area Technical College (WI) will use
  grant to introduce students to construction
  careers in carpentry, masonry, electricity and
  green technologies (i.e., weatherization)

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Washington State Initiative to Increase
Completion Rates

• Funding State Legislature, Bill Melinda Gates
  Foundation and Ford Foundation
• Program will launch new programs and expand
  successful demonstration efforts to address key
  barriers in student success
• Low-income young adults rely on community
  colleges to get the skills they need in todays
  economy but many struggle to succeed despite
  their best efforts.

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High Growth of Jobs Requiringan Associates
Degree
Jobs requiring an associates degree will grow
32 by 2010
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A Prominent Profile in Todays Workforce
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25
20
15
10
5
ProfessionalDegree
Bachelors
Masters
Some Collegeor AS Degree
Education Profile of Todays Workforce 25 Years
Old
Source U.S. Census 2005
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Workforce Opportunities for Community College
Graduates

• Community technical colleges are committed to
  addressing and solving workforce shortages
• Students can obtain skills to handle a wide range
  of jobs which need more than a high school
  education but not a 4-year degree

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Employers Viewpoint

• U.S. community colleges are increasingly seen as
  a model to train a more skilled workforce
• 95 of businesses and organizations that employ
  community college graduates commend their
  valuable workforce education and training

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U.S. Community Colleges are Winning the Skills
Race

• American community are the
• nations overlooked asset.They
• are the Ellis Island of American higher
• education, the crossroads at which
• K12 education meets colleges and
• universities, and the institutions that
• Give many students the tools to
• navigate the modern world.
• College Board 2008

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Industry and Colleges Working Together

• Sunoco established a Center on Science and
• Engineering Education at the Community College
• of Philadelphia to
• provide support for programs in science and
  technology
• foster student research
• identify faculty professional development
  opportunities and
• develop and implement new science technology
  certificates as needed to address emerging trends

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Northeastern Wisconsin Technical College

• Woman working in a cabinetry plant
• Also takes courses in green advanced
  manufacturing provided by community college
• Now has ability to operate both the heavy
  machinery and the computer technology

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Northeast Community College (Neb) Wind
Technician Training

• Equipment lent to college by local business
  partner
• A learning environment is created for students
  to
• practice in real turbines
• climb 252 feet
• operate powerful and dangerous electrical
  equipment within the confined space (by OSHA
  standards) of the nosecone

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DeKalb Technical College (GA)

• Students are monitoring and updating electrical
  and mechanical buildings in several buildings
• Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority
  provide students with a real world education in
  green technology

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Continuing and Lifelong Education
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Opportunities to Pursue New Careers and Improve
Skills

• Programs attract workers with bachelors and
  advanced degrees
• Many workers seek to improve skills or study for
  new careers (i.e., nursing, IT)
• Job search courses provided
• Also courses for fun or self-improvement--cooking,
  public speaking, music lessons

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Community Colleges Also Provide Soft Skills

• Workers need more than a high level
• technical ability. Essential to success
• Team Work
• Collaboration
• Innovation
• Ability to apply learned information to work
  situation
• Ability to Communicate
• Confidence

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Model for Other Countries

• U.S. community colleges are increasingly seen as
  a model to train a more skilled work force
• A growing belief among community college
  officials that they must more effectively prepare
  students to work in a borderless world
• Community colleges meet needs through customized
  training of workers from specific employers and
  specifically model their programs to suit local
  populations
• Chronicle of Higher Education, April 7, 2008

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Promotes U.S. Community Colleges
Locally Globally
Advocacy Outreach Economic Workforce
Development Global Education Communication
Networking Research, Technology, Emerging
Trends Leadership Development
Partnership/Exchange Opportunities
Relationships with Business Industry
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AACC MissionBuilding a Nation of Learners by
Advancing Americas Community Colleges
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AACC Works Closely With

• U. S. Department of State
• Consular Bureau
• Bureau-Education Cultural Affairs
• U.S. Embassies and Consulates
• U. S. Department-Homeland Security
• International Student Exchange
• Program (SEVP)
• U.S. Agency for International Dev
• U.S. Department of Education
• Office of Vocational /Technical Ed
• Education

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And with..

• Academy for Educational Development
• American Council on Education
• Association of Community College Trustees
• College Board
• Community Colleges for International Development
  (CCID)
• Council for International Education of Scholars
  (CCIS)
• Forum on Study Abroad
• Institute of International Education (IIE)
• Georgetown University SEED (Scholarships for
  Education and Economic Development) Program
• NAFSA International Association of Educators

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Embassy Outreach

• India
• Indonesia
• China
• Saudi Arabian Cultural Mission
• Vietnam
• Embassy Dialogue Committee
• Washington, DC-based group affiliated with NAFSA
  and comprised of representatives from area
  colleges and universities, embassies and
  education organizations

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International Partnerships

• China Education Association for
• International Exchange (CEAIE)
• Association of Canadian Community
• Colleges (ACCC) MOU with AACC to promote
  greater student mobility and more rapid
  recognition of credentials or promoting
  sustainable, integrated development in rural
  areas
• Vietnam Association of Community
• Colleges (VACC)

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Support Model
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• International Student Recruitment Program
• In-Country Fairs
• Student Guide
• Web site
• Training Workshops

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• Community colleges have always been driven by
  what is most relevant to the employment market.
• Bill Gate, Microsoft Corporation

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• community Colleges are a vital component of our
  higher education system, serving almost 50 of
  the undergraduate students in the U.S.
• Barack Obama, U.S. President

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National Testimony to the Value of U.S. Community
Colleges

• I have witnessed firsthand
• the power of a community
• Colleges lives, and I
• think that the smaller class
• sizes, the nurturing
• environment, and the
• personal contact make a
• difference in supporting
• students. In my classes, I
• get to know my students
• well and am able to partner
• with each of them to help
• them succeed.

Jill Biden, Wife of U.S. Vice President
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Thank you! Judy Irwin