As community college administrators, statistics on enrollment, retention and completion are consistently in the forefront of our minds. Over the last few years, in an environment of budget cuts stemming from decreased federal, state and private funding, community colleges have struggled not only to attract students but also to get them to the finish line — […]
Mission and Values Articles
Advising Is More Important Than Ever
We have just elected new members of Congress, so this question has likely crossed your mind: What does this mean for higher education policy? Last Monday, EdWeek published an article, Thorny Higher Education Issues to Confront Next Congress, and chief among the issues highlighted was the need to overhaul federal financial aid and student grants, […]
Competency-Based Education in Action
Recently, the national higher education conversation has focused on affordability and learning measures, and this has amplified the voices of those promoting competency-based education (CBE). That’s because CBE focuses on what students learn and how they apply their knowledge rather than how much time they spend taking classes or studying materials. With CBE, if students […]
Competency-Based Education Gains Momentum
Bring up competency-based education in a group of education professionals, and eyebrows might rise. While many questions still surround competency-based education, or CBE, there’s also growing interest in testing it out in the classroom. CBE focuses on what students learn and the application of that learning, rather than how much time they spend sitting in […]
Got College? Boosting Higher Ed Attendance Rates
Kathleen Plinske is on a mission. As the president of Osceola and Lake Nona campuses, part of Valencia College in Florida, she wants her campuses to lead the state in college attendance — even if it takes 10 years. Research suggests she’s got her work cut out for her. Osceola County currently ranks 57th out […]
Redefining Our Role in Higher Education
In an era of diminishing resources, higher education institutions are increasingly being asked to do more with less. A recent study by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities found that “forty-eight states … are spending less per student than they did before the recession.” Another study from the Georgetown University Center on Education and […]
Time to Get Serious About Redesigning Our Colleges
Everyone who works in a community college knows that the only authentic measure of a college’s success is the success of its students. And despite the truly significant contributions these institutions already are making to their communities and country, it is evident that we are falling short. College completion rates are unacceptably low. Achievement gaps […]
More Colleges Consider Dropping ‘Community’ from Their Names
Is there such a thing as a two-year education? That’s the question administrators at a handful of U.S. community colleges must consider as they debate whether to drop the word “community” from their institutions’ names. It wouldn’t be the first time the issue has been on the table. As recently as a few years ago, […]
A Move Toward Competency-Based Education
It was Aristotle who said, “What we have to learn to do, we learn by doing.” Hands-on learning has been a big part of the community college culture for as long as there have been community colleges. Our institutions don’t merely prepare students to sit around and talk smart; they also provide the skills and […]
Should Presidential Pay Be Tied to Student Performance?
John O’Donnell makes a comfortable salary as president of Massachusetts Bay Community College (MassBay). Now, thanks to a new statewide initiative, he’ll be able to earn even more, depending on how his students perform. And he’s not alone. Across the country, colleges are considering ways to link presidential pay to student success. Performance-based pay: How’s […]