The Kept-Up Academic Librarian

Social Networking Tools Good For Community College Students

Social-networking tools such as Facebook and Twitter can help community college students become more engaged in their academics, a recent report from the Center for Community College Student Engagement suggests. Although large numbers of students say they use such tools in their daily lives, many two-year colleges have yet to mine the potential of the technology. The survey found higher levels of engagement among students who said they used social media multiple times a day for academic purposes, such as communicating with other students, instructors or college staff about coursework, than students who said they don't use such tools at all. Read more at:
http://www.lancastereaglegazette.com/article/20091206/NEWS01/912060324/1002

Community College Students Can End Up Borrowing More Than Four-Year Students

Graduates of the Montana university system's two-year schools are borrowing more per degree year than graduates of the state's public four-year universities, statistics show. That's despite the fact that tuition at two-year schools averages 30 percent lower than four-year schools. So, why are Montana university system students with associate's degrees paying more per degree year? Part of the answer points to continuing problems in higher education, such as the lack of scholarships for part-time students and the high cost of child care and housing. Read more at:
http://www.missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/article_bc00fc78-dca2-11de-ac9e-001cc4c03286.html

Community College Honors Program Offers Quality And Savings

Over two arduous weeks last spring, Cassels sat with her parents and weighed the costs and benefits of each program until the list was narrowed to one: an honors track at the local community college. Cassels, 18, is one of an increasing number of high school graduates who pass over top-drawer public and private universities to become honor students at community colleges. Recession-wary students are flocking to selective two-year programs, which allow students to complete half of their college education for about $8,000, then transfer to a more prestigious four-year institution. Read more at:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/11/29/AR2009112902831.html?hpid=artslot

Social Networks Can Increase Engagement When Used For Academics

Social-networking tools such as Facebook and Twitter can help community college students become more engaged in their academics, a report out today finds. But while large numbers of students say they use such tools in their daily lives, many two-year colleges have yet to mine the potential of the technology. The survey found higher levels of engagement among students who said they used social media multiple times a day for academic purposes, such as communicating with other students, instructors or college staff about coursework, than students who said they don't use such tools at all. It also revealed a potential downside for colleges that don't harness the technology: Students who frequently used social-networking tools but not for academic reasons tended to put less effort into their schoolwork. Read more at:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/2009-11-16-ccsse16_ST_N.htm?csp=34

Community Colleges Close Doors To Traditional Applicants

Most of New York City’s community colleges were forced to abandon their all-are-welcome admissions policies for the first time. LaGuardia stopped accepting applications on July 30. The Borough of Manhattan Community College stopped in late June, while Bronx, Hostos and Queensborough Community Colleges cut off applications in the first half of August. Applications to the community colleges for the 2010 spring semester are up 19 percent from the same time last year. For years the colleges have offered an affordable avenue to higher education for low-income students, many of them the first in their families to attend college. Across the country, many community colleges have felt similar pressures. Read more at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/11/12/education/12community.html?_r=4&ref=education

In Hard Times Students Head For Community Colleges

Students are flocking to two-year public colleges, which have become refuges in the recession. The schools have open enrollment for most programs, and tuitions markedly cheaper than four-year private or public institutions. Students who earn an associate’s degree at a two-year college can usually transfer the credits to four-year schools. "In economic hard times, there is always a return to education for older students,’’ said Massachusetts Higher Education Commissioner Richard M. Freeland. “There also are a lot of families this year for whom the cost of college has become a significant issue.’’ Read more at:
http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2009/11/08/community_colleges_are_a_good_deal_in_hard_economic_times/

Obama's Community College Plan May Need More Funding

President Barack Obama wants to invest some $12 billion in community colleges with the aim of seeing an additional 5 million students graduate by 2020. This goal comes while many schools are already bursting at the seams with droves of displaced workers hit by the recession competing with traditional students seeking an education bargain. Obama's 10-year initiative would provide a welcome infusion of cash, but some fear it would not sustain community college programs. Read more at:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jxxmzQ-sohzH8p-DkXg1fiPRjTTQD9BMS5480

Minnesota's Two-Year Colleges See Biggest Enrollment Increase In History

The high school graduate, the out-of-work and the just-plain-nervous are crowding classrooms at your local community college. Enrollment has grown by double digits at 13 community and technical colleges in Minnesota, boosting the biggest jump in the public system's history. The figures show a "strategic" response to the recession, said U provost Thomas Sullivan. Experts expected the influx, which is playing out across the nation. Read more at:
http://www.startribune.com/local/63816602.html?elr=KArks7PYDiaK7DUvckD_V_jEyhD:UiD3aPc:_Yyc:aU7DYaGEP7vDEh7P:DiUs

Students Opting For Value Over Prestige

As the recession grinds on, prestige has taken a back seat to affordability. Sky-rocketing university tuition, along with more reluctance to take on huge loans (especially if grades are less than stellar or your major is "undecided") has spurred students to reconsider an alternative they once dismissed.  Although recent statistics aren't available, officials say there's plenty of anecdotal evidence to suggest that this group has contributed to the overall record enrollments currently being seen at community colleges nationwide. Last year, some 70 percent of high schools reported an increase in the number of students who jettisoned their "dream schools" for more budget-conscious choices, according to the National Association for College Admission Counseling. Read more at:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/chi-reverse-transfersoct01,0,6879194.story

Entrepreneurship Courses Are Hot At Community Colleges

Community colleges across the country have beefed up their offerings this year as laid-off workers search for training and tips on start-up success. But entrepreneurial and career-specific classes like the one Roberts attends are particularly popular in North Texas, where small businesses remain a financially feasible option because the recession has been milder here than in most areas. Entrepreneurial classes are taking off nationwide in myriad versions, said Heather Van Sickle, the executive director of the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship. Read more at:
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/dn/education/stories/092409dnmetcommcollege.40e75e5.html