The Kept-Up Academic Librarian

California's Community Colleges Might Be Facing The Knockout Blow

The drain of education dollars from California's community colleges has raised the specter of campus closures or receiverships, a state college budget officer says. The comment came as the local colleges look at the uncertain fate of Gov. Jerry Brown's tax measure on the November ballot. A defeat there could become a knockout blow for some campuses that have been absorbing cuts and dipping into reserve funds over the past three years. All of California's interlocked higher education systems — the University of California, the California State University and the community colleges — have been hit hard by the state's fiscal problems, but community colleges perhaps most of all. Tasked with job training, remedial education and transferring students to universities, the schools receive less money per student than either the universities or K-12 schools. Read more at:
http://www.montereyherald.com/state/ci_20725733/budget-official-fate-community-colleges-fragile

Community Colleges And Four-Years Team Up For More Hi-Tech Grads

New Hampshire's community colleges and four-year campuses are working together to turn out more high-tech graduates, promising to double the number in the next 13 years. Last year, the four University System of New Hampshire schools and the 11 community colleges awarded about 8,200 degrees and certificates, including 1,100 degrees in science, technology, engineering or math. Under an agreement signed Tuesday, the latter number would increase by 50 percent by 2020 and double by 2025. Read more at:
http://www.boston.com/news/education/articles/2012/05/15/nh_colleges_commit_to_increasing_high_tech_grads/

Community Colleges Finding Ways To Feed Their Low-Income Students

Bunker Hill is one of many colleges confronting campus hunger, an issue that has failed to make its way into mainstream discussion even as debate swirls in the state Legislature about reforms to the community college system. At least two other Massachusetts community colleges are trying new approaches to ensure their students are well-fed.The problem has intensified as adults, often out of work and with families to feed, flock to community colleges for retraining - and as the colleges look for new ways to keep those students in school. Read more at:
http://articles.boston.com/2012-05-12/metro/31670224_1_community-colleges-hungry-students-campus-event

Proposal Would Eliminate Repeating Courses At California's Community Colleges

There are few subject areas at community colleges where students can repeat classes, but many do so with arts and physical education courses under the mantra that practice makes perfect. That soon could change. The California Community Colleges Board of Governors will take its first look today at a proposal to prohibit students from repeating a course in any subject area unless they fail to earn a satisfactory grade. Read more at:
http://www.sacbee.com/2012/05/07/4470592/community-colleges-look-to-save.html

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/05/07/4470592/community-colleges-look-to-save.html#storylink=cpy

 

Torrent Of Students Pin Their Hope For The Future On Community Colleges

The community college is being asked to save America. But like a small-town fire department straining to contain a big-city blaze, community colleges aren't equipped to handle the huge job thrust on them, many experts say. A torrent of young people who realize a high school diploma means nearly nothing in the new economy or can't afford four-year schools have pinned their hopes on these modest campuses. Read more at:
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/special_packages/inquirer/pDream22.html 

 

Community Colleges Attracting Young Students With Summer Camps

Enrollment numbers indicate that more and more parents like Dubanowski each year are sending their grade school and high school children to academic-based camps at Chicago-area junior colleges and community colleges. School officials attribute the growing popularity to the variety and depth of the topics offered at such camps — from music, theater, filmmaking and art to hands-on investigative science projects and pre-algebra. While more traditional summer camps still might be the right fit for some families, the colleges not only make their camps fun, parents say, but the programs have educational value. Read more at:
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/ct-x-kids-summer-camps-20120418,0,6861821.story

Community Colleges Are The Path To Four-Year Degrees At Elite Schools

It’s partly the economic collapse. The Community College of Philadelphia costs $4,400 a year for city residents; the most expensive private colleges are $60,000. Getting an associate degree first can save $100,000. “These students are choosing community colleges with the intention that this is their path to selective institutions,” Mr. Risley said. For elite schools, community colleges offer racial and economic diversity; the college here is 55 percent black.  Read more at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/16/education/community-colleges-offer-path-to-four-year-degrees.html?ref=education

Community Colleges Provide Job Training That Helps The Unemployed

Community colleges have long viewed job training as central to their mission, but the role has taken on added significance since the economic recession. To help close that skills gap, President Obama this year proposed an $8 billion Community College to Career Fund to create public-private initiatives that get displaced workers back to work. The fund would build on industry partnerships. In Ohio, for example, an initiative launched in 2010 has placed 160 graduates from six community colleges into entry-level jobs in the booming bioscience industry. Read more at:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/story/2012-04-09/community-colleges-fill-work-skills-gap/54136996/1

California's Community College Chancellor Asks Santa Monica College To Hold Off On Tiered-Tuition Plan

The head of California's community college system on Wednesday asked Santa Monica College to put on hold a controversial plan to offer higher-priced courses this summer while the legality of the program is determined. Chancellor Jack Scott said he made the request in a call to college President Chui L. Tsang during which he also expressed concern about a student protest in which several people suffered minor injuries when a campus police officer discharged pepper spray at a Board of Trustees meeting Tuesday evening. "No one likes to see something like this happen, and I expressed that it might be wise to put this matter on hold," Scott said in an interview. Read more at:
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-0405-pepper-spray-20120405,0,6834089.story

Santa Monica's Two-Tier Payment Plan Raises Basic Questions About Role Of Community Colleges

 Santa Monica College is about to try something novel. This summer it will offer some courses for a higher price, so that students who are eager to get into a particular class can do so if they pay more.The plan may be the first of its kind in the country, college officials and other higher education experts say, and if the college succeeds in implementing it, many other community colleges are likely to follow. The two-tiered tuition structure being proposed here is raising eyebrows, and fundamental questions, about the role and obligations of community colleges. Read more at:
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/30/us/community-college-to-charge-more-for-top-courses.html?_r=1