Wow! Finally...the "unsung heroes" of higher education have begun to receive the recognition and support they so justly deserve.

Now, IF we can begin to see some parity in financial support at the state and federal level to make the dream a reality for our nation's poor and "second chance" students of all ages that attend the community college...we will make the dramatic steps forward in making our country competitive with the rest of the world.

Interestingly, we are finding educators in China, India, South Africa, etc. regularly visiting our country to "job shadow" our leaders in the community college in order to take the "best practices" of our two year colleges back to their country to incorporate within their system of two year institutions. Yes, the community college has become the "unsung hero" around the world where countries are seeking to provide new and effective gateways for their citizens to achieve a better life.

As a graduate,faculty member and administrator of a community college, congrats. to Jill Biden and President Obama for stepping forward and putting the spotlight on this very special segment of our higher education system!! It does good...

Financial parity in Texas seems impossible. Our legislature and governor seem to hogtie CCs more often than assist, and very little is recognized about our demographic. And then there's the penchant for hiring top level admin folks at top level salaries (because that's how you keep the best) without consideration for what our students need and deserve: administration which has taught and succeeded in the very demographic we serve. As a community college graduate myself, I know what the opportunity means.

What a missed opportunity. Since there were so many experts in the room, why weren't actual statistics discussed. For instance, the "low graduation rate" is based on a small proportion of students who attend our community colleges (just out of high school, full-time students who finish in three years). Yet several speakers referred to the "21st Century Student" - older, working, maybe has kids. We can't use traditional college measures for "nontraditional" students. One speaker lamented that it takes some students five years to graduate- so what is that rate? Kudos to single moms, vets, students with disabilities, students who work full or part time and can finish in five years.
The summit ignored discussions about education and preferred to focus on workforce. How about the many students who choose to be liberal arts majors - who like learning - who inspire their kids to learn.
Where was the discussion about why so many students are ill prepared for college and what's being done to work with high school to strengthen students' skills?
I agree with Professor Biden that community colleges are the country's best kept secret - but the secrets and many strengths weren't discovered at the summit yesterday.

That,penniehmarcus,was my question exactly. I read the article twice looking for something I missed. People are looking at workforce numbers and graduation rates, but I have not been able to find anything.

I find that my greatest concern is the possibility of people graduating without the proper learning skills. Ten years ago, when I myself graduated from a C.C.,I wound up at Sacramento State not even knowing how to footnote a citation. I have since, as a graduate student, facilitated supplemental discussion sections to classes at CSU Sacramento and have been shocked at the lack of basic collegiate study skills.

Now, granted, this is a failing of the public school system more than anything, but standards seem to only be dropping-in every arena. Graduation rate is one thing, but what does that mean if one has only had to prove they can go through motions? I think the real question here is "how do we help ill-equipped students catch up?"

In California, rumors abound that the funding for K-12 & CC Prop 98 funding formula may be waived. So, guess who will get less? Funding is the key, and in community colleges, we can't rely on a high-fee, high-aid model, we can't rely on a for-profit model, and we can't rely on donors. Government funding is critical, but in this hysterical "no taxes" climate, I'm not optimistic.

"The summit ignored discussions about education and preferred to focus on workforce. How about the many students who choose to be liberal arts majors - who like learning - who inspire their kids to learn. "

Truth is, that's just as well. With all the conservative ranting about "liberal" education in the universities, I'd just as soon focus on workforce because that focus will get community colleges dollars to work with to support their programs.

I do agree the focus on graduation rates is misplaced: CC students tend not to be traditional students, and using the 4 year university model to evaluate CC performance doesn't make any sense.

But clearly, the for profits are feeling threatened, so that's a good thing :)

As conservative a state as North Carolina is, we managed to avoid losing too much in the crisis (we had a 10 day furlough like all state employees, and no raises in 2 years) because our soaring enrollment keeps increasing our FTE.

My CC actively seeks partnerships with local industry to prepare the kinds of workers that are needed locally, which makes the business community a big fan, and local residents also supportive because what they want and need are jobs not a "love of learning."

Those students who plan to pursue a traditional liberal arts education are stil able to do so at the community college level. Now I don't know about all CC's, but I've graduated from 2 CC programs (LPN and ADN) and both of them had a focus on programs designed to get people into the work force or prepare them for the university level. The CC where I teach is the same way. I really don't see the mission changing; I simply see it coming to national attention . . . a good thing in my mind.

mm

Everybody is a critic in some form or fashion. I have a very deep sincere appreciation for Community Colleges in that is was the one saviour in my life for life time learning. From high school where I had a counselor that guided me to be a gas station attendant. I quickly realized on my own I should be attending a community college. I was fortunate to have outstanding community college faculty members who actually cared about my future. It was through their guidance and encouragement that I continued my education with a Bachelor's, Master's and Doctorate degree.

In the 21st Century it is not so much about best practices but more about the innovations of how we educate our population and create the access available. Our economy will experience a wide gap of supply to demand in the AA degrees and above. To meet this need there will need to be a strong movement by all levels and factions of education to think outside the box and to begin to present new and better ways of educating the American students.

"Greenfied Schools"

Although the nation needs more college graduates, we cannot and should not become diploma mills. High schools must do a better job of preparing students for college by setting higher standards, covering the the basics, and reducing grade inflation. In college when one fails an exam, one fails. There is no "extra credit." Also, there are reasons that students drop of of college that are beyond the control of the college and its faculty. These reasons include lack of child care, the need to work full time, unrealistic expectations, family problems, and financial problems. Until we, as a nation, address some of these problems we cannot increase our college graduation rates.

I have very little respect for community colleges. The main one in my area turns out students who are incompetent in the sujects they study, and they seem to have no standards whatsoever in grading. They are cheap, but they seem to be very poor quality. When we have all the students - both those who had the prepatory courses at our school and those who had the prepatory courses at the local community college - take the first "level II" harder course, which is a truly tough course, the failure rate for the community college trained students is 3X that of those trained at our quite average quality state school. the community college seems to simply hand out grades for showing up.

I personally took two language courses in our local cc some years back. they were literally taught at below a 3d grade level with the teacher giving us all test answers before the exam so you would have to be an uncaring idiot not to get an A. It was a complete joke. And they offer classes in anything that might "sell". These largely seem to me to be simply prostituting themselves to get students and keep them in order to make money. No standards whatsoever.

I know many diasgree, but this is what my experience is. Our local community college should be shut down tomorrow so no more money is wasted on the charade. Shut down and close all for-profit schools while at it, they are just as bad or worse, simply selling degrees and treating it all as a big joke.

There is no doubt that community colleges have been an impactful expansion to the American economy. Yes, the expansion of higher education in America has been historically criticized for decreasing the academic rigor required to attend colleges or universities. In some cases this may very well be true but with greater access to public education has been accompanied greatly with prosperity in America.

I teach full-time at a CC, and I think the real elephant in the room is the stunningly large reliance on adjunct faculty. About half our sections are taught by an underpaid workforce that in effect is subsidizing the cost of students' education by working for about minimum wage. We have shifted the cost of education from the student, taxpayer and parent and placed it squarely on the backs of these hardworking professionals. Most of these folks are qualified for full-time jobs; many would be great teachers and additions to our institution. But there is no money for more full-time positions (in spite of growing enrollment). Maybe we would realize the true extent of this issue if they simply did not come to work for a week.

I was an adjunct for five years and was lucky to be one of the relatively few our department has hired full time. Until we address this terrible and unsustainable faculty model, all the prizes and grant money in the world won't make any real difference.

Thank you usaret. My credentials are as good or better than some full time help. I am invested in my student's learning. But, I have to have enough money to live on. I don't need a great deal of money, but I need insurance. I love teaching too much perhaps.

Why is there no money for full time positions? My students pay the same for me as they do the full timers. I teach usually three sections one semester and three or two the other semester. I can't do it anymore. My utility bill is past due.