Increase and improve articulation agreements
In easing the transfer from a two-year to a baccalaureate... Increasing and continuing to improve upon articulation agreements to more four-year institutions.
Pathway to a Baccalaureate : Browse Recent Ideas
How do community colleges help students get 4-year degrees?
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I disagreeThis idea is active.Pathway to a Baccalaureate »Add your comment for Idea: Increase and improve articulation agreements -
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I disagreeThis idea is active.Pathway to a Baccalaureate »from Lansing Community College
Add your comment for Idea: from Lansing Community CollegeIt seems important that greater articulation is achieved between 2 and 4 year institutions in the same state. While a statewide governing system may not always be preferable, increased coordination must be pursued so that barriers to greater baccalaureate achievement may be overcome.
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I disagreeThis idea is active.Pathway to a Baccalaureate »Also helps people already in 4 year colleges
I am currently a senior at a 4 year college. Because of cutbacks in the education budget, my school has had to decrease enrollment, lower the amount of classes, and made it so that it is hard for students to take classes outside of their major. As a senior that still has some general elective classes to finish, taking classes outside my major is a must. Going to a community college to take these classes is a much easier ...more »
1 comment for Idea: Also helps people already in 4 year collegesI am currently a senior at a 4 year college. Because of cutbacks in the education budget, my school has had to decrease enrollment, lower the amount of classes, and made it so that it is hard for students to take classes outside of their major. As a senior that still has some general elective classes to finish, taking classes outside my major is a must. Going to a community college to take these classes is a much easier and much cheaper alternative to trying to fight the registration office for classes. If it was not for community colleges, who knows when I might graduate.
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I disagreeThis idea is active.Pathway to a Baccalaureate »The Road to College
Add your comment for Idea: The Road to CollegeThe peralta community college system in the California East Bay, helped me before I was even in college. During high school I went to my community colleges during the summer to take classes that my high school did not offer as well as take extra classes so that I could finish high school early. With the way public high schools are having to drop programs, this is an important asset to students everywhere.
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I disagreeThis idea is active.Pathway to a Baccalaureate »More tutoring service
Add your comment for Idea: More tutoring serviceI suggest providing more tutoring services for students. Since we are under the budget cut crises, the community colleges have cut their services, support etc. When students have questions about their studies, they usually go to tutors for peer help because faculties are not always available for their questions. I urge to provide more tutor services so that can help students to suceed in their studies.
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I disagreeThis idea is active.Pathway to a Baccalaureate »More tutoring service
1 comment for Idea: More tutoring serviceI suggest providing more tutoring services for students. Since we are under the budget cut crises, the community colleges have cut their services, support etc. When students have questions about their studies, they usually go to tutors for peer help because faculties are not always available for their questions. I urge to provide more tutor services so that can help students to suceed in their studies.
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I disagreeThis idea is active.Pathway to a Baccalaureate »Seminars for Older Students
Some students are not happy with their life situation, so a seminar style class might help older students feel more comforable. There are many serious issues that can impede us from a collegiate education. Having a forum to work on these specific issues, over time, with peers will help. I personally would not take the introduction to college class because I have been in and out of college so many times. I need a ...more »
Add your comment for Idea: Seminars for Older StudentsSome students are not happy with their life situation, so a seminar style class might help older students feel more comforable. There are many serious issues that can impede us from a collegiate education. Having a forum to work on these specific issues, over time, with peers will help. I personally would not take the introduction to college class because I have been in and out of college so many times. I need a class to help me stay positive and motivated when life happens.
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I disagreeThis idea is active.Pathway to a Baccalaureate »Realize and legislate the purpose of community colleges
Realize and legislate the purpose of community colleges. As the prep area of education's kitchen, community colleges take our fractured youth--some of whom have finished high school; others who have dropped out and now realize that they cannot live in today's world without college--and mold them into one of two things: students able to learn and continue to succeed in the fast-paced upper division university world, or ...more »
Add your comment for Idea: Realize and legislate the purpose of community collegesRealize and legislate the purpose of community colleges. As the prep area of education's kitchen, community colleges take our fractured youth--some of whom have finished high school; others who have dropped out and now realize that they cannot live in today's world without college--and mold them into one of two things: students able to learn and continue to succeed in the fast-paced upper division university world, or people ready to join the blue-collar or technical workforce. The upper level Universities need to realize that community colleges provide them a service that they do not want to offer students and that community colleges deserve a portion of the State pie equal (per capita) to that which they are receiving. Since community colleges are rural, the mil levy that we all depend upon to maintain and expand our buildings and grounds, is almost always less in our rural areas than in their urban ones. Our college earns a measly $150,000 per mil where others in our state earn millions of dollars per mil. On top of that, we are required to give the first mil to our mother campus. They don't need it! With all the budget cuts and sanding and trimming, how are we supposed to maintain any standard of learning so that the transfer students going on to mother campuses are sufficient to the standards that these Universities have set? Within our system, not only do we enjoy the mil levy inequity, our pay grades differ enormously. We did a study and determined that it is unfair that our employees be underpaid compared with the Mother campus' employees, but there is no money to fix it! They funded the faculty then dropped it. It is horrible that we require rigid educational standards of our employees, yet these same employees could go out in the community and get paid more, with no educational standards.
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I disagreeThis idea is active.Pathway to a Baccalaureate »information for transfer students
Add your comment for Idea: information for transfer studentsLook at transfer101.org. Basic information web portal developed by partnership between University of Texas System and the 50 community college districts in Texas based on input from transfer students. Getting rave reviews from students and good example of voluntary cooperation at the state level.
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I disagreeThis idea is active.Pathway to a Baccalaureate »Stop discrimination against community college credit by 4-year colleges
I suggest ... Congress make it illegal for four-year and graduate school college admission boards to discriminate against students with community college credit. Far too many four-year colleges and graduate schools outright reject the work completed and credits earned at 2-year colleges unless there has been a "special exemption" given. This was written policy at Our Lady of the Lake College here in Baton Rouge for their ...more »
3 comments for Idea: Stop discrimination against community college credit by 4-year collegesI suggest ... Congress make it illegal for four-year and graduate school college admission boards to discriminate against students with community college credit. Far too many four-year colleges and graduate schools outright reject the work completed and credits earned at 2-year colleges unless there has been a "special exemption" given. This was written policy at Our Lady of the Lake College here in Baton Rouge for their Physician Assistant program, and it is written and unwritten policy at many other 4-year colleges around the country as well, even though both OLOLC and BRCC are accredited by the same accrediting body! The special exemption shouldn't have to be required. Most of those who attend community college are older students who work full-time and run a household ... our credits should carry TWICE the clout on a college application!
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I disagreeThis idea is active.Pathway to a Baccalaureate »Science and Math and Community Colleges
Does the public really understand what community colleges are all about? As physicists who teach at Community Colleges we have to respond that the answer to the question is a resounding no. According to the last survey of two-year colleges done by the American Institute of Physics over 102,000 students take physics at community colleges each year. The vast majority of these students subsequently transfer to four-year ...more »
4 comments for Idea: Science and Math and Community CollegesDoes the public really understand what community colleges are all about? As physicists who teach at Community Colleges we have to respond that the answer to the question is a resounding no. According to the last survey of two-year colleges done by the American Institute of Physics over 102,000 students take physics at community colleges each year. The vast majority of these students subsequently transfer to four-year colleges and universities. TYCs enroll nearly half of all US undergraduates and over one-third of all students taking STEM courses. In a country that is lagging other countries in the science and math preparation of its citizens, the community colleges should be recognized as the vehicle of change. It is in these smaller, hands-on classrooms that our citizenry has the opportunity to become scientifically literate. Community colleges are well suited to change methodologies as we learn more about student learning and retention. The strides made by the physics community can be replicated in the other basic sciences. It must be stressed that those of us who teach in the community college setting work closely with our colleagues at four-year colleges and universities. Our goals are the same.
Furthermore, the American Association of Community Colleges estimates that 20-40% of all K-12 teachers began their college educations at community colleges, a number which rises to 40-50% when restricted to elementary teachers. The overwhelming majority of those elementary teachers will take all or nearly all of their math and science courses at a community college, making community colleges the bedrock of the education system.
Over the last two decades, over eight hundred (800) full-time two-year college (TYC) physics faculty members have chosen to attend workshops and conferences to receive training in active learning classroom techniques for implementation with their students. This large number represents approximately fifty percent of all full-time physics faculty at TYCs. During this same period, a significant number of TYC physics faculty retired and have been replaced with new faculty.
These active learning classroom techniques include: modeling approaches; spiral learning curriculum; laboratory usage of microcomputers, digital video tools, and computational approaches; group involvement techniques; conceptual development of ideas approaches; active classroom management approaches; and many more.
The bottom line is simply this: Community Colleges are an essential part of the education continuum. While they often serve as a means for improved technical skills for a specific job, they most often serve as a bridge from high school to four-year colleges and subsequently graduate experiences. Many in the general public recognize the role of technical education, but have no idea about the equally important role community colleges play in the overall academic ladder for so many of our citizens. The country and its leaders need to recognize the tremendous possibilities inherent in community colleges and to use these treasures of educational opportunities to our advantage.
Tom O'Kuma; Lee College, TX
Keith Clay; Green River Community College, WA
Mary Beth Monroe; Southwest Texas Jr. College, TX
Marie Plumb; Jamestown Community College, NY
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I disagreeThis idea is active.Pathway to a Baccalaureate »Thanks, and please include more CC faculty!
Hello, as a faculty at a 4-year university we frequently receive transfers from local community colleges. In my opinion they are doing an excellent job of providing services to their students and preparing them for our program, thank you for hosting the summit on such an important sector. I do however think it would benefit the Summit if more Community College faculty were involved in the discussion. Best, Mike Mike ...more »
Add your comment for Idea: Thanks, and please include more CC faculty!Hello, as a faculty at a 4-year university we frequently receive transfers from local community colleges. In my opinion they are doing an excellent job of providing services to their students and preparing them for our program, thank you for hosting the summit on such an important sector. I do however think it would benefit the Summit if more Community College faculty were involved in the discussion.
Best,
Mike
Mike Marsolek
Assistant Professor
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Seattle University
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I disagreeThis idea is active.Pathway to a Baccalaureate »ALL 2-Year Non-Profits
Add your comment for Idea: ALL 2-Year Non-ProfitsWhy is the discussion including only community colleges? Why not include the other non-profit 2 year colleges? We always seem to be forgotten, but we too support our students in their quest for a baccalaureate degree or a better career.
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I disagreeThis idea is active.Pathway to a Baccalaureate »Imporance of an Expanded Community College Education
While it is important that students be able to earn a degree in order to obtain a good job, we cannot forget the importance of general education. Community college students need to be exposed to all fields of knowledge including the humanities, sciences, and social sciences. As much as possible students should be encouraged to go on and obtain a bachelor's degree and beyond. Hopefully, the community college curriculum ...more »
Add your comment for Idea: Imporance of an Expanded Community College EducationWhile it is important that students be able to earn a degree in order to obtain a good job, we cannot forget the importance of general education. Community college students need to be exposed to all fields of knowledge including the humanities, sciences, and social sciences. As much as possible students should be encouraged to go on and obtain a bachelor's degree and beyond. Hopefully, the community college curriculum will be discussed in terms of not only workforce development, but also the importance of expanding student awareness of themselves and the world.
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I disagreeThis idea is active.Pathway to a Baccalaureate »Mentoring Community College Students!
As a previous community college transfer myself, I know how easy it is for students to get lost in the system due to the lack of guidance and encouragement. Especially now, as resources are spread even thinner due to budget issues, students are getting shortchanged. Many might feel discouraged that they are not getting enough attention from teachers/counselors or not being able to enroll in the classes they need to graduate. ...more »
1 comment for Idea: Mentoring Community College Students!As a previous community college transfer myself, I know how easy it is for students to get lost in the system due to the lack of guidance and encouragement. Especially now, as resources are spread even thinner due to budget issues, students are getting shortchanged. Many might feel discouraged that they are not getting enough attention from teachers/counselors or not being able to enroll in the classes they need to graduate.
My suggestion is to promote more mentoring, done on a volunteer basis by students that have already transferred. I transferred from a Southern California community college to UC Berkeleyin 2006. During my time at Berkeley, I mentored community college students from my previous institution, essentially serving as an added support system while providing insights and resources from a student perspective.
I think this sort of service can prove to be invaluable to community college students as there are a lot of questions sometimes concerning the transfer process. Sometimes a bit of help and encouragement can make all the difference!
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I disagreeThis idea is active.Pathway to a Baccalaureate »Mission and Budget for in face of cuts.
I suggest you.ask where is the funding to support the expanded mission of these community colleges. Most have had their budgets slashed in recent years. Yet the President seems to also want to make them workforce trainingg camps while they can't financially support their main mission of providing a quality affordable education for college bound students who cannot afford the $20,000 + tuition of many 4 year colleges. ...more »
Add your comment for Idea: Mission and Budget for in face of cuts.I suggest you.ask where is the funding to support the expanded mission of these community colleges.
Most have had their budgets slashed in recent years. Yet the President seems to also want to make them workforce trainingg camps while they can't financially support their main mission of providing a quality affordable education for college bound students who cannot afford the $20,000 + tuition of many 4 year colleges. You cannot sustain your basic educational programs with the reductions in budgets the community colleges face and add a bunch of work force training demands onto that same educational system. Also most community colleges cannot maintain their physical structure of buildings because again of lack of funds and many campuses are overdo in maintainance needs yet the pres.oposes we should add thousands more to theses limited spaces and buildings in sore need of repair ?. perhaps he should spend some time in the real world visiting community colleges before he makes these grand proposals for them and should support and facilitate r increasing financial support .
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I disagreeThis idea is active.Pathway to a Baccalaureate »Fund Early College Programs
Early College Programs allow properly prepared students to begin taking college classes in their junior or senior year. The students are bused to the college 2-4 days a week and take classes with college age students. They see that they can do college level work and they get a jump start on earning college credits. Some of the students who have participated in the ECP where I teach are now attending schools such as ...more »
Add your comment for Idea: Fund Early College ProgramsEarly College Programs allow properly prepared students to begin taking college classes in their junior or senior year. The students are bused to the college 2-4 days a week and take classes with college age students. They see that they can do college level work and they get a jump start on earning college credits. Some of the students who have participated in the ECP where I teach are now attending schools such as Harvard, Dartmouth and Cooper Union. Others choose to matriculate with us to first complete the AA or AS degree at low cost and then transfer to four year colleges, often with significant merit scholarships.
But we need to find a way to provide funding so that high school students can attend their local community college or a state college at no charge to the family. As things now stand, some states provide this funding, some do not. Federal Funds are needed.
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I disagreeThis idea is active.Pathway to a Baccalaureate »Stop "Accommodating" Students!
Every community college administrator in America should be required to begin every day by writing one-hundred times on the whiteboard: "They are students, not customers." The point behind this is the community colleges are far too willing to "accommodate" their students by scheduling classes in ways (typically few class meetings, more online work, or meeting for five weeks in four hour session, or some variation of ...more »
6 comments for Idea: Stop "Accommodating" Students!Every community college administrator in America should be required to begin every day by writing one-hundred times on the whiteboard: "They are students, not customers."
The point behind this is the community colleges are far too willing to "accommodate" their students by scheduling classes in ways (typically few class meetings, more online work, or meeting for five weeks in four hour session, or some variation of this) in ways that, no matter what they say, compromises instruction.
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I disagreeThis idea is active.Pathway to a Baccalaureate »Smooth Transitions
Add your comment for Idea: Smooth TransitionsCollaborate with librarians at local schools and 4 year colleges and universities to successfully transition students to new levels of information competencies.
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I disagreeThis idea is active.Pathway to a Baccalaureate »The number of part-time faculty is a national scandal
Why are part-time faculty not represented here? The vast majority of faculty at the community colleges are part-time. We are paid a fraction of full-time faculty, almost never extended benefits nor any guarantee of reemployment from semester to semester despite impressive credentials and experience. This leads to a weak commitment to the overall educational goals of the colleges, inadequate input from a large and vibrant ...more »
1 comment for Idea: The number of part-time faculty is a national scandalWhy are part-time faculty not represented here? The vast majority of faculty at the community colleges are part-time. We are paid a fraction of full-time faculty, almost never extended benefits nor any guarantee of reemployment from semester to semester despite impressive credentials and experience. This leads to a weak commitment to the overall educational goals of the colleges, inadequate input from a large and vibrant teaching community and therefore a great disservice to the students.
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I disagreeThis idea is active.Pathway to a Baccalaureate »college readiness--the primary role of a community college?
Discuss elements of the debate in Chicago and elsewhere about the degree to which CCs should be/are responsible for making students ready for college. Some feel there should be another tier within the education system and that so many resources are going to the under-prepared, the CC cannot as well serve the needs of college ready students. In Chicago, there has been a lot of discussion of doing away with open admissions ...more »
Add your comment for Idea: college readiness--the primary role of a community college?Discuss elements of the debate in Chicago and elsewhere about the degree to which CCs should be/are responsible for making students ready for college. Some feel there should be another tier within the education system and that so many resources are going to the under-prepared, the CC cannot as well serve the needs of college ready students. In Chicago, there has been a lot of discussion of doing away with open admissions for the City Colleges (as an example).
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I disagreeThis idea is active.Pathway to a Baccalaureate »college readiness--the primary role of a community college?
Discuss elements of the debate in Chicago and elsewhere about the degree to which CCs should be/are responsible for making students ready for college. Some feel there should be another tier within the education system and that so many resources are going to the under-prepared, the CC cannot as well serve the needs of college ready students. In Chicago, there has been a lot of discussion of doing away with open admissions ...more »
Add your comment for Idea: college readiness--the primary role of a community college?Discuss elements of the debate in Chicago and elsewhere about the degree to which CCs should be/are responsible for making students ready for college. Some feel there should be another tier within the education system and that so many resources are going to the under-prepared, the CC cannot as well serve the needs of college ready students. In Chicago, there has been a lot of discussion of doing away with open admissions for the City Colleges (as an example).
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I disagreeThis idea is active.Pathway to a Baccalaureate »Contingent faculty
I suggest you discuss the issue of contingent faculty and how it not only exploits the faculty but also short changes the students. I have been a "part-time" faculty member at Front Range Community College for 12 years. I teach year round, four classes a semester, and I receive no benefits (health insurance, paid sick leave, or job security). I care deeply about what I do, what I teach (philosophy) and the students. However, ...more »
Add your comment for Idea: Contingent facultyI suggest you discuss the issue of contingent faculty and how it not only exploits the faculty but also short changes the students. I have been a "part-time" faculty member at Front Range Community College for 12 years. I teach year round, four classes a semester, and I receive no benefits (health insurance, paid sick leave, or job security). I care deeply about what I do, what I teach (philosophy) and the students. However, I can not continue much longer. This is an example of how adjuncts are treated: This week there was a health fair for all employees. Basic tests and screenings were offered to all. However, for more in depth tests (blood glucose, cholesterol, etc.) part-time faculty were changed a fee, while full-time and classified staff were tested for free. Yet it's the part-time faculty that lack health insurance benefits. We are 80 % of the faculty and are treated like replaceable, nonessential second-class citizens.
How do the students lose? Well, most part-time faculty are not likely to demand too much of their students. The grading become too onerous and when faculty depend on positive student evaluations, they will do what pleases the students. Less work, better grades = happier students. Additionally, many part-timers teach at multiple institutions teaching very heavy course loads out of financial necessity - the losers here are clearly the students who have very few demands placed on them and who are taught be exhausted faculty who are little more than warm bodies standing in front of the class.
Change this system, or our work force will never be able to compete in a world economy where other cultures actually value education and educators.
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I disagreeThis idea is active.Pathway to a Baccalaureate »invite more academic counselors from CCs and four-year institutions
Add your comment for Idea: invite more academic counselors from CCs and four-year institutionsI respectfully suggest that the summit not neglect the valuable input of academic counselors from both community colleges and four-year institutions. These stakeholders can speak not only to the importance of standardizing transfer requirements, but also to the ways in which their services might help to improve retention rates.
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I disagreeThis idea is active.Pathway to a Baccalaureate »hire more academic counselors to facilitate the transfer process
Add your comment for Idea: hire more academic counselors to facilitate the transfer processI suggest you...free up funding for more counseling services at community colleges. Additional academic counselors will help CC students to navigate the sometimes daunting requirements for transferring to a four-year university. Some CC students may feel that there is no point in completing their A.A. degree if they cannot easily follow it up with a bachelor's degree in their chosen field.