Community Colleges Face Obstacles in Fulfilling their Mission
Community colleges are expected to fulfill many roles, including job training and retraining, certification of proficiency in various professions and skills, providing affordable higher education, and preparing graduates to transfer to four-year institutions. There is a discrepancy between the many roles community colleges are expected to play and the resources made available to them to accomplish their missions. According to the American Association of Community Colleges, federal and state sources accounted for only 7 percent and 38 percent, respectively, of total funding for community colleges in 2007.
- State that it is U.S. policy to encourage universal public education through at least 14 years of schooling as the minimum educational requirement
- Create a new Department of Labor program centering on workforce development through community colleges with the goal of providing skills training and education necessary to succeed globally
- Expand federal financial assistance by authorizing: 1) Pell grants for community college students equal to 70 percent of the average cost of attending a public four-year institution; and 2) Stafford loans for students enrolled for at least one-third of a full course load
- Encourage construction and modernization of community college facilities and technology through a matching grant program with the states
- Increase funds for guidance and counseling in high schools and community colleges to provide adequate assistance for all students, including immigrants, non-English speakers, and first-generation college students
- Commit to a "culture of evidence" by implementing a nationwide program to enable community colleges to evaluate their students' progress and outcomes
The Commission's second recommendation concerns the responsibilities of the state vis-?-vis their community colleges. According to the Report, because states are more involved than the federal government with financing community colleges, the success of community colleges depends on the willingness of state officials "to advocate strenuously for their needs." Specific recommendations for state action include:
- With local community college input, states should develop a plan for sufficient, sustainable funding for community colleges.
- In response to the increasing demand for graduates with baccalaureate degrees and the goal of increasing the percentage of minority students with baccalaureate degrees, states should encourage close cooperation between community colleges and four-year institutions to facilitate transfers of community college students to four-year institutions.
- States should encourage secondary schools and community colleges to develop a more standardized curriculum to accommodate students who move from one school to another.
- Community college leaders should work with national organizations, such as the American Association of Community Colleges and the Association of Community College Trustees, to develop criteria to measure productivity.
- Community college leaders should respond to the national workforce demand for increased associate and baccalaureate degrees, in part by increasing degree production for students in racial and low-income groups who have traditionally been underrepresented in post-secondary education.