Community College News

The Virginia Tech tragedy in 2007 was a glaring indication that community colleges are not immune to the deadly violence that has impacted school campuses across the country. That single incident defined the risks students undertake when they head to classes every day. While schools of all kinds are taking another look at how to keep students safer, unique challenges face community colleges in this area. At the same time, a recent string of community college attacks has highlighted the need for a higher level of security, despite potential obstacles facing these schools.

Attacks at Wyoming School Precede String of Incidents

The first in a recent string of community college attacks took place at a Wyoming school last November. Reuters reports that the son of a professor at Casper College shot his father in the head with a crossbow and arrow in front of a classroom full of students. Students were able to safely exit the classroom as the father and son engaged in a struggle that left both of them dead. Later, authorities found a third victim, another college professor who had been living with the first victim, slain in her home.

“I can’t even imagine what the students in that room had gone through,” Chris Walsh, chief of police in Casper, told Reuters.

This video explains how an attack at a community college in central Wyoming and another location nearby left three people dead.

Community colleges have traditionally been considered the go-to place for two-year vocational degrees or general college coursework for students that have plans to transfer to a four-year college or university. However, these institutions of higher education are increasing their program offerings to include a smattering of four-year degree options as well. Although not without their share of opposition, the four-year degree is slowly but surely becoming more common at the community college level. Check out these states and schools delving into the frontier of the four-year degree program.

Chattanooga State Considers Addition of Five Four-Year Programs

A community college in Tennessee is looking at adding five new programs to their current catalog selections. The Chattanoogan reports that Chattanooga State Community College is considering the addition of four-year degree programs in a variety of high-tech fields. The president of the college, Dr. Jim Cantanzaro, applied for approval of the programs last summer and is still waiting for a response from the Tennessee Board of Regents.

The community college would like to add four-year degree programs in chemical process engineering, radiological sciences, nuclear engineering, technology management, and mechatronics engineering. The programs were specifically chosen based on the local employment needs of the current workforce. Dr. Cantanzaro made it clear the goal of the program addition was to fulfill those professional needs and not to transform Chattanooga State into a full-fledged four-year school.

Dr. Cantanzaro also explained that 60 percent of the material in

California community colleges have faced a recent cash crunch that has resulted in thousands of students ending up on waitlists rather than in classes. A new study reveals that many students could find classroom space if the two-year colleges in the state were willing to coordinate at least a portion of their administrative staff. The savings would not be insignificant; according to a recent analysis, tens of millions could be allocated for classroom resources by making consolidation decisions in college districts across California.

Analysis Offers Insight into Spending PatternsCalifornia Watch website

The analysis was conducted by California Watch, a nonpartisan investigative reporting center that performs a wide range of investigative reporting for the state. The group specializes in fields like public health, environment, and education. According to the California Watch website, the award-winning team is supported by grants from several organizations, including the James Irvine Foundation and The California Endowment.

To complete this analysis, members of California Watch dug deep into the bureaucracy of the California Community College System, the largest of its kind in the United States. An additional article on the group’s website explains that argument.

Millions Spent on Duplicate Jobs

The San Francisco Chronicle reports that those 16 districts had duplication in 21 executive or management positions. That number did not include chancellors or presidents, who were appointed in each district as well. The total number of employees at this level was 253, earning a cumulative salary of $30 million,

Community college have received plenty of attention in recent years, due to a combination of an economic slowdown and renewed interest by the current administration in these institutions. Changes to community colleges in recent years have also contributed to the increased demand for two-year degrees. Check out these 10 reasons why your local community college might be a good choice in higher education today.

Easier Admission

With many four-year colleges becoming increasingly competitive in their admission requirements, community colleges still offer opportunities for postsecondary education even if a student’s high school grades weren’t exactly stellar. Education.com explains these schools typically offer placement examinations prior to enrollment to help students ascertain which introductory courses will be better suited to their needs. Students that require additional instruction prior to the rigors of a college curriculum will find most schools offer remedial education to help them bone up on challenging subjects.

Flexibility

Community colleges usually offer more flexible scheduling options than traditional four-year schools, with both night and weekend classes available. In addition, the website for Brookhaven College explains that students have the option of taking classes full or part-time, depending on what their current schedule allows. This makes it much easier for adult students with family or professional responsibilities to work their education pursuit around the rest of their obligations.

Degree Options

Community colleges offer more degree options than ever before, with a wealth of choices available for in-demand industries like

While four-year colleges and universities have traditionally been the path to the future for many high school graduates, business leaders and lawmakers are presenting a new option for today’s youth. Community colleges are becoming more than an alternative means of education; they are quickly advancing as a core element in a competitive 21^st century workforce. As the need for highly skilled employees continues to increase, many are beginning to recognize the fact that community colleges may be the solution that meets that need best.

The President’s Take on Community Colleges

In 2010, President Obama stated that jobs requiring an associate degree were expected to grow at twice the rate of positions that could be obtained without any college experience in the coming years. The President also said that if community colleges could not train a sufficient number of workers to fill open positions, the jobs would have to be filled by outsourcing, according to a report at the White House website. To meet the needs of the workforce and prevent outsourcing, the President set an ambitious goal to graduate an additional five million students from community colleges by 2020.

Today, U.S. News and World Report states that the need for community college graduates continues. According to the report, around 600,000 jobs remain unfilled in the United States because companies cannot find skilled workers to hire. Jay Timmons, president and CEO of the National Association of Manufacturers, stated in written testimony to