Community College News

To mitigate the soaring costs of a college education, schools are striving to dramatically cut back on expenses in order to provide more affordable tuition for students. Fortunately, although educational costs are on the rise, new technologies are serving to fight back the expenses!

With an array of new tools and resources that can help lower a school’s energy and maintenance costs, community colleges across the country are embracing newer and revolutionary methods on their campuses.

How Green Technologies are Cutting the Costs of Community College

One of the fundamental ways in which schools are striving to save dollars on the costs of community college operations is through the implementation of solar energy. Specifically, as evident at North Shore Community College, located in Lynn, Massachusetts, leaders are installing new solar panels on the roof of one of its prominent campus building. With this innovative installation, these solar panels will help produce 3 percent of the school’s entire energy needs. Ultimately, this energy production will equate to approximately 74,726 kW each year! With both federal and state-funded support, North Shore is optimistic that their solar panels will help to cut costs and ecological wastes for all students on campus.

In addition to specifically implementing solar energy plans, many schools are striving to create a more holistic approach to going green to save money. For example, according to Green California Community College Summit, leaders are creating informative programs and seminars to teach community college students and faculty

As the demand to “go green” seems to be growing in relevance in recent years, many community college students are implementing actions to promote environmental change and progress by creating clubs and organizations to improve their local environments. Adding to this, community college leaders have also created programs and courses to help educate students on the importance of nature-based learning through environmental studies.

Lewis and Clark Community College

Students at Lewis and Clark Community College have easy and convenient access to learning more about environmentally-friendly initiatives and actions, as LCCC has established a “Green Living Club” to teach students and members about the importance of living an eco-responsible lifestyle. As LCCC’s “Green Living Club” asserts, “The Green Living Club is dedicated to the education and promotion of a green, eco-friendly lifestyle on and off-campus. There are so many ways that individuals can help protect the planet.”

The club strives to inform students and local residents about significant and current environmental issues, while the club simultaneously strives to encourage people to live greener lifestyles by taking a hands-on part in improving the green-focus of LCCC’s campus.

Suffolk Community College

In addition to an array of programs and courses, Suffolk Community College maintains its ecological focus by providing students and residents with a Nature Reserve. With miles of trails and preserve areas, individuals can explore the Nature Reserve

As a societal approach to improving health conditions in public settings, many offices, community centers, and restaurants have initiated tobacco and smoking bans on their properties. While public schools, such as elementary and high schools, have banned tobacco products on their educational campuses for years, community colleges across the country are now beginning to follow this health-driven trend.

Banning Tobacco on Community College Campuses

The Growing Trend

Institutions, businesses, and other settings possess the legal right to ban smoking and tobacco use on property grounds because private properties can be governed by owners/managers/leaders. As a result, those who own personal property often have the supreme authority over the rules and regulations of their grounds and boundaries.

On the other hand, community colleges had to earn their right to ban tobacco in 2006, as community campuses are not necessarily “privately” owned properties. In 2006, Katherine McDonald of the Chatham Journal explains, “The General Assembly adopted legislation exempting community colleges from a law requiring public institutions to set aside areas for tobacco use.”

According to McDonald’s investigations, community colleges that have adopted smoke-free and tobacco-free policies include schools such as Asheville-Buncombe Technical, Cleveland, Guilford Technical, Haywood, Pitt, Roanoke-Chowan, Stanly, Wake Technical, and Wilkes Community College.

This video describes the Truth Initiative, which helps community colleges and Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) bring tobacco-free policies to the campuses that serve young adults from minority and low-income communities.

As the demand for environmentally valuable technologies is rising, community colleges across the country are implementing programs to provide students with the skills and knowledge to compete in the future "green collar" job force.

According to The Times Herald-Record, a "green collar" job is a job that "has been upgraded to address the environmental changes of our country." Generated by the need for energy efficiency, careers in fields of energy auditors, weatherization workers, solar electric and water installers, and insulation installers, are all jobs that are projected to be in high demand.

Since the demand is already on the rise, there is already a need for millions of "green collar" workers, and the training demands are immediate. Acknowledging this increasing demand, community colleges are implementing revolutionary programs to prepare students for careers as "green collar" workers in fields of renewable energy. With competitive pay and incredible demand, students are eager to join programs that will lead to sustainable and valuable careers after college.

Community Colleges Gaining Newsworthy Recognition

While community colleges across the country are implementing renewable and green collar programs, Cape Fear Community College, Cape Cod Community College, and Columbia George Community College are just three of the many institutions that have gained media attention for their newsworthy programs and course offerings.

Cape Fear Community College

In Wilmington North Carolina, Cape Fear Community College's Engineering Department has developed a renewable energy lab. Focusing on the research and use of hydrogen fuel cells,

With the dramatically rising tuition costs, many families are turning towards the financially savvy decision of starting on the higher education path first at a two-year community college. Many public and private universities have articulation agreements with local community colleges. Therefore, attending a community college for two years before transferring to a four-year institution can save significant money – while still providing you with an excellent bachelor's degree.

According to the College Board, for the 2007 – 2008 school year, community colleges' average tuition and fees were $2,360. This is in contrast to $6,185 at a public four-year institution or $23,712 for a private four-year institution.

This video looks at ways you can lower college costs.

Calculating the specific academic savings

For example, let us calculate the savings if you begin your academic career at Pasadena City College, which has articulation transfer agreements with the public UC campuses and the private University of Southern California.

If you are a resident of California and attend Pasadena City College full-time, which is based upon 12 units, then you have the following annual academic costs:

- Tuition and Fees: $508

- Books and school supplies: $1500

In contrast, at the private University of Southern California, you have the following full-time annual academic costs:

- Tuition and fees: $30,850

- Books: $1,000

At a public University of California campus, the annual full-time academic costs for a California