Student Issues / Attending College

President Obama highlighted the important role community colleges play in today’s workforce in his recent State of the Union address, but to achieve the lofty goals set by the President, colleges need tools in place to ensure students entering their doors can succeed. A recent Center for Community College Student Engagement report discovered that most schools know what is needed. Still, not all have successfully implemented those tools broadly enough to help most of their students. Check out what community colleges nationwide strive to offer their students now and what they can add to give them even better odds of success.

A Matter of Degrees: Promising Practices for Community College Student Success

The CSE report, titled “A Matter of Degrees: Promising Practices for Community College Student Success,” consolidates four surveys into a comprehensive report. According to a report on the University of Texas website, the report includes data from the Survey of Entering Student Engagement (SENSE), the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE), and the Community College Faculty Survey of Student Engagement (CCFSSE). The report also included preliminary findings from the Community College Institutional Survey (CCIS).

The report compiled information from 75,000 entering students and 440,000 experienced students throughout 2011. Approximately 35,000 faculty members also provided data for the report, and information was collected from a total of 228 community colleges. The data was compiled and analyzed by CSE, where it was consolidated into the single “Matter of Degrees” report that provides

While not every community college boasts a robust sports program, those that do provide an outlet for student-athletes to come and compete while getting their post-secondary education. Unfortunately, one Midwestern school has found that despite a long and illustrious history, they can no longer support the football program that has been an integral part of campus life. Grand Rapids Community College has bid a sudden farewell to their football program this year, after enjoying an 80-year tradition and plenty of notoriety through individual athletes and numerous winning seasons.

The Announcement is Made

According to a report at mLive.com, the announcement to end the football program was made by the president of Grand Rapids Community College, Steven Ender. Ender also issued a formal press release, after talking with the coaches and players involved in the football program about the school’s decision. In the press release, Ender cited the following reasons for bringing Grand Rapids football tradition to an abrupt halt:

• With games now played in Illinois, Iowa, North Dakota, and Georgia, the school was no longer able to spend the time or money getting the football team and staff to games further from home. In some cases, student-athletes and coaches were spending up to 19 hours on a bus to get to a single game.
• Many of the student-athletes that came to the school to play football faced severe personal obstacles, including finding the means to pay for off-campus housing, since many came from

Community colleges provide a plethora of opportunities for traditional and non-traditional students alike. These two-year institutions offer fast, affordable higher education to high school graduates who are not ready for the university and older students looking for a new direction in their career path. One element of a community college that is often overlooked is the ability for students to play sports at the junior college level. From football to women’s softball, many campuses across the country provide the chance for students to participate in the sport of their choice for fun, competition, and even a possible career.

Benefits of Sports at Community College

The addition of a robust athletics program at community colleges offers a host of benefits to students, as well as the school. While these programs are not traditionally big money makers for the colleges, the advantages offered may make the cost of the programs worthwhile to many college campuses.

“It provides a full college experience,” Gary Branch, president of Faulkner State Community College, explained to the GadsenTimes. Branch is also the president of the Alabama College Athletic Conference.

David Mollahan agrees. The president of Marion Military Institute told the Times, “It’s beneficial to higher education. Our programs, I think, are worth it.”

Although some in the community college arena lament the cost of such programs, particularly at a time when budgets are getting tighter and tighter, Raymond Staats, president of Gadsen State Community College told the

Community colleges have been touted as the economic future of this country, as hosts of high school graduates, displaced workers and others look to these institutions of higher education. The Obama Administration has put the focus on community colleges as well, seeing these schools as essential instruments in raising the college graduation across the country over the next decade. However, a new study brings up some familiar concerns regarding these two-year programs; namely, the low completion rates that seem to plague the majority of community colleges nationwide. In fact, the study puts a price tag on the cost of community college dropouts – and it is a steep number indeed.

“The Hidden Costs of Community Colleges”

The recent study, titled, “The Hidden Costs of Community Colleges,” was released by the American Institutes for Research. The study, which was funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, looked at full-time, first-year community college students who did not return for their second year of school. Five academic years were analyzed in the study, between 2004 and 2009. The purpose of the study was not only to put a price on the high dropout rate but also to improve outcomes and performance at institutions across the country, according to a press release published at the American Institutes for Research website.

According to a report at the Los Angeles Times, the study showed that about one-fifth of full-time community college students who enroll in school

Community college has come a long way in recent years, especially with the focus these schools are getting from the current administration. President Obama has labeled these institutions as the hope for American’s economic future and the way this country will remain competitive in a global marketplace. To that end, President Obama has announced a lofty goal of adding 5 million more community college graduates by 2020. He also hosted the first community college summit at the White House last year, which served as the starting point for finding new ways to support these institutions so they are able to meet this ambitious goal.

In this struggling economy, community colleges have become the go-to place for displaced workers looking for training in a new field and high school graduates who are unable to afford the skyrocketing tuition rates at four-year institutions. However, the path from enrollment to graduation is not always an easy one. We have tips to help incoming students get the most from their community college experience, so they can use it as an effective starting point for a successful and lucrative career.

Are You Ready?

The first step toward community college success is proper preparation before the enrollment process even takes place. Whether you are coming to college right out of high school, or have been out of the world of academia for some time, you can determine your college readiness with a relatively simple process.

First, find a readiness