How Community College Campuses are Preparing for the H1N1 Virus

Community colleges were originally intended to help all students access higher education, regardless of socioeconomic or geographical constraints. Subsequently, some community colleges adjusted their admission policies to allow undocumented immigrants to enroll on campus.

However, these changes have long been met with controversy, especially during periods of rising enrollment and financial pressure on public colleges. Today, debates surrounding undocumented student enrollment continue nationwide as states reevaluate tuition policies, financial aid eligibility, and workforce development priorities.

As the debate continues on both sides, some experts predict that community colleges across the country will continue facing pressure to clarify and expand policies affecting undocumented students.

Undocumented Students: The Heated Debate

Examining these controversial changes to community college policies in North Carolina, WRAL News previously reported that community colleges in the state were required to accept qualified undocumented immigrants if applicants met admission guidelines. Before policy changes in the late 2000s, some college officials rejected undocumented students entirely, even when applicants had graduated from United States high schools.

The policy debate evolved significantly over the following decades. In 1997, former North Carolina Attorney General and Governor Mike Easley expressed support for allowing undocumented immigrants to enroll in community colleges. Eventually, legal guidance from the North Carolina Community College System led campuses across the state to adopt more standardized admissions practices.

As many North Carolina residents discovered, some campuses had already quietly allowed certain undocumented students to enroll without proof of citizenship status. Other colleges, however, were forced to revise

While all mentoring programs help improve student performance and graduation rates, some community colleges are finding that minority mentorship programs are even more beneficial. Colleges across the country are celebrating the outstanding results achieved through the collaborative efforts of on-campus minority mentoring programs. As the Education Resources Services Center articulates, “Mentoring is a process that can increase the retention of minority students, with larger numbers graduated and hired for faculty positions.”

To discover the benefits of minority mentoring opportunities, consider what some of the top-performing organizations have been able to achieve with their local community college support.

In their paper, Institutionalizing Mentoring in Community Colleges, Dr. Robin Phelps-Ward and Dr. Amanda O. Latz make the point that "Opportunities for institutionalized mentoring in community colleges have the potential to manifest in the promotion and tenure process, faculty development seminars, student recruitment and admissions procedures, and throughout curriculum development. However, colleges must make a concerted effort to weave and explicitly communicate mentoring as a value through mission and vision statements, strategic goals and outcomes, and even course objectives."

This video reports on the minority mentoring initiative at Montgomery County Community College.

Examining the College Student Spectrum

According to the Community College Review-Journal, diversity among community college student populations is constantly shifting. In fact, recent US Census Bureau reports show that 42.3 percent of African Americans enrolled in college programs are

While many community colleges have educational incentives to provide reform for convicted criminals, some political leaders are taking an opposing stance. According to recent reports from the San Francisco Chronicle, “Some of the nation's worst sex offenders will no longer be eligible to receive generous educational financial aid packages while they are confined in treatment centers under a bill approved by Congress.”

As political leaders and college presidents strive to balance their budgets amidst a struggling economy, one of the first programs to be eliminated is the financial aid and grants that were available for individuals guilty of serious crimes.

This TEDTalk looks at the issue of prisoner education.

Fighting for Reform

In exploring the recent amendments denying convicted criminals of free tuition and grants, one must first understand how these free college opportunities were even initially created. In truth, allowing convicted criminals to gain access to free publicly funded courses was a mere oversight in a much larger educational overhaul. As The Hoya, Georgetown University’s central newspaper, explains, the House of Representatives passed a bill to reauthorize the Higher Education Act in 2008. This act was reinstated in order to provide individuals with enhanced financial aid benefits, and the act allowed individuals to access aid with fewer obstacles and hassles. As a result of this bill, students were able to apply for and receive federally funded student aid Pell Grants throughout the entire year.

Unfortunately, while most students found the

Historically, when the economy sputters, community college enrollment rates rise. In facing today’s growing student population, some campuses are struggling under the increased demand. As a result, some community college students have been forced to halt their academic pursuits, finding themselves placed on waiting lists.

Being on a community college’s waiting list can slow down a student’s anticipated graduation date, as well as limit career training. If you find yourself on a waiting list, there are measures you can take to overcome frustrating admission freezes.

What is a College Wait List?

Waitlists, which put students in a “line” of acceptance after a school or program’s maximum capacity has been reached, can delay a student’s pursuit of a certification or degree for multiple semesters.

Some programs may have longer waiting lists than others. For example, as Hudson Valley, Community College in Troy, New York reveals, “The size of the program and departmental projections will determine the number of students on a waitlist. If a student is not accepted from the waitlist, he/she will be notified shortly after the start of the semester.”

Protesting Against Waiting Lists

According to the Union-Tribune, some California community college students have fought against wait list frustrations through organized protests. For example, protesters gathered at California City College, located in San Diego, to fight against the state’s budget cuts that have forced 20,000