University of Minnesota to Limit Transfer Students

While it is essential to track the progress and effectiveness of higher education in this country, current standards that apply across the board to both two and four-year institutions do not paint a complete picture of the state of postsecondary education today. There are significant differences between four-year universities and two-year community colleges that are not addressed in the standards as they are currently written. In most cases, current assessment standards do community colleges an injustice, providing an inaccurate view of how well these schools educate their students.

The AACC and the VFA

The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) is hoping to change the view of the community college system through a set of defined assessment standards designed just for them. According to the AACC website, the new Voluntary Framework of Accountability (VFA) is the first national accountability system created just for community colleges, considering their unique student demographics and purpose. The new metrics will initially be tested by 58 community colleges, according to a brief report in the Chronicle of Higher Education, with the hope that other schools will adopt the framework.

The VFA is a three-phase initiative encompassing many aspects of community college success or failure. When the framework is completed, it will include:

• A technical manual that will offer an overview of measurement calculations
• A college framework to guide schools in assessing student learning outcomes
• A blueprint of data collection to provide an assessment model to participating colleges
• Preliminary results of the

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

Connecticut College System to Undergo Major Overhaul in Merger

To save money and streamline the higher education process, Connecticut has merged the state’s college system to create a central governance board for 12 community colleges, four universities, and Charter Oak State College – an online college. The only state school that will remain independent under the new structure is the University of Connecticut. While many applaud this change as an effective way to improve the state’s college system overall, others are concerned about exactly how this new merger will impact individual schools with very different missions.

How the Merger Happened and What Students Can Expect

According to a report at Inside Higher Ed, Connecticut state legislators launched the merger in July, when they created the new Board of Regents for Higher Education to oversee the institutions in the state. Two of the primary reasons for the decision were to save money on higher education overall, as well as to coordinate higher education in the state to ensure students received an education that would prepare them for a lucrative and available job in the future.

“The State of Connecticut has to look across higher education,” Gena Glickman, president of Manchester Community College, told Inside Higher Ed. Glickman added that the state needs to determine “whether or not we’re facile enough to meet the needs of each student.”

The new Board of Regents will consist of 19 board members who have not yet been

Even though community colleges are seeing higher enrollment levels than ever before, not all these new students of higher education are getting the type of college experience they were hoping for. According to a new survey conducted by Pearson Foundation and Harris Interactive, many community college students feel unprepared for the rigors of college coursework. Students are also getting shut out of classes at many schools, leaving many waiting longer than two years to complete their degree and certification programs.

Harris Interactive conducted The recent survey online on behalf of Pearson Foundation in August and September 2011. The survey polled 1,205 community college students on various issues regarding school, including ease of getting necessary courses and the difficulty level of college-level coursework compared to high school classes. The survey results have been published on the websites of both Pearson Foundation and Harris Interactive. Several news sources have reported on the findings as well.

Preparation Lacking for Students Entering Community College

According to the Harris Interactive website, the survey found that more than half (52%) of all community college students felt unprepared for college-level coursework. Many felt their high schools did not adequately prepare them for higher education by placing a higher emphasis on basic skills, offering more courses, and making courses more challenging.

Amy Evans, a spokeswoman for Cisco College in Texas, told the Abilene Reporter-News that about one-third of the students who enroll at Cisco require some developmental education to prepare for the