Cc Times July 4 2006 Single Page
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6 July 4, 2006 BY RICHARD WILT While community colleges are usually lauded for their classically democratic “open door” policy of admissions, we use that very policy as an excuse for our low graduation rates: the student who “just wants a few classes to improve their work skills,” or who is unsure of his or her goals and enrolls to “find himself or herself.” Or the high school graduate or reverse transfer student who is coming to get a core of transfer credits to save some four-year tuition dollars or to get a grade point average back up in order to go back to a four-year institution. Each of these situations is not a failure of the community college in terms of student goals, but they show a lack of attention to detail in promoting the benefits of the com- munity college degree or certificate to each of these students. There is definite value added to society, the local economy and the individual if the community college student stays to complete a certificate or degree. First, some raw numbers on the benefits of a certificate or degree. The U. S. Census measures characteristics of the population by levels of educational attainment by the fol- lowing post-high school classifications: some college, associate degree, bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, professional degree and doctorate degree. For the census study period of 1997-1999, in the aggregate, full-time, year-round employment and average annual earnings generally increase with increasing levels of education for adult workers. Year-round, full-time employment also varies with educational attainment. Post- secondary degree holders are more likely to hold full-time, year-round employment than less-than associate degree holders. Earnings differences among the different levels of educational attainment have grown over time. In 1975, a bachelor’s degree holder had 1.5 times the annual earnings of a high school diploma holder. In 1999, the ratio increased to 1.8 times. The nature of work in the current U.S. economy demands more skilled and edu- cated workers. The increased demand for skilled workers causes an increasing wage premium relative to less edu- cated workers. Benefits are also demon- strable in various groups in the population, such as women and minorities. Earnings of men and women are not equal. Since the mid-1970s, many social factors contributed to income disparity between men and women, including continuous participation in the labor force, career field, career commitments, promo- tions and discrimination, which could affect all other factors. Postsecondary educational attainment also benefits regional economic development. The general benefit is to improve the quality of the regional workforce through increased productivity, attracting higher wage jobs and improving opportunities for economically at-risk populations. So, while individuals benefit from higher earnings, these earnings circulate through the regional economy as increased spending that contributes to economic growth and employment. Economic growth contributes to increased tax revenues and government investment in infrastructure. Where indus- trial resources such as raw materials and energy would attract private investment in a manufacturing economy, an educated workforce—a “knowledge resource”—also attracts private investment from potential employers, which contributes to the cycle of economic growth. What is wrong with the individual goals of the three examples cited earlier? In the short term, probably nothing. But in the longer term, the individual and societal benefits of higher education will go unrealized. If the goal for our workforce skills enhancement student is truly new skills, then at the risk of losing those all im- portant full-time equivalent students by which we mea- sure success, we should refer that student to our workforce development colleagues. A better idea may be to take extra counsel- ing and advising time and inform students that they may realize greater workforce value by taking courses that lead to a certificate or degree, and thereby possibly earn more. For students unsure of educational and career goals, the community college is the place to explore what they might want to do and how to get there. Students will also likely realize the ben- efits of lifelong learning when they meet other adult learners returning to college to enhance or change their careers. Where else can a student explore building trades to computer-aided design to engineering technology to engineering? In Virginia, we are seeing an increase in cooperation between community colleges and four-year colleges on the issue of credit transfer. While there has been a state policy on transfer between two- and four-year in- stitutions, we are now seeing “guaranteed admission” agreements being developed. Transfer policies and guaranteed admis- sions agreements show students the advan- tage of completing an associate degree and have significantly more benefit to students than just saving a semester or two of four-year tuition. The students don’t have to submit their community college transcript to a line-by-line evaluation by four-year colleges. Community college academic advisors and counselors and high school counselors need to be aware of these agreements and explain them to students and parents. We need to involve our workforce develop- ment colleagues, counselors and academic advisors in a system that helps identify stu- dents’ goals and better explains the benefits of achieving the certificate or degree. We need to enable and empower counselors and academic advisors to provide students with the academic and career advice they need to make intelligent choices about these life- changing decisions and, just as importantly, we need to design and encourage administra- tive systems that encourage broad interdisci- plinary advising and counseling. Not only will students see the personal ben- efits of obtaining a certificate or degree, but we will also see more students graduate and enjoy the societal benefits of increased economic development in our local economies. Wilt is dean of instruction at Eastern Shore Community College (Virginia). Community college graduation rates matter Richard Wilt COMMUNITY COLLEGE TIMES OPINION ARE YOU A SUBSCRIBER ? 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TO ORDER, CONTACT Times Subscriptions One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 410 Washington, DC 20036-1176 202/728-0200 ext. 236 SEND PAYMENT TO AACC • PO Box 75263 • Baltimore, MD 21275 ISSN 1089-4373 © 2006 American Association of Community Colleges The National Voice for Community, Technical and Junior Colleges Published by the American Association of Community Colleges Executive Editor Norma Kent Editor Matthew Dembicki Associate Editor Carisa Chappell Production John Sauerhoff Listings Editor Barbara Daniels The Community College Times (USPS #009-802) is published biweekly, except for the last two weeks in July and the last two weeks in December, at One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 410, Washington, DC 20036-1176. Periodicals postage rate is paid at Washington, DC, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the Community College Times, One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 410, Washington, DC 20036-1176. Community College Times Wants Your Opinion Got an opinion you’d like to see published here? Send opinion articles and letters to the editor to [email protected]. edu, or send to Opinion, Community College Times, One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 410, Washington, DC 20036-1176. Please include your name, title and phone number. Opinion pieces should run about 1,000 words. Letters should run 350 words or less. They may be edited for length and style.
Transcript of Cc Times July 4 2006 Single Page
6 July 4, 2006
BY RICHARD WILT
While community colleges are usually lauded for their classically democratic “open door” policy of admissions, we use that very policy as an excuse for our low graduation rates: the student who “just wants a few classes to improve their work skills,” or who is unsure of his or her goals and enrolls to “find himself or herself.” Or the high school graduate or reverse transfer student who is coming to get a core of transfer credits to save some four-year tuition dollars or to get a grade point average back up in order to go back to a four-year institution.
Each of these situations is not a failure of the community college in terms of student goals, but they show a lack of attention to detail in promoting the benefits of the com-munity college degree or certificate to each of these students. There is definite value added to society, the local economy and the individual if the community college student stays to complete a certificate or degree.
First, some raw numbers on the benefits of a certificate or degree. The U. S. Census measures characteristics of the population by levels of educational attainment by the fol-lowing post-high school classifications: some college, associate degree, bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, professional degree and doctorate degree. For the census study period of 1997-1999, in the aggregate, full-time, year-round employment and average annual earnings generally increase with increasing levels of education for adult workers.
Year-round, full-time employment also varies with educational attainment. Post-secondary degree holders are more likely to hold full-time, year-round employment than
less-than associate degree holders. Earnings differences among the different levels of educational attainment have grown over time. In 1975, a bachelor’s degree holder had 1.5 times the annual earnings of a high school diploma holder. In 1999, the ratio increased to 1.8 times.
The nature of work in the current U.S. economy demands more skilled and edu-cated workers. The increased demand for skilled workers causes an increasing wage premium relative to less edu-cated workers.
Benefits are also demon-strable in various groups in the population, such as women and minorities. Earnings of men and women are not equal. Since the mid-1970s, many social factors contributed to income disparity between men and women, including continuous participation in the labor force, career field, career commitments, promo-tions and discrimination, which could affect all other factors.
Postsecondary educational attainment also benefits regional economic development. The general benefit is to improve the quality of the regional workforce through increased productivity, attracting higher wage jobs and improving opportunities for economically at-risk populations.
So, while individuals benefit from higher earnings, these earnings circulate through the regional economy as increased spending that contributes to economic growth and employment. Economic growth contributes to increased tax revenues and government
investment in infrastructure. Where indus-trial resources such as raw materials and energy would attract private investment in a manufacturing economy, an educated workforce—a “knowledge resource”—also attracts private investment from potential employers, which contributes to the cycle of economic growth.
What is wrong with the individual goals of the three examples cited earlier? In the short term, probably nothing. But in the longer term, the individual and societal benefits of higher education will go unrealized. If the goal for our workforce skills enhancement student is truly new skills, then at the risk of losing those all im-portant full-time equivalent students by which we mea-sure success, we should refer that student to our workforce
development colleagues. A better idea may be to take extra counsel-
ing and advising time and inform students that they may realize greater workforce value by taking courses that lead to a certificate or degree, and thereby possibly earn more. For students unsure of educational and career goals, the community college is the place to explore what they might want to do and how to get there.
Students will also likely realize the ben-efits of lifelong learning when they meet other adult learners returning to college to enhance or change their careers. Where else can a student explore building trades to computer-aided design to engineering technology to engineering?
In Virginia, we are seeing an increase in cooperation between community colleges and four-year colleges on the issue of credit transfer. While there has been a state policy on transfer between two- and four-year in-stitutions, we are now seeing “guaranteed admission” agreements being developed.
Transfer policies and guaranteed admis-sions agreements show students the advan-tage of completing an associate degree and have significantly more benefit to students than just saving a semester or two of four-year tuition. The students don’t have to submit their community college transcript to a line-by-line evaluation by four-year colleges. Community college academic advisors and counselors and high school counselors need to be aware of these agreements and explain them to students and parents.
We need to involve our workforce develop-ment colleagues, counselors and academic advisors in a system that helps identify stu-dents’ goals and better explains the benefits of achieving the certificate or degree. We need to enable and empower counselors and academic advisors to provide students with the academic and career advice they need to make intelligent choices about these life-changing decisions and, just as importantly, we need to design and encourage administra-tive systems that encourage broad interdisci-plinary advising and counseling.
Not only will students see the personal ben-efits of obtaining a certificate or degree, but we will also see more students graduate and enjoy the societal benefits of increased economic development in our local economies.
Wilt is dean of instruction at Eastern Shore Community College (Virginia).
Community college graduation rates matter
Richard Wilt
COMMUNITY COLLEGE TIMES
OPINION
ARE YOU A SUBSCRIBER ?COMMUNITY COLLEGE TIMESDomestic $54 Single subscription $28 10 or more copies to same addressForeign $63 Single subscription $38 10 or more copies to same address
METHOD OF PAYMENT Check payable to AACC subscriptions. Please send invoice. Purchase order #________ Credit card Visa MasterCard
CARD#
EXP. DATE
SIGNATURE
NAME
TITLE
INSTITUTION
ADDRESS
CITY, STATE, ZIP
PHONE FAX
(Please provide names and titles of all subscribers.)
Mail to Times Subscriptions AACCP.O. Box 75263Baltimore, MD 21275
DISPLAY ADVERTISINGSuzee Dittberner and Marty Hermann
Ascend Media7015 College Blvd., Suite 600
Overland Park, KS 66211913/344-1352
[email protected]@ascendmedia.com
CLASSIFIED & CAREERLINE ADSSherry Burkdoll — Western U.S.
Holly Baker — Eastern U.S.Ascend Media
7015 College Blvd., Suite 600Overland Park, KS 66210
NEWSROOM202/728-0200 ext. 206
SUBSCRIPTIONSOne subscription (3 copies) with each institutional membership to AACC. Individual subscriptions are $54 annually. Group subscriptions are $27 each when 10 or more are sent to the same address.
TO ORDER, CONTACTTimes Subscriptions
One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 410Washington, DC 20036-1176
202/728-0200 ext. 236
SEND PAYMENT TOAACC • PO Box 75263 • Baltimore, MD 21275
ISSN 1089-4373 © 2006 American Association of Community Colleges
The National Voice for Community, Technical and Junior CollegesPublished by the American Association of Community Colleges
Executive Editor Norma Kent Editor Matthew Dembicki Associate Editor Carisa Chappell Production John Sauerhoff Listings Editor Barbara Daniels
The Community College Times (USPS #009-802) is published biweekly, except for the last two weeks in July and the last two weeks in December, at One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 410, Washington, DC 20036-1176. Periodicals postage rate is paid at Washington, DC, and additional mailing offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to the Community College Times, One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 410, Washington, DC 20036-1176.
Community College Times Wants Your OpinionGot an opinion you’d like to see published here? Send
opinion articles and letters to the editor to [email protected], or send to Opinion, Community College Times, One Dupont Circle, NW, Suite 410, Washington, DC 20036-1176. Please include your name, title and phone number. Opinion pieces should run about 1,000 words. Letters should run 350 words or less. They may be edited for length and style.
