Democracy s Colleges: The Evolution of the Community College in America

1

Democracy’s Colleges: The Evolution of the

Community College in America

George R. Boggs

American community colleges are much like the nation that invented them. They offer an open door to opportunity to all who would come, are innovative and agile in meeting economic and workplace needs, and provide value and service to individuals and communities. Little wonder that they are increasingly emulated around the world and have become the largest and fastest-growing segment of U.S. higher education. A Century of Growth

From relatively modest beginnings at the turn of the 20th century, community colleges now enroll close to half of all U.S. undergraduates (43%; National Center for Education Statistics [NCES], 2007a). Especially in times of economic

uncertainty, the colleges provide an affordable option to both recent high school graduates and returning adult learners, with an average cost of just $2,544 per year (College Board, 2009). Reflecting the current economic downturn, credit student enrollment in community colleges

increased 16.9% to 8 million per term over the past two years (Mullin & Phillippe, 2009), with noncredit enrollment in basic skills, short-term workforce, or avocational courses conservatively estimated at an additional 5 million students (AACC, 2010a).

Originally developed as open-admissions junior colleges, offering the first two years of a

baccalaureate education, community colleges have evolved into comprehensive institutions. They serve the postsecondary educational needs of communities in many ways, in particular preparing students to transfer to upper-division universities or to enter the workforce directly. The close to 1,200

community, junior and technical colleges in the

United States are regionally accredited, nonprofit higher education institutions and include public, independent, and tribal colleges. While most community colleges restrict their programs to two years or less and confer associate degrees and certificates in a wide variety of subject areas, a growing number of them now offer baccalaureates in applied fields, teacher education, and nursing.

Although the roots of this uniquely American contribution to higher education extend to several specialized two-year institutions that began in the late 19th century, most community college historians point to the founding of Joliet Junior College, near Chicago, Illinois, in 1901 as the true beginning of the American community college movement, a social movement that has widely broadened access to higher education and training opportunities to students who would not otherwise have had the opportunity to attend college due to economic, mobility, and social barriers. William Rainey Harper, the president of the University of Chicago, and J. Stanley Brown, the principal of Joliet High School, collaborated to found Joliet Junior College in order to expand educational opportunity and to prepare the very best students for the senior college at the

University. Joliet is the oldest community college that is still in operation.

The Democratization of Higher Education The Truman Commission report, issued in 1947, changed the course of higher education in the United States from “merely being an instrument for producing an intellectual elite” to becoming “the means by which every citizen, youth, and adult, is enabled and encouraged” to pursue higher learning (President’s Commission, 1947).

2 The Commission’s report marked the first

general use of the term community college and recommended that they expand nationally to provide universal access to postsecondary education. Expanding to every state and shaped by such forces as the educational and training needs of returning veterans, the baby boom generation and the growing need for skilled workers in a shifting economy, community colleges have changed the paradigm for higher education in the United States from one where students had to “go away” to college to one that provides access to high-quality and affordable higher education and training in local

communities. Underscoring their accessibility, there is a community college within a short commute of 90% of the U.S. population, and they provide a learning lifeline in hundreds of small, rural communities (National Commission on Community Colleges, 2008).

Economic Engines for the Nation Community colleges play an essential role in preparing the nation’s workforce. They prepare over half of the nation’s registered nurses and the majority of other health-care workers, over 80% of first responders with postsecondary credentials (paramedics, EMTs, firefighters, and police officers), and a growing percentage of the nation’s technological workforce (National Commission on Community Colleges, 2008). Community colleges have also become the institutions of choice for workers upgrading their skills and for displaced workers preparing to reenter the workforce.

Community colleges also develop curricula to respond to the needs of local economies, working closely with industry, government, and other education sectors. For example, Alabama Southern Community College has a paper technology program because of the importance of the pulp industry in that part of the country; Napa Valley College has a viticulture program; and colleges along the Gulf Coast have

petrochemical technician programs. As the importance of green technologies has become more evident, the colleges have geared up programs in fields such as wind and solar

technology and energy efficiency. The colleges also respond quickly to meet community needs. During the current economic downturn, stories of community colleges sending staff into factories to counsel displaced workers and guide them on a path to retraining made national news.

The National Science Foundation (NSF) has identified public community colleges as the main source of postsecondary education for

technicians. NSF’s Advanced Technological Education (ATE) program utilizes community college educators to lead programs that involve universities, secondary schools, and business to prepare and strengthen the skills of the nation’s technological workforce. ATE programs prepare technicians in strategic areas including

agriculture, environmental technology, biotechnology, engineering technology, manufacturing, information technology,

telecommunications, cybersecurity, and process technology (NSF, 2008).

Diverse and Inclusive

Community colleges provide access to higher education to the most diverse student body in history. It is diversity in every respect: age, ethnicity, nationality, socioeconomic status, and degree of disability. Forty-seven percent of first-generation college students, 53% of Hispanic students, 45% of Black students, 52% of Native American students, and 45% of Asian/Pacific Islander students attend community colleges. Although the average age of community college students is 28, 46% of them are age 21 or younger (NCES, 2007c).

Meeting the Challenge of Completion Last July, President Obama called on

community colleges to increase the number of graduates and program completers by 5 million students over a 10-year period, a 50% increase over current numbers (Obama, 2009). Although Congress was not able to deliver federal funding support to the colleges through the American Graduation Initiative as proposed, the

administration has stated its continued commitment to increasing the educational attainment levels of Americans, challenging community colleges to bear a significant part of

3 the burden. On March 30, 2010, at a ceremony

at Northern Virginia Community College, President Obama signed H.R. 4872, the Health Care and Education Affordability Reconciliation Act, into law. The Act provides $2 billion for the Community College and Career Training Grant Program, a new Trade Adjustment Assistance program focused on workforce preparation. In an earlier address to a joint session of Congress, President Obama asked every American to commit to at least one year of higher education or career training so that the United States would once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world. The president made the point that, in an increasingly competitive world economy, America’s economic strength depends on the education and skills of its workers. The Obama administration has pointed out that, in the coming years, jobs requiring at least an

associate degree are projected to grow twice as fast as those requiring no college experience. In its report of the Springboard Project, the

Business Roundtable (2009) echoed President Obama’s challenge to increase education attainment levels to build a competitive workforce. The report recommends unlocking the value of community colleges, stating that these institutions have the potential to play a dominant role in strengthening local economies. In order to accomplish these goals, community college student completion and transfer rates must improve. Too many students do not make it successfully through remedial programs into college-level courses, and too many do not complete their programs because of insufficient financial support or poor institutional or state policies and practices. The first significant effort to improve student completion in community colleges was set in motion by Lumina Foundation for Education in 2004, with the launch of the national Achieving the Dream: Community Colleges Count initiative (ATD). The goal of the initiative is to help more community college students succeed, especially students of color, working adults, and students from low-income families. The ATD initiative emphasizes the use of data and the creation of a “culture of

evidence” at the colleges to inform decision-making and to measure progress against a specific set of student success metrics.

Ultimately, Lumina’s “Big Goal” is to increase the proportion of Americans with high-quality

degrees and credentials to 60% by the year 2025 (Lumina Foundation, 2010). The

Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD) rates the current educational attainment level for the Unites States at 40% (OECD, 2009).

Begun with a cohort of 26 colleges, ATD has now expanded to128 colleges in 24 states, including the District of Columbia. ATD efforts have focused on improving or expanding developmental education, gatekeeper courses, first-year experience, learning communities, academic and personal advising, student support services, and tutoring. A recent report indicated that the initiative is effectively

increasing student persistence rates by as much as 13% (Jaschik, 2010). ATD colleges are also working to strengthen linkages to K–12 and to engage the community. The initiative also is focused on changing state and federal policies that create barriers for students (ATD, 2010). In 2009, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation announced a major postsecondary success initiative. The foundation is focused on ensuring that postsecondary education results in a degree or a certificate with genuine economic value. The foundation has set an ambitious goal to double the number of young people who earn a postsecondary degree or certificate with value in the marketplace by the time they reach age 26. The foundation notes that the types of jobs fueling our economy continue to change rapidly. Success in the workplace demands advanced skills in critical thinking and problem-solving, as well as the ability to shift readily from one task or project to another. Workers with strong language and math skills, technological capabilities, and a capacity to work well in teams are most likely to succeed. Carnevale, Smith, and Strohl (2010) project that, through 2018, nearly two thirds (63%) of all new jobs will require more than a high school diploma; nearly half of those will require some college but less than a bachelor’s

4 degree. The Bureau of Labor Statistics projects

that, 21 of the 30 fastest-growing occupations require postsecondary education (Lacey & Wright, 2009, Table 4).

In April 2010, six national community college organizations—representing trustees,

administrators, faculty, and students—signed a call to action to commit member institutions to match President Obama’s 2020 goal (AACC, 2010b). The organizations are currently seeking funding to develop cohesive and integrated strategies to move ahead, although challenges presented by the current economic climate could very well inhibit early progress. In the face of a surge of enrollment pressure, states have cut funding to public higher education, including community colleges. Hundreds of thousands of students were turned away from classes last fall, roughly 140,000 students in California alone (California Community Colleges, 2010), and the situation in fall 2011 may be even worse due to continuing economic challenges in the states. If the United States is to meet the challenges of the future, policymakers must provide needed support to colleges and universities and their students. Education, at all levels, must be seen as an important state and federal investment in our future, and policies must be put in place to ensure maximum return on that investment.

A Shared Investment in Student Success Support from policymakers and a foundation is important, but goals of improving educational attainment in the United States can best be met if educators take the lead in improving student success. College and university faculty and administrators need to work together to improve completion rates and to facilitate the transfer of students from community colleges into upper-division course work through better course articulation and improved student advising. In their book, Crossing the Finish Line, Bowen, Chingos, and McPherson (2009) said that many four-year institutions could increase their own overall graduation rates, while enrolling and graduating more students of low socioeconomic status, by increasing their numbers of

community college transfers. They said that

transfer students do better in four-year

universities than if they had come directly from high school with the same credentials. While community college transfer students generally do at least as well as native university students after transferring, both in terms of both grade point average and degree attainment, not enough community college students transfer. It is important for both policymakers and educators to address the barriers to student success and transfer. Higher education in the United States is exemplary in many ways, but it can be much stronger if the contributions of community colleges are appropriately recognized and if educators work together to break down barriers to student success.

The Globalization of the Community College Model

In an increasingly global society and economy, education and training beyond customary compulsory primary and secondary education is seen as essential to a nation’s competitiveness and the standard of living of its people. The need to open the doors of higher or further education beyond the relatively limited enrollments in selective universities has

spawned an international movement to develop or expand institutions that are generally less expensive, more accessible, more flexible, and tied more closely to business and industry. Recently, there has been an increasing

international interest in the American community college model. In July 2009, Jill Biden, wife of the U.S. vice president and a community college faculty member, presented a keynote address at the UNESCO World Conference on Higher Education in Paris, encouraging the leaders of developing countries to consider the community college model. Community colleges based on the American model have now been established in Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Vietnam, Thailand, and the Republic of Georgia. Representatives from the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and China have sent delegations to the United States to study community colleges.

Representatives from U.S. community colleges have been invited to Jordan, the United Arab

5 Emirates, India, South Africa, and Ukraine to

explain our American model and how it might be adapted to fit the cultures of other countries. The American Association of Community Colleges has signed cooperative agreements with postsecondary education systems in Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany, Denmark, and the Netherlands, and it is a member of the World Federation of Colleges and Polytechnics, an organization dedicated to the improvement of workforce education and lifelong learning.

Although they have been a part of U.S. higher education since 1901, community colleges have traditionally had a low profile and have received little attention in national media. Today, they are receiving significant attention, not only in the United States but also internationally. In other countries, they are seen as vehicles to improve skills and to expand educational opportunity. In the United States, they are seen as important to economic strength and recovery and are being challenged to increase student success and completion significantly while increasing both access and quality. If we are to meet the 10-year challenge issued by President Obama and make good on the commitment to increase the

numbers of student completers, educators must build on and expand programs and practices that reduce student barriers.

George R. Boggs is the President and CEO of the American Association of Community

Colleges, Superintendent/President Emeritus of Palomar College in California, and a former community college faculty member.

References

Achieving the Dream. (2010). Strategies at Achieving the Dream colleges. Available from

http://www.achievingthedream.org/CAMP USSTRATEGIES/STRATEGIESATACHI EVINGTHEDREAMCOLLEGES/default.t p

American Association of Community Colleges. (2010a). 2010 fact sheet. Available from

http://www.aacc.nche.edu/AboutCC/Pag es/fastfacts.aspx

American Association of Community Colleges. (2010b, April 20). National organizations sign student completion call to action. Available from

http://www.aacc.nche.edu/newsevents/N ews/articles/Pages/042020101.aspx Biden, J. (2009, July). Keynote address at the

UNESCO World Conference on Higher Education, Paris, France. Transcript available from

http://www.unesco.org/education/wche/s

peeches/jill-biden-speech-2009WCHE.pdf

Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation . (2009). Postsecondary success. Redmond, WA: Author. Available from

http://www.gatesfoundation.org/postseco ndaryeducation

Bowen, W., Chingos, M., & McPherson, M. (2009). Crossing the finish line:

Completing college at America’s public universities. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press.

Business Roundtable. (2009). Getting ahead— Staying ahead. Helping America’s workforce succeed in the 21st century. Washington, DC: Author. Available from http://www.businessroundtable.org/sites/ default/files/BRT_Getting_Ahead_online _version.pdf

California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office. (2010, June 3). California community colleges make concerted effort to meet demand [Press release]. Available from the California Community College Chancellor’s Office Web site: http://www.cccco.edu

Carnevale, A. P., Smith, N., & Strohl, J. (2010, June). Help wanted: Projections of jobs and education requirements through 2018. Washington, DC: Georgetown University, Center on Education and the Workforce.

College Board. (2009). Trends in college pricing: 2009. Washington, DC: Author. Available from

http://www.trends-collegeboard.com/college_pricing/pdf/20 09_Trends_College_Pricing.pdf

6 Jaschik, S. (2010, June 1). Moving the needle.

Inside Higher Ed. Available from

http://www.insidehighered.com/news/201 0/06/01/nisod

Lacey, T. A., & Wright, B. (2009, November). Occupational employment projections to 2018. Monthly Labor Review, 132(11), 82–123.

Lumina Foundation for Education. (2010). Goal 2025. Available from

http://www.luminafoundation.org/goal_20 25/

Mullin, C. M., & Phillippe, K. (2009, November). Community college enrollment surge: An analysis of estimated fall 2009

headcount enrollments at community colleges (Policy Brief 2009-01PBL). Washington, DC: American Association of Community Colleges.

National Center for Education Statistics. (2007a). Integrated postsecondary education data system (IPEDS) completion survey [Data file].

Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education.

National Center for Education Statistics. (2007b). Integrated postsecondary education data system (IPEDS) fall enrollment survey [Data file].

Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education.

National Center for Education Statistics.

(2007c). National postsecondary student aid study: 200X–Washington, DC: U.S. Department of Education.

National Commission on Community Colleges. (2008, January). Winning the skills race and strengthening America’s middle class: An action agenda for community colleges. New York, NY: The College Board. Available from

http://professionals.collegeboard.com/pro fdownload/winning_the_skills_race.pdf National Science Foundation. (2008). ATE

Centers impact 2008–2010. Arlington, VA: Author. Available from

http://www.atecenters.org/

Obama, B. (2009, July 14). Remarks by the president on the American Graduation Initiative. Washington, DC: The White

House, Office of the Press Secretary. Available from

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Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development. (2009). Education at a glance 2009: OECD indicators. Available from www.oecd.org/edu/eag2009

President’s Commission on Higher Education. (1947). Higher education for democracy: A report of the President's Commission on Higher Education (vols. 1–2). New York, NY: Harper.

1

White House Community College Summit:

Issue Brief on Community College and Industry

Partnerships

Louis Soares

Center for American Progress

October 2010

I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

In recent decades, in response to rapid technological change and increasing global competition, business and postsecondary education have been finding common cause in the preparation of the highly skilled workforce necessary to preserve the nation’s

competitiveness and economic opportunity. The Obama Administration, recognizing this economic imperative, has set aggressive goals for postsecondary attainment in the United States and emphasized the unique role

community colleges can play achieving them. The scale and adaptability of community

colleges make them a strong choice as a driver. Among higher education institutions, community colleges stand closest to the crossroads of higher education and the real world, where Americans need to apply a mix of technical knowledge, business acumen and creativity to add value in firms whose imperative is to compete on innovationi

The only way to develop curriculum and instruction models that deliver this skill set to large numbers of Americans is for business and education leaders to build collaborations that leverage their combined knowledge of labor markets, skills, pedagogy and students. This

integration of vocation and employment-oriented goals in academic educational programs has been termed The New Vocationalism

movement.

. This complex talent mix requires knowledge and skills gleaned from both academic education and vocational training.

ii

A central tenet of New Vocationalism is the need for institutional innovations to identify new

models of community college education as a way to better prepare individuals for high wage, high skill jobs. Community college-industry partnerships (CCIPs) are one such institutional innovation. The purpose of these partnerships is most often to enhance the community

colleges’ historic mission of university transfer education with alternate pathways to

postsecondary credentials with labor market value for individuals who are not on a traditional college track

The movement seeks to create a more well-rounded education that satisfies both the demand for skilled employees as well as the need for a knowledgeable and engaged

citizentry by integrating the three historic missions of community colleges: university transfer education, vocational education and, more recently, developmental education.

iii_{. This may include youth and} adults with low-literacy, dislocated workers and English as a Second Language learners. Strong Partnerships tend to develop around local and regional economic and workforce development needs and can take many different forms from joint-investment in facilities to

2 CCIPs include many promising “good practices”

for helping the populations they target obtain a postsecondary credential including: Systemic Institutional Alignment/Improvement; Curriculum and Instructional Transformation; Academic and Social Support; Professional Development and Shared Resources/Sustainability.v Yet, there is still research and analysis work needed to establish best practices that can be fully scaled.vi

This issue brief provides a broad overview of CCIPs from the viewpoint of their role in changing community college missions and practices. We first situate the CCIP within the New Vocationalism movement and the

community colleges’ multiple missions. Second, we provide a definition for CCIPs along with key success factors and activities. Third, we provide three case studies that utilize these activities. Fourth, we have a brief discussion of outcomes and finally have some general recommendations and concluding thoughts.

II. NEW VOCATIONALISM, MUTIPLE MISSIONS AND CCIPs

Community colleges certainly make sense as a driver of postsecondary attainment goals. They serve an estimated 12 million for-credit and non-credit studentsvii,, which means they dwarf other postsecondary education providers, including 4-year schools and workforce training programs in terms of access to and cost of their services. Further, the education, work and life challenges of average community college students make them the least likely to complete a postsecondary education. Community college completion rates are low with an average degree completion rate of about 22 percent for full-time studentsviii and 15 percent for part time students. ix

The challenge is designing education experiences that make sense given the

students’ life realities and what they want out of a community college education. Community college students often pursue work and learning simultaneously, and most seek to build skills with labor market value. Many need some remedial education to participate in college-level work.x

Current community college instructional models and curricula are not designed to facilitate integrated vocational and academic skill development or support the complex

life-work-education balance, but rather to deliver instruction in narrow silos. Community colleges offer academic, occupational and developmental educationxi

These missions have historically been operated as separate entities within community college governance and business models with separate operations, staff and funding mechanisms. This siloed structure is reinforced by federal and state level funding and regulation that makes

innovation across mission difficult.

programs. Each of these silos supports one of the often cited multiple missions of community colleges: university transfer, vocational and developmental education.

xii

New Vocationalism, with its focus on the

integrated skills sets and innovative instructional models, provides a framework to address these needs of the community college student by challenging the existing silos of community college instruction. It envisions the possibility of classroom learning with real world content; values applied and work-based learning experiences; and is focused on generating benefits to students, community colleges and businesses. This is an outward looking focus with an eye toward value creation for the economy and society.

3 Community colleges have the scale,

pedagogical diversity and access to the student body to improve the postsecondary attainment of many Americans, but they must find ways to integrate their three missions to do so. CCIPs, as a new vocationalism innovation, hold forth the promise of leveraging these assets with those of partners to promote institutional innovations the yield better results in terms of relevant

knowledge and skills and degree attainment.

III. CCIP DEFINITION, SUCCESS FACTORS AND KEY ACTIVITIES

Interestingly enough it is difficult to find a definition of what a community college and business partnership is exactly. For the purposes of this brief we have developed a definition from two core bodies of literature. The first body of literature is the emergent literature on Labor Market Responsive Community Colleges.xiii The second is the evolving, but established, literature on career pathways as alternatives to traditional

postsecondary education.xiv Each body of literature is an offshoot of the New

Vocationalism movement and as such

understands the complexity of the community college education yet seeks to challenge the status quo with institutional innovations. From these two strands of literature we developed the following definition.

A Community College and Industry Partnership is a collaboration between a community college and an individual business, group of firms, chamber of commerce, industry association or sector partnership with the purpose of using the resources of all

partners to create alternative college education programs for non-traditional students (both younger workforce entrants and older ones in need of skills and education upgrades) that are tightly linked to regional economic development and labor force needs.

Partners can contribute human resources, finances, facilities and equipment and leadership to accomplishing the partnerships agreed upon goals and

outcomes.

The expectation is that students who complete these programs and obtain postsecondary credentials will have the skills that meet the needs of area business, improve

regional/national competitiveness and earn a family-sustaining wage as well as be prepared for further learning. Postsecondary credentials can include occupational licenses, technical certification, associate and bachelor degrees. Success Factors

CCIPs that have the potential to truly transform community college missions and instructional practices can run up against the opposition that arises when multiple partners engage in

something as complex as postsecondary education. Business partners often do not understand the governing models of community colleges and get frustrated with the slowness of change while community college faculty and administrators can resist change to institutional practice influenced by outside actors. CCIPs must thus lay a solid foundation of mutual understanding. Carrie B. Kisker and Rozanna Carducci enumerate five success factors for partnership success in the UCLA Community College Review. These success factors are:

4 1. Recognize a local/regional economic

development challenge that calls for collaborative attention.

2. Establish a shared mission and goals. 3. Ensure that value is achieved for all partners

(including students).

4. Have strong executive leadership from both the college and industry participants

5. Develop a governance and accountability mechanismsxv

While these are simple enough, often agreement on these fundamental issues can either make or break a potential partnership. It is also in the discussions that culminate in these success factors that community college and industry leaders come to understand the “what’s in it for me” in partnership implementation. Getting key success factors right is so critical that it has caused the creation of a new organizational type, the “intermediary” exemplified by the sector partnership noted in the CCIP definition. An intermediary provides a neutral platform from which community college and industry leaders can discuss their mutual interest as well as engage other regional partners with whom they have common cause. These can include: community-based organizations; labor unions and apprenticeship committees; other colleges; workforce development agencies; human service agencies; and economic development agencies.

Key Activities

While CCIPs are diverse and address concerns unique to different regions with the assets available to different stakeholders, there is an emerging concensus that a set of “good

practices: is taking hold in developing alternative education programs for non-traditional students within the community college context. These practices use partnership resources,

relationships, and activities to build alternatives

to the semester-based, full-time attendance model associated with traditional college students. Developed by the League of Innovation in Community Colleges from field research in CCIPsxvi

Curriculum and Instructional Transformation – partnerships cause meaningful changes to traditional curriculum and instructional practices at participating community colleges. New models include: contextualized, modularized and competency based curriculum and accelerated degree completion,

workplace-based learning, and learn and earn models. Employers play a key role in

curriculum development and credential validation.

, these key activities include:

Academic and Social Support – partnerships create sustained academic and career

navigation supports for students. Examples: Form small learning communities; fund a career center that provides financial aid, academic and career advising. .

Professional Development – partnerships provide resources for community college faculty and staff to develop skills needed to design new curricula, teach integrated developmental, occupational and academic course work and better track student progress and employer needs.

Shared Resources for Sustainability – partnerships contribute to sustaining newly developed educational programs over time as well as create a foundation for new partnerships. Examples include: Cultivate board level

leadership for partnerships and co-invest in facilities and equipment.

Systemic Institutional Alignment/Improvement – partnerships generate institution-wide changes in community college mission, strategic planning and resource allocation. Examples: simplify

5 enrollment for non-traditional students; Integrate

funding across missions and use data-driven program accountability and articulation of credit for learning.

IV. CASE STUDIES

The following narrative case studies highlight active CCIPs that have created alternative education models for non-traditional students and exemplify the key activities above. Metropolitan College: UPS Collaboration As discussed in this brief, one hallmark of community college-industry partnerships is the recognition of an economic challenge that demands attention. The Metropolitan College program in Louisville, Kentucky is a particularly good example of what can result from an individual employer’s need that has broad economic implications.

UPS is the largest employer in the state of Kentucky. As such, the State has an interest in keeping UPS from moving its headquarters out of state. It also has an interest in educating a larger portion of its population. In 1996, UPS identified workforce development needs that gave Kentucky an opportunity to meet both of these interests. UPS was having trouble staffing its part-time Next Day Air night shift, and without a drastic change in its approach to recruitment, the company would have to move its hub from Louisville.

Faced with the prospect of losing UPS to another state, Kentucky stepped in to help craft a plan to alleviate UPS’ concerns. The state’s innovative solution was to provide educational benefits to workers in the Next Day Air

operation. The result of this collaboration is Metropolitan College, a partnership among UPS, Jefferson Community and Technical College (JCTC), and University of Louisville. UPS

provides part-time employment for students in the program; it also pays half the cost of tuition and reimbursement for textbooks. The state and local governments pay the other half of tuition and provide the students with access to JCTC and University of Louisville.

Students who participate in Metropolitan College work part-time on the Next Day Air night shift with full-time benefits while attending college during the day. These student-employees receive deferred tuition for any major, as well as bonuses and reimbursements for textbooks. The students are responsible to pay fees including parking and student activity fees. Students must participate in workforce preparation activities, including financial literacy, career exploration, resume preparation, and a mock interview. The Metropolitan College Program has been extremely successful. At the start, only eight percent of UPS workers had a postsecondary degree; by the spring of 2009, 2372 Metropolitan College students had earned some kind of postsecondary credential. The retention rate of Metropolitan College participants at Jefferson Community and Technical College was more than 50% in 2007. UPS enjoyed an increase in job retention as the annual turnover rate for new hires went from 100% in 1998 to 20%, and a 600% return on investment in its students. The program serves students from all over Kentucky, and it has helped to support the local labor market. Two additional Kentucky companies have joined the Metropolitan College Program (Humana and Community Alternatives

Kentucky), and Chicago adopted its own version of the Metropolitan College model.

Why It Works?

There are several reasons why the Metropolitan College program has been successful, including the strong, sustained financial commitment from both UPS and from the State of Kentucky. Funding sources include $2 million from the

6 state government, $625,000 from the city of

Louisville, $100,000 from Greater Louisville, Inc., and about $6.5 million from UPS. In

2007-2008, the per-student cost for Metropolitan College was $2853 from UPS and $1991 from all other sources. Another key to success is the academic and social support components built into its model. Metropolitan College ensures that students receive guidance and career building skills in addition to academic preparation. The financial support for students is also a significant component of the Metropolitan College model. UPS provides part-time employment with full-time benefits; the learn-and-earn nature gives both a financial incentive to continue and the financial support that students need.

As Metropolitan College grows to include more employer partners like Humana and Community Alternatives Kentucky, the program becomes more than simply an add-on to the existing educational services provided at JCTC and University of Louisville. Metropolitan College may be part of a systemic change in the way Kentucky looks at allocating resources toward higher education.

Northrop Grumman’s Apprentice and Coop Programs

Northrop Grumman Corporation’s Newport News (NGNN) facilities design, build, overhaul and repair cutting-edge naval ships, including Nuclear Aircraft Carriers and Submarines. This work requires a highly-skilled workforce with low turnover. NGNN has developed two innovative workplace based postsecondary education programs, in partnership with community colleges, apprenticeships and co-operative education or co-ops.

Though NGNN has been training workers in its Apprentice School of Shipbuilding since 1919,

its partnerships with community colleges give NGNN the flexibility to provide promising apprentices with a path to an associate degree and career advancement. Community colleges like Thomas Nelson Community College and Tidewater Community College in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia benefit from NGNN’s expertise in curriculum development and the job placement opportunities that NGNN provides. The Apprentice School of Shipbuilding at NGNN is often praised for its approach to supporting apprentices with classroom learning, mentoring, and student services. Apprentices receive paid, on-the-job training in one of 19 registered apprenticeship programs with full benefits for four to five years. During this time, they also take a fundamental World Class Shipbuilder Curriculum and classes related to their trades. The Apprentice School maintains articulation agreements with area 2- and 4-year colleges to ensure that credits earned in the apprentice programs are transferable.

Students who show particular aptitude and academic achievement during the first years of the apprenticeship program may be chosen to pursue further education at Thomas Nelson and Tidewater Community Colleges. These students may pursue an associate degree in business administration, engineering, marine engineering, or electrical engineering technology, paid for by NGNN.

In addition to partnering with NGNN to provide advanced training for apprentices, Tidewater and Thomas Nelson Community Colleges also partner with Northrop Grumman to provide co-op experiences for community college students interested in computer-assisted design.

Qualified students at these community colleges receive full tuition for an associate degree in computer-aided drafting and design technology or mechanical engineering technology from NGNN and a paid co-op experience. After graduating, students are employed at NGNN

7 with an average starting salary of $31,200.

NGNN also provides tuition reimbursement to those students who continue toward a

bachelor’s degree.

NGNN’s education-conscious apprenticeships and partnerships with community colleges have been very successful. More than 2500

graduates of the Apprentice School still work at Northrop Grumman, and more than 32 percent of a recent graduating class of apprentices had earned an associate degree as part of their training. The program serves the colleges’ and company’s shared goals of filling a void in the workforce and ensuring that students have employment opportunities after graduation. Why It Works?

The Northrop Grumman partnerships work because they integrate the needs of students with the needs of the employer. Rather than simply training frontline employees and hiring mid-level workers who earned credentials elsewhere, NGNN makes investments in its apprentice and co-op students that go beyond what is necessary for an entry level position. These investments include mentoring,

counseling, opportunities for further academic engagement, and career advancement

pathways. The resources necessary to achieve such a program are no small matter; NGNN estimates that it spends about $100,000 per student in the Apprenticeship School. This kind of sustained support has paid off for the

company in the long term.

Another possible reason for the success of the NGNN partnerships is that Northrop Grumman takes on the responsibility for providing the developmental and remedial education that many students need to be successful in

educational programs. NGNN estimates that 40 percent of its new apprentices receive remedial training, ranging from a one week to an 11 week course. By providing these educational services

in the apprentice program, it alleviates the burden on the community college system and sets its students up for success in pursuing further education.

Sector-Based Partnership: Columbia Gorge Community College

Many community college-industry partnerships begin with a workforce need expressed by an individual employer; this is certainly the case in the UPS and Northrop Grumman examples described above. Other partnerships begin with a community college that recognizes a regional economic sector challenge and calls upon businesses to help it meet the challenge. These sector initiatives can be hugely beneficial to both the college and the industry, but it takes initiative on the part of the community college to

recognize a change in the workforce and act upon it.

In 2006, the chief academic officer at Columbia Gorge Community College (CGCC) in The Dalles, Oregon took such initiative, noting the emergence of a wind energy industry around the college. As windmills went up, turbine

companies needed a local workforce to service them. CGCC saw an opportunity to fulfill a workforce need while also working with existing resources at the college to create a

postsecondary credential in the wind energy field.

With help from workforce development representatives, CGCC identified a need for more than 300 wind turbine technicians in the area (the estimate increased to 700 by 2010). The community college partnered with industry and workforce development representatives, including Acciona Energy North America, Black and Veatch, Intel, and the Army Corps of Engineers, to develop a pilot curriculum for a renewable energy technology program. These

8 partnerships included both input from industry

representatives as well as professional

development opportunities. CGCC faculty spent time visiting wind turbine sites and learning firsthand the skills that they would need to impart in students.

Though CGCC relied upon donations from industry, it also drew upon the college’s existing resources to shape its new Renewable Energy Technology Program (RET). Rather than starting anew, the college built on existing courses in hydropower and the expertise of its faculty. The college now offers one- and two-year programs that prepare students to work in

wind-generation, hydro-generation, automated manufacturing, and engineering technician work. Employers in the area provide support for the programs, and the program has grown significantly since its inception in 2007. Although it is still young, the RET program at CGCC has been a success. The program is filled to capacity, with approximately 106

students enrolled each year. It has produced 66 one-year certificates and 23 Associate of Applied Science degrees since 2007. The

college reports that 80% of completers who want to work in a wind plant are hired.

Why It Works?

The CGCC has been successful in part because community college officials recognized the growth in the wind turbine sector earlier than other colleges; many other community colleges caught on to the trend much later. Also, the program benefited from significant investment on the part of industry and workforce

development representatives. The wind turbine industry donated expertise in curriculum

development, an opportunity for professors to observe the wind turbine industry firsthand, equipment, and $4.9 million in cash grants. The Department of Labor also provides grant funding for the program that enabled its expansion. The

cost per student for the RET program is not known, and unlike the UPS and Northrop Grumman examples, tuition costs are borne by individual students.

Another element to the program’s success is the fact that it built upon existing resources. CGCC drew upon courses that prepare students for hydropower jobs as well as a defunct program aimed to train for the computer chip

manufacturing field to create the RET program. Perhaps because of this interdisciplinary

beginning, RET prepares students for a number of energy generation fields, which makes its graduates more employable.

V. PROGRAM OUTCOMES

The preceding case studies demonstrate that there is great deal of experimentation going on as community colleges and their industry partners grapple with the challenges of aligning learning, work and life responsibilities

non-traditional students. One thing we notice is that many of these partnerships are still small, working with students in the hundreds or low thousands. The reality is that there is still much to learn about the prevalence, common

structures and outcomes of these partnerships. There is still relatively little known about the effectiveness of most of these innovations and rigorous evaluation evidence remains scarce.xvii

So much so that in May 2009, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, which has a keen interest alternative postsecondary education programs, announced a 3-year, $5,000,000 multi-study research project to build a research to build a rigorous base of research knowledge on strategies for accelerating progression and increasing success among low-income young adults attending community colleges. The As a result it is difficult to create and exact typology of CCIPs.

9 foundation funded this work because it found

that such a research based was inadequate. Accepting the scarcity of data, we can still look to related programs and initiatives that engage in some of the key activities of CCIPs to gain some sense of the impact. Evidence of success can be gleaned from the literature on Sector Initiatives that work closely with

community colleges. An April 2007 report by the Aspen Institute, Workforce Strategies Initiative, conducted field research of sector initiatives around the country in which

community colleges participated and found that these programs increased average monthly income of program completers by an estimated $1,500.xviii Another Aspen Institute survey of graduates of six sector initiative programs found that working participants’ earnings rose an average of $8,580 before the program to $14,040 the year following, and $17,752 in the 2nd year after completion.xix

An MDRC Opening Doors demonstration projectxx also shows some promising results of participating in CCIP key activities. The project, which works with community colleges in five states, emphasizes the importance of learning communities to promote student success. Results show modestly improved retention and credit completion for learning community students who receive academic/career supports xxi

Finally, with data gleaned from field research on CCIP, sector initiative and career pathway literature we can provide a broad range for the costs of such programs. Programs that incorporate many CCIP activities can cost between $5,000 to $100,000 per student.xxii As noted above, these are inferential outcomes and data at best and much research and analysis needs to be done to really get at the effectiveness of CCIPs.

VI. RECOMMENDATIONS

The purpose of this brief has been to provide an overview of community college and industry partnerships as institutional innovations for delivering postsecondary education to

non-traditional students. It is clear from the case studies and lack of a strong outcomes data set for analysis that much work needs to be done by practitioners and policymakers to understand the how these partnerships actually help students and change community colleges at the

institutional level.

Yet, the key success factors and activities do provide a foundation for both systematic

innovation around “good practice” and continued research to identify “best practice”. Business, institution and public policy leaders can use this foundation to bring more rigor to partnership development and analysis as well as an early warning system to identify potential challenges. To promote systematic innovation, policymakers should review federal, state and local finance and regulation to ensure the “good practice” innovations are facilitated. Federal and state policy makers can:

• Ensure that formula funding streams and regulation do not stifle good practice when partners are building an alternative education program.

• Use competitive grant funds to promote partnerships that emphasize sustainable, systemic change

• Continue to emphasize desired student outcomes to keep community colleges and partners focused on innovation.

To promote systematic research, policymakers should be look at what tools and information we lack to really measure the value of good practice

10 and gather the data that makes it and evidence

based best practice. Initial research questions should include:

• How can we develop a typology of CCIPs that fosters systematic research and innovation?

• Do community colleges have the requisite data systems to track CCIP participant outcomes?

• What are the demographics of students who participate in CCIPs?

• How can we calculate the return on investment to CCIPs?

VII. CONCLUDING THOUGHTS

We close with an observation that for CCIPs to become an institution transforming catalyst in the community college system, they cannot be viewed primarily as an outgrowth of the

vocational training function of the community college. This would plant these innovations firmly as a servant of one of the historical missions of the institution rather than a piece of a larger of the “New Vocationalism” puzzle to help transform higher education by integrating the three missions of academic transfer, occupational and developmental education.

i

U.S. Council of Competitiveness, “Measuring Regional

Innovation”, (Council on Competitiveness, 2006)

Soares, Louis & Chris Mazzeo, College Ready Students,

Student Ready Colleges: A Federal Agenda for Improving Degree Completion in Postsecondary Education, Center for

American Progress, 2008

Osterman, Paul, College For All?: The Labor Market for

College Educated Workers, Center for American Progress,

2008

ii

New Directions for Community Colleges, Special Issue: The New Vocationalism in Community CollegeVolume 2001, Issue 115, pages 73–80, Autumn (Fall) 2001.

iii

A traditional track being a student who attends college immediately following high school , attends full-time and is financially dependent on his/her parents.

iv

MacAllum, K., & Yoder, K. (2004). The 21st-century

community college: A strategic guide to maximizing labor

market responsiveness. Washington, DC: U.S. Department

of Education, Office of Vocational and Adult Education..

v

Jenkins, D., & Spence, C. (2006). The career pathways

how-to guide. New York, NY: Workforce Strategy Center.

Soares, Louis, Working Learners: Educating Our Entire Workfroce for the 21st Century, Center For American Progress, 2009.; Harry Holzer and Demetra Nightingale, Strong Students, Strong Workers: Models for Student Success through Workforce Development and Community College Partnerships, Center for American Progress, December 2009.,

vi

DeCastro, Belkis S. and Karp, Melinda M., A Typology of Community College Based Partnership Activities,

Community College Research Center for Office of Vocational and Adult Education, January 2009.

vii

6.6 million in credit bearing courses and an

estimated 6 million in non-credit bearing courses with a small percentage of students pursue recreations and personal enrichment courses.

viii

NCES, Enrollment in Postsecondary Institutions, 2007: First Look NCES, 2009-155, table 5, p.11 ix

U.S. Department of Eudcation, NCES, 2003-04 Beginning Postsecondary Students Longitudinal Study, First follow-up.

x

Soares, Louis, Working Learners: Educating Our Entire Workfroce for the 21st Century, Center For American Progress, 2009

xi

developmental or remedial education includes: adult basic education and English as a Second Language instruction.

xii

Harris, Linda & Ganzglass, Evelyn, Creating

Postsecondary Pathways to Good Jobs for Disconnected Youth, Center for American Progress, 2008.

xiii

MacAllum, K., & Yoder, K. (2004). The 21st-century

community college: A strategic guide to maximizing labor market responsiveness. Washington, DC: U.S. Department

of Education, Office of Vocational and Adult Education.

xiv

Jim Jacobs and others, “Career Pathways as A Systemic Framework: Rethinking Education for Student Success in College and Careers”, (Phoenix: League of Innovation in Community Colleges, 2007)

Career Pathways refers to a series of educational programs and services designed to prepare high school students and adults for employment and advancement in targeted jobs of importance in local communities

xv

Carrie B. Kisker and Rozana Carducci, Commmunity College Partnerships with the private sector –

Organizational contexts and Models for Successful Collaboration, UCLA Community College review, Volume 31, #3, Winter 2003,

xvi

Jim Jacobs and others, “Career Pathways as A Systemic Framework: Rethinking Education for Student Success in College and Careers”, (Phoenix: League of Innovation in Community Colleges, 2007)

xvii

Harry Holzer and Demetra Nightingale, Strong Students, Strong Workers: Models for Student Success through Workforce Development and Community College Partnerships, December 2009.

xviii

See Capital IDEA, Austin, Texas, in Sector Initiatives and Community Colleges: Working Together to Provide

11

Education for Low-Wage Working Adults. Workforce Strategy Initiative, Aspen Institute, 2007.

xix

Zandnipour, Lily and Conway, Maureen, “Closing the Gap: how sectoral workforce development programs benefit the working poor”, Aspen Institute 2001.

xx

http://www.mdrc.org/project_31_2.html xxi

Susan Scrivener and Michael J. Weiss, “More Guidance, Better Results? Three Year Effects of an Enhanced Student Services Program at Two Community Colleges,” (New York, MDRC, 2009).

xxii

For example: Metropolitan College cost $5,000 per student in program year 2007-08 and Project Quest a long-standing sector initiative in the Southwest United states costs $10,000 per student and YearUp a highly intensive classroom and workplace based learning program costs $24,000 per student.

1

Student Support Services at Community Colleges:

A Strategy for Increasing Student Persistence and

Attainment

Michelle Cooper

Community colleges are a significant part of our country’s educational landscape. Even though these institutions have been in existence since 1901, the 1947 Truman Commission Report gave rise to the community colleges of today. The report called for the widespread establishment of

affordable public colleges that would serve community needs and offer comprehensive educational programs.1 Since then, community colleges have grown exponentially and now serve as a gateway to opportunity for millions of students.

Because of their open‐admissions policies, convenient locations and course schedules, close relationships with local business and industry, and lower cost relative to other institutions, community colleges are accessible to millions of students. According to the U.S. Department of Education, nearly 43 percent of all undergraduates are enrolled in a community college.2 Given their distinct and sometimes contradictory missions and vast array of constituencies served, it is difficult to categorize community colleges and the approaches used to improve students’ educational outcomes under the one‐size‐fit‐all designation.

Increased attention is being paid to the services, functions, and outcomes of community colleges, particularly as they affect student persistence and completion. A study conducted by the U.S. Department of Education found that among

students who enroll in community colleges with the intent to earn a credential/degree or to transfer to a four‐year institution, almost one‐half do not reach this goal within six years.3 Low‐income and minority students are particularly vulnerable to dropping out.4 And, while enrolled, many students require

two or more remedial classes (primarily in English or math), experience difficulty covering college costs, and struggle to balance competing priorities (school, family, work).5 All of these factors increase the likelihood of dropping out and reinforce the perception of community colleges as revolving doors.6

Yet despite this perception — legitimate or not — community colleges remain central to

conversations swirling within the higher education and policy communities around “student success.” In order for such conversations to be productive and fruitful, they must begin and end with the student as the focus. Placing students at the center of institutional policy and practice can lead the way to improved student outcomes and a more equitable distribution of opportunity.

One strategy for increasing student persistence and achievement outcomes lies in the area of student support services. These types of services are a standard feature at most higher education institutions. A modest body of research suggests that student support services play a role in promoting successful outcomes for

community college students. This paper examines the current research on student services in

community college settings, model programs, and suggested approaches for improving these services. While many promising practices are offered, it is important to note, that this paper does not address the type of resources

needed for effective implementation.

Current Research & Models of Promising Practices at Community Colleges

For years, researchers and practitioners have demonstrated that student support services are

2 critical to students’ academic success in college;

however, the vast majority of this work focuses on four‐year institutions. The community college sector has been largely overlooked in this area of research. More recently, several well‐designed research projects – which will be discussed in this paper – have provided insight on the benefit of student support services and the key elements of a system aimed at success for all students. Effective support services have an integrated network of academic, social, and financial supports.7

When implemented in a coordinated, targeted, and comprehensive structure, these initiatives have been shown to improve student achievement.8

Academic Guidance and Advising

Academic guidance and advising – arguably the most important student services – are areas where students need tremendous help.9 Improving academic services at community colleges is crucial because most entering students arrive with

academic deficiencies that limit their ability to engage effectively in college‐level courses.10 Early research on the collegiate experience by Pascarella and Terenzini suggests that institutions can

enhance the academic experience of

under‐prepared students by providing extensive instruction in academic skills and advising.11 Although this research focuses primarily on four‐year colleges, later research confirms that the findings are also applicable to community college students.12

Student success courses, learning communities, and other efforts that seek to integrate students into college life can help students who are struggling academically. Student success courses prepare students for the rigors of college life, teaching time management skills, basic skills, study skills, and critical thinking strategies. The Community College Research Center (CCRC) at Teacher’s College, Columbia University examined student success courses in Florida community colleges and found them to be effective in promoting academic achievement.13 Similarly, research on learning communities show positive effects on student retention.14

Learning communities have different formats, but a typical model enrolls a student cohort in bundled courses, with the same instructors. A study at

Kingsborough Community College found that instruction through learning communities increased students’ likelihood of passing required courses.15 Structuring effective developmental courses is perhaps the most important academic issue confronting community colleges today. Because extensive remediation can delay completion, institutions must offer quality programs, tailored to students’ needs. Bunker Hill Community College offers developmental courses in different formats and on different schedules to accommodate

students. These courses are offered directly through the relevant academic department, rather than through a central developmental education

department. Additionally, academic advisors work closely with students to identify courses that are appropriate for their learning needs. While there are a variety of strategies for structuring

developmental

education programs, the methods used at Bunker Hill Community College have produced results, showing increased persistence and grade point averages.16

Students must also be encouraged to create an educational plan geared toward degree/credential completion, transfer, and/or career preparation. A tailored educational plan can put students on the path to success. For students interested in transfer, such a plan can ensure that course selections improve chances for acceptance and the pursuit of a particular major. The Illinois Board of Higher Education provides funding to twenty‐five

community colleges to operate transfer centers that are designed to help facilitate transfer. It is

estimated that over 25,000 students are served by these centers annually, and the transfer rates for African American and Latino students increased as a result of participation.17 Research suggests that requiring students to begin planning in these key areas – degree/credential completion, transfer, and/or career preparation – as early as the first semester, can improve chances of persistence and completion.18

Counseling and Social Networks

Regardless of how academically prepared students are for college, even well‐constructed educational plans can be significantly altered by both

3 unexpected life events and ongoing personal

problems. Through the Opening Doors project, researchers from MDRC conducted focus groups of community college students who confirmed that personal problems were a major impediment to their academic pursuits.19 Given that much of the attendance and academic patterns of community college students is “more dependent on their personal lives, their jobs, [and] the outside world,”20 campus leaders committed to helping these students succeed must ensure that supports, such as counseling, mentoring, and peer networks, are available to help them cope and manage everyday pressures of work, family, and school. Personal guidance and counseling can help community college students confront academic as well as nonacademic challenges. Although most institutions offer these services, students may be reluctant or unable –due to time constraints – to take the initiative and seek out assistance on their own. In a review of the literature on the impact of counseling on student retention, it was found that counseling increases the retention of students with high risk factors for dropping out.21 The structure and offerings of personal guidance and counseling services vary from campus to campus. In some cases, students are offered individual or group sessions with licensed, professional counselors. In other cases, faculty members may serve as counselors or mentors to help students address personal concerns. The faculty‐student interactions are often more informal than the professional counseling services.22

Because nearly 30 percent of community college students are parents,23 some institutions have begun to involve the family network in counseling and other support programs. The Family Education Model (FEM) – commonly used at Tribal Colleges and Universities – addresses the need for

family‐based interventions. Although these institutions all use different family support strategies, they each ensure that student‐service practitioners work with families to mobilize formal and informal resources to support family

development and institute retention programs that are flexible and responsive to emerging family and community issues.24 Additionally, some

community colleges offer child care services as a means of addressing familial needs. Participants in

the Opening Doors focus group discussions noted that child care was one of the “primary factors that influenced their decisions to attend or complete college;” however funding for child care centers is limited and insufficient to meet demand.25 Students also connect and develop strong social networks with other students. Just as peer tutors are used to provide academic guidance and support, they can also advise their peers on some personal problems.Students who are counseled by fellow students find that the camaraderie and friendship established through the peer relationship can often provide the level of encouragement and support needed to help cope with challenging situations. For example, Houston Community College’s Minority Male Initiative has helped young Black and Latino men develop stronger peer networks that strengthen their academic and social development.26

Technology has introduced new forms of connecting and networking through emails, text messages, and social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. While few studies have investigated the linkage between social media and college students’ success, preliminary findings speculate that these sites allow students to access and share information easily, and it allows them to maintain and develop networks with relative ease. Several institutions are experimenting with the use of texting and social media to keep students informed about institutional news, deadlines, services, and other resources.27

Financial Aid Advising and Funding

Financial aid advising and funding are central to student support. After all, many students cannot enroll – let alone remain enrolled – without ample financial assistance. In a study conducted by the Community College Survey of Student

Engagement (CCSSE), 45 percent of the

respondents indicated that finances were critical to continuous enrollment in college. Additionally, over three‐quarters of survey participants said that financial aid advising was one of the most

important support services, but at the same time, expressed frustration with their experiences with the financial aid services offered on their