Comments for Community College Spotlight

Comment on California ‘success plan’ sparks opposition by Michaela

Michaela — Sat, 04 Feb 2012 07:33:55 +0000

I am opposed to the policy because so far community colleges don’t even have student medical leave or leave of absence policies for students with bona-fide emergencies. Instead, students with documents emergencies are failed, their transcripts harmed forever, and their long-term opportunities harmed. I was hit with two F’s this past year for being sick and undergoing surgery. I’m an A student, a national honors student, and in my 40s. My surgeon’s medical certification letter was rejected by my college, while Stanford University routinely accepts her medical certifications.

Comment on Supports for success don’t reach most students by Colleges offer support, but most don’t use it — Joanne Jacobs

Colleges offer support, but most don’t use it — Joanne Jacobs — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:48:22 +0000

[...] Community colleges are raising very low success rates by connecting first-year students with classmates and faculty, but most students don’t take advantage of available help unless it’s required. [...]

Comment on California ‘success plan’ sparks opposition by Michaela

Michaela — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 00:17:45 +0000

I am a non-traditional age student and an A student at my community college (in Cupertino, CA). I am troubled that my community college has no student Medical Leave policy and Leave of Absence policy and that the college routinely fails students who have documented emergencies. Students’ academic transcripts are harmed for life for circumstances beyond their personaal control. Doctors’ medical certifications are rejected at my community college so that they can fail students (they hit my transcript with two F’s for having to undergo major surgery and the college outraged my doctors). Most of the community colleges don’t have these policies, which the 4-year colleges have.

Comment on Canada’s 2-year colleges stress job skills by Training is job one at Canada’s two-year colleges — Joanne Jacobs

Training is job one at Canada’s two-year colleges — Joanne Jacobs — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:46:02 +0000

[...] Canada’s community colleges, which focus on job training, are drawing students away from unive…. Graduation rates are high in the two-year system. [...]

Comment on CCs could become separate and unequal by Obama shifts higher ed policy — Joanne Jacobs

Obama shifts higher ed policy — Joanne Jacobs — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:35:39 +0000

[...] Community colleges risk becoming separate and unequal. [...]

Comment on Obama shifts higher ed policy by Obama shifts higher ed policy — Joanne Jacobs

Obama shifts higher ed policy — Joanne Jacobs — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 15:51:08 +0000

[...] President Obama’s new higher education plan shifts priority from low-income students to the middle class. [...]

Comment on Chef’s advice: Don’t go to culinary school by Latest cullinary schools news – Community College Spotlight | Chef’s advice: Don’t go to culinary …

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 04:18:36 +0000

[...] Community College Spotlight | Chef’s advice: Don’t go to culinary … [...]

Comment on Set up to fail by Autif Kamal

Autif Kamal — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 03:47:05 +0000

“Is it possible to hold a student to “the same expectations as his peers” while, at the same time, making substantive modifications and adjustments to grading structures and assignments?”

I’m guessing that only some intellectually disabled students can be held to the same standards. Some of them have disabilities that affect them in the same ways (i.e. Focusing, reading ability, speech ability, physical ability etc.), but others may have disabilities that are of a completely different sort. That’s why I’m guessing that some, but not all intellectually disabled students can be held to the same standards.

At the same time, don’t intellectually disabled students also go through matriculation before they enroll in classes. Undeniably, they cannot be excluded from classes because of intellectual disabilities. However, they shouldn’t be excluded so long as they also have the prerequisite knowledge to take the classes that they are interested in. It’s pointless to allow any student, disabled or not, to enroll in classes which they lack the prerequisite knowledge to learn about.

Comment on Set up to fail by Christina Lordeman

Christina Lordeman — Wed, 01 Feb 2012 03:12:01 +0000

I didn’t see a place to leave comments on the original article, so I thought I’d comment here. What seems to be missing from this piece is any sort of conversation with other instructors who have taught Jacob. If Jacob was a senior on track to graduate, he had obviously taken other classes and received passing grades. It would have been interesting to know how his other instructors addressed the situation.

Overall, I agree with the author of this article that we are not going to be able to avoid this subject much longer.

Comment on Adult ed, short-term students seek aid by Stop Sallie Mae’s unemployment penalty — Joanne Jacobs

Stop Sallie Mae’s unemployment penalty — Joanne Jacobs — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:44:59 +0000

[...] at Tallahassee Community College. Colleges can’t train 2 million skilled workers without aid for people seeking short-term job training or part-timers who need literacy or English classes to qualify for a [...]