The broken promise of college readiness
In repose to the Alliance for Excellent Education’s report on remediation costs, CNN education contributor Steve Perry talks about the broken promise of college readiness. “The problem is that these students were given the promise when they were given a diploma that said they were in fact prepared for the next level for whatever the [...]
The habits of successful students
Students who earn a college degree attend their classes and study at least 20 hours a week, writes Scott Swail of Educational Policy Institute on College Puzzle. They ask for tutoring help and use the academic support center to learn time management and study skills. During breaks and holidays, they read and work ahead. Finally, [...]
CC chancellor retires, gets rehired
Connecticut Community College Chancellor Marc Herzog retired May 31 and returned to work the next day as a consultant, reports the Hartford Courant. He’ll collect a $14,000-a-month pension and $14,555 for a month’s work. The consulting job could run as long as 120 days. The governor’s not happy with the surprise retire-and-hire deal. Neither are state [...]
Report: Don’t cut aid to adult students
The nation can’t afford to cut Pell Grants for “non-traditional” students, argues the Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP) and the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS) in Not Just Kid Stuff Anymore: The Economic Imperative for More Adults to Complete College (pdf). The traditional source of new workers — high school [...]
Online students are on site too
More than 90 percent of online students aren’t online students, writes Community College Dean. That is, they’re on-site students who also take a few online classes when it’s convenient. Unfortunately, regional accreditors have created burdensome regulations for online programs based on the premise that online students never set foot on campus. Offering a stray online [...]
Fewer health jobs in sick economy
Health careers have been oversold, reports Community College Week. The number of associate degrees in health professions more than doubled in the last 10 years, while certificates increased by 240 percent. Yet “a growing number of graduates who believed their health care credential would be a ticket to a job are finding themselves with a [...]
‘Reverse transfers’ earn associate degrees
“Reverse-transfer programs” help students earn associate degrees and boost graduation rates for community colleges, write Donna Ekal of the University of Texas at El Paso, and Paula M. Krebs of the University of Massachusetts at Boston in a Chronicle of Higher Education commentary. When students transfer from community colleges before completing an associate degree, they’re [...]
States cut higher ed funding
Nearly half of states have cut higher education funding or plan to do so. That’s forced community colleges to cut spending and raise tuition, reports Community College Times, excerpting the Community College Journal. Dallas County Community College District (DCCCD) planned for a 5 percent reduction in state funding in 2010-11 but was hit by a [...]
California colleges cut summer classes
Nearly two-thirds of California community college districts have cut summer classes by 50 percent or more, reports the Los Angeles Times. “This will be the most severe summer we’ve faced in terms of course offerings,” said California Community Colleges Chancellor Jack Scott. “We have many four-year students who come back home and want to pick [...]
Teen drop-out pushes UnCollege
Dale Stephens, 19, isn’t in college. He doesn’t think college is necessary — not for everyone. Instead, he’s building a Web-based company and a movement he calls UnCollege. “I want to change the notion that a college degree is the only path to professional success,” Stephens told the Sacramento Bee. Stephens is part of a [...]
