We are deep into the era of accountability and the “bean counters” rule – not just in finance, but in all sectors, including higher education.
The success of a community college has typically been measured by graduation rates and, by that measure, community colleges have not fared well. I’ve never been comfortable with that because I know the vital role they play in our higher education system. Students in community colleges are unique. They may take a few courses on a part-time basis while working. They may be full-time. They may need time to figure out what field of study is right for them. And they may decide to transfer laterally to another community college or to a four-year college before graduating. This flexibility is one of the community college’s most valuable and forgiving features.
It is good to know that others are now recognizing this flexibility and building that into the bean counting. Joan Jacobs, in a recent posting on the Community College Spotlight, reported that the federal Department of Education Advisory Committee on Measures of Student Success has recommended including part-time degree-seeking students, along with full-time students, in its database.
The committee also recommended that student transfers, both lateral and to four-year colleges, be included in the measure of success of the community colleges. The American Association of Community Colleges estimates this will nearly double the success rate, from about 22% to a 40% graduation rate.
FUEL has long supported the importance of community colleges in our educational system. We have, as many of you know, created the Chelsea Compact with Bunker Hill Community College to provide scholarships for up to five to qualified students in our Chelsea program.
The evolving view of community colleges as institutions that provide multiple pathways for students to gain the higher education best suited to them will go a long way toward encouraging high school students and their families to explore them as an option, when they otherwise may not have pursued a higher education at all.
BHCC Scholarship winner Alvaro Pleitez and his mother Melida Martinez pose with FUEL's Laura Assade after he was awarded his Certificate of Completion from FUEL
FUEL helps underserved families realize their dreams of a higher education and break the cycle of poverty.
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