Updates from the SOURCE on Community College  
Issues, Trends & Strategies    
  
Published by
The Roueche Graduate Center, National American University  
in partnership with Lorenzo Associates, Inc.  
  
 VOLUME 5, ISSUE 4 - February 22, 2015

"It is better to travel well than to arrive."  - Buddha   
 
BackToTop
In This Issue

  

 DOWNLOAD IN-DEPTH REPORTS FROM
THE SOURCE LIBRARY


          


Miscellaneous

Reports & Articles 

 

02/19/2015: Feedback on Ratings, Round 3, by Michael Stratford, Inside Higher Ed - As the Obama administration charges ahead with the proposal - officials just last week said they'd have a first draft ready by summer - some higher education groups that had been critical of the plan are, to some extent, beginning to play ball with the Department of Education. Several prominent associations are now offering advice, albeit limited, for how the administration should structure a federal ratings system that they believe, and continue to stress, shouldn't be built in the first place.

02/16/2015: Community Colleges Offering "High-demand Fields" Degrees, by David Wasson, eCampus News - Spokane Falls Community College in Spokane, Wash., will begin offering a four-year applied science degree as part of a statewide effort to boost educational opportunities by targeting high-demand fields. The offering is designed primarily for students with technical backgrounds.

02/11/2015: Excelencia in Education and the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities (HACU) Release New Analysis on Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSIs), Excelencia in Education -  "The new figures represent America's future workforce seen in the 409 Hispanic-Serving Institutions in 21 states and Puerto Rico that are serving the overwhelming majority of the 3 million Hispanic students in college today," said HACU President and CEO Antonio R. Flores.

02/10/2015: Competency-Based Education Network (C-BEN) Announces New Cohort of Member Institutions, C-BEN - Thirteen institutions and two public systems representing 40 campuses join colleges and universities addressing shared challenges to designing, developing, and scaling high-quality competency-based degree programs.

02/09/2015: Degrees Don't Matter Anymore, Skills Do, by Miles Kimball, Quartz - More and more, employers are going to want to see some proof that a potential employee has actually gained particular skills. By having the cutting-edge knowledge from the best scientists and savants in the world built into software and delivered in online lectures, all a community college has to do to deliver a world-class education is to hire teachers who know how to motivate students.

02/09/2015: Allegan County Launches Program for Students to Earn Associate's During 5th Year of High School, by Julie Mack, MLive - The early middle college program will be launched in fall 2015 in partnership with Lake Michigan College. Up to 50 high school juniors will be admitted into the program, in which they will take dual enrollment courses during their junior and senior years of high school and attend college full time during a fifth year of high school, At the end of "13th grade," students will receive both a high school diploma and an associate's degree.

02/09/2015: Rich School, Poor School, by Erin Einhorn, NPR Ed, How Learning Happens - "Typically, you'll see the most well-trained people in the private, affluent schools and the least well-trained in low-income settings," said Mandy Savitz-Romer, a professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education and a former counselor in an urban public high school. Yet students in poor urban and rural school districts can expect little or no college advising, an especially big problem given that many of them are low-income, racial minorities who would be the first in their families to go to college - meaning they need the most help with the application process. "School counselors," said Eric Waldo, Reach Higher's executive director, "can't be a luxury."

02/09/2015: 15K Per Course?, by Colleen Flaherty, Inside Higher Ed - Most observers agree that adjunct instructors deserve better pay, but what about $15,000 per course? The Service Employees International Union shocked even some adjunct activists last week when it announced that figure as a centerpiece of its new faculty advocacy campaign.

02/07/2015: Study Reveals Tough Economic Road for Young Adults, by Dan DeLuca, News-Press.com - Millennials are the best educated group of young adults in American history but are earning about $2,000 less per year than their parents did in 1980.That seemingly contradictory equation is among the demographic data revealed in a recent report by the U.S. Census Bureau, "Young Adults Then and Now," which focuses on the 18-34 age group. The analysis included data from the 1980, 1990 and 2000 censuses as well as the 2009-13 American Community Survey.

02/06/2015: Needed: A Better Measure of College Learning Than "Seat Time", by Stuart M. Butler, The Brookings Institution - The Foundation got cold feet about replacing the credit hour with another standard, such as one based more directly on measures of student competency in subjects.

02/06/2015: Go Away: In Praise of the Gap Year, For All Students, by Jacob Murray, WBUR, Cognoscenti - Increasingly, students, parents and college leaders are touting the benefits of a year-long hiatus from formal education. Parents and college admissions officials argue that gap year students arrive on campus more mature, confident and focused on school and career goals than traditional students do. According to some studies, they even perform better academically.

 

To view our entire Miscellaneous Resources sectionclick here.

Back To Top 

Statistics

01/25/2015: The Top eLearning Statistics And Facts For 2015 Infographic, Best Education Infographics - Countless reports, surveys, and studies have shown that eLearning industry isn't showing any signs of slowing down. In fact, an increasing number of individuals, corporations, and institutions are turning to eLearning as they recognize its effectiveness and its convenience. Here are some important eLearning statistics and facts for 2015, some of which may even surprise you!

 

To view our entire Statistics-Oriented Resources section, click here.

Back To Top 

Online Education

Reports & Articles

 

02/05/2015: Report: Distance Education Is Here to Stay, by Colin Wood, Center for Digital Education - A new survey shows that while not all higher education faculty like distance learning, it has become entrenched and is part of education throughout the nation.

 

To view our entire Online Education section, click here.

Back To Top 

College Readiness

Reports & Articles

 

02/07/2015: Let's Get Serious About College Readiness, by Michael Brickman, The Hill - The cost to students is far from the biggest reason we don't have more community college graduates. It's students' weak preparation. In 2013, the National Assessment of Educational Progress found that only 38 percent of twelfth graders were proficient in reading and 26 percent were proficient in mathematics.

02/04/2015: Is Your First Grader College Ready?, by Laura Pappano, The New York Times - Matriculation is years away for the Class of 2030, but the first graders in Kelli Rigo's class at Johnsonville Elementary School in rural Harnett County, N.C., already have campuses picked out.

 

To view our entire College Readiness section, click here.

Back To Top

Remedial Education

Reports & Articles

 

02/15/2015: English 101 vs. English 102, by Matt Reed, Inside Higher Ed - This shouldn't get anyone worked up at all. Let's say that a community college has a two-semester composition sequence as a general education requirement. Which tasks and skills should go where? You'd think there would be general agreement by now, but I've seen several variations.  

 

To view our entire Remedial Education section, click here.

Back To Top 

College Completion

Reports & Articles

 

02/16/2015: Dropout-Adjusted Outcomes, by Kaitlin Mulhere, Inside Higher Ed - Most research on the payoff of attending community college actually doesn't measure the effect of attending, but rather what happens for those who graduate. Yet when the majority of students who enroll in community colleges don't complete their programs, the financial benefit should be adjusted given the likelihood of failure.

02/2015: What About the Non-Completers? The Labor Market Returns to Progress in Community College, by Matthew Zeidenberg, Marc Scott and Clive Belfield, Center for Analysis of Postsecondary Education and Employment (CAPSEE) - Of the copious research on the labor market returns to college, very little has adequately modeled the pathways of non-completers or compared their outcomes with those of award holders. In this paper, we present a novel method for linking non-completers with completers according to their program of study.


 

To view our entire College Completion section, click here. 

Workforce Development

Reports & Articles

 

02/15/2015: US Reps. Joe Kennedy, Niki Tsongas Viewpoint: Community Colleges Uniquely Positioned to Prepare Youth for Demands of Modern Economy, by The Republican, MassLive - In Massachusetts, the economic landscape has shifted toward high-tech manufacturing, research and development in growing fields such as clean energy, biotechnology and medicine. But quality education, cutting-edge resources and innovative programs aren't limited to Massachusetts' better-known universities.

02/15/2015: Workforce Preparation Critical to Economy, by Teri Ooms, The Time-Tribune - A four-year college degree is not the only means of a postsecondary education. Though some occupations require a bachelor's or graduate degree, other occupations require technical or vocational degrees, apprenticeships, associate's degrees or certifications. Regardless of career interest - postsecondary education and training is necessary among the region's population, along with an appreciation of lifelong learning.

02/08/2015: Another View: In NH, We Show How We Do Higher Education for Professionals, by Lisa Guertin and Paul LeBlanc, New Hampshire Union Leader - College for America's research this past year revealed that 76 percent of large employers offer tuition reimbursement to their employees, but only 43 percent of employees know about it. The gap is due to more than just low awareness; it's also complicated by employees who know that traditional college is often not relevant for them.

02/06/2015: Guest Column: Kasich Workforce-aligned Higher Education Proposal is Right for Ohio, by Steven Johnson, Dayton Business Journal - The assembled Dayton region leaders learned firsthand how the Kasich administration continues its work to catalyze a portfolio of changes within Ohio's higher education system. These changes are designed to improve financial aid; to facilitate more high school dual enrollment; to cause improved competency based learning; and to expand access to affordable bachelor degree programs.  

 

To view our entire Workforce Development section, click here.

Technology Adoption

Reports & Articles

 

02/09/2015: Did Higher Education Get These Trends Right? - Technology and Innovation Trends on the Horizon; Infographic, by Meris Stansbury, eCampus News - NMC and EDUCUASE release the 2015 Horizon Report, outlining 18 trends in higher-ed technology over the next 1 to 5 years. NMC and EDUCAUSE say it is their hope that this research will "help to inform the choices that institutions are making about technology to improve, support, or extend teaching, learning, and creative inquiry in higher education across the globe."

02/05/2015: 12 Tech Fads in Higher Ed, by Joshua Kim, Inside Higher Ed - "One criticism not on your list that keeps popping up is that technologists and administrators often pursue short-term, high profile technology "fads" that are aimed more at good publicity, keeping up with peer institutions, or alumni relations than the long-term core interests of the university, diverting resources and attention from basic needs. This pursuit of the "latest thing" results in technology dead-ends that have little or no impact on the less glamorous day-to-day work of teaching and learning."

12/16/2014: 10 K-12 Digital Trends to Watch in 2015, by Tanya Roscorla, Center for Digital Education - These trends will continue to grow as more school district leaders look to provide digital learning options for students.  

 

To view our entire Technology Adoption section, click here.

Back To Top

Data Analysis & Assessment

Reports & Articles  

 

02/11/2015: Focus Assessments on Post-graduation Outcomes, Says Professor, by Julie Hare, The Australian - Assessment techniques are not keeping up with the challenges and demands of modern higher education, but deregulation could prove to be the trigger that spurs much-needed reform, says the editor of a new book that takes an international approach to assessment. The information we have is broad brushstroke measures that don't go to the heart of the matter. We have data on attrition and the quantity of graduates we are producing but we don't have information on what they are learning.

02/12/2015: Lawmakers Urged to Reform Student Data Privacy Law, by Justine Brown, Center for Digital Education - Though 32 states have introduced or passed their own student data privacy bills, the patchwork approach is not considered sufficient -- strong federal legislation is recommended to ensure cohesive student data protections. 

 

To view our entire Data Analysis & Assessment section, click here.

Back To Top 

Funding & Economics

Reports & Articles

 

02/10/2015: Lawmakers Mull State Grant Cuts for Low-performing MN Colleges, by Alex Friedrich, MPR News - Minnesota's colleges and universities that don't make the grade would lose State Grant money under an emerging plan to make schools accountable for performance goals.

02/09/2015: Here Are the Top Foundations Working to Reduce College Dropout Rates, by L. S. Hall,  Inside Philanthropy - With all of the attention focused on college readiness and access to higher education, until recently there was less attention given to the other side of the equation: ensuring that these students stay in college and complete their degrees. This means reducing the alarming high dropout rates at many institutions of higher education, especially community colleges.

02/07/2015: Network Pushes for Increased College Enrollment, by Sarah Elms, Traverse City Record-Eagle - Completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid wasn't on Cami Campbell's high school bucket list. But Campbell's school counselor convinced her to attend a Jan. 22 FAFSA workshop, and the Forest Area Community Schools senior left with an increased sense of comfort about her ability to pay for school.    

To view our entire Funding & Economics section, click here.

Back To Top 

Transfer & Articulation

Reports & Articles

 

02/05/2015: Spotlight on Innovation: How Kennesaw's TAG Program is Creating Better Degree Completion Pathways for Transfer Students, by Daniel Fusch, Academic Impressions - Transfer student support has seen something of a revolution over the last decade, as colleges have become increasingly aware that transfer students make up over 60% of all American undergraduates enrolled at four-year institutions, and that transfers often arrive without the system of peer support and transitional support services that have been made available to many first-year students.

 

To view our entire Transfer & Articulation section, click here.

Back To Top

The SOURCE on Community College Issues, Trends & Strategies is published by
 
The Roueche Graduate Center, National American University & Lorenzo Associates, Inc.,
950-C Hopkins Road - Williamsville, New York - 14221 - (716) 688-5484
 
Please send comments and/or suggestions to
Continuous, Timely & Relevant Information Resources Brought To You By The SOURCE.