Community College News

Students interested in pursuing higher education are often counseled to look for an accredited college or university. However, accreditation cannot be taken for granted for many community colleges in California. Many two-year schools around the state are at risk of losing their accreditation. They must show why their accreditation should remain intact or lose it altogether. Why is accreditation essential, and what must colleges do to keep it? Many California schools are learning the answers to those questions firsthand.

The Importance of Accreditation

According to the Accrediting Council for Independent Colleges and Schools website, accreditation is a “voluntary activity initiated by the institution” that “emphasizes quality assurance and a commitment to continuous quality enhancement.” Accreditation can be crucial to an institution because it plays a factor in the following:

• Determining whether the school meets minimum quality standards
• Providing potential students with important information about a school
• Assisting in the determination of credit transfers between schools
• Showing prospective employers the value of the education received at the school
• Evaluating eligibility for tuition reimbursement programs offered by employers
• Enabling graduates to sit for certification examinations
• Creating goals for self-improvement of the institution
• Providing self-assessment for the oversight functions required by the state
• Offering a basis for determining federal student assistance

In many of these factors, accreditation makes all the difference in the quality of the degree a student earns and where he can take his studies after graduation. Accreditation is typically judged according to established standards and may be granted for a variable term ranging

Community colleges often serve a unique role in their communities by offering specific job training for nearby industries hoping to beef up their workforces. The latest addition to Chattanooga State Community College follows in those footsteps, offering first-class job training for a plant that is not even scheduled to open in the area until later next year. How do the soon-to-be new industrial neighbors from Germany know Chattanooga State will be able to meet their employment needs? They had a direct hand in creating the institute that will train up their first generation of American employees.

The Wacker Corporation

Wacker Chemical Corporation is a German-based conglomerate that manufactures hyperpure polysilicon that is used to convert sunlight into energy. The company is currently building a new plant in Bradley County – its first on American soil. However, before that plant can celebrate its grand opening late in 2013, it must find approximately 650 highly skilled workers to man the plant floor. That is where the Wacker Institute comes in to help.

Through a cooperative effort between Chattanooga State Community College and Wacker Chemie, the Wacker Institute has been born. According to a press release at Market Watch, this $5 million pilot plant will become a part of the engineering technology division at Chattanooga State. The plant will serve as the training facility for the hundreds of skilled workers that will be needed at the Wacker plant next year. To ensure the training is

College students in Michigan hoping for another option in four-year degrees will have to wait a little longer. A bill to allow community colleges in Michigan to offer a handful of bachelor’s degrees has stalled out for the moment, while legislators determine the constitutionality of the proposal. Despite the recent roadblock, many Michigan lawmakers and educators are optimistic they will soon have an affordable option to offer students who are hindered by the cost and location of four-year universities and colleges throughout the state.

Providing More Choices

According to an article at Central Michigan Life, a bill that would allow community colleges to offer select four-year degree programs passed through the State House last June. The bill then went to the Senate’s Committee on Education for review, where it is currently under discussion. The bill would allow for a handful of career-oriented degree programs to be offered at community colleges statewide, including programs in energy production, concrete technology, maritime technology, culinary arts, and nursing.

“Some of the degrees are not offered by any of the universities in the state,” Matt Miller, public relations director for Mid Michigan Community College, told Central Michigan Life. “Some of the community colleges do offer associate degrees in a couple of these areas, but in order to get their bachelor’s, they have to go someplace else, so it would be helpful to our students to have this option.”

Most of the areas of study included on

While community colleges appreciated the shout-out they received during President Obama’s recent State of the Union address, most say that accomplishing the president's proposal will take more resources than they currently have. Even the schools with programs similar to those the President proposed said they could do much more if they had more – from state and federal governments. While it remains to be seen whether additional funding will come, the first step – raising awareness for community colleges' critical role in today’s employment scene – was accomplished through the President’s speech.

What the President Said

According to a report in the Chronicle of Higher Education, President Obama focused on the plight of many hard-working Americans who cannot “enjoy the American Dream” like previous generations did. The President referred to the problem as “the defining issue of our time,” and stated in his speech, “We shouldn’t settle for a country where a shrinking number of people do really well while a growing number of Americans barely get by.” The president called for “an economy where everyone gets a fair shot and does their fair share, and plays by the same set of rules.”

To that end, the President touted community colleges as key players in putting America back to work. In his address, Obama stated that community colleges were at the forefront of worker training programs across the country and called for many of these schools to ramp up their partnerships with area

While community college has traditionally been a budget-friendly place to pursue higher education, some high school students have discovered they can take that benefit a step further by taking college courses while they are still in high school. This program, referred to as dual enrollment, is especially advantageous because high school students do not have to pay tuition for classes taken during the high school years. However, community colleges in Florida have found that the popularity of dual-enrollment programs is creating a financial dilemma for the very schools that originally used the programs to encourage high-achieving high school students to pursue higher education.

The Benefits of Dual Enrollment

Two recent studies from the National Center for Postsecondary Research show that dual enrollment has some positive effects on college enrollment and completion. According to a report at the Council for the Study of Community Colleges website, one study found that students who took dual enrollment classes were12 percent more likely to go to college and seven percent more likely to earn a bachelor’s degree than those who did not participate in dual enrollment courses. However, the positive effects were restricted to students who took classes on the college campus, instead of in their own high school classrooms.

The second study found that students who passed a college algebra placement test and participated in a dual-enrollment college algebra class were 16 percent more likely to go to college and 23 percent more likely to earn a