Community College News

One of the biggest obstacles community colleges face today is the ability to retain students until they graduate or transfer to another institution. According to the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), just one in five public community college students graduate with their certificate or associate’s degree within three years. Students pursuing a two-year degree have a much lower chance of achieving their educational goals than those who begin their academic careers at a four-year university, as the graduation for students at four-year institutions is nearly 60 percent.

However, a college degree is imperative today for individuals who want to gain employment that offers sufficient income to support themselves and their families. Community colleges are a perfect place to get an education because of the convenience and affordability many two-year institutions provide. To help students reach their goals, colleges are getting creative in their methods of student retention.

President Obama has set a high bar for colleges across the country: to have the highest college graduation rates in the world by the year 2020. However, this is a very tall task. According to a report by 24/7 Wall St., from 2000-2011, the college graduation growth rate in the United States was a paltry 1.4 percent – one of the lowest rates of any developed country. While the U.S. has climbed the list of most educated countries – moving up to fifth place from

A number of Florida community colleges notified faculty and students last week about a potential security leak that may leave them vulnerable to identity theft. According to a report on Wakulla.com, as many as 126,000 individuals at six Florida colleges may have found their personal information inadvertently posted on the Internet between May 29 and June 2 of this year.

CCLA website

The colleges have notified affected individuals that the leak occurred, but what steps should they take to protect their personal and financial records?

Who is Responsible?

A report on SC Magazine states that a glitch in the College Center for Library Information's software led to the leak. According to the CCLA website, this organization provides automated library services and electronic resources to many Florida colleges. The organization determined that the leak occurred during a software upgrade, and they were unaware of the problem until a student reported finding personal information during a Google search.

"We pride ourselves on protecting private information and deeply regret this inadvertent exposure," CCLA CEO Richard Madaus said in a statement posted on SC Magazine, as well as other news publications. Madaus added, "I apologize to those involved for any worry or inconvenience this may cause them. We will continue to enhance our technology to safeguard all of the information entrusted to us."

This video explains how to prevent a security breach.

Who was Affected?

The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act 2009 was designed to create jobs and promote economic recovery after the recession. Many community colleges are cashing in on stimulus funding that allows them to increase their student loads and improve training that will help students find lucrative careers after graduation. Learn how these community colleges use stimulus monies to their fullest advantage.

Medical Technology

Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland, Ohio, and Los Rios Community College District in Sacramento, California, have received money to participate in a U.S. Department of Health and Human Services program. This program is designed to train students on how to convert current medical records to a computerized, paperless system. This program will be a part of the national effort to meet requirements that every U.S. citizen will have an electronic medical record by the year 2014, according to TMCnet.com.

Cuyahoga Community College and 17 other community colleges in the area are slated to receive about $7 million the first year, with a subsequent $7 million the following year. The Los Rios District, along with 14 colleges in California, Nevada, Arizona, and Hawaii, will share $5.4 million in federal funding for the first year and another $5.3 million for the second, according to a report in the Sacramento Bee.

The program will involve cross-training students in the medical and information technology fields. Students will be able to complete their training in six months or less in some locations,

After serving time for their crimes, sex offenders must register their residence, but should more steps be taken to protect society from them? According to a Michigan community college, the answer is a resounding yes.

Lake Michigan College, a community college in Benton Harbor, Michigan, made news recently when it announced that it is banning anyone who is registered as a sex offender of children from enrolling in courses.

The Chronicle of Higher Education reports that the college decided to make the new rule after a student who is a registered child sex offender identified himself as such during course registration in October. The college decided not to let the student register and to suspend other students who are registered sex offenders of children. The college identified three currently enrolled students who are also registered child sex offenders by using a public sex-offender registry, and it suspended these three students in February.

Registered Offenders Cannot Attend On-campus Classes

The college has declared that students who are convicted of sex crimes against children are “suspended” from being on the college campuses until they are no longer required to register as child sex offenders and are no longer on probation or parole. Michigan’s Herald Palladium notes that under Michigan law, those who commit sex crimes against children are required to register themselves as such for either 25 years or life. Thus, these “suspensions” are more like expulsions. Registered child sex offenders will still be allowed

While students enrolled in community colleges across the country in record numbers, these same campuses are simultaneously facing drastically reduced budgets. Because community colleges receive a large portion of their funds from the state, community colleges in states that are experiencing budget crises are hard hit financially. From California to Maryland, two-year institutions are skating on thin ice financially, and the students are feeling the toll of their states’ budget crises.

This video reports on what to expect with budget cuts.

California: Students Paying More as Community Colleges Deal with Overcrowding

In July 2009, California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger cut funding to the state’s community colleges by $812 million, writes Dean Murakami in Perspective, the quarterly publication of the Community College Council of the California Federation of Teachers.

Unfortunately, the situation gets worse. Over $1 billion of the budget for January to June 2010 is being deferred until July 2010, the next fiscal year. Murakami writes that this deferral means that many districts will struggle to pay their employees and meet other institutional costs. Additionally, the Community College Council is concerned that the deferred money may end up being cut in order to balance the 2010-2011 budget.

Students at California’s community colleges are feeling the direct results of this budget crisis. Student fees have increased to $26 per unit, and classes and programs are being cut as community colleges scramble to