Why Community College

Community college students interested in LGBT studies, whether to obtain an associate degree or transfer to a four-year university, often found slim pickings in this area at most colleges nationwide. Schools that did offer courses in the subject often did so as part of their women's or English studies. However, one community college in San Francisco wants to be on the cutting edge of a whole new trend – by offering a major in LGBT studies that would be the first at any community college in the United States.

City College of San Francisco: LGBT Pioneer

City College of San Francisco is no stranger to firsts. According to a report in the Bay Area Reporter, this community college was the first to offer individual LGBT courses as far back as 1972. In 1989, the school established its own gay and lesbian studies department, the first of its kind in the United States. When Ardel Thomas, Ph.D., was brought on as chair of the department in 2006, one of her first orders of business was to begin the work involved with creating an LGBT major at City College.

"One reason we didn't put the major forward before is that up until recently there were no other programs you could actually go to," Thomas told the Reporter, citing the scarcity of LGBT major or minor studies at four-year universities. "Now, however, LGBT studies and queer studies are recognized internationally as a field

Adjusting to college life is a difficult proposition for many high school graduates today. When you compound that challenge with the issues surrounding students of a sexual minority, the adjustment phase becomes even more complex. Many LGBT students face bigotry from peers and faculty, and hate crimes are unfortunately not uncommon for many of these young adults today.

The good news is that more colleges are reaching out to their LGBT community, providing them with support and resources to succeed in their post-secondary academic career. We will discuss a few of the hurdles that face colleges that want to provide support to the LGBT students, as well as some community colleges that have overcome those hurdles to give all their student body an equal shot at success.

Some Facts about Sexual Minorities on Campus

Sexual minorities are not an easy segment of the population for community colleges to address for a number of reasons. The first obstacle is the lack of data on just how many LGBT students might be residing on college campuses today. This is due to outdated information and the tendency for many LGBT students to hide their sexual identity from their teachers and peers. Even those who want to study the LGBT population may be hesitant to express their desires, due to a mistaken perception that they might also be gay. That stigma has affected the careers of many teachers in the field of education today.

Unfortunately, hate crimes are

The current economic conditions of this country have resulted in more adults working well into their retirement years. Unfortunately, not every individual in this demographic is properly prepared to find success in a career in the later years of life. To help this sector of our population become more marketable and to utilize the resources of our older population to the fullest, the Plus 50 Initiative was developed. This initiative is designed to help Americans over the age of 50 train for new careers and piggyback on skills they already have to make them even more attractive in today's marketplace.

Purpose of the Plus 50 Program

The Plus 50 Initiative was started by the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) to help adults in this age bracket find the best community college programs for their needs. The initiative, according to the website, provides benchmarks and showcases programs around the country that specifically cater to the over-50 learner. These campus programs are used for everything from preparing seniors for volunteer opportunities to offering training and retraining in specific career industries.

The initiative began in response to the realization that more than 78 million baby boomers are creeping into retirement age. Of that number, a large majority plan to work into their retirement years – either on a full-time or part-time basis. A significant number admit they do not feel ready for retirement from

Many students join the military after high school to pay for post-secondary education after their service is complete. However, veterans moving from active service to a college environment often have more than a bit of difficulty making the transition. To help the process, numerous community colleges are providing the support veterans need to have a successful college experience.

Creating a National Model in Arizona

According to a recent report in the East Valley Tribune, five Maricopa community colleges will offer more services to the veterans who enroll after active duty. The East Valley Veterans Center is slated to open in January 2011 and will serve the campuses of Chandler-Gilbert, Mesa, Scottsdale, Gateway, and Rio Salado. The center will offer a convenient, centralized location for veterans entering one of these colleges to find out about benefits, admissions, and services available to them.

Yvonne Lawrence, the coordinator of the recruitment program for military education at Rio Salado College, told the Tribune that the basic idea behind the center is to simplify the college process for veterans.

"We’re basically trying to cut some of the red tape in getting veterans enrolled, getting them access to their educational benefits from the VA and reintegration from active-duty service to civilian life," Lawrence said.

The Arizona center will be staffed by four full-time members plus part-time staff as needed. The center will also provide work-study positions so that student veterans can work in office positions while attending

Many high school graduates from low-income families head to a two-year community college rather than a four-year school, primarily due to economics. However, a recent study shows that students who are fortunate enough to transfer from a community college to a four-year university often excel with the right encouragement and preparation. The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation released its findings in a report titled, Partnerships that Promote Success: The Evaluation of the Community College Transfer Initiative."

The Jack Kent Cooke Foundation recently hosted a conference in the Washington D.C. area to present their findings and provide the information educators require to help low-income students succeed in their university transfers, according to the foundation website. The conference highlighted the universities involved in the study, along with their community college partners, to show that providing opportunities to high-achieving community college students can be the pathway to greater success for low-income students.

In this video, the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation states that in every state in the nation, low-income students are less likely to reach advanced levels of academic achievement. Students with equal talents but unequal opportunities.

Details of the Study

The Foundation's Community College Transfer Initiative conducted the study by first identifying high-achieving, low-income students in community colleges and then working to improve the transfer process into a four-year institution to maximize their odds of success in their academic endeavors.

In this video,