I last wrote about the perception of community colleges and the opportunities to not only change that perception but to effectively change the reality. Another common theme I heard when meeting with the many community colleges was strategic partnerships
Strategic Partnerships:The question of future funding from the state for community colleges is a cause for great concern; “it’s not whether the cut from the state will or won’t take place, it’s how deep will it be and how will we deal with it.” How then will community colleges meet the needs of a growing student body with shrinking state dollars?
With state funding in doubt and pressure to keep tuition costs competitive, partnerships with private industry within the community along with philanthropic support is seen as the way of the future.
At the White House Community College Summit, held on October 5, 2010, private corporations were strongly encouraged to partner with community colleges with the goal of graduating an additional 5,000,000 people to enter the workforce by 2020. That same day, a $35,000,000 grant by the Gates Foundation, targeting Ohio as one of the nine states, to improve the graduation rate at community colleges was established.
Over the summer of 2010, I had the wonderful opportunity to interview community college presidents, provosts, vice presidents and deans, to better understand the challenges and opportunities that these institutions face as they navigate through these historically tough economic times. Over the course of the next several blogs, I’ll share some common themes that came up consistently during these enlightening conversations: Read the rest of this entry »
I just returned from the 2010 SCUP North Central Conference held at the University of Cincinnati. I always find it energizing to reacquaint with old friends, make new ones, and truly inspiring to witness the passion in higher education that SCUP members share in common. It was a privilege to present the topic “The Future is Now: Community College Planning for 2020” with Bruce Massis of Columbus State Community College and Jerry Webster of Terra State Community College. Our talk focused on the challenges and opportunities that these colleges face from the impact of the “Great Recession”, the varied needs of an increasingly diverse group of students, effective strategic planning, effective partnerships that benefit both community colleges and surrounding communities, and the positive impact that architecture can have to enhance the experience of learning, social interaction, and student success. Over the next several weeks, I will continue to share more information about the subject
As colleges and universities suffer through slow economy, keeping the best and brightest faculty often comes down to what institution can make the best financial offer. How might innovative and welcoming faculty office space (verses a typical 120 square foot hard wall office) help attract and retain by providing an environment that promotes learning, collegiality and sense of community?
