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Assessing the Potential to Expand Community College Baccalaureate Programs in Texas

Author : Lindsay Daugherty

Publisher :

Page : 18 pages

File Size : 20,13 MB

Release : 2014

Category : Community colleges

ISBN : 9780833089526

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Book Description

Many workforce-development needs, particularly those requiring baccalaureate degrees, remain unmet in some areas of Texas. Employers and students are calling for additional programs to develop workplace skills and to provide opportunities for career advancement. On May 22, 2013, the Texas Legislature approved a bill mandating a study on whether community college baccalaureate degree programs should be expanded in Texas. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board asked the RAND Corporation to partner with the Texas Higher Education Policy Initiative to conduct the study. This report summarizes a longer research report in which the authors assess unmet workforce-development needs in nursing and the applied sciences, assess the arguments for and against baccalaureate expansion, and recommend potential activities to support implementation of any new policies undertaken to expand community college baccalaureate programs. They find significant need for more baccalaureate nurses, although rapidly growing distance learning programs may be able to meet this need. The authors find varying needs for the four applied science occupations they examined: computer and information technology, management of fire sciences, management of production/operations technicians, and health information technology. While expanding community college baccalaureate degree programs could help meet unmet needs and increase degree attainment among students, there are concerns about costs, mission creep at community colleges, counterproductive competition between community colleges and universities, and a decline in the overall quality of a Texas baccalaureate. The authors discuss the inherent tradeoffs that policymakers face in this regard.



Assessing the Potential to Expand Community College Baccalaureate Programs in Texas

Author : Lindsay Daugherty

Publisher :

Page : 120 pages

File Size : 23,32 MB

Release : 2014-09

Category : Community colleges

ISBN : 9780833087355

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Book Description

Many workforce-development needs, particularly those requiring baccalaureate degrees, remain unmet in some areas of Texas. Employers and students are calling for additional programs to develop workplace skills and to provide opportunities for career advancement. On May 22, 2013, the Texas Legislature approved a bill mandating a study on whether community college baccalaureate degree programs should be expanded in Texas. The Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board asked the RAND Corporation to partner with the Texas Higher Education Policy Initiative to conduct the study. In this report, the authors assess unmet workforce-development needs in nursing and the applied sciences, assess the arguments for and against baccalaureate expansion, and recommend potential activities to support implementation of any new policies undertaken to expand community college baccalaureate programs. They find significant need for more baccalaureate nurses, although rapidly growing distance learning programs may be able to meet this need. The authors find varying needs for the four applied science occupations they examined: computer and information technology, management of fire sciences, management of production/operations technicians, and health information technology. While expanding community college baccalaureate degree programs could help meet unmet needs and increase degree attainment among students, there are concerns about costs, mission creep at community colleges, counterproductive competition between community colleges and universities, and a decline in the overall quality of a Texas baccalaureate. The authors discuss the inherent tradeoffs that policymakers face in this regard.



The Community College Baccalaureate

Author : Deborah L. Floyd

Publisher : Taylor & Francis

Page : 184 pages

File Size : 10,63 MB

Release : 2023-07-03

Category : Education

ISBN : 1000981479

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Book Description

* Is the conferring of baccalaureate degrees by community colleges a solution to increasing access to and capacity in higher education?* Will the conferring of baccalaureate degrees restrict open access to, and imperil the existing mission of, community colleges?* What are the models and alternative methods of delivery? What are the implications?Breaking away from their traditional mission of conferring only associate degrees and occupational credentials, an increasing number of community colleges have begun seriously to explore and, indeed, in some U.S. states and Canadian provinces, to actually implement offering and conferring bachelor’s degrees. Some leaders see these changes as a natural extension of community colleges’ commitment to access, while others view their awarding of baccalaureate degrees as inappropriate and threatening the basic core values of this unique sector of higher education. This has become a "hot" and controversial topic, not only among community college and university leaders, but also among policy makers, business leaders and students concerned with issues of access, cost and the structure and purposes of post-secondary education. This book analyzes the emerging trend of the community college baccalaureate degree in the United States and Canada in order to contribute to the development of policy. The authors aim to describe, document, and explain this significant development in higher education. They present the background, examples of practice and different models of delivery, develop a common terminology to facilitate discussion, give voice to the views of proponents and critics alike, and include a comprehensive bibliography and set of resources. This book is intended as a catalyst for dialog, action and further research on this critical and emerging trend. It is essential reading for leaders of community colleges, for administrators and planners in higher education concerned with issues of access and articulation, and anyone in public policy grappling with demographic trends and society’s need for educated citizens able to meet the challenges of the future.





Community Colleges and Workforce Preparation in the 21st Century: Emerging Research and Opportunities

Author : Smith, Dimitra J.

Publisher : IGI Global

Page : 190 pages

File Size : 44,21 MB

Release : 2021-04-02

Category : Education

ISBN : 1799841243

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Book Description

Community colleges are essential in preparing the 21st century workforce. Research has indicated that there is a shortage of individuals prepared for skilled workforce opportunities, such as plumbers, electricians, and many others. In fact, while college is essential in workforce development, it is not the only route that can lead to a successful livelihood. Developing a skill that transfers into an essential trade is a route less taken. Community colleges are ideally situated to respond to the shortage of a prepared workforce by providing an array of programs that reach a wide range of individuals with talents that may not include a college degree. Community Colleges and Workforce Preparation in the 21st Century: Emerging Research and Opportunities is a comprehensive reference source that covers the essential role of community colleges in developing a skilled workforce via varying educational opportunities that include degree completion, workforce development, and skill enhancement. Readers will benefit from the book’s ability to advocate for the need for individuals with skillful trade options, provide different areas to consider as trade options, discuss the role of community colleges in preparing a workforce, examine the challenges that can arise for individuals with a trade, and present a global outlook on the workforce of the 21st century. Covering topics that include career pathways and STEM programs, the book is especially valuable for academic institutions that are looking to provide options for talent expansion. Leadership and education scholars, leadership practitioners within community college and university settings, leaders within workforce development sectors, researchers, and students will also find this reference useful for developing a skilled and competent workforce.



Global Adaptations of Community College Infrastructure

Author : Gaulee, Uttam

Publisher : IGI Global

Page : 330 pages

File Size : 13,94 MB

Release : 2018-09-07

Category : Education

ISBN : 1522558624

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Book Description

Community colleges in America have evolved a great deal from the establishment of the first community college in Chicago 117 years ago. The idea of American community colleges serves as a catalyst for connective solutions between industry, college, and the community on a global level. Global Adaptations of Community College Infrastructure provides emerging research on various contextual adaptations of the idea of the American community college as a connective solution to engaging community and industry. This research will help any nation or state forge policies on adapting the concept toward democratization of economic opportunities for all individuals as opposed to the current elitist system of higher education. Featuring coverage on a broad range of topics such as diploma pathway programs and the development of education institutions in various countries, this book is ideally designed for academicians, economic and educational policymakers, higher education professionals, and individuals engaged in expansion and democratization of post-secondary education worldwide.



Minding the Dream

Author : Gail O. Mellow

Publisher : Rowman & Littlefield

Page : 372 pages

File Size : 12,24 MB

Release : 2014-11-07

Category : Education

ISBN : 1475811047

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Book Description

Minding the Dream provides challenging, reflective, and practitioner-based information about community colleges that is data-based, clear and accessible for the general reader as well as the scholar. New employees, current leaders, graduate students, legislators, and boards of trustees need a grounded sense of the magnitude of the community college sector. Minding the Dream evokes the laudatory goals of the early pioneers of the community college movement, while accurately framing key programs and political conundrums challenging community colleges. Minding the Dream celebrates community colleges’ successes and is scrupulously honest about their failings. Community college leaders need honest information about what’s working and need to be challenged about the things that are not. State Legislatures and Congress need updated facts to assist them in making wise funding decisions regarding community colleges. Community college advocates need updated information to assist them in their advocacy work, and Higher Education programs need an updated book about community colleges to use as a basic text. These are the people who can benefit from reading Minding the Dream.



Alternative Pathways to the Baccalaureate

Author : Nancy Remington

Publisher : Taylor & Francis

Page : 174 pages

File Size : 47,98 MB

Release : 2023-07-03

Category : Education

ISBN : 1000976793

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Book Description

“This book does an excellent job of tracing the history of the movement and where it stands today. It discusses the political context when these discussions happen in states and the education implications when institutions take on this additional mission. This book may or may not convert those who are concerned about ‘mission creep’ of community colleges, but it sure will give them something to think about. Clearly we cannot continue to do business as we have always done and expect to meet the growing demand for college educated citizens. This book provides some thoughts on how to create a new model going forward and it deserves serious consideration.”—from the Foreword by Carol D’AmicoThe premise of this book is that, in a globalized economy dependent on innovation and knowledge, higher education must provide greater, more affordable access to the acquisition of higher-level skills and knowledge for a greater proportion of the population.The purpose of this book is to open up a debate about the status quo. Should four-year institutions remain the near-exclusive conferrers of the baccalaureate? Or is there a legitimate role for community colleges who already educate over half the undergraduate population of the United States, at lower cost with few barriers to access?The contributors examine the capacities of four-year colleges to deliver training for technical occupations; the ability of community colleges to deliver rigorous, high-quality courses; and issues of access, affordability, faculty development, and responsiveness to changing needs. A chapter devoted to student voices provides the critical perspective of this constituency.The book concludes by describing examples of implementation across the United States, reviewing different models of articulation as well as promising practices that include eliminating the need for transfer altogether.Alternative Pathways to the Baccalaureate provides vital information and new research for policymakers, community college leaders, and scholars of higher education to provoke much-needed debate.Published in association with the Community College Baccalaureate Association



Studying Transfer in Higher Education: New Approaches to Enduring and Emerging Topics

Author : Xueli Wang

Publisher : John Wiley & Sons

Page : 127 pages

File Size : 27,3 MB

Release : 2017-01-17

Category : Education

ISBN : 1119376440

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Book Description

Gain fresh perspectives and approaches to the topic of students transferring among institutions of higher education. Despite the copious research on transfer patterns and students who transfer, this line of research is thronged with conceptual, methodological, and data challenges that warrant continued and more nuanced attention. This volume answers this call and provides updated scholarship and examines emerging issues pertaining to transfer. Organized around two broad, interconnected ways to conceptualize transfer, it first examines students who transfer and then discusses transfer as a complex postsecondary pathway. Engaging empirical research, perspectives, and case analysis from higher education scholars and institutional researchers, this volume offers renewed conceptual and methodological insights that inform future research on transfer, along with concrete recommendations for institutional researchers. This is the 170th volume of this Jossey-Bass quarterly report series. Timely and comprehensive, New Directions for Institutional Research provides planners and administrators in all types of academic institutions with guidelines in such areas as resource coordination, information analysis, program evaluation, and institutional management.



Redesigning America’s Community Colleges

Author : Thomas R. Bailey

Publisher : Harvard University Press

Page : 301 pages

File Size : 23,34 MB

Release : 2015-04-09

Category : Education

ISBN : 0674425952

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Book Description

In the United States, 1,200 community colleges enroll over ten million students each year—nearly half of the nation’s undergraduates. Yet fewer than 40 percent of entrants complete an undergraduate degree within six years. This fact has put pressure on community colleges to improve academic outcomes for their students. Redesigning America’s Community Colleges is a concise, evidence-based guide for educational leaders whose institutions typically receive short shrift in academic and policy discussions. It makes a compelling case that two-year colleges can substantially increase their rates of student success, if they are willing to rethink the ways in which they organize programs of study, support services, and instruction. Community colleges were originally designed to expand college enrollments at low cost, not to maximize completion of high-quality programs of study. The result was a cafeteria-style model in which students pick courses from a bewildering array of choices, with little guidance. The authors urge administrators and faculty to reject this traditional model in favor of “guided pathways”—clearer, more educationally coherent programs of study that simplify students’ choices without limiting their options and that enable them to complete credentials and advance to further education and the labor market more quickly and at less cost. Distilling a wealth of data amassed from the Community College Research Center (Teachers College, Columbia University), Redesigning America’s Community Colleges offers a fundamental redesign of the way two-year colleges operate, stressing the integration of services and instruction into more clearly structured programs of study that support every student’s goals.