A community college has a Unique Mission: Meet the higher education needs of local communities and raise educational attainment for the Knowledge Economy. The community college achieves this in several ways.
Community colleges create pathways to Bachelor’s degrees with at least 2 years, and often 3 years, of four-year degree coursework at 1/3 the tuition rate. They also offer two-year, direct job entry programs of applied learning, as well as theoretical grounding, in fields that most communities need, like nursing, business, manufacturing, and social services.
With community college as an option, students with at least a high school diploma have an opportunity to pursue college-level learning with the support of developmental work to get them up to expected performance level. Community colleges control quality through learning outcome standards, instead of entry level admission requirements.
For residents who need or desire to engage in lifelong learning, they can depend on community college to give them continuing education. Community colleges apply the intellectual capacity of a college as a community service to help address the community’s most significant issues, challenges, and opportunities.
How Do They Work?Community Colleges constantly assess local needs and mobilize their limited resources to address those most critical to the success of the community. Every community’s resources are limited and community colleges cannot meet all needs by themselves; therefore, they partner with others - secondary schools, other higher education institutions, business and industry, governments, the social service sector and philanthropic community - to address the community’s challenges, opportunities and aspirations as effectively as possible.
The Community College is governed locally and is accountable to use their resources wisely to be as responsive as possible in addressing local needs. It teaches and practices continuous quality improvement, is data driven and strategically focused. In the communities across America that are fortunate enough to have a Community College, they are credited with lifting up the communities they serve as a source of pride, inspiration, and performance that portends a brighter future.
Empower Erie has created empowererie.org, and information on the community college effort can also be found on Facebook and Twitter.
...Fifty years ago on April 3, the state created a system of community colleges that ushered in dramatic growth in the network of schools that now enroll 300,000 students.
...Community colleges are beginning to receive more attention as students realize they are able to receive certification and degrees in a shorter period of time for less money.
...The survey of 500 randomly-selected Erie County residents was conducted in late February and early March as part a state-required feasibility study.
...Recently I read that New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo pledged to cover tuition costs at state colleges for hundreds of thousands of middle- and low-income New Yorkers.
...Our first Empower Hour attracted more than 100 business, non-profit and community leaders in support of an Erie County Community College.
...Thursday evening event gives business, community leaders an opportunity to learn more about the community college proposal.
...At more than 200 campuses, more than half of incoming students must take remedial courses.
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