Innovations
The need for qualified educators continues to grow locally, statewide, and across the country. Nationally, nearly 100,000 teaching positions were filled by individuals not fully qualified to teach as school districts headed into the 2017-2018 academic year, according to the Learning Policy Institute (2017). Polk County Public Schools started classes in August 2018 with nearly 100 teacher vacancies. As Polk County’s only public postsecondary institution offering state-approved teacher education preparation programs, Polk State College partnered with Polk County Public Schools to create the...
Many will recall the term “community college movement,” demonstrating the force behind the birth of two-year colleges and the passion that continues to fuel the sector to include its laser focus on student success. The mantra “community is our middle name” further speaks to the centrality of community colleges, emphasizing the importance of partnerships and regional engagement in sustaining their unique mission. With its focus on students and community, a sector once seen as the only alternative for those who may not get into a four-year institution has become one of choice. The evolving...
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Over the past few years, Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) has prioritized the implementation of an institutional youth engagement strategy. Reliably producing skilled, work-ready graduates in demand by industry is SAIT’s core contribution to the provincial economy (SAIT, 2019).
The youth engagement strategy’s overarching vision is as follows: Southern Alberta Institute of Technology is a leader in creating the future workforce by delivering life-changing experiences for youth. To achieve this mandate, the institute recognizes and embraces its unique support role in overcoming a...
The Aims Community College Agricultural Sciences and Technology program received the Outstanding Postsecondary Agriculture Program Award at the National Association of Agriculture Educators (NAAE) Convention in San Antonio, Texas. Aims was one of six programs nationwide to receive the award.
The Aims program was nominated for the award by a local high school, then went on to the national level to compete against other two- and four-year programs as well as adult education programs (e.g., Young Farmers) in the region. The Agricultural Sciences and Technology program’s exemplary faculty and...
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In literature, King Arthur is well-known as the originator of the round table. This table was a place for leaders to meet and discuss important topics. It created a space where each leader could easily see and hear the others and add to the conversation; at a round table, everyone was equal. Mentoring roundtables serve the same purpose, with a focus on mentors’ experiences mentoring new online faculty.
At Wake Technical Community College, a key component of the college’s quality enhancement plan—eLearning Preparedness Initiative across the College (EPIC)—is mentoring for new online faculty....
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Last year, Midland College (MC) began a successful partnership with the Midland Independent School District (MISD) to prepare high school students for college and careers. As a result of this collaboration, three transformative academies—Petroleum Academy; Health Sciences Academy; and Business, Management, and Information Technology Academy—are now offered to high school students.
The College & Career Academies provide high school students with opportunities to learn valuable technological and academic skills. These academies are specifically designed to meet the current and future needs...
When William Rainey Harper, President of the University of Chicago, and J. Stanley Brown, Superintendent of Joliet Township High School in Illinois, roomed together at Baptist conventions, they often talked late into the evening about their students. They were equally concerned about quality and opportunity.
Brown came to Joliet in 1893 as the principal of Joliet High School and became a strong advocate of encouraging low-performing students to consider attending college. He transformed the local high school into one of the best in the region, employing faculty and creating a curriculum that...
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Adding to the long list of accolades it has received in its over 70 years of service, Laredo College is honored to have been designated as a National Center of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense Education by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
The National Security Agency and the Department of Homeland Security jointly sponsor the National Centers of Academic Excellence in Cyber Defense (CAE-CD) program. The goal of the program is to reduce vulnerability in our national information infrastructure by promoting higher education and research in cyber defense and producing professionals...
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To prepare students for meaningful work, California Community Colleges (CCC) have invested $17M over three years in the CCC Maker initiative to facilitate a network of 24 college makerspace communities. What’s at stake is the untapped potential of the 2.1 million students in the largest and most diverse system of higher education in the country, according to Carol Pepper-Kittredge, CCC Maker Statewide Project Director and Associate Dean of Workforce Innovation at Sierra College. “I believe that makerspaces are transforming education,” said Pepper-Kittredge.
In an educational makerspace,...
2019
The purpose of the League’s Walmart Brighter Futures 3.0 (WBF 3.0) project was to scale further the Retail Management Certificate (RMC) program being offered at community colleges in 14 Western states in cooperation with the Western Association of Food Chains (WAFC). The League identified 12 colleges to expand the RMC footprint and enhance delivery options for incumbent retail workers.
Since 2000, over 150 community colleges have been approved by WAFC to offer the RMC, establishing a community of practice in retail management education. Based on the collective experiences of the partner...
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Community colleges enroll over half of the undergraduate students in U.S. higher education and increasingly serve as the gateway to a postsecondary credential, particularly for first-generation and underrepresented students. As noted by researchers (Astin, 1984; McClenney & Marti, 2006; Tinto, 1993), student engagement within and outside of the classroom setting remains central to an institution’s ability to advance student success. At the same time, the growing demographic diversity of community college student bodies means there is no one-size-fits-all institutional approach to...
Every student who graduated from Jackson State Community College’s nursing program in 2017 passed the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) on his or her first attempt, an achievement that earned praise from the Tennessee Board of Nursing.
The NCLEX is a nationwide exam for nursing school graduates to obtain a license, which allows them to practice. It is administered by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing.
Sherry Richardson, nurse consultant with the Tennessee Board of Nursing, wrote a letter to Jackson State after students achieved the 100 percent pass rate, saying, “...
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Two years ago, student and Valencia Technology Club member Richard Haynes asked if club members could take Valencia College’s obsolete computers and refurbish them for students who need a computer and can’t afford to purchase one. At the time, the project did not move forward. A year later, however, representatives from the Information Technology (IT), Legal, and Finance departments; the Louis Stokes Alliances for Minority Participation (LSAMP); and the Valencia Technology Club met, and, collaboratively, developed the club’s computer donation and repair programs. Now, selected LSAMP students...
Untapped Leaders: Faculty and the Challenge of Student Completion is a report on findings from the League for Innovation in the Community College’s Faculty Voices Project (2014-2018). The project’s goals were to engage community college faculty in the national conversation about student completion, and to hear from faculty their perspectives of what works in the classroom and across the college to facilitate student success and completion.
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Arapahoe Community College (ACC) and Centura Health, the region’s health care leader, launched Colorado’s first registered Medical Assistant Apprenticeship Program designed to meet local workforce needs in July 2018. A dozen students are enrolled in the initial cohort of this innovative work-based learning program, which is made possible by funding from the Colorado Workforce Development Council, Colorado Department of Labor and Employment, Centura Health, Colorado First, and Existing Industry Grants (CFEI) jointly administered by Colorado Community College System and Colorado Office of...
Breaking Down Nonacademic Barriers: Outcomes From the First Two Years of a Community School Approach
Historically, community colleges have lower completion and retention rates than their four-year counterparts. Hongwei (2015) suggested that this is in part due to the fact that leading retention models were designed for four-year institutions, not community colleges. Community college students often face unique nonacademic barriers which impact their retention and persistence rates (Goldrick-Rab, Broton, & Eisenberg, 2013; Goldrick-Rab, Broton, & Gates, 2015; Hongwei, 2015; Troester-Trate, 2017). Such barriers include, but are not limited to, a lack of resources such as food,...
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Recognized as a state model in noncredit instruction, San Diego Continuing Education (SDCE) continues its reputation of leadership and innovation by implementing open educational resources (OER) that increase accessibility and textbook affordability to adult students in San Diego.
“It’s about access,” said Matthew Rivaldi, a member of SDCE’s business faculty. “The goal is to offer SDCE students free textbooks or high-quality educational materials using OER.”
OER has been a buzz-term in the California legislature since 2012, when Governor Brown signed two bills that recognized that the cost of...
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Through rapid growth, acquisition of costly medical simulation equipment, and the expansion of technology-centered simulation facilities, Wake Technical Community College (Wake Tech) has become one of the largest and most advanced providers of healthcare simulation programs in North Carolina. New state-of-the-art simulation labs in nursing, radiology, emergency medical sciences, dental assisting, dental hygiene, medical assisting, natural sciences, nurse aid, and medical lab technology have also made Wake Tech a focal point in the simulation community. But with these advancements come new...
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Only 25.9 percent of individuals residing in Aims Community College’s taxing district in Northern Colorado have earned a college degree or credential. In order to assist parents, families, and prospective students who are interested in college, but have no experience with the application process, Aims Community College hosts College 101 for anyone who would like to learn more about going to college. The free one-hour session is held at various locations, including the college campuses, local libraries, and community outreach centers. Dinner is provided.
At College 101, attendees learn about...
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