CIAA Public Awareness Report

While they do have a tremendous focus on workforce development and training, the opportunity to take a more active role in higher education exists. By adjusting their focus to act as a bridge for students, the community college has the ability to soften the transition financially and educationally. Community colleges must move beyond their reliance on open acceptance policies and actively pursue students who would otherwise attend universities. By offering comparable course tracks that will challenge and educate they can move even further past the image of being a second class institution. More focus must be placed on both building articulation agreements with the universities and educating potential students about the benefits of making the community the next stop on their education

Community college is a great institution for students to start their educational journey. Especially when they do not have the funds or lack some of the prerequisite that a university would require. Community college was created to serve the community, traditional and non-traditional students with the best higher education and lifetime learning opportunities. The faculty and staff members at a community college is there to provide leadership in education while going above and beyond to recognize the needs of the students and the community by providing excellent educational programs and support services that are available to all who have the opportunity to take advantage of them. “Student services now include recruitment and retention, counseling, student activities, student health, financial aid, academic support, career centers, transfer centers, and supplemental services such as transportation, child care, and services tailored for specific populations of students” (Cohen, Brawer, & Krisker, 2014, pg. 209). My philosophy in fulfilling the role and mission of the community college, is to establish the mission, vision, goals and values to guide all students on their journey to strive to become successful both in school and in today’s economy.

I bring greetings on behalf of The Washington, DC Metro HBCU Alumni Alliance, Inc. (DCHBCUAA). We are a non-profit community-based organization that consists of Historically Black Colleges & Universities’ Alumni Chapters in the Washington, DC Metropolitan area. We collaborate mainly to strengthen the community through our insightful programs and we exist to provide support to underserved students interested in attending HBCUs.

When people hear the word “college”, many panic inside at the thought. But, when I hear the word “college” I think about Illinois State University. In early July, I attended an Open House at ISU for my very first official college visit. As I stepped onto campus, I couldn’t but help to feel like it was my future home. Many aspects of the tour made me draw nearer to choosing this college after finishing my High School career. Illinois State University seems to fit my personality very well, has an amazing program for what I want to study, and is an outstanding campus for my academic strengths and weaknesses.

Being a Bunker Hill Community College student is not that easy unless you are associated with all the useful and valuable sources provided all over the school. As I seamlessly move from my high school experiences into a two-year college at Bunker Hill, I was so anxious to explore new things in the new college world. After I come to this college, I found that this college has many friendly and helpful resources that help me engaging myself in the new world. For example, I found that the admissions office staff members are very helpful in providing student information. Besides that, the school mentors are also helpful for bringing new students on a tour around Bunker Hill Community College. Furthermore, Life map Centre staff members are also very friendly in helping students organize their study plan and to register for class. The most interesting part is I found a reliable resource called A.C.E Mentor that tremendously could help the students to succeed in their classes.

While other students in my high school class were looking at catalogs for different universities around the country, I was looking through catalogs for my local community college. For years, my mom spoke of the benefits of attending a community college before transferring to a university, and given my family’s limited financial availability, starting out at a community college was the perfect choice for me. It was undeniable that going to a community college offered many benefits. For example, it would give me the chance to take classes that would go towards earning my Associate’s Degree without increasing the financial strain on my family. It would also allow me to be home so that I could assist my mother and sister in whatever way that I

According to the Florida Department of Education, colleges are the first option for 65% of high school graduates to access higher education, and 82% of minority students attend one of Florida’s 28 colleges. Today, MDC doesn’t face an imminent threat of new entrants. One of the main reasons is that, through the years, the college has developed brand recognition. Another one is that it has a cost advantage. No accredited higher education institution charges what the college does for an Associate or Bachelor’s degree. Also, the college open-door policy is designed to help students, who need remediation, to get the skills needed for college level classes. In addition, many adult students enroll in classes for professional development, or to prepare for a new career. Furthermore, many of them are the first in their families to attend college. Nevertheless, the Honors and Early College/Dual Enrollment Programs attract some of the best and brightest minds. Finally, the college just adds more areas of study to its already extensive programs, which increases its economies of scale.

There isn't anything more important to community colleges than the certainty that they can and should provide all qualified people who are looking to be accepted with admittance (Vaughan). The people of the community college represent forty-four percent of all undergraduates and forty-nine percent of students attending college for the first time (David). These students include a lot of minority students, students with a low social standing and the non-standard (age twenty-five and older) student who commonly enters college less academically equipped (David). Most community colleges have made immense advancement in reducing a lot of geographical and economic blockades that have in the past limited college admittance (David). Community

I attend CollegeBoard the College Selection Process: Find the “Best Fit” webinar. There were two presenters Melissa Caperton, Senior Associate, American Council on Education American College Application Campaign (ACAC) and Dr. Venisa Green, Professional School Counselor, Percy L. Julian High School, Chicago Public Schools. I would definitely recommend this webinar because I have learned a lot how to increase the number of first-generation and low-income students pursuing a college degree. Also I have learned quite a bit about how to help high school senior students navigate college admission process and ensure they apply to at least one college. I am going to

Attending a community college usually makes people cringe. It is not the first pick of an average high school student. Community colleges are hardly ever advertised however, the traditional four-year schools are. Throughout all four years of high school the word university is drilled into student brains so exploring the idea of attending a community college does not stand a chance. The football and basketball teams, the sororities and fraternities, to having the bragging rights for attending a well-known university is what students imagine when going to college. Even though students transfer from community colleges into four-year schools, the idea of attending community college is perceived to be the easy way out or a lack of effort. In the

Community college may seem like a school for underachievers, but in reality, its programs cater to many different individuals: High school students, adults returning to pursue (or finish) a degree, and people who are interested in taking recreational classes. Many community college students are programmed differently and they have different studying techniques and their own set pace for learning. The great thing about community college is that it can accommodate all of these individuals. Community college provides the tools and the know-how to help their students succeed. The affordability of community college, student enrichment programs, and smaller class sizes are just a few of its most desirable attributes. Despite the facts, there is a still a stigma surrounding the

Because community colleges are serving a wide variety of population with different needs, they have to make sure that each needs are fulfill and most important the mission is being carried out. “The students who attend to upgrade their skills for a particular job, students who are pursuing an associate degree to transfer to a 4-year institution, and students who attend to pursue a hobby (such as learning a language); the educational outcomes of community college students reflect this diversity” Students at Community Colleges. (n.d.). The purpose of the article was to inform the public about African American and Latina/o students who attend community colleges and the success and knowledge that they gain reflects on how well the overall experience at the community college have prepared them for the real world and their future.

The ICA group has a tour of a potential school site tomorrow night at 6:30 pm. The address is 1654 Trumansburg Rd, Ithaca 14850.

Thank you so much for attending Fall Preview Day at The University of West Alabama on November 11th. You had a part in making Preview Day one of the largest in UWA’s history! As you saw, Preview Day serves as a chance for prospective students to learn more about UWA. The academic session should have answered all of your questions regarding your intended major. It is neat to meet professors before your first day of class. The campus tour, including Gilbert Hall, showed you our beautiful campus and a state-of-the-art freshman residence hall. The UWA essentials sessions gave you vital information to have a seamless transition from high school to a UWA college student. The mock class gave you a glimmer of hope that college classes can actually

The deliverable addressed communicating with a mixed cohort of students that apply as a desire to enroll each year. The training workshop addressed the need to disaggregate communications based on serving the needs of all levels of interested students from students who are academically astute and very well prepared for the academic rigor of post-secondary education, and those who academic credentials may not represent them as being prepared. The training shared the need of Admissions recruiters to be prepared to meet students where they stand academically by prepare communications with contents that express their unique ability to communicate with students who desire to attend college, but may need to start in a different academic environment such as a community college.