Primary Characteristics Of A Learning Centered College

Students nowadays face many challenges when it comes to obtaining a college education. We evaluate an institution’s quality based on what we need the most. The qualities sought out may vary by each person’s personal point of view. However, as a student, I’ve found that most students seek for an institute that benefits them the most. Attending a community college has been an enormous advantage towards my education. I have been attending San Bernardino Valley College for the last two semesters. I have come to respect their philosophies and values. The institution has now been in business for 87 years. They venture to encourage both students and faculty towards high standards of achievement and progress into exceptional members of the society. They now offer a variety of degrees, transfer programs and certificates for a wide range of students. San Bernardino Valley College has an accomplished staff, student support services and technological tools that pave the road towards the conquest of a quality 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.

The major emphasis in education for the 21st century is on data driven accountability measured by student performance on standardized testing. National and state expectations require students to demonstrate mastery of curriculum objectives. Instructional objectives are the focus of the building principals to show measurable student progress. The improvements are evaluated based on data and monitoring of the curriculum.

Dr. Charleyse Pratt serves as the assistant vice president of multicultural affairs and engagement of Cleveland state university. In this role her primary responsibilities include coordinating Learning Communities Programs and Partnerships at Cleveland State as well as directing initiatives for the Cleveland Transfer Connection. The transfer connection partnership is with Cuyahoga county Community College’s where students are able to begin associate or undergraduate studies to earn a degree and then transfer to Cleveland State to complete the four-year baccalaureate degree. The Cleveland Transfer Connection (CTC) at Tri-C and Cleveland State University is a Learning Communities program unique to Cleveland because it provides services from two institutions and offers two degrees (an Associate’s and a Bachelor’s) in one community of students. Dr Pratt’s driving philosophy is to create opportunities while disarming challenges for students who have a desire to gain an education but now need the preparation to be successful in a classroom. Her approach is student-centered support, leadership training and resource management to better navigate the academic journey toward graduation.

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.

Chapter 4 reflects on how community colleges in America are not just a place where people goes to get a degree. It is an institution that goes beyond the classroom. The name says it all, “community college”.

“Shoreline Community College demonstrates dedication to student success by providing rich opportunities for learning, excellence in teaching and comprehensive support services developed in collaboration with its

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

A program that is oriented around illuminating the complex problems that surround our world on a daily basis really connects to what I hope to receive in my college experience. This program incorporates progressive ways of teaching principal

Baltimore City Community College (BCCC) receives about $40 million annually as a state run community college in Maryland although most community colleges are financed and run by local governments (Cox, E, 2017; Richman, T & Bowie, L, 2017). BCCC has been under fire for several years because of its graduation rates and accreditation problems (Richman, T & Bowie, L, 2017). In addition, the General Assembly legislated that BCCC realign the college to better serve the citizen of Baltimore city and its students. BCCC responded to that mandate by joining Achieving the Dream (ATD), a network of 220 community colleges around the nation to help improve student outcomes through leadership training and data analysis (Richman, T & Bowie, L,

Common reading programs merge the curricular and cocurricular components of college and reinforce the message that learning occurs both inside and outside the classroom.*

Students walk into a community college and often think they are going to get the same experience as they would at a major university and that just doesn’t happen. As Hubert (2014) mentions, most community colleges are like a Chinese buffet now with major offerings and students get very little guidance in their course selection. Meanwhile at major universities students have advising appointments that narrow down the classes to their general education requirements and even major plans. They often move from freshman or entrance advisors to department advisors.

It seems that this day and age, college is becoming a very crucial part of today's society. Without college it is very difficult to get a job in a field that you want to be in, but at the same time it is difficult for people without a degree to maintain their job. This is why it is very important for a person to complete college. Hutchinson Community College, like many other colleges, is working to prepare their students for life after they have graduated. Although there are many ways to improve a college to make people want to stay and finish their degree, the college should be aware of the students’ desire to finish the degree before they are accepted.

Transitioning into higher education presents challenges for all students, whether it’s their age or previous educational history. Numerous individuals are extremely nervous as they are entering into an advanced environment such as higher education. This because college is a new learning environment at a completely different level. However, freshmen find college to be difficult at first because it’s harder for them to adjust. That’s why many universities should have student centers in place to help students. Student centers give students the pathway for flexible learning as it results in being successful in higher education (Baužienė & Vosyliūtė 2015).

Cuyahoga Community College (CCC) is located in Cleveland, Ohio and has 3 campuses located in Downtown Cleveland (Metropolitan), Highland Heights (Eastern), Parma (Western), and Westlake (Westshore). CCC also has satellite sites for Workforce Development (Metropolitan) and the Brunswick University Center (Brunswick). CCC main objective is deliver high quality education while keeping tuition low. The main goal of the college is to successfully guide students to graduate with an Associate’s Degree and/or Industry Certificate. There are currently over 20,000 students enrolled in courses at CCC. I will be describing in this task the Academic Affairs division of the Western Campus.