Community Colleges as Economic Saviors

From Ann McClure in University Business magazine:

“Never in my life would I have expected community colleges to be called potential saviors of the economy,” says George Boggs, president of the American Association of Community Colleges. “When the downturn started and people were being laid off, community colleges sent teams into companies to talk to workers about their options,” he explains. The importance of community colleges progressed from there.

As the recession drags on and more people turn to higher ed as a way to weather the storm, community colleges are increasingly in demand. “I think we are going to drive this economy back to where it needs to be,” says Mary Spangler, president of Houston Community College. Applications are up across all sectors of higher ed ranging from graduate school down, but community colleges are getting a double dose from unemployed adults looking for new skills as well as traditional age students looking to save money. According to AACC data, over the past two years, part-time enrollment at community colleges has increased 17 percent, while full-time enrollment increased 24 percent. “To have double-digit growth across the country in two years is incredible,” Boggs notes.

Meanwhile, four-year institutions aren’t exactly slacking in the area of economic revitalization, says George Mehaffy, vice president for academic leadership and change at the American Association of State Colleges and Universities. He points to the University of Washington, Tacoma, citing a new building in an abandoned warehouse area, leading to rehabilitation of the area. All sectors of higher ed are changing their perception of their role in the community to being a steward of place, he says. “Thirty years ago, if people had said the university should be concerned about economic recovery, some faculty would have fainted,” Mehaffy says. “But that has changed.”

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Regional SCUP Events! Enjoy the F2F company of your colleagues and peers at one of three SCUP regional conferences this spring:

• March 24–26: Cambridge, MA - "Strengths and Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats"
• April 5–7, San Diego, CA - "Smart Planning in an Era of Uncertainty"
• April 7, Houston, TX - "Sustaining Higher Education in an Age of Challenge"