Next step: preparation
Advocates say improving student services is critical
By MATTHEW DEMBICKI, Published July 6, 2008

Community colleges have succeeded in broadening access to higher education. Now they are gearing up for phase two: preparing students for college-level work.

Improving student transitions at community colleges was the topic at the National Community College Symposium in Washington, D.C., sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education. Leaders from community colleges, higher education organizations, federal agencies, foundations, industry and education officials from Europe, Africa and the Middle East discussed how to better prepare students for college. Proposals included developing more partnerships with high schools and even K-12 systems and providing better student support services for college students.

The successes of national initiatives such as Achieving the Dream and Breaking Through have prompted community college advocates to rethink student services and how essential they are to student success according to several community college leaders and researchers speaking at the meeting.

Community college students typically don’t have career plans, don’t know what’s expected of them and often have problems balancing family life and financial concerns, said John McKay,  president of South Piedmont Community College (North Carolina). To overcome these barriers, colleges, state and local officials and educators must try to reach students when they are at least in high school to show them what college is like, he said.

Linda Hagedorn, a professor and director of the Research Institute for Studies in Higher Education at Iowa State University, agreed.

“We often think students know what courses they need to take. They don’t,” she said, noting it holds true for students aiming for a career path as well as for students who plan to transfer to four-year colleges or universities.

McKay said that North Carolina has seen an increase in dual-enrollment efforts, especially through online programs. He also touted early and middle college programs, where students attend classes on college campuses.

Colleges should be more “intrusive” when it comes to serving students, McKay said, explaining that colleges must do a better job following up with students who use campus services. He recommended mandatory orientation for new students and pre-placement programs to help gauge where students may need help.

“We get them here and then they are on their own,” he said.

Not only should colleges increase student services, but they should encourage departments to work together to help these students, McKay said.

“Joint operations are key to getting this done,” he said.

McKay also encouraged expanding programs such as the federal TRIO program, which is designed to help low-income, first-generation college students and students with disabilities move from middle school to postbaccalaureate programs.

Improving counseling and academic advising would greatly benefit students and help them determine which classes they need to take to succeed, said Dolores Perin, a senior research associate at the Community College Research Center at Columbia University (New York).

At some colleges, such as Kingsborough Community College (New York), college officials call students if they are absent to make sure they are not missing class because they are discouraged or feel they face an obstacle they can’t overcome. Several community colleges use similar “early alert” efforts, speakers noted.

Other colleges, such as City Colleges of Chicago, have expanded childcare services to run past midnight to allow students with children to take classes on campus.

But not all colleges are aligned with students’ needs. Some continue to keep traditional work hours, with student services and financial aid offices closing at 4:30 p.m., even though many students work full time and can only come after work, he said.

Many community colleges either don’t provide such services or cannot afford to expand them. Perin noted a community college in the Southwest had six counselors working with about 2,300 students, helping them select classes and overcoming personal hardships. Hagedorn noted her research on a Los Angeles community college is yielding similar results, with one advisor per 2,000 students.

“Students are not getting the attention they need,” Hagedorn said.

This is an area where faculty can help, several speakers noted.

“Sometimes instructors are better mentors and counselors” because they see students more often and can intervene if they see something is wrong, Perin said.

It’s also important to focus on the needs of high school students because a growing number of community colleges are enrolling directly from secondary schools, Perin said.

She said initiatives such as learning centers on campus—which can be very broad or specific, such as focusing on math or reading—are growing in importance.

“I’m beginning to see them as a backbone for academic performance,” Perin said.

Aside from academic skills, many community college students just out of high school are also having problems with their “soft skills,” such as time management and study skills.

Hagedorn noted community colleges should reach out more to high school advisors and counselors to encourage them to tell students that, despite being open-access institutions, community colleges have academic standards.

“Seldom do you hear of an advisor telling students how to prepare for community college,” she said.

Symposium participants also discussed the need for better data to track successful programs, and workforce development and career and technical education efforts to improve student transitions to careers.