University Business - February 2007 - (Page 58)

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Overall in Texas higher education, enrollment increased by 200,970 students just over 21 percent between 2000 and 2005. COMMUNITY COLLEGE MASTER PLANNING Community colleges serve the needs of inhabitants surrounding their campuses. Closing the Gaps enables nontraditional students to attend institutions of higher education through financial aid and grant programs. In other words, students who previously thought they were ineligible to attend college, whether for financial or cultural reasons, are targeted for this program. Because of their locations, community colleges have an advantage in attracting these students. But to accommodate their cultural and financial needs, master plans must be reworked and updated. Community colleges need to distinguish themselves from one another to attract the greatest number of these new students. They also want to provide student services to meet the unique needs of these students so they will stay in college and complete their coursework. This is a new challenge for community colleges. The master plan sets the direction for the community college, allowing for growth and change. Creating a master plan is more than Texas Institute of Jewelry Technology at Paris Junior College teaches jewelry, watchmaking, and gemology to students from across the globe. Some community colleges allow students to begin their college careers without living at home. deciding where and when to build new facilities. It addresses the need for increases in student services e.g., counseling, placement, and financial support and how those services are delivered, while developing solutions to help students with different cultural backgrounds and expectations. The master plan also allows for a detailed examination of the area surrounding the campus. For example, are there opportunities for partnerships in the community? Here are some ways the master plan can cover these and other key areas: helped with the enrollment,” says Clyde Porter, assistant vice chancellor/director of facilities and district architect for the Dallas County Community College District. A campus with an accelerated and easy registration process appeals to students. Community colleges are offering other services not typically provided at these institutions, as well. One trend: Student housing available on or near campus, allowing students to work on their first two to three years of a college degree at the community college level without living at home. Appealing amenities might include a real kitchen, wireless internet, and cable television; these may be a deciding factor in college selection decisions. Or a college may offer childcare, helping parents have the opportunity to get an affordable college degree. Brookhaven College in Dallas is embarking on a joint venture with Head Start to build a preschool education center on the campus. The facility, which recently had its groundbreaking, will accommodate 142 preschoolers and serve a dual purpose: Enabling parents of young children to continue their education, knowing their children are well cared for; and enabling early-childhood education students the opportunity to get hands-on practical experience by working at this facility. FOCUS: STUDENT SERVICES Looking to stay ahead of the competition, community colleges need to meet the market demands of students while maintaining the ideals of higher education. One way to do this is by improving student services. Colleges are notorious for their fragmented registration processes. Registering for classes usually involves going from building to building to building, waiting in dark corridors in long lines. To alleviate this back and forth waiting process, colleges are creating one-stop servicing centers, locating all the services necessary for enrolling and registering for courses in one facility. Some centers even include bookstores for a true one-stop experience. “ This is a different time-saving effort for students, and it’s 58 | February 2007 FOCUS: COURSE AND PROGRAM OFFERINGS Another way to increase a community college’s service territory beyond its traditional boundaries are niche programs. Paris Junior College Texas has offered a jewelry technology program since 1942. Students from all over the United States and the world attend this program due to its excellent reputation within the jewelry industry and its community college affordability. Community colleges can also increase course offerings by creating access to four-year programs and professors without asking students to travel away from the community college campus, allowing students to get the better part of a four-year degree at a community college tuition rate while giving the four-year schools more universitybusiness.com CCMP.indd 58 1/22/07 10:43:50 AM Warning : Unknown : The session id contains invalid characters, valid characters are only a-z, A-Z and 0-9 in Unknown on line 0 Warning : Unknown : Failed to write session data files . Please verify that the current setting of session.save_path is correct /var/lib/php/session in Unknown on line 0 http://universitybusiness.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of University Business - February 2007

Contents
College Index
Company Index
Advisory Board
Editor's Note
Stats Watch
Sense of Place
Viewpoint
Admissions
On The Hill
Future Shock
Facilities Focus
Independent Outlook
Flu Pandemic Prep
Advancing the Brand
The Picture’s Getting Clearer
Groundbreaking Ideas
Gotta Get a Message to You
Internet Technology
What's New
calendar of Events
Direct Connect
End Note

University Business - February 2007