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  • Ask My Readers: Questions for Some Bigwigs

    By Dean Dad March 19, 2008 9:26 pm

    Scott Jaschik, at Inside Higher Ed, will be moderating a panel at the AACC meeting in Philadelphia entitled "Community Colleges: Who Should Judge Them and How?" The blurb in the program reads:

    Higher education is in period of unprecedented scrutiny, with constant talk of accountability, assessment, and standards - all with a backdrop of a tightening budget picture. This panel - together with the audience - will explore such questions as: Who should evaluate whether community colleges are doing a good job? What are appropriate measures? Do traditional and new measures reflect the changes in the community college curriculum and student body? What are the roles of the government, accreditors and the press? Do traditional means to evaluate higher education hurt community colleges and what can be done about it?

    This session will not feature long talks, but will largely be a freestyle discussion among panelists and the audience.
    Panelists:

    • George Boggs, president of the American Association of Community Colleges
    • Kevin Carey, research and policy manager for Education Sector and creator of a community college rankings system for The Washington Monthly.
    • Gail O. Mellow, president of LaGuardia Community College
    • Felice Nudelman, education manager of The New York Times

    Moderator: Scott Jaschik, editor of Inside Higher Ed

    Scott and I discussed having me on the panel, but we couldn't figure out a reasonable way to do that without 'outing' me. Since the President of a cc at which I'm a candidate for a VP position will be at the conference, I'm guessing this isn't the time. And the old "unknown comic" shtick of a paper bag on the head just isn't terribly dignified. ("The unknown blogger" seems almost redundant.)

    So instead, we agreed that I'd ask my readers for questions to pose for the panelists. I'll add a few of my own, and Scott can use his discretion in deciding which to use. With two major media outlets, a college President, and the President of the AACC on the panel, this is a chance to pose
    difficult but important questions to folks with real influence.

    So my question for my wise, worldly, learned, and good-looking readers: what would you like to ask these folks?

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Comments on Ask My Readers: Questions for Some Bigwigs

  • Posted by Greg on March 20, 2008 at 6:50pm EDT

  • Sorry DeanDad, all I can think of is the salsa TV commercial, who cares about what comes from NewYawkcity. We are called community colleges for a reason. Presidents talking to other Presidents, YAWN! When was the last time any of them were in a cc classroom or cc admissions office? I don't remember you burning anyone in your blog, jump on the pannel. You would probably be the only reputable current person there. Where is the consumer on the panel? The only folk who can judge are the tax paying folk of each of our community. I got one program with a three year waitlist and 95% job placement rate for the last 7 years. I gotta another program with a 27% job placement rate that you can start tommorrow. Let the consumer be the judge!

  • Employers vs taxpayers vs parents?
  • Posted by Dr. F. Gump on March 20, 2008 at 9:35pm EDT

  • Our local cc states they make decisions based on data. Local employers demand better math, reading, and writing skills, but students and parents continue to push
    for open access and easy classes (little or no homework).

    Taxpayers of course, want to keep costs down, so yes - let's do have a "consumer" on the panel. but which "consumer" ?

    For sake of a good argument, I suggest some local employers. Are they happy with the "product" coming out of your local cc?

    Students and their spouses/parents just want the piece of paper (sheepskin) at the end of the two years. Quality schmaulity.

    Taxpayers? As long as they are not laying on an ER gurney and looking up at some blank-eyed punk (who is asking, "waz you name and where do it hurt?") - probably don't care.

    Yeah, crucial & critical local employers who can talk about the local cc fulfilling their needs for quality employees with AA degrees or certificates.

  • evaluating retention
  • Posted by Elizabeth , Ed.D. student on March 24, 2008 at 10:40am EDT

  • One of the questions we keep reading about is how to measure student retention or student "success." At CCs, students don't always mean to get a degree or certificate, but they often list "AA" or similar as their goal because of financial aid requirements. With that in mind, how can we measure the true success of CC students? How do we know we're retaining the ones who really want to stay? If a student just wants to take a few classes for a promotion or such, and he or she completes those classes, how can we count their success?

    I think this is an increasingly important problem for CCs, especially as assessment, possibly by government bodies, is beginning to focus on graduation and retention rates. CCs have a different mission, and it needs to be taken into account when assessment measures are discussed.

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