Confessions of a Community College Dean

I’ve been involved in a series of initiatives lately based on improving student success rates (defined as passing and graduating), closing racial and economic gaps, and helping students from underrepresented groups find their way into the jobs of the future. These are all good and worthy endeavors, and I’m happy to work with them.

Economists aren’t known for being funny on purpose, but this one isn’t bad.. An economist and his grad student are walking across the quad when they spy what looks like a twenty dollar bill on the sidewalk. The grad student looks at the professor for cues, and notices that the professor is still walking. The grad student asks “aren’t you going to pick it up?” The professor responds “if it were really a twenty, someone would have picked it up by now.”

Starting this July, Pell grants have a new rule: any given student has a lifetime limit of twelve semesters. If you can’t finish your degree within twelve semesters, you’re on your own. The rule seemingly came out of nowhere, but it has major implications for community colleges.

Several alert readers have sent me updates on the conflict going on at Queensborough Community College, part of the CUNY system in New York City. It’s perplexing on several levels.

Quote from program accreditation visiting team leader yesterday: “Surprisingly, the faculty seem to respect the administration.” I think that’s what they call a left-handed compliment.

Colleges have an alarming number of moving parts. This week I discovered that some advisors on campus have been encouraging students to sign up for online sections of certain classes with the understanding that if they decide they don’t like the online format, they can switch to onsite versions during the add/drop period. It’s a way to stick a toe in the water.

I admit nearly spitting my coffee when I read this one. And that’s unfortunate. The Colorado State University English department posted a tenure-track faculty position, specifying that it would only consider candidates who received their Ph.D.’s in 2010 or later. The IHE article quotes a legal consultant saying that there’s nothing illegal about the posting.

If non-elite colleges and universities want to avoid the fate of travel agencies and film companies, what should they do in the age of free MOOCs?