Celebrate What's Right with Public Higher Education

YEAR IN REVIEW PHOTOGRAPHS

2011-12-02T22:05:00.001-05:00

The STCC year in review and holiday greeting has just become available. To view it click Year in Photos and enjoy the show.

You'll see pictures of our students and campus events throughout 2011. And let me wish everyone who visits this blog, a happy holiday and better 2012.

Garvey Hall on the campus of Springfield Technical Community
Collge.Add caption

Public Colleges Gain Favor in Parent Survey

2011-08-24T13:25:00.001-04:00

Katrina Martynyuk filling out her free application for federal student aid (FAFSA) in the STCC financial aid office while Natalya Petrik looks on.

Not surprisingly in an annual survey of Massachusetts parents almost half indicated that they want their child to attend a public university or college – up from 30% in the 2007 survey. The Fidelity Investment and Massachusetts Educational Finance Authority annual poll reflects the post great recession reality of higher education: families have less money while the cost of higher education continues to increase. (More information from the survey is available through the August 23, 2011 Boston Globe at the link parent survey .)

In this environment, public colleges for most American families represent the affordable option to high tuition and high post-college debt. Yet states have been reducing support for their public college systems and possible

federal cut-backs in financial aid may make public higher education out of the reach of many.

This period of high unemployment, is an ideal time to encourage further education and preparation for skilled jobs. Closing the doors of public higher education would be a shortsighted policy that will negatively affect individuals and our common economic future.

LESSON TWO FROM GREAT IDEAS – BUILDING EMPLOYEE MORALE

2011-07-26T12:23:00.001-04:00

Andy Curto of the Springfield Tech Community College acting as facilitor during a Great Ideas meeting.

In my July 12 posting, I outlined the way an idea system captures the creativity of a broad segment of the organization – those at the front lines who do most of the work. In this note, I want to focus on how idea systems affect employee morale.

In a college or university, there are really three groups of employees – staff, faculty and managers. The staff are those who work in the non-teaching offices including security, admissions, business office, registration, counseling, library, financial aid, information technology, marketing, human relations, grants and development, and facilities. Because of the central role of teaching and research, it is the faculty that receives the greatest recognition. Staff members thus may feel overlooked despite the importance of their roles.

Our idea system roll-out, however, focused on staff functions because they are repetitive and susceptible to refinement and, in part, because teaching and research tend to be individual pursuits. Employees involved with our idea system appreciate the interest in their work and, even more, they appreciate that their ideas were valued and implemented. Employees thus become engaged and empowered, taking ownership for their work and receiving respect for their contributions. College efficiency and effectiveness is raised along with employee morale, creating a feedback loop that leads to additional positive change.

A GIFT FOR PRINCETON

2011-07-20T16:00:00.001-04:00

I have just made a modest gift to Princeton University with mixed emotions. I was a scholarship student there in the 1960’s and received a great education. So I felt I should give something back. However, Princeton has the largest endowment per student of any institution – a whopping $1.9 million with a total endowment of about $16 Billion. To get a sense of the size of these numbers, if the University earned 5% on its investments, it would garner $95,000 per student per year, almost twice the cost of attendance at this elite institution.

The admissions office at Springfield Technical Community College

Princeton University and Springfield Technical Community College illustrate the poles of higher education in America. Princeton is wealthy and it educates the wealthy (with some exceptions) and STCC is poor and educates those without power and privilege. As different as the missions of the two institutions, are the resources. A year at STCC costs about $4500 in tuition and fees; at Princeton it’s more like $45,000. Yet both schools teach basic college courses: English, Spanish, psychology, mathematics, history, science. In fact, I would argue that STCC provides a superior product because our students often enter with a weak academic background and must increase their skills markedly in order to graduate. Princeton freshman, by contrast, start with excellent academic preparation. Is it surprising that they do well in college?

Moreover, almost all of our students work full or part-time to support themselves through college. Princeton students have the luxury of attending college full-time supported by their parents. As I scholarship student at Princeton, I did work but only for ten hours per week. And I was able to live on campus and take my meals there.

So, for those who have graduated from prestigious private colleges, support your alma mater but consider giving to the public college or university in your area. It will be good for your soul and good for our communities.

LESSON ONE FROM OUR IDEA SYSTEM

2011-07-12T16:20:00.000-04:00

Prof. Alan Robinson of the Isenberg Shcool of Management, UMass/Amherst

Over the past year, our college has introduced an idea system – called Great Ideas @ STCC – that has the potential to transform our organization.

Our experience has confirmed the principle that our consultant, Alan Robinson, has emphasized that 80% of the possible improvements in our organization are dependent on front line employees because most of the work of the organization is done by them. They carry out the individual transactions of the college for example: registering students, assisting with financial aid, serving students in the library, accepting payment for classes. Those college employees above the front lines who are usually part of “management” deal with rolled up data – total enrollment, costs of utilities, payroll and the like. They do not witness the transactions between students who are the customer and the employees serving them. These managers are not aware, therefore, of the myriad opportunities for improvement in the functioning of the organization.

Long time front line employees often know of changes within their scope of work that would save resources and improve service to students. They have not had a means of expressing and implementing those ideas. That is the beauty of an idea system. It harnesses the creativity of a large number of employees, those closest to the action.

The critical lesson learned is that we managers think we can make the organization more efficient by decisions based on aggregate data. While that is important, that misses the majority of possibilities for improvement, those at the front line of the organization.

Raising Incomes and Reducing Inequities via Higher Education

2011-06-29T11:57:00.000-04:00

Those of us working in community colleges have long assumed that higher education propels students of modest means into the middle class and reduces income inequality. In short, affordable, accessible higher education grows the economy and strengthens our democracy.

Now a new report entitled “The Uneducated American” from Georgetown University’s Center on Education and the Workforce provide the data that back up these understandings. Demonstrated by the increasing pay gap between high school and college grads, this report shows that our economy suffers because insufficient numbers of US citizens are achieving college degrees. If we increase the number of college grads, the authors argue, two things will happen: everyone's income (and the US economy) will go up and the income of HS grads will go up faster thus reducing income in-equality. I encourage you to read the report at the link The Uneducated American .

To demonstrate that higher education is still of great value, even during the Great Recession, look at the chart below that shows unemployment by educational attainment. ( Chart from NY Times, 3/11/11).

ELITE COLLEGES IGNORE STUDENTS FROM POOR BACKGROUNDS

2011-05-25T16:32:00.000-04:00

Ideally, college presidents should be leaders, not just for their own institution, but for society at large. At least one college president, Anthony Marx who is now leaving Amherst College, has fulfilled that role by opening the doors of his institution to applicants of modest means as documented in the NYTimes:
Top Colleges, Largely for the Elite By David Leonhardt .

Amherst under Marx is, unfortunately, the exception as most elite colleges and Universities fill their student body with the sons and daughters of the wealthy and the upper middle-class.

Recent numbers are provided in a March 27, 2011 article in the Chronicle of Higher Education: Elite Colleges Fail to Gain More Students on Pell Grants . The Chronicle found that "just under 15 percent of the undergraduates at the country's 50 wealthiest colleges received Pell Grants in 2008-9, the most recent year for which national data are available. That percentage hasn't changed much from 2004-5, around the time that elite institutions focused their attention on the issue. And Pell Grant students are still significantly less represented at the wealthiest colleges than they are at public and nonprofit four-year colleges nationwide, where grant recipients accounted for roughly 26 percent of students in 2008-9. Individual colleges among the wealthiest have made gains in enrolling Pell Grant students, who generally come from families with annual incomes of less than $40,000. But others have lost ground."

Where does that leave public colleges? Some public Universities are among the elite - University of Michigan, University of Wisconsin, University of Texas at Austin - but most public Universities are decidedly not. Public colleges need to strive to hold down costs and attract a student body that mirrors the economic profile of their state. This is a tall order as the publics face increased pressure from state budget cuts.

COMMUNITY COLLEGE GRADS NEEDED FOR MIDDLE SKILL JOBS

2011-05-20T14:50:00.001-04:00

So called middle skill jobs - those that require some college education or an associate degree - are in the news as policy makers and researchers look at the future of the American economy. These jobs include positions such as network administrators, nurses, physical therapy assistants, computer numerical controlled (CNC) machine operators, emergency medical technicians (EMTs), respiratory therapists.

While unemployment continues to plague the United States and young people, even those with college credentials, struggle to find jobs, the future may look very different as labor shortages may develop. Why? Because our population growth will slow, and the new economy will require more education. Meanwhile this generation appears to be falling behind the college attainment of their parents just when more education is predicted to be necessary for a decent paying career. For documentation that New England will suffer a shortage of labor in middle skills jobs see a recent report of the Federal Bank at the link:

Federal Reserve Brief on Middle Skill Jobs in New England

What should be done? We are missing a golden opportunity to encourage additional post-secondary education. Because of high unemployment many young adults have the time to go to college - especially community college. But state and federal government are making it harder for them to attend by withdrawing support for public higher education forcing colleges to raise charges on students. If we are to secure our economic future we should, as a society, invest in that future. That means not scrimping on the college education of our youth.

SPRINGFIELD ARMORY CULTURAL LANDSCAPE REPORT

2011-05-19T18:39:00.000-04:00

The picture above is the cover of the newly completed cultural landscape report by the National Park Service for the Springfield Armory, the national historic site that is the home of Springfield Technical Community College. The purpose of a cultural landscape report is to record the exterior elements of a site - plantings, terrain, significant markers and monuments, water elements - and to use this document as the basis for managing the site.

Because the Armory site has a long history having been established as the first national armory by President George Washington in 1794, the site has gone through many changes which are thoroughly documented by the report. For example, buildings on the site constructed by the US Army date from 1807 to the mid 20th century. During this period the grounds changed with new plantings and landscape changes necessitated by new buildings. However, as the report makes clear, the basic contours of the site remain true to that developed by US Army Lieutenant Colonel Roswell Lee, superintendent of the Armory from 1815 to 1833.

While the closing of the Armory by Secretary of Defense John McNamara in 1968 (see headlines below) created a campus for Springfield Technical Community College, the loss of the Armory produced an economic challenge for the Springfield and surrounding area. The Armory had employed thousands of individuals who did research, development and production of small arms, especially rifles, for the US Army. Moreover, the Armory supported the development of a precision machining industry up and down the Connecticut River Valley that supported companies like Smith and Wesson, Pratt and Whitney and Colt Arms. The closing of the Armory was a great blow to the regional economy, one that is still being felt today.

GREAT IDEAS AT STCC

2011-05-17T16:47:00.003-04:00

From my own experience, colleges and universities are often late adopters to new ways. That is because these are fundamentally conservative institutions whose job is to transmit the wisdom of previous ages. Additionally, most higher education institutions are non-profits operating outside of the competitive economy.

All that is now changing as many higher educational institutions are under tremendous financial pressure from shrinking state and federal budgets and exploding college debt of American students. These institutions now seek ways to control costs while maintaining service to students.

Our college has taken a page from the industrial sector by instituting an idea system - called Great Ideas at STCC - designed to mobilize employees to suggest and implement improvements in how work is done. We are using as our mentor University of Massachusetts/Amherst Professor Alan Robinson co-author of the important book Ideas are Free. We are as far as we know the only higher education institution in the United States implementing such a system.

Robinson claims and our experience shows that 80% of all the potential savings of time and money are located at the bottom of organization. The genius of a well-designed idea system is that the intelligence and creativity of the majority of employees are listened to and acted upon. The organization improves and with it employee morale. This is, to be sure, a different approach to managing an organization but one with great opportunities.

To learn how we are doing at STCC, you can visit our Great Ideas webpage at www.stcc.edu/greatideas

COLLEGE DEGREE NEEDED FOR ENTRY INTO MIDDLE CLASS

2010-09-14T16:18:00.011-04:00


2010 Springfield Technical Community College graduates celebrate at June 2 commencement exercises. This week another report has been issued that confirms what most Americans know – that a college degree is becoming essential for a middle class job. The latest study from the Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workforce cites an increasing share of American jobs requiring at least some college education: “Between 1973 and 2008, the share of jobs in the U.S. economy that required post-secondary education increased from 28% to 59%. According to our projections, the future promises more of the same. The share of post-secondary jobs will increase from 59% to 63% nationally over the next decade. The share of post-secondary jobs will increase from 59% to 63% nationally over the next decade.”(http://www.nebhe.org/2010/09/10/more-than-2-million-job-vacancies-forecast-for-ne-by-2018-but-do-our-workers-have-what-it-takes-to-fill-them/) The authors of the study - Anthony P. Carnevale and Nicole Smith – argue that in the next ten years, high school graduates and high school dropouts “will find themselves largely left behind in the coming decade” for decent paying jobs. They conclude that post-secondary education will become essential for entry into the middle class. Meanwhile, the cost of college is escalating – a vicious circle for those of modest means who must obtain a college education to enter the middle class but often do so with substantial college debt. During the “Great Recession” as it has become known students are flocking into colleges, especially public colleges, using this time of high un-employment to earn a degree or retrain with additional post-secondary skills. Our society should support them with higher levels of financial aid and additional funds for public colleges. To do otherwise will increase the pain of the “Great Recession” for our youth who will either be locked out of college or leave with college loans that will take decades to pay off.

COMMUNITY COLLEGES HELP MANUFACTURING SHINE

2010-09-10T13:58:00.002-04:00

Professor John LaFrancis demonstrates the operation of a computer controlled milling machine at the Smith and Wesson Center at STCC. Students are left to right David Santos, Daniel J. Miller, Shurwell C. Roach and Ryan T. Maheu.

US manufacturing is growing – one of the few stars of the

economy over the past six months. Releasing their August survey of hundreds of US companies, the Institute for Supply Management reported an increase over July of their manufacturing index from 55.5 in July to 56.3 in August. Numbers above 50 indicates growth in the sector which accelerated according to the survey in August.

manufacturing has changed dramatically over the past two decades with an infusion of capital equipment increasing productivity and product sophistication. This has caused a change in the needed education level of factory workers. More technically trained employees – usually at the community college level – are needed to run factory robots and computer controlled machinery. The modern competitive American factory is not your father’s facility. It is clean, well lit, highly efficient and filled with expensive, often made to order, machines. Employees are valued for their knowledge and skill with opportunity for educational advancement.

Community colleges around the country have responded to the demand for skilled factory employees by establishing new programs and revising existing ones. At Springfield Technical Community College the Mechanical Engineering Technology trains students for jobs running Computer Numerically controlled machines (CNC) machines in the areas precision manufacturing industry. Enrollment is full and graduates are snapped up by local companies. While the program is rigorous requiring good mathematics skills and geometric ability, graduates look forward to well paying jobs and stable careers.

WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS BUOYED BY HIGHER EDUCATION

2010-08-20T11:30:00.011-04:00

Map of Massachusetts showing the four Western Counties of Franklin, Hampshire, Hampden and Berkshire. Source: Wikipedia

Massachusetts has a metropolitan area – Boston – that is economically dynamic while much of the rest of the state has not transitioned from an older New England economy. This is the case in Western Massachusetts which consists of the four counties –Berkshire, Franklin, Hamden and Hampshire, occupying the Connecticut River Valley and the Berkshires Mountains. While these four counties have suffered economically as manufacturing, especially in the metal industry, has declined, higher education has prospered. The region boasts the following 19 public and private colleges and universities:

American International College

Amherst College,

Bay Path College

Berkshire Community College

Conway School of Landscape Design

Elms College

Greenfield Community College

Hampshire College

Holyoke Community College

Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts

Mount Holyoke College

Simon's Rock College of Bard

Smith College

Springfield College

Springfield Technical Community College

University of Massachusetts Amherst

Western New England College

Westfield State University

Williams College

In a region of farms and small cities, these institutions collectively are a powerful economic force with over 12,000 full time and an additional 4,000 part time employees. Over 72,000 students are enrolled in colleges and universities in Western Massachusetts representing 9% of the total population of the region. Finally, direct expenditures of these institutions was estimated to be $1.432 Billion, contributing to the vitality of the region.

(All figures in this posting are from “Economic Impact of Higher Education Institutions in Western Massachusetts: Fact Sheet” published by New England Association of Schools and Colleges. The figures are for fiscal year 2007 and are undoubtedly somewhat higher today. I want to thank Nadia Alam of NEASC for producing this information.)

A view of the main artery in Springfield - State Street - with Springfield Technical Community College campus in upper left of picture.

HIGHER EDUCATION HELPS DRIVE THE ECONOMY

2010-08-17T11:03:00.008-04:00

U.S.

colleges and universities have a profound effect on the economy by educating individuals for jobs and as a significant employer in its own right. The importance of the latter in New England is documented in a recent research report by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, the regional accrediting organization for public and private elementary, secondary and post-secondary institutions. The report which can be found on the web at:

http://www.neasc.org/downloads/PDFs/Reseach_PDFs/ECONOMIC_IMPACT_FINAL_GRAPHS_FEBRUARY_8TH_2010.pdf

lists the economic impact of higher education institutions in New England as $118 Billion. Although Massachusetts, a world-wide leader in higher education, contributes the majority of that amount - $81 Billion, the other New England states all have impact in the Billions of dollars.

There are many eye-popping statistics in the report that demonstrate the importance of higher education to the region’s economy. To site one example, according to the report,

“There were more individuals employed at Massachusetts’ accredited higher education institutions in FY07 than there were lawyers, dentists, computer programmers, architects, social workers, photographers, psychiatrists, surgeons, pharmacists, police officers, real estate agents, and construction laborers in the state, combined.”

In this time of economic turmoil, higher education as an industry should be recognized and supported.

WHAT CAN BE DONE AS STUDENT DEBT EXPLODES?

2010-08-16T14:51:00.002-04:00

While unsustainable consumer debt has helped bring the American economy to its knees, little attention has been given to the growing amount owed by college students. A June statistics released by the Federal Reserve Bank has underlined the amount of student debt. The total amount of student loans nationally- $830 Billion – now exceeds that of credit cards - $827 Billion. (See the Wall Street Journal Blog http://blogs.wsj.com/economics/2010/08/09/student-loan-debt-surpasses-credit-cards )

This generation of college students enters the workforce with a debt burden that will take years to repay. And unlike credit card debt, student loans typically are not eliminated through bankruptcy.

The long term consequences for college graduates (and those that do not finish college) are significant: less disposable income after starting work, more stress and pressure due to large debts and more difficulty in making large purchases such as homes. Reducing student debt would have a beneficial effect on the housing market as young educated couples would be better credit risks for new homes.

What, however, can be done? Keeping public colleges open and affordable is a key step. States need to pay attention to their public college systems which provide excellent education at a reasonable cost to students. In this light, the recent reductions to public colleges and universities by State Legislatures and Governors is troubling, compounding financial pressure on students. To reserve these trends, students need to become politically active in defending their interests: a chance for a college education at an affordable price.

THE PATH TO ECONOMIC RENEWAL

2010-06-25T16:08:00.001-04:00

STCC Technology Park - home of the STCC Business Incubator

Springfield, Massachusetts is a post-industrial city that has seen its fortunes slip over the past two decades. Once a hub of metal manufacturing, the City is one of the poorest in the Northeast. A recent study by the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston accessible at http://www.bos.frb.org/about/ar/ar2009/lessons-from-resurgent-cities.pdf compares the success of so-called resurgent cities with those still struggling economically.

STCC has for over twelve years has run a business incubator with the goal of nurturing start-ups that, when mature, will boost the local economy. In an attempt to attract high-tech companies, the college is partnering with the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, the flagship public research institution in the State. A description of that partnership that includes a UMass spinoff locating in the STCC incubator can be found in an article recently published by Business West at:

http://www.businesswest.com/details.asp?id=2527

Both STCC and UMass/Amherst are convinced that this partnership will help grow Springfield’s economy and thereby move it into the category of a resurgent city.

HELPING STUDENTS ACCESS FINANCIAL AID

2010-05-19T10:26:00.001-04:00

Totaling $40 Billion a year, federal student aid led by Pell grants is by far the largest source of financial assistance to US college students. State support which varies by state and usually is tied to federal definition of need is also a major contributor to a student’s ability to pay for college. However, the federal process that requires the completion of the FAFSA – the Free Application for Federal Student Aid – is often intimidating. In fact, surveys have shown that significant numbers of eligible college students, particularly at the nation’s community colleges, do not receive financial assistance because of the complicated forms and need for documentation.

Rick Mortensen, STCC student, and Diana Rosado, financial aid staff

In an effort to provide additional information, a number of colleges have adopted a series of short videos produced by Financial Aid TV. To view these videos at the STCC website go to: http://stcc.financialaidtv.com/ .

Other efforts to reach students include holding workshops on financial aid availability and processes, improving communication via electronic media and helping students learn about aid and scholarships through their academic advisors. These initiatives are yield results at Springfield Technical Community College as the fraction of students receiving federal and state aid has jumped from 50% in the fall, 2008 semester to 59% in the spring 2010 term.

2010-04-18T09:05:00.000-04:00

(President Barack Obama greets the crowd at Macomb Community College in Warren, Mich., Tuesday, July 14, 2009. Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

OBAMA and COMMUNITY COLLEGES

2010-04-18T09:02:00.002-04:00

Because Obama running for President frequently mentioned community colleges in his campaign speeches, there were high expectations among those in this public higher education sector from the new national administration. Now 15 months into his presidency, the results are decidedly mixed.

On July 14, 2009 Obama announced a plan to fund and improve community colleges nationwide. Called the American Graduation Initiative (AGI), Obama proposed spending to $12 Billion over ten years on community colleges with the goal, he said, “to help an additional 5 million Americans earn degrees and certificates in the next decade.”

Promising $1.2 Billion per year, the American Graduation Initiative support for community colleges was quite modest. With enrollment at community colleges at over 6 million and growing rapidly, the federal support would amount to less than $200 per student per year, money that would have been helpful to hard pressed colleges but not enough to significantly alter the educational landscape. Federal support did signify the recognition of the importance to the nation of community colleges and the prospect – long term – of increased attention.

While AGI rushed moved quickly through the House of Representatives, it stalled in the Senate, victim of the controversy over national health care legislation. Originally part of the student loan reform bill, it was dropped when that legislation passed as part of health care in March, 2010.

So give President Obama an A for raising the issue of national support for community colleges and Congress an F for not following his lead.

FEDS CHANGE STUDENT AID TO SUPPORT SUMMER STUDIES

2010-03-17T10:33:00.002-04:00

The Logo of the Federal Student Aid from the U.S. Department of Education

Federal student aid is changing to reflect the realities of the lives of low and moderate income college students. New regulations allow students to use Pell grant funds to support summer course work. Because they have to work, many public college students, the majority at community colleges around the nation, take less than a full course load during the fall and spring semesters. Supporting summer studies would help these students graduate faster.

According to the financial aid office at Springfield Technical Community college, the following are federal eligibility requirements for this new summer aid:

Student must have a completed 2009-2010 FAFSA on file in the Financial Aid Office
Enroll in a minimum of 6 credits during summer
Student must be currently enrolled in a degree granting or certificate program
Not graduating at the end of Spring 2010
Student must be making Satisfactory Academic Progress and be in Good Academic Standing at the end of Spring 2010
If a student received Pell Grant funds during the Summer 2009 from another institution, her/his eligibility for Summer 2010 may be affected

Additional reforms already announced will further aid incoming low and moderate income students. Effective in the summer of 2011 newly enrolled students will be able to access federal aid for summer course work. This will not only allow incoming students to get a head start on college requirements, but also provide a funding mechanism to support bridge programs for students to make up deficiencies in English and mathematics prior to the beginning of the fall semester.

The old model of college – a fall and spring semester in which students live on campus and go to class full-time – is relevant, primarily, to a minority of Americans whose affluent parents can support their studies. It is encouraging that the Obama administration is changing federal financial aid regulations to catch up with the reality of most American college students.

How Community Colleges help North Carolina to lure new companies and keep old ones

2010-03-16T11:13:00.001-04:00

Bill Ingram, President of Durham Technical Community College

A strong partnership with the state’s 58 community colleges is a cornerstone of North Carolina’s remarkable economic success. (www.ncccs.cc.nc.us/ for more information about the North Carolina system). The state supports company expansion by generous training programs delivered by local community colleges. According to William Ingram, President of Durham Technical Community College, “North Carolina would rather subsidize industry by paying for employee training than give tax breaks. If the company moves the first strategy leaves behind an educated workforce while the second strategy may provide no lasting benefit.”

Like most states, North Carolina has a system of workforce development (also called regional employment) boards supported by federal funds. President Ingram described this system as not being very significant to local community colleges. President of the North Carolina Community College System, Scott Ralls, emphasized that direct state funds were the key to economic progress in North Carolina. “Our community colleges have a tradition of supporting economic development and the customized job program helps make that happen”, stated Ralls.

The customized job program in North Carolina, run by the North Carolina Community College System, is designed to help “industries improve their productivity and profitability to assure their continued presence in North Carolina .” Even in a recession year, North Carolina provided $12.5 Million in new funds for this program in 2009-2010. Because the community college system is able to retain unexpended funds from previous years, almost $20 Million is now available for North Carolina’s community colleges for workforce education and training.

N.C. Community College System President Ralls spoke of the long-term value of using community colleges to support employee training for local companies. “Over time, our community colleges develop relations with companies that are very helpful in times of economic stress.” For example, when a company is thinking about consolidating, the local community college president can call company officials to work to ensure that local jobs are retained.

LEGISLATIVE CAUCUS FORMED TO SUPPORT PUBLIC HIGHER EDUCATION

2010-03-10T16:34:00.016-05:00

Representative Sean Garballey announcing the formation of the public higher education caucus at the Massachusetts State House on March 8

Massachusetts known as an educational leader nationally, lags in support for public higher education. An editorial in the Springfield, Massachusetts Republican (http://www.masslive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2010/03/editorial_massachusetts_state.html) sums up the condition of state support for the Commonwealth’s public colleges:

“In the fiscal year that ended on June 30, Massachusetts was ranked 46th in per-capita appropriation for public higher education, according to recent statistics. Other statistics show that tuition and fees are 33 percent higher than the national average for four-year institutions and 49 percent for a two-year community college.”

The new public higher education caucus hopes to move Massachusetts closer to the funding support of other states.

STUDENTS RALLY AT MASSACHUSETTS STATE HOUSE

2010-03-09T17:15:00.004-05:00

STCC Students at March 8 Rally for Public Higher Education at the State House in Boston:

Back Row: Angelina Cavallini, Daniel Murphy, Sheila Colon, Joseph Kakley, Jonathan Santos

Middle Row: Richard Calderon, Micki Betton, Rose Hill, Denise Moore

Front Row: Luis Gonzalez, Beverly Wiggins, Andrea Craddy

On March 8, a contingent of STCC students joined hundreds of others from public colleges across the Commonwealth to press for more funding for public higher education. Organized by PHENOM, the Public Higher Education Network of Massachusetts, demonstrators asked that Massachusetts "be average". By that they meant that funding per capita in Massachusetts should reach the national median. At present Massachusetts ranks 46th among the 50 states by this measure.

Speakers at the rally argued that public colleges which are witnessing dramatic increases in student enrollment require more rather than less money from the state government. Even in a state like Massachusetts noted for its many private colleges, the Great Recession has altered the landscape of higher education. Students who could once afford a private college are opting for public colleges. Students who once would have gone to a four year college are choosing community colleges because of their low cost.

The demonstration was organized to coincide with budget season at the State Legislature with the House now considering next year's budget. Governor Patrick has submitted a level-funded budget for public colleges for fiscal year 2011. It remains to see how the Legislature will treat the public colleges.

The March 8 rally on the Boston Commons opposite the State House.

Cultural Landscape Report of the Springfield Armory Site

2010-03-02T11:35:00.009-05:00

Springfield Technical Community College occupies with the Springfield Armory Museum a 55 acre national historic and cultural site. Founded by President George Washington in 1794 as the first national armory, the site is the only one in the nation that houses a college.

To management this asset the National Park Service has conducted a cultural landscape report that traces the history of this geographic area. The landscape report focuses on everything but the buildings – plants, animals, water resources, roads, fences – found on the site.

The report will be the basis for a joint management plan that will allow the college and federal government to protect and enhance the Springfield Armory National Historic Site. Both parties want to ensure that this plan will protect for future generations the beauty of the area as well as a record of its rich military and industrial history.

Historic Fence That Surrounds the 55 Acre Site

2010-02-13T17:16:00.002-05:00

Students in Professor Raschilla's English composition I class on Thursday, February 11, 2010

Professor Raschilla invited me to speak to his English composition one class. While he asked me to give students ideas for persuasive essays, I also had an opportunity to listen to their comments and to explain to then broadly about the system of public higher education in Massachusetts.

This class was typical of those at STCC: it was a diverse mixture of ethnicities, and ages; almost all the students worked; most were in school to secure a good paying career; all seemed bright and serious about their education.

Students had a number of comments about the college: they wanted better parking (“Why doesn’t the college build a parking garage?”); they were concerned with rising college charges (Will STCC be affordable next year?); they suggested changes in the class schedule (Why can’t we take two evening courses on the same day?)

To provide a context to respond to their comments, I explained how the college is governed and how it is funded. I discussed the dilemma of public higher education – how the withdrawal of state support for its colleges has forced students to pay an ever increasing share of the costs of their education and required colleges to cut budgets.

Finally, we talked about old and new ways of publishing written material. Among the traditional media are newspapers, magazines, pamphlets, books; the new media include blogs (including this one), twitter, email, Facebook. Each of these media generally has associated particular forms of writing. The persuasive essay that they were required to write was one of those forms; social networks were another. We agreed that understanding what the rules and constraints for each medium would help them in their writing.

EQUITY AND EXCELLENCE IN HIGHER EDUCATION

2010-02-07T09:22:00.031-05:00

The STCC team at the Strategy Institute from left to right back row -Diane Ryzewicz, Veena Dhanker, Jessica Hill, Matt Gravel, Ira Rubenzahl; front-Arlene Rodriguez, Pat Tigue, Christine Tigue

Equity and Excellence were the themes of the February 2 Achieving the Dream Strategy Conference held in Charlotte, North Carolina. (For information about the national initiative go to achievingthedream.org/
Achieving the Dream colleges from 22 states, a team of eight STCC faculty, counselors and administrators heard speeches and presentations aimed at one goal - increasing students' success in college. Workshops topics included: reforming college mathematics, accelerating developmental education, closing the achievement gap of ethnic minority male students, deepening the use of evidence to inform decision making, partnering with high schools. (More information about our efforts can be found at http://www.stcc.edu/achievedream/
The conference gave us an opportunity to study best practices at our sister schools, to dialogue with colleagues, and to learn about national developments. At the conclusion of the conference the STCC team met to review our findings and determine recommendations to bring back to campus. Some of the key ideas we decided to pursue were:
1) To provide faculty and staff with information that will guide college improvements, strengthen data collection and analysis;
2) To help students orient to college, publish glossary of college terms;
3) To speed students through developmental courses, consider re-organizing writing, reading and basic mathematics;
4) To help students receive the mathematics education relevant to their careers, participate in the Carnegie Foundation led program to revise the college freshman mathematics curricula.
5) To bring Achieving the Dream initiatives to more students, redirect college resources;<
6) To reduce barriers to student success, challenge conventional wisdom about college policies and practices.

CAMPAIGN TO FUND PUBLIC HIGHER ED

2010-02-01T14:42:00.015-05:00

Victor Sanchez, president of the University of California Student Association, speaking at the PHENOM conference

This past Sunday, January 31^st, I attended the kickoff at the Student Center at University of Massachusetts/ Amherst for the PHENOM campaign to reverse the decline in funding for public colleges in Massachusetts. The campaign which has the tagline “For a Great State of Mind” will have two phases. Phase one to take place this year is an educational effort to engage individuals who are running foroffice to pledge to make public higher education is Massachusetts “affordable for all”. Phase two will try to secure from the Legislature and Governor a long-term commitment for increased funding and lower student costs. More details are available at the PHENOM website: http://www.phenomonline.org/

How serious is the funding problem in Massachusetts? By far the most important measure is the cost of public higher education to students. Massachusetts public colleges are more expensive than others nationally: our four year colleges cost 33% more than the national average while our community colleges are 49% higher than peers across the country. (For details go to

http://chronicle.com/article/Massachusetts-Almanac-2009/48120/ )

Meanwhile PHENOM argues that Massachusetts simply uses fewer state resources to support its public institutions. A comparison of state efforts entitled “State Higher Education Finance FY 2008” published 2009 by State Higher Education Executive Officers shows Massachusetts near the bottom in the fraction of state expenditures devoted to public colleges. According to this report, 3.9% of Massachusetts revenues go to public higher education (FY 2006); the national average is 6.5% with only 4 states spending a smaller portion than Massachusetts.

PHENOM which stands for Public Higher Education Network of Massachusetts is the first grassroots organization to address the needs of public higher education in the state. The organization hopes to unite public college students, faculty, staff, administrators, alums and parents – all of which have a stake in quality public higher education. With 29 institutions throughout the state and over 200 thousand students, united public colleges could be a potent force in the Commonwealth.

OLD INDUSTRIAL CITIES IN THE NORTHEAST – THE CASE OF HOLYOKE

2010-01-20T16:04:00.015-05:00

Map of Downtown Holyoke showing the Connecticut River and numerous canals.

I had the opportunity recently to be briefed about Holyoke, Massachusetts, as a member of a task force to leverage a planned green high performance computing center (GHPCC) to be located in this old industrial city. Yes, three major research universities – MIT, the University of Massachusetts and Boston University – have chosen Holyoke for this joint high tech venture. At our first task force meeting, the reasons for choosing Holyoke were explained: inexpensive electricity, green (non-carbon) electricity, excellent internet connectivity, available land and excellent superhighway and rail transportation access. (See www.innovateholyoke.com/about-the-project/ for more details).

The electricity is generated by Holyoke Gas and Electric, a city owned utility that uses water power from the Connecticut River to generate the majority of its electricity. Holyoke was originally developed in the 19^th century as an industrial powerhouse with numerous factories run by water power from the Connecticut. How fitting that this same asset may attract a new industry – high speed computing - that may revitalize the City.

Furthermore, to my surprise, the computing center is slated to be built in the center of Holyoke, not on some former farmland at the City outskirts. But on further reflection, downtown Holyoke has an asset that is both extremely desirable and in short supply: waterfront property. The City is built on a bend in the Connecticut River and has numerous canals downtown that provide additional water frontage. And Holyoke was fortunate to have avoided the fate of many Connecticut River cities – Northampton, Springfield, Hartford, and New Haven – that had their frontage on the Connecticut severed by Interstate 91.

In many ways downtown Holyoke is a canvas that although once painted now is ready for a new picture. To see it, we should follow the advice of Massachusetts writer and philosopher Henry David Thoreau, “This world is but a canvas to our imagination.”

A view of one of Holyoke's canals with industrial buildings taken in 1941 from Library of Congress Archives.

THE STCC DIVERSITY INTIATIVE – HOMEGROWN AND POWERFUL

2010-01-14T09:19:00.004-05:00

Myra Smith, VP for Human Relations and Multi-cultural Affairs and one of the leaders of the STCC Diversity Council

Five years ago the STCC Diversity Council was formed to lead efforts to make our college multi-culturally competent. During that time, the college has developed a unique approach that stresses connection to the broader Springfield area community.

With limited resources, the Council wanted to bring national speakers to campus. To augment college funding, they reached out to other area colleges and major businesses. Thus was born an informal diversity network that now includes Peoples Bank, Baystate Health Systems, Mass Mutual Financial Group, Springfield College, Western New England College and Westfield State College. These businesses and colleges have partnered with STCC to bring such luminaries as Juan Williams, Bill Cosby, Morris Dees, Dick Gregory, and Nikki Giovanni.

This institutional partnership mandated that the college open diversity events on campus to Western Massachusetts residents. Because they are our future, we were motivated attracting area high school students especially those from the City of Springfield. We wanted to expand high school students’ understanding of diversity issues but also to expose them to the idea that they should and can attend college. In fact, a number of speakers stressed that theme – education is the key to economic opportunity and community empowerment.

To bring high school students to campus diversity events we reached out to teachers and administrators and, in many cases, assisted with transportation using college vans. As a result of this work, crowds at events have grown and area high schools look forward eagerly to each year’s programming. More area high school students, especially from the City of Springfield, are attending STCC, a result that I believe is directly linked to our diversity programming.

This spring’s events include: Chloe Arnold, Tap Dancer on Thursday, February 11; Nu Direxion, Jazz, Reggae, Pop & Classical R&B on Thursday, February 25 and Dr. John Francis, "The Planetwalker" on Thursday, March 11.

2009-12-14T15:11:00.002-05:00

Discussion about "Good to Great" in Professor Thornton's leadership class.

PROFESSOR THORNTON'S CLASS ON LEADERSHIP

2009-12-14T15:02:00.003-05:00

Last Thursday, December 10, Professor Paul Thornton invited me to speak to his leadership class about “Good to Great”, a book by Jim Collins (http://www.jimcollins.com/). I had used this work as a guide to improve performance at STCC with administrators asked to read and discuss it. Like so many of our students, those in this class were articulate, bright and focused. I know that they have a great future in front of them. They questioned everything I said adding examples from their own experience.

Professor Thornton’s students were interested in how a college like STCC could use the lessons of Good to Great. They agreed that hiring the excellent people – what Collins calls getting the right people on the bus in the right seats – was important. Furthermore, we talked about the need for discipline, a key principle of Good to Great was applicable to any organization. We spent time discussing what Collins in a companion monograph calls executive vs. legislative leadership. Collins argues, I think correctly, that in a for-profit business the CEO and top management exercise executive power that enables them to make a decision and make sure it is carried out. In a non-profit such as a college because of the diffusion of authority among faculty and other stakeholders, administrators must consult and build support for new initiatives. This makes the change process more difficult but also potentially more meaningful in social sector institutions.

Holiday E-Card from Springfield Technical Community College

2009-12-08T14:08:00.005-05:00

At Springfield Technical Community College we are always seeking ways to use technology to improve our effectiveness. Exploiting electronic media, the college designed a holiday greeting that, in a photo essay, celebrates the year of 2009.

Our staff and faculty took the pictures, built out the software and designed the presentation. Total cost to the college: $29.00 for the music which we had to purchase.

I think you will enjoy this look at STCC by going to:

http://www.stcc.edu/yearinphotos/

Happy Holidays from the students, faculty, staff, alumni,Trustees and friends of STCC!

REVIEWING PROPOSALS AT NSF

2009-12-07T13:51:00.004-05:00

Last week I served on a National Science Foundation peer review panel for community college proposals involving Advanced Technology Education (ATE). Twenty-two panels convened for a three days in Arlington, Virginia assisted by NSF staff.

At a plenary session ending the meeting, panel leaders discussed ways to improve submissions. Here are the key points mentioned to which anyone writing an NSF grant, especially from community colleges, should attend:

1) Generally, planning grants are necessary (and usually sufficient) for development of a fundable ATE center proposal.

2) Proposals should include and emphasize metrics and objectives on student outcomes- program graduation data, job placement, enrollment, retention, under-represented students served.

3) Investigators should contact existing centers that relate to the field before submitting a proposal and that connection should be documented in the proposal.

4) Authors should conduct a data review to learn about the research on proposed activities.

5) An evaluation plan should link to objectives and provide a measure of accountability.

6) For a regional center that aims to increase the production of technical workers, the investigators should have data about workforce demand locally, not just nationally.

7) For continuation grants, include an evaluation report to document progress.

8) Focus on student learning outcomes, not just workforce needs. Try to find answers to the questions: What are students learning; how do we know?

9) Describe what success would look like. How would we know if project success is achieved?

10) Focus on soft skills, not just technology.

To find out more about NSF opportunities in undergraduate education, visit the website

http://www.nsf.gov/funding/education.jsp?fund_type=1

Students at STCC's Admission Office

2009-11-17T13:32:00.002-05:00

Aligning High School and College Mathematics

2009-11-17T09:34:00.006-05:00

At STCC like other community colleges, the majority of incoming students place into developmental mathematics. This means that they have to take preparatory courses – algebra or arithmetic – before beginning college level mathematics.

Looking at this issue, Steven Davis of the Davis Foundation and former owner of Lenox Saw commented recently that this is rework since students should have acquired those mathematics skills in High School. And to address this problem will require cooperation between high schools and colleges. Although traditionally, there has been a gap between these two segments of education, there are signs of new cooperation. An important example has taken place at Seminole State College of Florida, a community college near Orlando, where area high schools have worked with the college to improve mathematics preparation. As reported by Bill Maxwell in the St. Petersburg Times,

“The main problem was obvious: Florida was requiring high school students to take only three years of math. Most did not take math in 12th grade. The chairman offered the principals a special 12th-grade course he would bring to their campuses to reduce the number of students needing remediation when they entered the college.

Only one school, Oviedo High, initially accepted the challenge. Seminole State College provided the course content and mentoring, and Oviedo's teachers taught the course.

Within a few years, Oviedo High reduced its remediation rate from 70 percent to 10 percent. A team of SSC and Seminole County public schools administrators began meeting once a month for breakfast at a local Denny's to collaborate and replicate the Oviedo program in all Seminole high schools.”

(Go to http://www.sentinelandenterprise.com/editorial/ci_13710499?source=rss for the full article.)

This example is encouraging; we are trying to institute a similar program here at STCC.

COMMUNITY COLLEGES AND THE GREAT RECESSION OF 2008

2009-10-28T12:11:00.011-04:00

Twenty months into the most serious downturn since World War II, the economic mavens have agreed on a name: the Great Recession of 2008. Whatever it is called, this economic has put community colleges in a vise: enrollment is up sharply just as state support declines. Moreover, the community college role of linking students to jobs is undermined as employment dries up in industry after industry. What are the prospects for employment?

Erica Groshen, an economist with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, outlined the labor market prospects in a presentation on September 16. According to Groshen, there is a dramatic increase in long-term unemployment per the chart from her presentation below:

Moreover, unemployment varies by demographic group with men, teenagers, minorities and the less educated the hardest hit:

Finally, Groshen documents that male-dominated industries have lost the most jobs with government, education and health the only areas to gain employment since the recession.

What will be the affects, then, of the Great Recession of 2008 on community colleges?

First, the downturn has exacerbated the funding shortfall for community colleges. Already, some colleges are turning away students as classes fill and others are reducing services to students. As is usual in economic declines, the poor and working-class – in this case community college students – are most affected by cuts in public college funding. Colleges will struggle for some time in trying to serve more students with less governmental support.

Second, high and persistent unemployment brings into question the value of particular college programs. Colleges will have to examine program offerings to ensure that education leads to the prospect of decent paying jobs. Colleges will want to align offerings to support local economic development efforts. In this regard, the value of dialogue over economic planning with state and local officials will increase.

Finally, the most important affect of the Great Recession of 2008 will be to convince Americans that college is a pre-condition for a decent paying job. The community college role will be permanently enhanced as more and more Americans view them as the portal for obtaining a college credential.

AUTUMN AT SPRINGFIELD TECHNICAL COMMUNITY COLLEGE

2009-10-26T15:45:00.001-04:00

STCC is built around a large green that contains numerous deciduous trees. Shown above is a portion of the green with sugar maples in their fall splendor.

PUBLIC CHOOSES MASSACHUSETTS PUBLIC COLLEGES

2009-10-26T12:02:00.004-04:00

Preliminary fall enrollment figures from the Massachusetts Board of Higher Education show large enrollment increases – led by community colleges - at the Commonwealth’s public higher education institutions. Community college students now make up over half of all public higher education enrollments as the chart below shows:

	Fall 2009 Estimate	Change from Fall 2008	Percent Change
Community Colleges	98,531	9,595	10.8%
State Colleges	39,546	946	2.5%
UMass	50,491	1,786	3.7%
System	188,568	12,327	7.0%

Where are the students who are flooding into community colleges coming from? An analysis shows that transfers have increased at all segments, but especially among community colleges:

	Fall 2009 Estimate	Change from Fall 2008	Percent Change
Community Colleges	6,726	1,666	32.1%
State Colleges	3,667	199	5.7%
State University	4506	124	2.8%
System	14,899	1,989	15.4%

Large transfers into community colleges are counter-intuitive as one would expect students to transfer from them into baccalaureate institutions. This seems to indicate that students are choosing community colleges after trying other alternatives.

Examing John Brown

2009-10-19T11:58:00.006-04:00

Friday, October 16^th was the 150^th anniversary of John Brown’s attack on the federal armory at Harper’s Ferry. To mark this event and explore John Brown’s legacy, STCC organized a symposium on October 17^th entitled the Sword of the Lord and of Gideon: John Brown and the Coming of the Civil War.

Dinah Mayo-Bobee, Professor of African-American History at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, discussed the controversial Pottawatomie Affair carried out by Brown and his followers in Kansas. David S. Reynolds, author of the best-selling biography, John Brown, Abolitionist: The Man Who Killed Slavery, Sparked the Civil War, and Seeded Civil Rights, described the ways that John Brown has been viewed by historians. John Gately, Professor of English at STCC showed off his impressive collection of documents and artifacts from the abolitionist movement.

According to STCC Dean Arlene Rodriguez (pictured right), John Brown lived in Springfield from1847 to 1851. The years Brown spent in Springfield are seen by scholars as pivotal to his deepening involvement in the abolitionist movement. In November, 1847, Brown met slavery’s most renowned critic, Frederick Douglass, who interrupted a speaking tour to meet him in Springfield. It was in Springfield in 1851 Brown founded a black self-defense organization – the first in the nation - called the League of Gileadites.

Friday, October 16th was the 150th anniversary of John Brown’s attack on the federal armory at Harper’s Ferry. To mark this event and explore John Brown’s legacy, STCC organized a symposium on October 17th entitled the Sword of the Lord and of Gideon: John Brown and the Coming of the Civil War.

The Greening of STCC

2009-10-14T16:18:00.006-04:00

Photovoltaic panels on the roof of Building 20 making electricity as the sun shines

Jeff Bigelow, tradesman and Dave Hill, head of the heating/cooling plant, know the value of the college’s new solar trash compactors. These units scattered around campus serve as places to deposit trash and they use solar power to compact the contents. The result – trash is collected much less frequently and it trash takes up less space.

The college has made progress to reducing greenhouse gases while improving efficiency in a variety of other ways:

An 85 kilowatt photovoltaic array has been installed on the roof of building twenty. These photovoltaic cells convert solar energy directly into electricity without burning any fuel.

Geothermal heating and cooling is part of the renovation of building 11. Two deep wells will deliver 52 Fahrenheit degree water that will cool the building in the summer. During the winter, that same 52 degree water will be heated to provide heating. The circulating water will make the building seem to be in a constant 52 degree environment. When it’s warm, let in some of the cool water; when it’s cold outside, raise the temperature of the building from 52 degrees to 70 degrees.

The college is planning a new heating and cooling plant that will also produce electricity. Called co-generation, the facility generates steam that runs electric generators; the heat produced is also used to heat (or cool) the campus. Another feature of this novel project is the fuel – either wood chips or natural gas. Hardwood chips are available in western Massachusetts as a byproduct of lumber harvesting and furniture manufacture. Not only is wood less expensive than oil, but the money to purchase it stays in the local economy. AND wood in a modern heating/cooling plant burns cleaner than oil because it gives off no sulfur or nitrogen gases.

Many faculty and staff are excited about making sustainability a core principal of the college. Faculty members are discussing ways to incorporate energy conservation into courses and programs of study. The college is offering training courses on photovoltaic installation and building retrofitting to reduce energy. To lead these efforts STCC has established a Green Energy Council involving faculty, training staff and college facilities personnel.

STCC has seen the future and it is green.

Speeding Graduation for Community College Students

2009-10-06T12:52:00.008-04:00

Much has been in the news about US college graduation rates. In his February State of the Union Speech, President Obama announced the goal that “by 2020, America will once again have the highest proportion of college graduates in the world.”

A recently published book, Crossing the Finish Line: Completing College at America's Public Universities by William G. Bowen, Matthew M. Chingos & Michael S. McPherson lays out a detailed analysis of the stagnation of the US college graduation rate (the first chapter can be accessed at http://press.princeton.edu/chapters/s8971.pdf).

Finally a new report by the DEMOS Foundation – Work Less, Study More and Succeed – looks at financial factors that affect graduation by community college students. The reports conclusions are not surprising:

“Research clearly indicates that full-time enrollment and part-time employment of less than 15 hours per week provides the optimal situation for young students to concentrate on their studies and finish their degree.” (URL: www.demos.org/ for the full report)

Unfortunately, State and federal financial aid has not kept up with college costs and the cost of living for our students. STCC students struggle to juggle studies, jobs and family responsibilities. The majority of our students work more than 15 hours a week – in fact, many are working a full-time.

We applaud our students who succeed such as the nursing class of 2009 shown above. But more of our students would graduate if state and national funding reflected President Obama’s goal.

Lyudmila Gritskevich, STCC Work-study Student

2009-09-08T11:29:00.002-04:00

A MODEST PROPOSAL

2009-09-08T11:27:00.005-04:00

Along with student grants and loans, the federal government provides U.S. colleges and universities with work-study funds – money to support financial aid eligible students to work either on or off campus.

At STCC Lyudmila Gritskevich (pictured above) is a work-study student in our English as a Second Language Office where her Russian language skills are valuable in greeting Russian-speaking students and assisting them in filling out college forms. Originally from Belarus, she has been taking classes at STCC since 2004, starting in English as a Second Language, earning a certificate in clerical office assistant this past May, and studying medical office assistant program.

Like other students, Lyudmila’s work-study has given her valuable work experience, increased her engagement on campus, and elevated her self-esteem. Although I know of no studies linking college-work study and student success, I believe that it does.

Now for my modest proposal: double the federal funding of college work-study funding. The federal work-study allocation is $980 Million - a very small fraction of federal outlays. For comparison, this amount is about the cost to the US taxpayers of three days of the Iraqi War.

Students have in the past supported themselves with outside employment while attending college. But the scarcity of jobs has dried up such opportunities. Meanwhile, our colleges, particularly community colleges, are flooded with new students seeking education and skills for jobs of the future. Helping them now with more work-study funds would increase student success while helping transition the country through this period of high unemployment. Lyudmila and millions like her would benefit.

Senator Edward Kennedy Speaking At STCC Graduation June 6, 1982

2009-09-04T09:12:00.001-04:00

STCC Allied Health Students

2009-08-29T17:05:00.000-04:00

APPRECIATING ACCREDITATION

2009-08-29T16:52:00.003-04:00

Accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC), STCC is now starting our ten year accreditation review. This process requires the college to create a narrative of our present state, appraise our strengths and challenges and explain where, as an organization, we are headed. In short, describe, appraise, and project.

Since we had a positive experience using the techniques and philosophy of Appreciative Inquiry (AI) to produce a new strategic plan, we decided to use AI in accreditation. The AI approach aligns well with the accreditation process. Listed below is the way I envision the correspondence:

1) AI begins with an affirmative topic which would correspond to the subjects in the various NEASC standards.

2) AI then moves to discovery which would correspond to creating a narrative about that topic based on analysis and information.

3) AI moves on next to dream and design which in accreditation would correspond to appraising the college against the accreditation standard.

4) AI ends with destiny – what will be – which corresponds to the projecting the future of the college in the accreditation report.

On September 1^st and 2^nd we begin our accreditation with a summit for all working on the self-study. Throughout the year the committees in charge of the each of the eleven standards will meet, deliberate and begin writing. I expect that AI will infuse our work and enable us to produce a much more relevant analysis of the state of the college.

STRATEGIC PLANNING - TOP 100 WORDS

2009-08-24T09:40:00.004-04:00

The image above was produced after the first part of the STCC planning process. The area of each word represents the frequency that it was used. The top 100 words are listed. One can observe that students occurred most frequently followed by respect, accountability and community.

CREATING A STRATEGIC PLAN WITH AI

2009-08-24T09:34:00.005-04:00

The title of this blog – Celebrating What’s Right with Public Higher Education – was inspired by my experience with Appreciative Inquiry. Appreciative Inquiry (AI) is a method that can be used to improve organizations. In simple terms, AI directs us to increase the good stuff. This means that we focus on what is working in our organizations building to generate sustainable positive change. (If you want to know more about AI, go to the AI Commons hosted by Case-Western Reserve University at http://appreciativeinquiry.case.edu/.

This spring we used AI principles and techniques to draft a new Strategic Plan for STCC. In my twenty years as a college president and chief academic officer, I have been involved in numerous planning efforts both at three colleges and at several non-profits organizations. In the past these efforts were less than satisfactory. The process consumed significant organizational time but the value added was low. Moreover, in the non-profit sector, as Jim Collins points out CEOs have Legislative but not Executive leadership. Change occurs at a college when individuals are convinced, not compelled.

The strategic planning process must take that salient fact into account.

Using AI made this planning process different. Many voices inside and external to the college were heard both through the interviews and planning process. Participants enjoyed the AI inspired exercises and the planning process moved quickly and efficiently.Significantly, the AI process liberated creativity, enthusiasm and energy at the college. At the end, we felt better about ourselves and our organization. To get more information about our process and the use of AI go to http://stccsp.wordpress.com/

Teaching Mathematics

2009-08-03T08:37:00.008-04:00

It’s been 18 years since I taught mathematics, so I jumped at the opportunity to guest lecture in an STCC algebra class. Professor Brewer told me that the topic was multiplying two binomials. This is akin to multiplying two two-digit numbers (such as 43 times 57) but here one doesn’t know the digits.

I had a great time as may be seen from the picture. There is something magical when a class goes well and students are absorbed in learning.

While the mathematics is the same, other things have changed since I last taught. Professor Brewer’s class is using software to do and record their homework. In this way the instructor can track the level of activity for each student and each student’s progress.

This technology addresses what I consider one of the biggest problems in mathematics instruction – making sure students are practicing. Learning mathematics is like learning to play an instrument. No matter how many times you see someone else do it, you won’t learn without your own diligent practice. It’s like the old witticism: How do you get to Carnegie Hall? The answer is practice, practice, practice.

STCC has a great mathematics department dedicated to help all students learn. This was clear from the way Professor Brewer structured her class and the way she engaged students. Her department is leading efforts - part of the college’s Achieving the Dream initiative - to improve student success in mathematics.

John Osborne Hoop City JAZZ @ STCC

2009-07-09T12:44:00.000-04:00

JAZZ FESTIVAL IN HOOP CITY

2009-07-06T12:13:00.023-04:00

STCC hosted this weekend, July 4th and 5th, the 3rd annual Hoop City Jazz Festival. The music was great, the weather fine, the crowds enthusiastic and the campus green lush. Kudos go to John Osborne, the festival organizer. With support this festival has a chance to grow and become one of the leading summer events in New England. (photo shows Curtis and Adrienne Smith at Festival)

The festival took place at the former Springfield Armory grounds, once the center of small arms development and production for the U.S. Army.

The closing of the Armory in 1968 by then Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara, heralded the beginning of a rapid decline in metal manufacturing in Springfield and all of Western Massachusetts. While manufacturing continues to be an important industry locally, it has never regained its former prominence. Like older manufacturing communities, the City of Springfield is faced with the challenge of creating a new economy to provide decent paying jobs and taxes for City services. And the City needs to rethink its image and its direction.

All of this brings me back to the Hoop City Jazz festival. No other city can lay claim to having been the place where basketball was invented (in 1891 by James Naismith) nor does any other city host the Basketball Hall of Fame. Why not recast Springfield as Hoop City USA? With the growth of basketball internationally, this is a moniker that would be recognized around the world.

The Value of a College Degree

2009-07-03T07:08:00.007-04:00

Having my teeth cleaned on Thursday, I asked the dental hygienist, a pleasant and very competent individual, where she received her education. She responded, “STCC and I love my job.” I was not surprised as our college has a great dental hygiene program providing graduates to dental offices in Western Massachusetts, Central Connecticut and beyond. Being a dental hygienist was cited recently by CNN.com as one the top associate degree careers with an annual salary of $64,749.

(for further information see http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/worklife/07/02/twoyear.degree/index )

Because of the stress on family finances, the economic value of a college degree has been a topic in the news. Typical of this debate was an article in the June 30 New York Times op ed blog where Liz Pulliam Weston, a personal finance columnist for MSN Money advises that ”students borrow no more for their educations, in total, than they expect to make the first year out of school.”
(http://roomfordebate.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/30/what-is-a-masters-degree-worth/)

By this criterion, an associate degree is a good investment with full-time student costs including books and transportation less than $5000 per year - $2500 with grants - according to the US News and World Report. Massachusetts Community College costs are than the national average, but still much less than four year colleges.

The economic meltdown may result in a fundamental realignment of American higher education. A college degree is one of the most expensive purchases that most Americans make. Consumers – students and their parents – will choose colleges based on the return on what they have to pay. Colleges will be judged not just on reputation and amenities, but on a cost- benefit analysis. A key question that consumers will ask is, “How much will this college degree cost and to what kind of job and career will it lead?”

The Natural History of Springfield Technical Community College

2009-06-29T14:42:00.001-04:00

Unique among colleges in the United States, STCC is located on the former Springfield Armory - a national historic site that is also a national monument. Our 55 acre campus that we share with the National Park Service is constructed around a large green filled a surprising amount of wild-life. Of particular interest to students and visitors are the raptors, two of which are shown here. These birds seem to enjoy the quiet of the campus as well as the opportunity to feast on some of our many squirrels.

The college also has a large collection of beautiful trees including the following species: maidenhair (gingo biloba), American Elm, White Mulberry, Black Walnut, Sugar Maple, Horse Chestnut, European Beech, Pin Oak, Silver Maple, Northern Red Oak, Eastern Red Cedar, Bradford Pear, Dawn Redwood, Japanese Zelkova, Sargent Crabapple, Sourwood, River Birch, Paper Birch, and Scarlet Oak. This is not complete although such a list does exist thanks to a recent survey by the Olmstead Center for Landscape Preservation.

Raptors on campus

2009-06-29T11:16:00.002-04:00

A Barred Owl in the Dawn Redwood on the

campus green (Sharon Conte photograph).

A redtail Hawk on a fire-escape of Building 16
Picture courtesy of Ted Wright

Community Colleges as a Path to Social Mobility

2009-06-21T08:30:00.000-04:00

This entry is about social mobility, the ability of Americans to climb the social and economic ladder. I have used statistics to illustrate the key points because this topic is about numbers – how much Americans earn and the changes in how much they earn. But the basic point that I want to make is that for individuals, a college is essential for a decent paying job and for most Americans of modest means, community colleges are the entry point for higher education.

From Horatio Alger to Barack Obama the opportunity and expectation of doing better economically than one’s parents is a foundation of our society. However, recent data shows that the ability of the average American to improve his or her lot has lessened over previous generations. The trend in America is less mobility and more income inequality. According to the May 14, 2009 New York Times article by David Leonhardt, the United States no longer has greater income mobility than many European countries. We now have roughly the same mobility as Britain but Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark surpass us. What this means is that in those latter countries families on average climb out of poverty faster than in the United States.

Additionally, income inequality even before the current recession has increased dramatically: for example the US Congressional Budget Office found that the real after-tax income of the wealthiest Americans – those in the top 1 per cent – rose by 176 per cent from 1979 to 2004. Meanwhile those in the poorest 20 percent of the population saw their income go up just 9 per cent in that same 25 year period.

One tried and true way to increase social mobility is through education. And today, that means college as most decent paying jobs require at least some post-secondary education.

In our economy, the value of a high school education has stagnated while that of a college education has grown. The figure that is most often cited is the disparity between a high school diploma and a bachelor’s degree. According to the US census, in 2006 Adults age 18 and older with a bachelor’s degree earned an average of $51,554 in 2004, while those with a high school diploma earned $28,645.

The point of entry for most Americans of modest means is public colleges and especially the community colleges. In Massachusetts, for example, last fall 79,000 undergraduates attended the University of Massachusetts and the state colleges and an additional 79,000 at the Commonwealth’s fifteen community colleges. These figures show that in the Commonwealth, community colleges serve half of all undergraduates. But as might be expected those who are first generation in college and ethnic minorities use community colleges as their point of entry: in Massachusetts 62% of all ethnic minority students start at our community colleges.

So, affordable and high quality education is essential for individuals and for our society and public higher education is more important than ever. This is another important reason to celebrate public higher education.

Introduction to What's Right with Public Higher Education

2009-06-08T11:17:00.000-04:00

My name is Ira Rubenzahl and I am President of Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) in Springfield, Massachusetts. STCC serving over 6000 credit students each semester is one of fifteen public community colleges in Massachusetts. Although technical is in our name we have, over the years, added new programs in engineering transfer, computer science, business, nursing, health and liberal arts. In fact, liberal arts which leads to transfer to a baccalaureate degree institution is now our largest major.
(For more about STCC, please visit our website at www.stcc.edu)

As the title indicates, the purpose of this blog is celebrate what is right about our college, public higher education in Massachusetts and public higher education nationally. In this era of instant news that highlights all the tragedies of the world, it’s especially important to remind ourselves of what is working in our society. And public higher education is working by giving opportunity for undergraduate education in Massachusetts to one hundred eighty thousand credit students (180,000), by educating our citizens for the jobs of the future, and for providing access to those of modest means including the growing Latino and African-American population. Moreover, public higher education does all this effectively squeezing out efficiencies from limited state support.

To put a face on public higher education, let me introduce you to Madeline Lopez, 27, a single parent of eight-year-old Destiny. She just graduated from Springfield Technical Community College in Liberal Arts Transfer, and next fall will be entering Mount Holyoke College. Madeline will be studying pre-med, on track to become a doctor, and is a strong role model for her daughter.

Madeline is representative of her fellow community college students. They are varied in age, ethnic background, and country of origin. Often, as Madeline, they are coming from a low-income situation, and are the first generation in their family to go to college. They often work full time, as Madeline does, and may be supporting a family.

Madeline is grateful for the support and encouragement of her teachers and counselors at STCC. This was her second try at college, and she not only got back on course educationally, she achieved a perfect 4.0 average for her final two semesters.

Madeline says, “Education is number one –- it’s the key to everything.” And that’s what she’s teaching Destiny.