CT Community Colleges

Sec. 10a-80. (Formerly Sec. 10-38l). Community service programs at regional community-technical colleges.

(a) The primary responsibilities of the regional community-technical colleges shall be (1) to provide programs of occupational, vocational, technical and technological and career education designed to provide training for immediate employment, job retraining or upgrading of skills to meet individual, community and state manpower needs; (2) to provide programs of general study including, but not limited to, remediation, general and adult education and continuing education designed to meet individual student goals; (3) to provide programs of study for college transfer representing the first two years of baccalaureate education; (4) to provide community service programs as defined in subsection (b) of this section and (5) to provide student support services including, but not limited to, admissions, counseling, testing, placement, individualized instruction and efforts to serve students with special needs.

(b) As used in this section, "community service programs" means educational, cultural, recreational, and community directed services which a community-technical college may provide in addition to its regular academic program. Such community service programs may include, but shall not be limited to, (1) activities designed to enrich the intellectual, cultural and social life of the community, (2) educational services designed to promote the development of skills for the effective use of leisure time, (3) activities and programs designed to assist in the identification and solution of community problems and (4) utilization of college facilities and services by community groups to the extent such usage does not conflict with the regular schedule of the college.

The core values that identify and differentiate the Connecticut Community College system from other institutions of higher education include:

Accessible locations statewide that serve student and community needs
Open door admissions
Comprehensive services including instruction and student support to promote academic success
Low tuition and fees supported by financial aid opportunities
Relevant curricula and responsive program development including education and training services for business and industry.

The Connecticut Community Colleges offer:

career education for jobs in areas such as nursing and allied health, information technology, bioscience, engineering technologies, and early childhood education;
general study, including continuing education;
transfer programs to expand access to the baccalaureate;
developmental programs to reduce academic barriers;
student services to enhance student success; and
community service programs to address community issues.

All of these educational programs and services provide the State of Connecticut with what recent economic reports have referred to as “cross-cutting economic foundations” that play an essential role in workforce development.

The foundation provided by the twelve Connecticut Community Colleges in liberal arts and sciences, career, occupational and technical fields of study prepares nearly 50% of the State’s public college undergraduates for the jobs of the Knowledge Economy.

Community Colleges provide access to educational opportunities and academic success for every learner including those with limited English proficiency. Improved skills, employment and career advancement opportunities, enhanced earning potential and an improved quality of life for themselves and their families are achievable goals for educated, well-prepared workers.

Community College students are the current and future workers that Connecticut relies on for productivity, prosperity, and business investment. They need access to affordable higher education to acquire the skills demanded for employment and to remain current with changing technology and new workplace skills.

To serve these students and the needs of business, Connecticut Community Colleges must change as the economy changes from retraining incumbent workers with outmoded skills to addressing worker and skill shortages quickly as the economy expands.

To ensure that students are prepared to compete and succeed, several student success initiatives are currently underway at the Connecticut Community Colleges. These initiatives are focused on improving outcomes for Community College students and evaluating institutional effectiveness in supporting student success. In 2005, Connecticut was selected to join the ranks of Achieving the Dream states through a statewide planning grant that seeks to identify and change State policies that create obstacles to student success.

Three of Connecticut’s Community Colleges will implement new approaches to advising, counseling, developmental and gatekeeper courses that have been identified through intense study of outcomes data as having presented obstacles to student persistence and degree or certificate completion. Achieving the Dream, (AtD) defines success as “earning degrees, certificates, or transferring for continued study” and is “particularly concerned about student groups that have faced the most significant barriers to success, including low-income students and students of color.”

The system as a whole will benefit from Achieving the Dream as data reveals performance gaps and barriers, and leads to successful models for replication throughout the system including a “culture of inquiry” and the use of data-based decisions to improve student outcomes. Additional information and insights about the needs of students and the role of faculty in encouraging success and persistence has been gleaned from system participation in the Community College Survey of Student Engagement as well.

This type of introspection and analysis that goes beyond enrollment statistics and graduation rates will allow us to demonstrate, using data, that our commitment to student success is productive as well as philosophical.

Each of these initiatives is part of a system-wide effort to encourage “best practices” and to identify policies and programs with the greatest potential to benefit students by expanding their opportunities for both access and success.

The type of higher education provided by Connecticut’s Community Colleges works in partnership and cooperation with business and industry, the public and non-profit sectors, secondary education, and baccalaureate institutions to meet a wide range of student and employer needs.

Community College leaders and our partners have identified priority issues related to the effective and efficient delivery of higher education and to student success that include:

Defining student success in terms of completions
Defining student success in terms of “completions”
Developmental programs and student outcomes
Curriculum alignment within the continuum of higher education
Identifying impediments to student success and changes needed
Defining “college-level” performance – academic standards
Collaboration/partnerships with other educational and service providers
The needs and expectations of business, industry and the State of Connecticut
Increased demands in an environment of scarce resources.

Through this collaborative approach and dialogue about shared interests and priority issues, we will create a culture of inquiry, examine our strengths, address our weaknesses and build a new educational model that will provide not only a point of entry for higher education but also a pathway to higher levels of success for the thousands of students who turn to Community Colleges each year to achieve their educational, economic, and personal development goals.

In Fall 2007, a record 48,434 students were enrolled in degree and certificate programs ranging from Information Systems and Emergency Services to Liberal Arts, Allied Health and Nursing. A nearly equal number of students will enroll during the fall and spring semesters in non-credit programs that build basic skills, communication and workforce competencies.

Since 1998, FTE credit enrollments have grown by 45%, and full-time attendance has increased by 88%. The 2007 fall semester marked the sixth year of record FTE enrollments for the sys-tem, with each year since 2002 exceeding the previous high point reached in 1992.

The growing demand for Community College education is expected to continue through 2008 when high school graduation rates in Connecticut will peak. Following 2008, enrollment growth will slow only to settle around the record-breaking levels of 2003-2004. The current demand is therefore the baseline for the demand that we anticipate through 2012.

The average age of students is 27, with 45% under age 22 and 49% between 22 and 49. The system has experienced a 74% increase in students under the age of 22 since the fall semester 1998. Our enrollment trend continues to show a significant increase in younger students attending full-time. Demographic reports show that three-quarters of the full-time students attending are now under the age of 22. The average age of full-time students is 21; 31 is the average for part-time students.

Nearly two-thirds of the minority undergraduates enrolled in public higher education are attending Connecticut Community Colleges. Minority enrollments represent 33.1% of the student body. Over the last five years there has been a 10% increase in Black, non-Hispanic enrollment (10% female and 20% male) and a 21% increase in Hispanic enrollment (18% female and 28% male).

Liberal Arts or General Studies programs enroll just over one-third of Community College students. Guaranteed admissions agreements with the Connecticut State Universities and the University of Connecticut provide opportunities for Community College students to continue their education at the baccalaureate level. Partnership and pathway programs address the State’s need for skilled childcare providers and nurses with associate, bachelor, and master level training. Transfer articulation agreements are also in place with Connecticut’s independent colleges and universities. The College of Technology, a curriculum pathway at the Community Colleges that guarantees admission to Central Connecticut State University, the University of Connecticut, and a number of independent institutions, expands the State’s supply of engineering and technology graduates.

Approximately 46% of Community College enrollments are in occupational programs that prepare students for immediate employment in fields such as business, early childhood, health and life sciences, and human services. Over 60% of the allied health and nursing professionals, the radiation and respiratory care technicians, and the nuclear medicine and physical therapist assistants are prepared by Connecticut’s Community Colleges.

The five Connecticut Community Colleges offering nursing degree programs are currently partnering with local hospital, healthcare and educational providers, to expand opportunities for students to enter the field of nursing in order to address the State’s critical shortage of nurses. Over the last five years the number of nursing graduates has increased by 64%. At the same time enrollments in nursing programs have increased by nearly 44% and are benefiting from the support of more than $3.7 million in grants and private funding dedicated to expanding nursing programs. The five programs are at maximum capacity with over 900 students enrolled. Admission waiting lists are common for these and other allied health programs.

The remaining 20% of credit students enroll in individual courses before selecting a field of study. These students benefit from additional educational experience and improved communication, team work, and critical thinking skills. Many of these students indicate that they are not seeking a degree or certificate but are enrolling to obtain education and build skills in specific workforce areas.

Non-credit programs, with another 39,162 students enrolled throughout the academic year (69,742 registrations) also help to supply the skilled, technologically literate workforce required by the State’s employers and the workforce of the 21st century.

Students taking non-credit, skill-building or personal interest programs also focus on: gaining new skills and improved literacy; remaining current with changing technology; and obtaining employment and career advancement.

Approximately 50% of these enrollments are in programs related to workforce development. The Community Colleges have demonstrated consistent and timely responses to Connecticut business and industry needs. Businesses routinely contract with the Community Colleges for education and training services to ensure a skilled workforce and a competitive advantage in the global economy.

Connecticut Community Colleges continue to be affordable institutions with annual tuition and fees for a full-time in-state resident student totaling $2,672. Approximately 50% of the students enrolling for half-time status or greater receive student financial assistance. Over $47.5 million in student financial aid is provided to ensure economic access to a Connecticut Community College. Approximately 64% of student financial aid is provided through Federal programs, 13% from State programs, and 23% comes directly from the college budgets.