COD helps students prepare for four-year degrees

How does society balance individual liberty with the public good? How does physics explain change and constancy in the universe? Is it possible to believe in a supreme being and be an effective scientist? What is the relationship between the Age of Enlightenment and the Industrial Age?

These are but a few of the thousands of questions asked at College of DuPage and other institutions of higher education as students and faculty join together to discuss and analyze the many facets of life. They are representative of the humanities, the arts, and science, technology, engineering and math, together known as STEM.

These are also the areas of study commonly called the "transfer disciplines." They are familiar to anyone who thinks about traditional college study and the role of community colleges in preparing students for further work toward bachelor and post-baccalaureate degrees.

District 502 taxpayers and residents have something to feel very good about regarding College of DuPage's track record in these disciplines. We have one of the highest ratings nationally for transferring students on to further study.

With respect to National Community College Benchmarking Project data, when compared against 217 other community colleges nationwide, COD's transfer-out rate of 30 percent is in the 96th percentile.

Based on the most recent U.S. Department of Education Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System information, of the 48 Illinois community colleges, the average transfer-out rate for students who started their studies in fall 2013 is 22 percent.

At 30 percent, COD exceeds the state average and is one of only six state community colleges that have a transfer-out rate of 30 percent or higher.

The institutions receiving our students are wide-ranging. Northern Illinois University, University of Illinois at Chicago, Lewis University, Benedictine University and DePaul University are the top transfer schools for College of DuPage students.

But the story extends further as our students transfer and excel at such in-state schools as North Central College, Elmhurst College, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Illinois State University and Columbia College, as well as out-of-state institutions such as Purdue, Yale, Harvard, George Washington, Arizona State and Georgetown universities.

I mention this to help put the significant role of community colleges into a wider context. Community colleges must be ready to meet the many educational avenues that students are pursuing.

During an economic downturn, for example, the focus is often on workforce development programs that can train people for a return to work and/or prepare them for career changes.

But our transfer curriculum is just as important. In addition to preparing students for their next school, these classes give students an opportunity to hone their essential critical thinking skills while broadening their perspectives on topics they have never studied or explored with any depth.

These classes can open minds, encourage thoughtful engagement and build an understanding that students can use as a foundation for lifelong study and reflection.

College of DuPage students can take advantage of hands-on participatory experiences as college freshmen and sophomores. In the transfer disciplines, we have more opportunities than most may realize.

For five consecutive years, the College of DuPage Engineering Club has been the only team from a two-year school to compete in the Midwestern Robotics Design Competition. Members of this club also have participated in the national NASA Robotic Mining Competition.

Our annual STEM-CON event in April gives attendees - ranging in age from grade school through high school - a multitude of hands-on activities, as well as lectures that stimulate interest in STEM fields.

Our liberal arts program presents an unique event each spring that gives writing students a chance to show off their skills. "See Writing Differently" showcases visual representations of written works created in conjunction with websites, podcasts, PowerPoint presentations, posters, brochures, videos and art.

Last winter, the college hosted the inaugural Humanities Festival, during which faculty, instructors and staff from such subject areas as anthropology, architecture, art, earth science, film, history, music and sociology organized presentations to encourage discussion of the people and ideas that have led to transformations.

Every college and university has a deep desire for its students to leave as well-prepared as possible to meet the demands of new careers. When it comes to our transfer disciplines, we also are preparing students to understand the world, whether it's the physical questions of science or philosophical topics of existence.

So, when you think about the following questions, remember their importance as part of the transfer curriculum: How do we understand what it means to be truly human? How does language affect the perception of meaning? Is geography the principle strategic factor in national power? How do we perceive beauty? How do we create societies that ensure prosperity, freedom and happiness alongside justice?

Here's a hint: Don't just focus on the answers. Enjoy the respectful discourse of ideas, the thoughtful nature of additional questioning, and the ability to see the world in a new way.

• Ann Rondeau is president of the College of DuPage. During the school year, her column runs monthly in Neighbor.