Suburban schools praise Obama's community college plan

Leaders of suburban community colleges expressed delight Tuesday with President Barack Obama's proposal to invest $12 billion in such schools around the country, a plan Obama hopes will prepare millions for a new generation of jobs.

"This is wonderful news," Elgin Community College President David Sam said. "It really shines a light on the valuable work that community colleges do."

Local educators said it's too early, though, to discuss specific benefits the plan might bring to the suburbs.

Obama unveiled the plan, which must be approved by Congress, during a speech at Macomb Community College in Michigan. Under the plan, competitive grants would be offered to schools to try new programs or expand training and counseling.

High dropout rates would be addressed by designing programs to track students and help them earn an associate's degree or finish their education at a four-year institution. Money would also be spent to renovate and rebuild college facilities, and online courses would be developed to help colleges offer more classes.

The White House says the cost would be $12 billion over 10 years; Obama says it would be paid for by ending wasteful subsidies to banks and private lenders of student loans.

"Time and again, when we have placed our bet for the future on education, we have prospered as a result," Obama said.

Ken Ender, president of Harper College in Palatine, views Obama's plan as an effort to strengthen partnerships among community colleges, local K-12 school systems and the larger business community.

"It seems like the president is trying to connect those dots," Ender said. "And that absolutely aligns with the thinking we've been doing here. All of these groups must work together if we're to have a complete recovery, and community colleges can play a leadership role there."

In terms of how much cash might make it into local schools' coffers, Ender said it's too early to know. As Obama's plan is debated in Washington, Ender and other Harper administrators will try to develop specific strategies by late summer or early fall for securing grant funds. The White House stressed Tuesday that the grant applications will be scrutinized closely, with innovation and a focus on results being two key criteria for approval.

Sam said ECC leaders will also take a look at securing competitive grants.

"I think with the faculty we have and the programs we have, we're well positioned there," he said.

The ongoing recession has made community colleges a popular destination for suburban undergraduates and older workers. All suburban schools have reported a dramatically higher number of inquiries and applications from residents since the recession took hold. Local educators said they hope the president's plan will keep awareness levels high, even after the economy improves.

"We will see more jobs when this recession ends, but as the president says, they won't be the jobs we lost," Ender said. "People won't be able to get by knowing just one thing. Community colleges will continue to be the key local resource for the training people need."

• Daily Herald news services contributed to this report.