Community colleges at forefront of meeting new needs in higher education
Community colleges are an American innovation designed to provide equal access to higher education.
Illinois is the proud home of our nation's very first public community college, Joliet Junior College, established in 1901. This year, we also celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Illinois community college system of 39 districts and 48 community colleges.
Historically, community colleges have built our reputations on quickly adapting to shifts in our culture. Through each generation or cultural phase, the community college traditions of innovation, dependability and agility have helped us thrive and adapt.
Community colleges have provided an affordable and quality educational foundation for students planning to transfer to four-year institutions, introduced new programs to meet changing workforce demands, and provided a wide range of short-term courses and cultural experiences that enrich our communities.
Today's learner is remarkably different from the student of decades past. Students today expect affordable education customized to their specific needs and career paths. Many are juggling families and jobs as they pursue or continue their educations. They expect an unprecedented level of classroom engagement and experiential learning. Our classrooms include recent high school graduates as well as a growing number of older students, many who possess a bachelor's degree, who are returning to college to learn a new skill or career.
The urgency of serving so many in such diverse ways can make it easy to focus only on the daily demands of a community college. But it's important to make time to consider where we're going. Thanks in part to President Barack Obama's America's College Promise proposal to make community college available to all, the future of community colleges features prominently in the national conversation. At the same time, the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) launched their 21st Century Initiative.
AACC's effort produced a 40-page report, "Reclaiming the American dream. Community Colleges and the Nation's Future," which outlines a plan for redesigning and re-imagining the community college. The report recommends that community colleges review their organizational structures and practices to place more emphasis on student success, provide clear educational pathways, and support completion more aggressively.
Waubonsee Community College, and other community colleges in Illinois, are at the forefront in implementing initiatives that support the goals of AACC's report. As Waubonsee completed our 2020 College Master Plan five years ahead of schedule and on budget, the college wondered how to identify what our "next big thing" would be. With the face of education changing rapidly in light of technological advances, privatization, and students' shifting wants and needs, the answer became clear - engage in meaningful dialogue about what the future may hold for Waubonsee and our surrounding communities.
In 2015, Waubonsee launched a yearlong Vision 2050 project which brought together students, faculty, staff and community members in active conversation about the future trends that are likely to affect the learning and educational needs of our community. In total, our focus groups, online discussion Idea Lab, roundtable discussions, and Waubonsee Vision 2050 Futures Summit drew approximately 1,800 participants.
Our Vision 2050 project has reaffirmed our community's strong belief in and support of community colleges as an essential gateway to higher education and to the knowledge that will be needed for individuals to create and sustain their careers and lives. This is echoed in communities across the nation.
Community colleges are a national treasure and have played an active and important role in helping many to achieve the American dream. Community colleges remain an integral partner as society changes and we work together to meet the demands of an expanding definition of learning and community.
Through creative partnerships and collaboration with other educational institutions, community organizations, and business and industry, community colleges will continue to open doors to success, be part of the foundation of strong communities, and ensure a strong future for our nation.
Dr. Christine Sobek is president of Waubonsee Community College in Aurora.