Careers After Community College

The advent of the internet has revolutionized society, and education has been dually impacted. With the rise in internet technologies, an increasing number of college courses are moved online – allowing students to learn with sheer convenience. Indeed, the National Center for Education Statistics reported in 2006 that more than 62% of all community college students take courses online.

Community colleges have paved the way for online courses, and students are noticing. In fact, according to research conducted by the Sloan Consortium, two-year community colleges have experienced the highest growth rate in online education, accounting for more than 50% of all online course enrollments in the past five years. The enrollment in online courses at community colleges surpasses the numbers of all other higher education programs combined.

Nationally, according to the Online Learning Consortium, approximately 20% of college students in America took an online course during the fall semester of 2006, which equates to 3.5 million students. In addition, the Sloan Consortium research found that enrollment in online courses is growing at a rate significantly faster than the standard student-growth rates.

Advantages to online curriculum

As more careers and jobs require technical skills in computing and internet research, students who do not develop these skills are quickly left behind in competitiveness. Therefore, online courses offer several benefits, such as convenient learning and an opportunity to hone your technical skills.

• Convenience: Taking an online course allows you

Community colleges enroll between 11 and 12 million students annually, of which over 50,000 participate in intercollegiate athletics. Almost one half of community colleges have intercollegiate sports programs. Community colleges are moving toward greater participation in athletics, either by starting new programs or expanding existing programs. The programs vary considerably, both in the type and number of sports available. After discussing the regulation of community college athletics and providing some examples of athletic programs, this report examines the case for athletics in the community college setting.

National Junior College Athletic Association

The National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) regulates intercollegiate athletics of community colleges. It is the community college counterpart of the National College Athletic Association (NCAA), which oversees athletics at four-year institutions. The organization's goal is to promote athletics as a valuable component of the educational experience at community colleges. The NJCAA has 530 member colleges participating in 15 men's and 13 women's sports. There are 50 national championships and nine football bowl games.

Community college students have an opportunity to participate in numerous intercollegiate sports. Presently, the following sports are sanctioned by the NJCAA:

For men and women:

• Basketball

As society evolves, our institutions must accommodate change or risk becoming obsolete. Community colleges, as providers of higher education in a particular geographic area, must be responsive not only to local community needs but also to national developments and demographic changes. This report examines seven prominent trends in community colleges today.

1. Increased Distance Learning

Using the internet as the primary tool, community colleges have embraced distance learning. Responding to the demand for more distance education, some community colleges offer particular courses online and some offer online degree programs that are completely online. The ability to take college courses online makes access to higher education possible for more students. The hallmark of online education is the flexibility it affords to students needing to coordinate their studies with business or personal obligations. For example, a student with a full-time job can access an online course before or after work or on days off. Stay-at-home parents can participate in online classes before the children get up, while they are at school, and after they go to bed at night. Students who live in geographically remote areas can attend college without having to relocate or travel great distances. The popularity of distance learning guarantees that the trend toward more online course offerings will continue.

This video looks at 7 Common Misconceptions About Distance Learning.

2. Greater Number of Baccalaureate Degrees

More than 40% of the nation’s college-aged students begin their academic careers at community colleges, according to the US Department of Education. Despite their abilities to provide students with a stellar education, community colleges are surrounded by outdated, inaccurate myths. Although there are some elements of truth, many misperceptions may play a large role in the right choice you make for your college education.

Empower yourself with knowledge of the truth, as the top seven community college myths are hereby exposed!

MYTH #1: Students attend community college because they were not accepted to four-year universities.

THE REALITY: When reviewing statistics of transfer admissions, it is clear that universities see the academic strength in transfer students. For example, 33% of all applicants from California community colleges are accepted into UC Berkeley, which is significantly higher than the 26% of California high school students who applied. Or, for the University of Virginia, over 60% of transfer applications from Piedmont Virginia Community College were accepted, which is a greater ratio than the 50% of students who are accepted as freshmen from in-state high schools.

With the increasing economic burdens felt on individuals and families, many students are making the financially savvy choice of attending community college. The continuously rising costs of university tuition can present a large burden for many families, and by attending a community college, students can save on tuition and living costs.

In addition, many students can gain admission into four-year universities before enrolling in community