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Begins with the perspective of its introduction to its first students. They learn this night that the New Community College (officials want to give it a catchier name someday, ideally that of a generous benefactor) would be unlike any they have heard of.

What they do not learn is how much will be riding on it. Unknown to them, these students have applied to be test subjects in a multimillion-dollar experiment in how to fix what ails community colleges. CUNY has designed from scratch a new structure and new curriculum that it hopes will greatly improve students’ chances of earning an associate degree and transferring to a four-year college. Experts across the country are watching closely, hopeful that the college can serve as a national model.

The experiment raises many questions, of course. The most pressing may be whether its resource-intensive approach can be carried out on a large scale at a reasonable cost. And long before a single class was to be held, faculty members and administrators battled over what was best for students.

The Chronicle of Higher Education's most recent listing, by Nina C. Ayoub, includes several books we thought might be of interest to SCUP members:

The state of Arizona proposes to cut community college funding by 50%. Texas is cutting also, and closing four campuses.

No, this is not a larger-scale Walnut College Case Study; it's real-world 2011.

"Dean Dad" asks you, what would you cut if you were a community college CFO in Arizona?

To get a sense of just how bad this is, you could reduce every salary at the college by 25 percent, and still not make up the gap. (That's because labor isn't the only cost.) Alternately, you could lay off 25 percent of the employees and still not make up the gap.

The 'squishy' things would be the first to go. That means travel, professional development, and food for college functions. This adds up to well under 1 percent.

Obviously, any new full-time hiring for non-unique positions is out of the question. Normal attrition, unreplaced on the staff side and adjuncted-out on the faculty side, might get you another percentage or two.

Pre-Karina, Delgado Community College had 17,000 students; this year that number is more than 19,000. Another NOLA school, Nunez Community College, is also at enrollment levels higher than pre-Katrina. That growth mirror national trends, but comes - another national trend - at a time of less state funding, in schools which do not cover all expenses just from tuition.

Delgado has space issues. It is also in talks with the State University of New Orleans and the University of New Orleans, regarding articulation and integration of services.

The commentary following this article, from local citizens, is worth a read. For example:

I'm glad to see Delgado is finally being noticed for the tremendous asset it is for this community. So many students coming out of the public school system are ill-prepared for university coursework, and neither are they suited for employment. Delgado is doing double duty in helping kids brush up on their academics before entering 4-year schools and also providing adults with training and education for careers (or second careers). No other institution is capable of doing this. And, not everyone needs to go through a 4-year program! Funding for Delgado is essential to their continued ability to serve our needs.

We have admired for years the work of the California Community Colleges Research and Planning Group (RP Group). Willard Hom of Chancellor's Office, often posts very nice 1-2 page abstracts on research and articles of use to community college planners, but we're not certain how often those get shared outside of California.

So, continuing a trend of posting more in this SCUP Links blog about Hispanic students, here are a couple of Hom's latest abstracts.

Location Matters (PDF): Geography and Hispanic Community College Enrollment: This abstract summarizes many point of interest, among which are:

Geographic considerations should be of special interest to researchers studying Hispanics’ higher education aspirations. More research is needed to explain the effects of geography on their postsecondary attendance. More than either comparison group (Black, White), Hispanic students show a tendency/desire to stay at home while pursuing postsecondary goals. This is especially true for Hispanic students who do not live in strong Hispanic states. [p. 830] Despite their awareness of the advantages of entering through a four-year institution if they aspire to a Bachelor’s degree, these Hispanic students tend to reside in greater proximity to two-year colleges and place importance on living at home during college, which increases the likelihood of two-year attendance. The greater likelihood of attending a two-year institution due to geographic factors contributes to a lower likelihood of entering a four-year institution and achieving a four-year degree.

Hispanic Students (PDF): Acculturation, Expectations, Support, and Perceived Barriers:

The findings by FBRTP may help college counselors, faculty, and administrators to expand their awareness of students whose expectations, kinship affiliation, acculturation status, and perceptions of barriers increase their vulnerability to negative academic situations. The college’s institutional culture and practices should encourage success and create a sense of belonging for all students, but this appears to be especially important for Hispanic students. Differences within the Hispanic population (by gender and generational status) can make a difference in the efficacy of targeted resources and counseling for retention and success.

Rather than analyzing second-hand accounts of last week's summit, we've decided to share with you a set of links to various reports.

• The first item is a 2-minute YouTube video from the Associated Press of President Obama addressing the summit.
• The White House Community College Website
• Inside Higher Ed: Praise But No Cash
• Inside Higher Ed: Community Colleges' Day in the Sun
• The Chronicle of Higher Education: At the White House, Praise and New Challenges for Education's 'Unsung Heroes'
• The Christian Science Monitor: Gates Gives $35M to Obama's Community College Overhaul
• The New York Times: White House Plans Job Training Partnership
• Community College Week: Summit Leaves Leaders Wanting More
• Community Colleges Inside the Beltway: White House Summit on Community Colleges Ends With a Consensus on Challenges

One reporter captured some of the event's cynicism:

In the East Room, I asked a White House press corps regular how the event ranked, one to ten, in terms of stops the White House could pull out. "A five," he said, though "you didn't hear it from me." The East Room wasn't set up for cramming in as many people as possible. "Half-day event, all day spin. The Big Man isn't going to the wrap up. That's definitely a five." We press were roped off in the back third of the East Room, and the 100 or so of us didn't fill the space.

I counted four empty seats among the guests. (Among the guests, unlike my community college classes, no piercings other than earlobes. No Jordans. No Nikes.) As a matter of proportionality, the President of the United States has the whole world and parts of outer space in his hands, and he showed up to speak, not wave. The White House is The White House is The White House. Five out of ten? Plenty generous for community colleges.

Don't miss out on joining nearly 1,500 of your colleagues and peers at higher education's premier planning event of 2010, SCUP–45. The Society for College and University Planning's 45th annual, international conference and idea marketplace is July 10–14 in Minneapolis!

Here's your SCUP Link to "University Centers"

"If you think the politics of a single university are interesting, try getting 14 together and see what happens!"

There appear to be many routes to the creation of a "university center." University centers are an attempt by community colleges to bring 4-year offerings locally, to its students. Once a student completes the associate's degree, they may lack a life situation that permits them to move and attend a 4-year institution. So, partnerships develop where universities, sometimes many universities, use community college space (or space, even a campus, built and designed for the purpose of partnership) to bring class offerings to local students. Veteran SCUP leader Arnie Gelfman's home institution, Brookdale Community College, has been a driving force behind such a partnership in New Jersey for quite some time.

According to the Association for Consortium Leadership (ACL) survey, there are at least 64 such partnerships, formally labeled "higher education center" in the US. The kinds of arrangements made, and how and by whom decisions are made, can be interesting.

"In the end, Meramec has found that working from the ground up demands a significant amount of cooperation and collaboration; however, it is evident that there is tremendous insight to be gained from those who are in the trenches every day."