Community College Journal - April/May 2013

Colleges have made progress toward their goal of doubling the number of college completers by 2020. Can they sustain that momentum?

Folks have to continually accept that as
the goal. So continuing that momentum
over time is going to be difficult.”
Can we reach 5 million more gradu-
ates by 2020?

“There is momentum. I am hopeful. But I still think that one of the biggest challenges we face is ourselves,” says Angela Oriano, associate director at the Center for Community College Student Engagement (CCCSE), a research and service initiative at The University of Texas at Austin that provides information about effective educational practice in community colleges. “Many people working in community colleges still do not understand how abysmal our graduation rates are, or our student retention rates or course completion

Changed Landscape In 2000, nearly 5. 5 million degree-seeking students attended two-year colleges. In the 2010–2011 school year, that figure jumped to more than 8

million, due in part to the economic downturn and steadily rising tuition at four-year colleges and universities. Also, new skill requirements in the job market forced many professionals to seek recertification.

Despite historic enrollment gains, about 50 percent of students entering community colleges either drop out or stop taking courses in their first year, according to CCCSE. That number is improving, but community colleges still need to identify the reasons students drop or stop out to catch those students who are stumbling and guide them toward a degree or professional certification.