STEM at Two Years: Community College Degrees That Pay

Most of my career has been at the community college. I directed an NSF Center of Excellence at Springfield Technical Community College and taught electronics, computer systems, and photonics there. At Holyoke Community College I still teach engineering transfer courses part time for students heading to four-year universities. Over forty years I have watched students come through two-year STEM programs and go directly into careers that surprised people who assumed a bachelor's degree was required. This post is the third in a series on degree choice and outcomes. The first two covered bachelor's programs and two-year degrees broadly. This one focuses specifically on STEM at the associate degree level: what the programs are, what they pay, and how the job outlook looks in 2026.

The macro case for STEM at any credential level is straightforward. The BLS projects STEM occupations will grow 8.1 percent between 2024 and 2034, nearly triple the 2.7 percent rate for all other occupations. The median salary across STEM occupations sits at $101,600, well above the all-occupation median. The two-year credential does not open every STEM door, but it opens more of them than most people expect, and it does so at a fraction of the cost and time of a four-year path.

The highest-paying two-year STEM programs in 2026, per BLS occupational data: information security analysts (cybersecurity) median at $119,860 with 32 percent projected job growth through 2032; radiation therapy at a median above $100,000; dental hygiene at $94,260; and registered nursing at $93,600. Below those, nuclear technicians median around $84,000, electronics engineering technicians around $67,550, and laser electro-optics technicians in the $55,000 to $65,000 range depending on industry and region. HVAC technology and computer network support round out the middle of the table at $58,000 to $62,000.

A point worth making clearly: the two-year STEM credential typically leads to technician and support roles, not engineering or research positions. That distinction matters for career planning, but it does not diminish the outcomes. An electronics engineering technician working in manufacturing or test and measurement earns $67,550 median with stable demand. A cybersecurity analyst with an associate degree and relevant certifications, CompTIA Security+ in particular, enters a field with 32 percent projected growth and a six-figure median salary. The ceiling in those careers depends more on certification, experience, and specialization than on whether the entry credential was a two-year or four-year degree.

The cost side of this decision matters as much as the salary side. Average annual tuition at a public two-year college runs about $3,990, versus over $11,500 at a public four-year institution. A student completing a two-year cybersecurity or nursing program graduates with little or no debt and enters a field paying $90,000 to $120,000. A student completing a four-year program in the same field earns more in some cases, but starts with average student loan debt above $29,000 and two additional years of foregone income. For STEM technician roles specifically, that math favors the two-year path more consistently than in most other fields.

Before committing to a two-year STEM program, check three things. First, verify that the program carries the right accreditation for your field. Nursing programs must be accredited by ACEN or CCNE for graduates to sit for the NCLEX. Engineering technology programs are credentialed by ABET. Second, check whether the career path requires licensure or certification beyond the degree itself, and build the cost and timeline for those credentials into your plan. Third, look at your specific college's job placement data for that program. National medians are a baseline; local labor market conditions move those numbers significantly in both directions.

One pathway that gets less attention than it deserves: the two-year degree as the first half of a four-year degree, paid for by an employer. Many community college STEM graduates enter the workforce directly, then pursue a bachelor's degree part time while their employer covers tuition. This is not rare. A significant share of working adults completing bachelor's degrees are doing exactly this, particularly in nursing, engineering technology, and information technology. The RN-to-BSN pathway is the most established example: a graduate earns an associate degree, passes the certification, enters the workforce as a registered nurse, and completes a BSN online or part time over two to three years, often with hospital tuition reimbursement covering most of the cost. The same model applies in engineering technology and cybersecurity, where employers in manufacturing, defense, and infrastructure actively fund continuing education. The credential upgrade from technician to technologist, meaning from associate to bachelor's degree, also typically comes with a pay bump and expanded career options. For students weighing cost, this route splits the financial risk: two years of low-cost community college tuition, then employer-subsidized completion of the bachelor's, with income throughout. The total credential is the same four-year degree. The debt load and the timeline are very different.

The community college students I’ve watched who did best in two-year STEM programs were not picking a fallback. They were picking a specific job in a specific field and treating the degree as the direct path to it. That approach still works in 2026. For some, the two-year degree is also the starting point for a four-year degree the employer ends up paying for. The programs are there. The jobs are there. Check the current numbers before you decide. Know the program, know the credential requirements, know the market.

Lost in Seattle With Mete Mario

Me, Lynn Barnett, and Mete Kök
at the 1998 NSF ATE Conference in Washington, DC

The drizzle came down on the rental. Mete drove and Alberto sat beside him looking at his
watch. I was in the back seat.

"Six o'clock," Alberto said.

"I know it."

Mete's face was set. His jaw was tight but his hands were loose on the wheel. We had been driving through the neighborhoods for some time. There was no map. I had said I knew the way from the hotel but I did not know it. The houses were small with well kept yards. The streets all looked the same in the drizzle.

We had meetings for three days. Microsoft and the American Association of Community Colleges had set up a program called Working Connections. The three of us were community college faculty. Our colleges were part of the program. 1998 was a good time. The internet was taking off. Everyone was building websites. Microsoft was fighting Netscape for the browser war and spending big. Y2K was coming and everyone needed help. Windows NT was everywhere. Microsoft was winning and they knew it. You could feel the energy. The campus in Redmond was new buildings and green lawns. Long meeting days but they treated us like royalty. Community college faculty getting the executive treatment. Everything was first class. They fed us well - I fondly remember the swizzle sticks for our coffee. and of course - the chair massages. The presentations were sharp. Everyone wore business casual. One guy wore a kilt. No ties. The hotel was downtown Seattle. Marble floors and doormen. The beds were comfy. Views spectacular. We bussed back and forth to Redmond. Now, we were lost in the neighborhoods where people lived.

"Turn left," I said.

"You know?"

"No."

He turned his head but his eyes never left the road. He did not look worried. The street curved back. Alberto watched his watch. The drizzle was steady now.

"We need to ask," I said.

Mete was already stopping. He knew what to do. An old man came out with his dog. He had no umbrella. Nobody uses them in Seattle. The drizzle was on his head and shoulders. The dog was wet. Mete rolled down the window.

"The airport?"

The man came closer. He looked at us through the drizzle. Water was on his face.

"Sea-Tac?"

"Yes."

"End of the street. Turn right. Five blocks to Aurora. Go south. You'll see the signs for the interstate."

"Thank you."

Mete's face changed. Now he knew. His shoulders relaxed. He drove like he knew. We found Aurora. Then the signs. Then the highway. The drizzle kept coming. Mete's hands were steady on the wheel. His eyes were focused and calm. He moved between the cars and did not use the brakes much. The wipers went back and forth. He never rushed and he was efficient. There was no question we would make it. You could see it in his face.

Alberto looked at his watch at the airport exit. Mete did not look at anything but the road. He knew the time without looking.

Mete pulled to the curb at departures. Smooth. Perfect. Alberto took his bag and got out. The drizzle hit him. He ran for the doors.

We watched him go inside.

I climbed into the front seat.

"Will he make it?"

Mete looked at me. His face was calm. It had been calm the whole time.

"He will."

(He did)

I looked at Mete. He had driven like Mario Andretti. The racing driver. Fast and smooth and never rattled.

"Mario," I said.

"What?"

"Mete Mario."

He smiled a little. It was good.

Building Systems, Teaching Students: Why Academic Leaders Need Both

I spent twenty years as a community college administrator, directing an NSF center of excellence from 1998 to 2018. We partnered with industry leaders to bring emerging technologies - fiber optics, wireless communications, network security, advanced data systems - to community colleges nationwide. We trained hundreds of faculty, helped establish cutting-edge programs at hundreds of colleges across the country, and built frameworks that are still shaping technical education today.

That work was essential. We accomplished things that couldn't have been done from inside a single classroom.

Then I returned to teaching students full-time.

That work was equally essential. And it revealed a truth every educational leader needs to understand.

The Power of National-Level Work

At the NSF center, we operated at a scale that created real change. We worked directly with telecommunications companies, security firms, and system integrators - networking, fiber optic manufacturers, cybersecurity leaders. They showed us what was coming: 5G deployment, fiber expansion, evolving threat landscapes, mobile infrastructure. We translated that into curriculum frameworks, faculty development workshops, and equipment standards.

We helped hundreds of colleges launch programs that didn't previously exist. Networking programs. Cybersecurity tracks. Fiber optic technology courses. We connected campuses with industry partnerships. We created pathways that led directly to employment.

Faculty attended our workshops supported by institutional budgets and professional development funding. They returned to their campuses with new skills, current knowledge, and industry-aligned curriculum. The impact rippled across the country.

This work mattered enormously. You cannot build that infrastructure from a single classroom.

What Only the Classroom Can Teach

But you also cannot build effective educational systems without understanding what happens in that classroom.

Students face different questions than faculty do. Many work full-time while taking 15 credits. They raise children. They choose between an associate degree that gets them earning quickly and transfer preparation that might open more doors later. They often make these choices in their first semester, before they fully understand what the careers involve.

I met the student who can configure a router beautifully but struggles with signal processing mathematics. She needs to decide: get her network technician AS degree now, or push through two more years for university engineering transfer? The framework we built doesn't answer that question.

I worked with the student who could transfer to computer engineering but needs income immediately. His Cisco certification could start him at $80K. He also needs to pay rent next month. The equipment standards don't address that reality.

I encountered the student who didn't know network administration existed as a career path. We'd helped build hundreds of these programs nationwide. But this student - sitting in my classroom - had never heard of this field until his advisor suggested this intro course.

The Questions That Shape Policy

The student who emails at 11pm asking whether he needs Calculus for networking if he's just pursuing Cisco certifications.

The single parent who misses lab occasionally because childcare fell through.

The returning adult who asks whether a two-year security degree will limit her options if she wants to advance later.

These aren't edge cases. These are community college students. They often work 30-40 hours weekly. They wonder whether they belong in STEM at all. They need someone who can answer not just "what's the curriculum" but "how does this fit my actual life?"

You cannot design programs for these students solely from administrative offices, no matter how well-intentioned or industry-informed those designs may be.

Why Leaders Need Both Perspectives

The NSF center work gave me systems thinking. National reach. Industry connections. The ability to see patterns across hundreds of institutions. Understanding of how emerging technologies should flow into curricula. That perspective is invaluable.

The classroom work gave me something equally invaluable: understanding what students actually need from those systems.

Both matter. Both are necessary.

But here's what I learned: educational leaders who stay disconnected from classrooms make decisions based on incomplete information. They design beautiful systems that don't account for the 11pm email. They create pathways without understanding how students actually choose between them. They implement policies that assume students have the resources, time, and knowledge that faculty in professional development workshops have.

When I returned to teaching, my perspective shifted immediately. I stopped thinking exclusively about cutting-edge protocols and started asking why students struggle to afford textbooks. I stopped only designing pathways based on industry needs and started helping individuals figure out which pathway fits their actual circumstances. I started understanding the difference between "this program exists" and "this student knows this program exists and understands whether it's right for them."

The Call to Action

Educational administrators and leaders need both perspectives. The broad institutional view and the individual student view. The systems design and the human implementation.

Attending conferences matters. Presenting at professional meetings has value. Working with industry partners creates essential connections.

But teaching an introductory course to students who work full-time, whose last math course was in high school, who will lose financial aid if they don't pass—that's equally essential leadership work.

Do this and you make better decisions at every level. Your policy discussions become grounded in reality. Your program designs account for actual student lives. Your resource allocation reflects what students truly need, not just what looks impressive in a grant application.

The administrative work I did was valuable - genuinely valuable. We changed technical education across the country. But I would have made better decisions during those twenty years if I had remained connected to the classroom throughout.

Other administrators might benefit from the same reminder.

A Practical Proposal

Educational leaders should teach at least one course every two years. Not as a guest lecturer. Not as an administrator observing. As the instructor of record, responsible for student outcomes, answering the emails, navigating the same systems students navigate.

NSF center work taught me how to build systems at scale. Teaching students taught me whether those systems actually work for the people they're meant to serve.

Both lessons are essential. Neither is optional for effective educational leadership.

Community College Engineering Student Transfer

Yesterday I checked in via LinkedIn with a Holyoke Community College Engineering program
graduate who transferred to a nationally ranked top ten engineering university. The student is studying Electrical Engineering there and I asked how things were going. Here’s a screen shot of the response I got with identification information removed – including student name and the transfer university. Pretty cool!

The student compliments my two classes (Circuits 1 and Circuits 2) but there is so much more. Both classes are Calculus and Differential Equations based so the students need to really know their math stuff before I get them. The math, physics and chemistry instruction is  exceptional at Holyoke Community College – as it is at so many other community colleges in the country.  It is not just the STEM classes that prepare students for my classes though. To get their degree our students need to take additional courses including English Composition, History, Social Sciences and in some cases Business courses. These courses are critical, complementing the technical knowledge, skills and abilities gained in engineering courses, producing well-rounded professionals capable of addressing complex challenges with creativity, empathy, and ethical awareness.

 

I see it every day with students coming to my classes prepared to learn, solve problems, communicate and understand some pretty complex stuff. Amazing faculty doing amazing things in their classrooms makes it pretty easy for me to teach those classes.

We (community colleges) often face unjust criticism due to misconceptions. Despite offering quality education, we’re sometimes seen as inferior to four-year institutions. We provide valuable opportunities and options with smaller classes, dedicated faculty, and affordable tuition. And let's not forget transfer to four year institutions.

 

Thanks to the unnamed student – you certainly made the day!

Day 1 Fall 2020 Semester Remote

I spent much of the summer preparing for Day 1. I was not sure what to expect – sure we went remote in March for the second half of the spring semester but that was a little different. We all knew each other and the ice had been broken a long time before we started zooming…… 

The first day of a traditionally offered class is always the same - most of the students do not  know each other and they don't know the instructor. They don’t say too much and it is hard for the instructor to get any kind of feedback – positive or negative. Do they have any idea what the heck I’m talking about? I rely a lot on visual feedback when I’m in front of a class – Are they taking notes? Paying attention? Staring out the window or door? Looking at the clock? Looking at their phone? And sometimes just staring blankly into space? 

In some ways day 1 class zooming has not been much different. I noticed the majority (~75%) did not have their cameras on during the first class. Is that because they are shy? Doing something else like looking out the window, at their phone, etc? I’ve heard some faculty are requiring their students have their cameras on. I’m not going to do that. I am hoping to see them come on voluntarily as we get into the semester. 

I also noticed about the same percentage (and the same students) have their mics muted. I can understand that – I mute mine when I’m not talking. 

Conclusions – I don’t have any yet. It seems like a normal first day with a bit of a remote zoom twist. Our challenge as faculty has always been to get our students learning and that includes  engagement, working together, not being afraid to ask questions, smiling and laughing every once in a while and generally feeling comfortable. From my perspective so far so good!

“Returning” to Western Massachusetts

It’s been a bit of a roadtrip back but…… it is official…… I’m back! In 2014 I took an early retirement from Springfield Technical CommunityCollege and signed on as a part-time consulting Co Director for NationalScience Foundation Advanced Technological Education (NSF ATE) funded NationalCenter for Optics and Photonics Education (OP-TEC). OP-TEC with a main office in Waco, Texas and funded via University of Central Florida, had five years left before sunsetting. I ended up staying with OP-TEC as a consultant for about 3.5 years. Most of my work was done out of my home office in Massachusetts with monthly trips to Waco and the occasional trip to UCF in Orlando. The work was interesting and I enjoyed it but the Center was in the last year of funding - something referred to as "sunsetting" in the grant world and my time there was to be ending soon. I knew I needed to find a replacement, with a preference for something a little closer to home....

In November 2017 I applied for and was offered a visiting professor position at the University of Hartford College of Engineering, Technology and Architecture. I spent the last three amazing semesters there teaching a variety of electronics, electrical engineering and engineering design courses. The admins, faculty and especially the students were incredible and it felt so good being back in the classroom – teaching. So much fun to connect with students again after almost 20 years of academic and NSF grant administrative work. I am so impressed with the University of Hartford community – the way everyone pulls together to help each other out - respectful, hard working committed….. amazing. I had left teaching traditional age college students in 1998 and was not sure what to expect in 2018 – to say I was pleasantly surprised at Hartford is a huge understatement!

But those visiting professor gigs are temporary and don’t last long. This past spring I sadly realized my time at Hartford was coming to an end and I needed to start looking around again. So…. I applied for an Engineering Professor position at Holyoke Community College, interviewed and….. was offered the position. I start in September…. a little closer to home and also a lot closer to my parents home.

Leaving Hartford is breaking my heart - I’m really going to miss everyone there, especially the incredible students I had the opportunity to work with in my classes. No names because I’m sure I would end up leaving some out. Thanks to all of you who worked so hard in my classes – I’m jealous of you all with your work ethic and commitment to excellence along with the internship, career and academic opportunities you have already had or will have. If any of you are reading this please keep working hard and stay in touch. I look forward to following your careers.

Took the long way back to Western Mass via Waco, Orlando and Hartford but I’m back. Looking forward to reestablishing some of those past regional business and industry connections and working with the admins, faculty and especially students at HCC. And yes - you bet I’m hoping to establish some sort of a formal transfer/articulation agreement between HCC and Hartford.

ATETV.ORG - Thinking About A High Technology Career?

If you or someone you know is thinking about a career in a high technology field, you need to take a look at Advanced Technological Education Television (ATETV.ORG). There, you'll find a National Science Foundation funded Web-based video series and interactive network designed to connect students and professionals with careers in advanced technology. The series highlights ATE success stories from community colleges and ATE programs nationwide. Its outreach efforts -- at ATETV.org and on social networking sites like YouTube, Facebook and Twitter -- aim to connect employers in industry and government with the high-tech workforce of tomorrow.

Here's the third episode in the series, featuring how The College of the Mainland trains students on an industry-scale oil refinery and how schools are working to close the gender gap in biotechnology. Be sure to check this one out along with all the episodes on YouTube and grab them on iTunes.



A little more from the ATETV website....... globalization has changed the scope of our workforce, creating new opportunities and greater demand for workers in the fields of science and technology. In order to drive our economy forward, we must recruit, train and place technically skilled professionals to meet new demand.

How can you get involved and learn more - check out ATETV.ORG and your local community college!

Mike Q HI-TEC Educator Of The Year

Today I had the honor of presenting Mike Qaissaunee the HI-TEC Educator of the Year Award. HI-TEC is a national conference on advanced technical education where technical educators, counselors, industry professionals, and technicians can update their knowledge and skills. HI-TEC uniquely explores the convergence of scientific disciplines and technologies.

Here's the text from the presentation:

The HI-TEC Educator of the Year Award recognizes a community college educator for outstanding contributions to advanced technological education. Nominees for the award must have had a demonstrated impact on technology education on both a local and national level.

This year there were several excellent nominees and the decision was a difficult one. As you probably know, Michael Qaissaunee is this year’s awardee.

Many of you know Mike, an Associate Professor of Engineering and Technology at Brookdale Community College and founding director of the Mid-Atlantic Institute for Telecommunications Technologies . As Principal Investigator of this NSF project, Mike led the development and implementation of numerous courses related to wireless communications technologies. He’s also Co-Principal Investigator for the National Information and Communications Technologies Center in Massachusetts, serving as a subject matter expert in wireless communications and leading ICT Center's national dissemination efforts.

He’s been involved with many projects around the United States and in 2007 was selected as recipient of the Global Wireless Education Consortium (GWEC) Wireless Educator of the Year Award.

He is a national leader and expert (many refer to him as a Rock Star) promoting the adoption of new technologies and approaches to teaching and learning, including: blogs, audio and video podcasts, wikis, mobile computing and educational gaming and simulation. This includes workshops and keynote addresses in wireless, wireless security, iPhone programming, and Web 2.0.

Here’s some things you may not know about Mike:

His father Abdul was the first person from his village in Afghanistan to go beyond elementary school. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) brought him to the U.S. in the midst of his 11th-grade year. He graduated with honors from the University of Wyoming and returned to Kabul, where he headed the technology department at the technical high school he had left only two and half years earlier.

Three years later, USAID brought him back to America to study highway engineering. Barbara (Mike’s Mom who is here today) and Abdul met at the University of Illinois where she was completing her master's degree in library science. After Abdul completed his PhD, he and Barbara moved back to Afghanistan where he began working at Kabul University, eventually becoming Dean of the Engineering school.

In Afghanistan, his parents had three children--Mike is the middle child. In 1973 Barbara and Abdul moved their family from Afghanistan to Delaware where Abdul took a faculty position and Barbara worked as a librarian at Delaware State.

Both of Mike’s parents were a great inspiration and instilled great value on teaching and learning. Mike graduated from high school in Delaware at the top of his class and was accepted at a number of top engineering schools including MIT. He selected the University of Delaware for his Mechanical Engineering degrees.

Mike now lives in New Jersey with two other great inspirations - his wife Laura and daughter Haley.

I’ve had the honor of working and getting to know Mike for the past 6-7 years. He’s intelligent, honest, respectful, humble and has a great sense of humor. We’re pretty lucky to be working with him and his students are pretty lucky to be in his classes.

I can’t think of a more deserving person for this first HI-TEC Educator of the Year Award.

Please join me in congratulating Mike!

Some of the pictures from the conference are linked here.

Way to go Mike Q!!!!!!!

NBC's New Comedy - Community (College)

There's a new half-hour comedy about higher education...and lower expectations coming from Emmy Award-winning directors Joe and Anthony Russo to NBC this fall titled Community. The comedy is centered around the fictitious Greendale Community College. Here's an interesting quote from the NBC website describing the show:

It's been said that community college is a "halfway school" for losers, a self esteem workshop for newly divorced housewives, and a place where old people go to keep their minds active as they circle the drain of eternity. Well, at Greendale Community College...that's all true. Community focuses on a band of misfits, at the center of which is a fast-talkin' lawyer whose degree has been revoked (Joel McHale, The Soup). They form a study group and, in "Breakfast Club" fashion, end up learning a lot more about themselves than they do about their course work.

NBC is going all out with this show - they're even going to put together a Greendale Community College website that will introduce the show characters including: the student body, Dean Pelton, the faculty, etc. Here's a 4 minute promo you may find interesting.

What's the real story? Here's some current stats from the American Association of Community Colleges website (I've quoted these in the past).

Number and Type of Community Colleges: Total: 1,195 Public: 987 Independent: 177 Tribal: 31	Enrollment: Total: 11.5 million Enrolled full time: 41% Enrolled part time: 59%
Selected Demographics: Average age: 29 Women: 60% Men: 40% Minorities: 35% First generation to attend college: 39% Single parents: 17%	Percentages of Undergraduates: All U.S. undergraduates: 46% First-time freshmen: 41% Native American: 55% Asian/Pacific Islander: 46% Black: 46% Hispanic: 55%
Employment Status: Full-time students employed full time: 27% Full-time students employed part time: 50% Part-time students employed full time: 50% Part-time students employed part time: 33%

Sound familiar? Maybe your neighbor, your friend, your grandchild, maybe even you. Community colleges are wonderful, inexpensive places to get the first two years of a four year degree or learn a specific skilled technology.

I just don't get where this show is coming from. Is it tongue in cheek humor? We'll see and we'll see how long it lasts..... The series premieres Thursday, September 17th 9:30/8:30c.

Hey Amazon - When It Comes To That New Textbook Kindle - Don't Overlook Community Colleges!

Tomorrow, Amazon will be holding a press event at the Pace University New York City campus to announce a new version of the Kindle e-book reader with (according to the Wall Street Journal ) a larger screen and other features designed to appeal to periodical and academic textbook publishers.

A total of six excellent universities will be involved in this project according to the Wall Street Journal. They are Case Western, Pace, Princeton, Reed, Darden School at the University of Virginia, and Arizona State.

It's exciting to see this product coming but discouraging not to see a community college on the list. Why should a community college be included? Here's some interesting fast facts from the American Association of Community Colleges:

Number and Type of Colleges:
Number of Community Colleges in the US: 1,195
Total Student enrollment: 11.5 million
Average age: 29
Women: 60%
Men: 40%
Minorities: 35%
First generation to attend college: 39%

Community College Students Constitute the Following Percentages of Undergraduates:
All U.S. undergraduates: 46%
First-time freshmen: 41%
Native American: 55%
Asian/Pacific Islander: 46%
Black: 46%
Hispanic: 55%

With 46% of all undergraduate students attending community colleges in this country doesn't it make sense to have at least one on the list?

Tracking the Impact of eLearning at Community Colleges

The Instructional Technology Council (ITC) is an organization that provides leadership and professional development to its network of eLearning experts by advocating, collaborating, researching, and sharing exemplary, innovative practices and potential in learning technologies. The organization recently released a report titled 2008 Distance Education Survey Results: Tracking the Impact of eLearning at Community Colleges.

The report is a must read for faculty, administrators, technical staff, graduate students, anyone involved with distance education at any level - not just community colleges. Here's some of the key findings:

• Campuses reported an 11.3 percent increase for distance learning enrollments, while increases in overall campus enrollments averaged less than two percent -- 70 percent of the respondents stated student demand exceeds current distance learning course offerings.
• Many colleges have significantly increased their number of blended or hybrid and/or Web-enhanced or Web-assisted courses.
  
• Most colleges have rapidly expanded their student services and technology support services to meet accreditation expectations of “equivalency” with traditional face-to-face courses.
  
• Thirty-one percent of the campuses surveyed are considering switching from Blackboard/WebCT, which had seen a near monopoly in the past. The merger of Blackboard and WebCT has prompted a number of campuses to review their learning management system commitments.
• Administrators continue to identify finding and/or compensating adequate “support staff needed for training and technical assistance” as their greatest challenge. Workload issues are their greatest challenge related to faculty.
  
• Assessing student learning and performance in the distance education environment emerged as the greatest challenge for students in 2008.
  

The report was authored by Fred Lokken , Associate Dean for the Truckee Meadows Community College Web College.

A downloadable PDF of the 9 page report is linked here.

Don't Limit Access to Higher Education

My college president has written an excellent op-ed piece in BusinessWest, a Western Massachusetts news magazine. The piece discusses the critical importance of funding for public higher education and particularly for community colleges, in light of our current Massachusetts state budget crisis. Here the piece:

OPINION by IRA RUBENZAHL
President of Springfield Technical Community College (STCC) in Springfield, MA

By most accounts, we are now entering the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression. Nationally, the signs abound: the loss of home value, the meltdown in the stock market, the rise in unemployment, collapse of the credit markets, and a record $1 trillion federal deficit.

As these dramatic changes reverberate through the economy, a college education becomes ever-more important to secure a decent paying job and enter a stable career; studies show the link between higher levels of educational attainment and higher average salaries. Furthermore, certain associate degrees such as those in nursing, allied health, computer science, and manufacturing, pay much greater dividends because jobs in these fields are in high demand.

In this environment, individuals are facing hard choices about where to commit to spend their money. Where to go to college and how to pay for higher education ranks among a family’s most important decisions.

One may choose between public and private colleges, with elite private colleges now costing — without room and board — upwards of $40,000 per year. Within the public sector, there are three options: university campuses, state colleges, and community colleges. In Massachusetts, average student charges per year without room and board for these three segments are:

• $9,585 for the four UMass campuses;
• $6,400 for the nine state colleges; and
• $3,862 for the state’s 15 community colleges.

Since community colleges are the least expensive, they are becoming more and more popular as a way to stretch a family’s and student’s limited resources. And people are flocking to these local colleges. Fall 2008 figures show community colleges now dominate enrollment in the state with 89,000 students, compared with 46,928 at the four university campuses, and a total of 37,509 at the nine state college campuses.

This fall, community colleges statewide had an enrollment increase that averaged 5.3%, the largest jump of any segment. Although the Commonwealth’s community colleges offer only the first two years of a baccalaureate degree and a number of two-year career programs, the quality of instruction is superb. Consider that community colleges are teaching institutions with a focus on undergraduate students. Faculty are hired because of their knowledge and their ability to teach, not for research skills.

Springfield Technical Community College, for example, offers 60-plus career programs in business, health professions, computer science, and engineering technology. In addition, the college has a robust liberal arts curriculum leading to transfer to baccalaureate colleges throughout New England. Local private colleges — AIC, Elms, Bay Path, Western New England, and Springfield College — court STCC graduates through agreements that provide guaranteed scholarships for students with good grades.

Many STCC students also transfer to the public institutions, most notably UMass Amherst and Westfield State College.

So, for those worried about the economy and the future, community colleges continue to be the best deal in the state.

However, the current state budget deficit now threatens the accessibility and affordability of public higher education just when Massachusetts residents most need it.

Community colleges are the most lean and efficient segment of higher education, educating more students with less funding. They enroll more than half of public higher-education students, yet receive approximately one-quarter of state funding. Consequently, it will be more difficult for these institutions to absorb major funding cuts without affecting the quality of the education and resources so important to students and to our economic future.

Education is the economic driver for our state, producing the skilled and knowledgeable employees needed by business, schools, and industry — particularly the health care industry.

While cutting funding for education will save money in the very short term, it will represent a far greater loss for our citizens and our state.

Ira Rubenzahl is president of Springfield Technical Community College.

This article first appeared in BusinessWest Magazine, Springfield, Massachusetts and is directly linked here.

What Is An Agent Of Change?

When you manage people, you are in it together.
And because you are the leader, you own all the outcomes, good and bad.
- Jack Welch

With the coming presidential election we've been hearing the word change used a lot. It's nothing new - it just seems to be ratcheted up because we're dealing with some extra hot issues this round. So..... what is this change stuff all about? Jack and Suzy Welch have an interesting perspective. In the October 20, 2008 Business Week WelchWay column, they are asked the following question by Anil Kale from Pune, India:

What kind of person is a change agent?

Jack and Suzy's answer is an interesting one. They start by saying that true change agents must have a single critical trait - power. They say most questions they get about change come from people deep within their organizations who have a burning desire to improve things and are frustrated with the organizational inertia in their way. They have good ideas, passion, dedication and hunger to be change agents but worry they cannot be.

Jack and Suzy go on saying by and large, change is still made by people with some sort of authority. It's driven by managers who have a platform to advocate for a new direction and the ability to hire, promote, and reward those who embace it. Change agents must be leaders to be effective - unfortunately - not all leaders are change agents.

Here's three other traits (besides power) that Jack and Suzy say are essential:

1. True change agents see a future no one else does, and that vision won't let them rest. They don't lead change because it "makes sense" or because change is "necessary." They lead change because they believe their organization must get ahead of an approaching "discontinuity" in order to survive and win. Typically, they've risen through the ranks because they've seen around corners before, and they're recognized for what they are, serial visionaries.

2. Change agents have the courage to bet their careers. True change agents are willing to take bold action - and accept the consequences. They know that leading change can be messy, with few clear-cut answers about how events will play out.

3. Change agents have something about them that galvanizes teams and turns people on. Perhaps the biggest misconception about change agents is that they're Lone Ranger types. In fact, the most effective change agents have a fervent core of supporters, cultivated through intensity and caring.

What's the business award? According to Jack and Suzy - for some change agents, it's the organization's survival. But for many others, it's not nearly as dire. It's growth, and all the good things that come with it: more and better jobs, new products, global expansion, not to mention their byproducts - excitement and fun.

True change agents have power, vision, bravery and support - Jack and Suzy say these people are rare - from my perspective I would agree.

*****
Take a look at Jack and Suzy's Business Week piece here. You can also listen to a podcast titled True Change Agents, found on their website The Welch Way.