Davis Jenkins, PhD, is a senior research scholar at the Community College Research Center at Columbia University’s Teachers College. He works with colleges and states to find ways to improve educational and employment outcomes for students, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Why are some community colleges doing better than others in terms of enrollment amid the COVID-19 pandemic?
The community colleges that fared satisfactorily did so because they’ve already made major systemic changes. They have already essentially redesigned programs, student supports and services in strategic ways over the last several years. They’ve embraced technology; they trained faculty to teach with technology. The colleges that had online advising and registration were much better able to maintain enrollment. The colleges that really did well had two things, in particular. First, they organized programs in advising around fields, and they had case management advising by field. It’s not just some generic advisor reaching out to students, it is the particular education program advisor. Second, they have every student on a full program plan, and that plan drives registration, and therefore, if they know what courses that students need, they can schedule courses more toward when the student needs them.
What can community colleges do to increase enrollment now and position their institutions for success?
Community colleges need to tell themselves this: “We must understand that our college is facing an existential crisis, and if we want it to continue, which we do, we’re going to have to really do lots of different things to help engage students, not just in courses, but in a program pathway, and our responsibility as faculty is in part, not just to teach your course, but to help shepherd students on a pathway that leads either to a good job directly, or frankly for most community college students, to transfer with junior standing in a major.”
There are many things that both small and large community colleges can do. They need to figure out how to teach online, and not fully online, but hybrid, which is the best way to teach with technology. They’re going to have to make sure that all of their programs lead either to a good job directly or transfer with junior standing in a major. They’re going to have to organize their whole advising and onboarding by field. and the other thing is, stop focusing on abstract algebra. No one needs it, and teach the kind of math that people want, like Biology 101 and anatomy and physiology, and American civilization— courses that are interesting to students and useful to their major. So, this is an issue, but they have to start in high school with dual enrollment and get students on a plan in high school, and yes, they’ll change their mind, and that’s fine. You’re asking them to begin to explore, because the fact is if students want to go in STEM, if they want to go in healthcare, they can’t. Students have to be taking the right courses in high school. Of course, people who have education and means send their students to schools (both public and private) that have extra resources to advise them about college and within those schools, our kids get advised because they’re white and rich, but guess what? When you give this advising to students with low socioeconomic and minority backgrounds, and you give them an opportunity and you teach them and advise them well, they do fine.
I’m especially worried about rural colleges. Enrollments there have been tanking. While they have been increasing dual enrollment students who are still in high school, they’re not showing them the path to the bachelor’s in a major. The students are not well advised. Rural colleges are going to have to start to specialize and collaborate with other colleges in rural areas to serve labor market needs over a broader area and redesign the colleges and their programs.
— Elena Loveland
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