Alabama Community College System receives $1.75M federal ARC grant
The Alabama Community College System has been awarded an Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC) grant in the amount of $1,750,000, U.S. Senator Richard Shelby announced Thursday. This grant funding is a part of the Alabama Skills Training to Support Real Opportunities for New Growth (STRONG) project, which will target the coal-impacted communities in 10 counties in the state of Alabama. “Promoting workforce development is vital to the overall growth and development of our state,” said Shelby. “This ARC grant will provide opportunity for students interested in entering Alabama’s advanced manufacturing industry while also allowing businesses throughout our state to have increased access to a highly skilled workforce. I look forward to continuing to work with ARC and the Alabama Community College System to promote education and economic advancements.” The STRONG project seeks to increase awareness about the current and future job opportunities available in the advanced manufacturing sector, a growing part of the regional economy. It will provide students and workers with life skills, remedial education, and cutting-edge technical skills and training to prepare them for either additional postsecondary education or direct placement into high-wage and high-demand careers available in our state’s advanced manufacturing industry. Individual courses will be offered through Bevill State, Jefferson State, Lawson State, and Shelton State Community Colleges. The project will provide residents with the benefit of working in advanced manufacturing, and it will serve close to 4,200 participants and their families directly with critical life and technical skills gap training, new job opportunities, and access to vital social and financial services. The grant ensures at least 2,101 workers and trainees along with 976 students will obtain new or enhanced positions, 1,132 jobs will be retained, seven new jobs will be created and six new programs will be implemented. Overall, there will be 77 participating businesses involved in this project.
Alabama community college tuition increasing $10 per credit hour
Alabama community colleges will be raising tuition and fees starting this fall. The Alabama Community College System (ACCS) board of trustees on Wednesday unanimously approved a $10-per-credit-hour increase, scheduled to go into effect for the 2018-2019 school year. The increase will bring the average cost of tuition and fees up to $153 per credit hour. “As we move forward, making significant changes and looking to the future of the community college system, there are a number of things we need to address: safety, technology, facilities,” said System Chancellor Jimmy Baker. More than 80,000 students are enrolled within the state’s two-year college system, and the increase is expected to generate approximately $14 million. ACCS officials says half of the increased revenue will be divided among the 25 community and technical colleges across the state, and the other half will be used for general statewide college support. Last year, ACCS increased tuition 1.4 percent.
Steve Flowers: An exciting time for Alabama community Colleges
In March of this year, the Alabama Community College System took a giant leap forward when it brought on a giant in state government and one of Alabama’s preeminent leaders, Jimmy Baker, to be Chancellor. When you have a conversation with Chancellor Baker, he uses words that you do not normally hear in the same sentence, like exciting and community college. He says it is an exciting time. For a myriad of reasons, across the state, community colleges and technical training have been viewed as second best when it comes to higher education options. Sit down with Chancellor Baker and you will leave convinced that Alabama’s community colleges can do more to move the state forward than any other entity in the state. For an institution that in the past had a history of caring a lot about buildings, he is singularly focused on doing what is in the best interest of students. To him, that means an open door policy at every college across the system. Anyone looking to better themselves should be able to walk in the door and find opportunity at their local community college. For some that opportunity looks like core academic coursework to transfer to a four-year or advanced degree at a fraction of the cost. For others that means stackable credentials and skills training to leave the classroom and step directly into a career. It could also mean general literacy and workforce skills or specific job training for a specific industry. The paths are as varied as the student population, which ranges from high school students participating in dual enrollment classes to adult learners who are seeking to advance their careers and everything in between. The Alabama Community College System consists of 24 community and technical colleges residing in each of the state’s urban centers as well as rural locales across the state. Additionally, extensive workforce development training for Alabama business and industry through the Alabama Technology Network also resides within the system. Baker argues that the system’s reach across the state and each college’s connection with their local community makes them the most adaptable, allowing each college to made adjustments based on the needs of their service area. Imagine if this were the case in every community: a new auto manufacturer announces 200 jobs in Anytown, Alabama and the local Anytown Community College is already working to adapt courses and training to ensure the workforce is ready. Anyone familiar with Alabama realizes the dramatic change in the economy over the past half-century. Entire industries have disappeared, replaced with new technology based careers requiring a different knowledge base. The System is committed to being part of the solution. Baker knows that means being honest with students about opportunities that are available and the education, skills, and training needed to secure them. The Alabama Department of Labor estimates that there are more than 14,000 industrial manufacturing and transportation job openings each year. The Alabama Community College System is addressing the issue head-on by partnering with the state to provide two certification programs that upon completion translate into a job in manufacturing or production. Alabama is the first state in the nation to roll out these certifications statewide. The System also made headlines when it was selected as one of only six community colleges systems in the entire country by Apple, Inc. to launch a new app-development curriculum. Students who participate in the courses will learn coding and app development with Apple’s Swift programming language, preparing them for a wide variety of careers in our ever-increasing technology driven economy. While workforce training is a key mission of the ACCS, equal to its focus is to provide Alabama students with the academic coursework they need to be successful. A great number of students come to the community college to take coursework to prepare them to transition to a four-year institution. These students are receiving the same quality of coursework and instruction as they would at other institutions but with smaller class sizes and less cost. Over the past several years, thanks to support from the Alabama Legislature, dual enrollment has continued to expand across the state. Students can take courses and receive both high school and college credit. In many instances, scholarships or grant funds are provided so students are afforded this opportunity at no cost to them. Students who participate will not only graduate high school with college credits under their belt but they will also be more prepared for the rigors of college having already experienced a college classroom. See you next week. ••• Steve Flowers is Alabama’s leading political columnist. His weekly column appears in over 60 Alabama newspapers. He served 16 years in the state legislature. Steve may be reached at www.steveflowers.us.
Alabama among worst-ranked community college systems in America
As high school students decide what they want to do after graduation — head straight to the workforce or continue their education — many students are opting for the more affordable two-year community college option as an accessible path forward to the future of their dreams. During the 2016 to 2017 academic year, tuition and fees for full-time, in-state enrollment at a public two-year college averaged $1,760 per semester versus $4,825 at a public four-year institution and $16,740 at a four-year private school. Based on those rates, students who earn their general-education credits at a community college before transferring to an in-state public four-year university would save $12,260 over two years on tuition and fees alone. Nevertheless, according to a new study by personal finance website WalletHub, Alabama is among the worst states in the nation to get a two-year degree when it comes to getting the best education at the cheapest rate. The study, 2017’s States with the Best & Worst Community-College Systems, named Alabama as the 36th lowest-ranked community college system in the country out of 44 states. To determine where students can receive the best education at the lowest price, WalletHub’s analysts compared more than 700 community colleges across 14 key indicators of cost and quality. Here’s a look at how some of Alabama’s community colleges rank among the 728 ranked community colleges across the country: Northeast Alabama Community College: 138 H Councill Trenholm State Technical College: 271 George C Wallace State Community College-Dothan: 294 George C Wallace State Community College-Selma: 340 Jefferson Davis Community College: 362 George C Wallace State Community College-Hanceville: 377 Jefferson State Community College: 379 Northwest-Shoals Community College: 403 Central Alabama Community College: 463 James H Faulkner State Community College: 484 Enterprise State Community College: 543 Lurleen B Wallace Community College: 546 Snead State Community College: 554 Chattahoochee Valley Community College: 564 Gadsden State Community College: 593 Alabama Southern Community College: 624 Bevill State Community College: 642 Bishop State Community College: 703 Lawson State Community College-Birmingham Campus: 708 Shelton State Community College: 709 J F Drake State Community and Technical College: 718 Here’s how Alabama compares to the rest of the country: Source: WalletHub
Alabama Community College System announces new testing partnership
Alabama Community College System (ACCS) Chancellor Jimmy Baker on Tuesday joined Alabama Peace Officers’ Standards and Training Commission (APOSTC) Executive Secretary Chief R. Alan Benefield to sign a resolution that makes the ACT WorkKeys assessment the official testing requirement for admission into APOSTC academies to become a Law Enforcement Officer or a State Correctional Officer. The WorkKeys assessment is currently offered at all of Alabama’s community colleges for workforce development program testing, and will now be the exclusive testing centers for APOSTC’s Basic Ability Test, or BAT. The assessments help measure workplace skills that can affect job performance. Unlike other assessments, they don’t simply give an indication of reading and writing competency. Instead, they measure a range of hard and soft skills relevant to any occupation, at any level, and across industries. Additionally, successful completion of WorkKeys assessments can lead to earning an National Career Readiness Certificate™ (NCRC®) — a credential that verifies foundational workplace skills. “It is an honor for the Alabama Community College System to partner with APOSTC and the men and women in uniform who do so much to protect us each and every day” said Baker. “This partnership will allow law enforcement agencies across the state to easily schedule assessments at our local community colleges, and will provide them with better qualified officers who have the basic skills they need to succeed.” In 2014, APOSTC adopted the BAT as an additional educational requirement for Law Enforcement and Correctional Officer academy applicants to better determine educational aptitude which had become more difficult due to the increase in different types of high school diplomas. After several years of research into best practices in other states, APOSTC determined that the ACT WorkKeys assessment through Alabama’s community colleges was the easiest and most cost-effective method to establish a minimum educational base line that would demonstrate an applicant’s ability to successfully complete the law enforcement and correctional training academies. “The Alabama Peace Officers’ Standards and Training Commission extends our thanks and gratitude to Chancellor Baker and the many individuals within ACCS that made this agreement possible” added Benefield. “This partnership allows applicants to take his or her BAT at any of the 24 community colleges across Alabama, which are conveniently located to all law enforcement agencies in the state.” The ACT WorkKeys assessment is comprised of three skill areas: Applied Math, Graphic Literacy, and Workplace Documents (understanding memos, notices, policies, and other written text). While WorkKeys testing schedules may vary from college to college, pricing will be standard among all colleges: $45 for all three skill area sections or $15 for each individual section.
Tuition to increase for Alabama Community College System students
Students attending Alabama’s 25 two-year colleges will see tuition rise 1.4 percent in the upcoming academic year. The Alabama Community College System‘s board of trustees approved tuition rates per credit hour to increase $2 to $119 for Alabama residents and $234 for nonresidents. Students at Marion Military Institute and the Alabama Technology Network will not be affected by the tuition increase. Trustee chairman Al Thompson called the rate hike “modest” saying it’s part of an annual adjustment first established by the Alabama Board of Education. More than 83,000 students are enrolled within the state’s two-year college system.
Del Marsh, Arthur Orr seek accountability for higher education spending
Facing a perennial budget shortfall, the Alabama Legislature is forced to consider how to best spend each and every hard-earned taxpayer-dollar each year. Which is exactly why Anniston-Republican Sen. Del Marsh and Decatur-Republican Sen. Arthur Orr submitted a plan in the Alabama Legislature that seeks to establish greater accountability for the state’s higher education spending by creating the Alabama Community College Council on Outcome-Based Funding. The council would be tasked with rethinking the current postsecondary funding model and create a plan to shift to outcome-based funding for Alabama’s community colleges. Like many state across the country, Alabama currently allocates funds on the basis of enrollment, which by-and-large ensures equitable distribution of per-student spending across institutions. Essentially, dollars follow students high school to higher education. But the current system doesn’t always take in account whether or not students complete their college courses, transfer to other institutions, or even graduate. Which is why Marsh and Orr are hoping to change the system to one where dollars don’t simply follow students, but rather they follow successful students, by shifting the funding to what educators call an outcome-based or performance-based system. Switching to an outcome-based system, endeavors to ensure taxpayer investments yield the best possible returns as they incentivize not only college access, but also college completion “The goal here is to bring more accountability to taxpayer dollars that are spent by higher education institutions,” Orr remarked. “The Legislature appropriates over $1.5 billion annually to Alabama’s colleges and universities, and we need a mechanism for rewarding those institutions that are providing great value to Alabama’s students.” According to the plan set forth — Senate Joint Resolution 85 — an advisory council will develop a specific outcome-based funding model for the allocation of Education Trust Fund appropriations to publicly-supported community and technical colleges in Alabama. “Making government more accountable to the taxpayers is a top priority of the Alabama Legislature,” Marsh said. “We are committed to making any changes necessary in order to achieve that goal.” Alabama isn’t the only state looking to make a change. Across the country, other budget-strapped states have been forced to carefully consider how their limited dollars are spent on higher education. Currently, thirty-two states — including neighbor-states Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee — now use, or are in the process of transitioning to performance-based formulas to determine higher education spending. “Historically, many colleges have received state funding based on how many full-time equivalent students are enrolled at the beginning of the semester,” said the National Conference of State Legislatures. This model provides incentives for colleges to enroll students and thus provide access to postsecondary education, but this model does not necessarily provide incentives for institutions to help students successfully complete degree programs. Many states are reconsidering the enrollment-based funding model and instead are aligning funding models with state goals and priorities.” Pending what the advisory council puts together, Alabama could be poised to join them soon. A shift in process could not only help the state’s ongoing budget crisis, but also bolster state’s higher education graduation rate. Only 23.5 percent of Alabamians between the ages of 25 and 64 have an associate’s degree or better. In comparison, 40.4 percent of Americans in the same demographic do, according to the U.S. Census Bureau’s 2011-2015 data. “This process is in line with our vision of providing all Alabamians with an affordable pathway to succeed through quality education and training,” said Jimmy Baker, Chancellor of the Alabama Community College System. “We look forward to working with the Legislature to create a funding model that ensures we are accountable with every dollar provided to us and shows the successes of our students.” According to SJR85, “the advisory council shall report its findings, conclusions, and recommendations to the Governor, the Chair of the House Ways and Means Education Committee, and the Chair of the Senate Finance and Taxation Education Committee not later than January 1, 2018” to be considered during the 2018 Legislative Session.
State’s 2-year colleges, 4-year universities sign agreement letting students move in ‘reverse’
After graduating high school, many students use a community college or another two-year college as a stepping-stone to a four-year college and a bachelor’s degree. Sometimes, after actually transferring to a four-year school, those same students find life gets in the way and they have to leave school before they have the chance to finish the degree, with nothing to show for their hard work except a headache and student loans. But educators in Alabama have a solution to help give credit to these students where credit is due. Officials of the Alabama Community College System (ACCS), public universities across the state, and Huntingdon College gathered Wednesday to announce a new agreement that will allow students to transfer credits from four-year institutions back to a two-year institution in order to complete a degree. “Many people understand that you can take courses at community colleges, transfer those credits to a university, and apply them toward a four-year degree,” said Jimmy Baker, acting chancellor of the ACCS. “Our new agreement makes it possible for students to transfer credits in the other direction, too, helping them to attain a recognized credential they can use in the workplace or as they further their education.” Commonly known as “reverse transfers” this process has been, theoretically, possible for several years at some institutions, but technical difficulties often got in the way. The new agreement was reached with support of the National Student Clearinghouse to ensure a seamless transition for students wishing to go back to community college to complete an associate’s degree. “This agreement exemplifies the way that Alabama’s educational institutions can work together for the greater good,” said Lineville-Republican Sen. Gerald Dial. “It demonstrates our collective commitment to giving our students every opportunity to succeed.” In helping students get degrees from two-year colleges, the reverse transfer agreement will improve completion rates, which is a major objective at all levels of education. Presidents and/or designees from all of the institutions in the Alabama Community College System, every public four-year university, and Huntingdon College signed the agreement. To be eligible for a reverse transfer, students must have earned at least 25 percent of the credits they need for a degree from a community college and have earned at least three semester hours from the four-year institution as part of the overall associate degree requirements.
Merger of 3 east Alabama community colleges postponed
Officials say the proposed merger of three two-year colleges in eastern Alabama is being postponed indefinitely. The Opelika-Auburn News reports the decision was announced Thursday on conference calls for workers at Southern Union State Community College, Chattahoochee Valley Community College and Central Alabama Community College. The interim president at Southern Union, Glenda Colagross, told workers the timing isn’t right for a merger. The presidents of the other two schools made similar announcements. No detailed reason was given for the decision. Trustees of the Alabama Community College System approved the consolidations last year, but the merger already has been delayed once before. The newspaper reports a planned merger involving four south Alabama community colleges is moving ahead. Those include Faulkner State, Reid State, Jefferson Davis and Alabama Southern. Republished with permission of The Associated Press.
Alabama community colleges to seek funding hike
An electronics instructor at Northwest-Shoals Community College recently retired. One of his former students who works in private industry in Huntsville applied for the teaching position. “He would have had to take a $50,000 pay cut,” Northwest-Shoals President Humphrey Lee said. The man didn’t take the job and the school has “put a patch on” the position, getting other instructors to fill in until, hopefully, more money is available. Struggles to recruit and keep instructors for high-tech programs were highlighted in last week’s Alabama Community College System’s board meeting. It’s also part of the reason why the board is asking for a nearly 25 percent increase in funding in 2017. “We are literally losing our faculty members at two or three a month because they can go to (private industry) at $30,000 or $40,000 a year more,” said Mark Heinrich, chancellor of the 25-school system. Klauber said finding welding instructors is a challenge. “You’re never going to be able to keep up with what some of the top-end welders make (in the private sector),” he said. “But we at least need to be competitive enough to make the argument that it’s worth it to teach. “At this point, I can’t even make that argument.” Because salaries are based on a state-set scale, individual colleges don’t have the flexibility to pay instructors more. The Alabama Community College System board approved a request for $428.6 million in state funding for the next fiscal year. Lawmakers begin the 2016 Legislative session and budget-making process Feb. 2. The board is requesting: $2 million to “provide supplements to instructors in high-wage, high-demand technical fields of study to aid in recruitment and retention.” $1.5 million for increased health and retirement benefits costs. $35.8 million to initiate a 10 percent cost-of-living adjustment, including associated fringe benefits. $50 million for facility renovations and upgrades to instructional equipment. Community college faculty and staff haven’t received a cost-of-living raise since 2007, Heinrich said. “We’re just not very competitive anymore, and we desperately need a correction on that,” he said. Lee said in some cases, K-12 salaries are higher than what community colleges offer. While officials do expect there to be more money available for education in the 2017 budget, it will be divided between community colleges, K-12 and four-year universities. Sen. Trip Pittman, R-Daphne, who is switching from chairing the Senate Education Budget committee to the General Fund committee, called the 25 percent funding increase “optimistic,” and said agencies often ask for more than they know they’ll receive. About possible cost-of-living raises, Pittman said lawmakers will find out during the session if those are possible for educators in the state. “If there is one, I think the two-year schools should be a part of it,” he said. They weren’t included in the most recent raise for K-12 teachers. Lee said the colleges must lay out their needs, which also include repairs for buildings that are more than 50 years old. “What’s the saying, ‘You have not because you ask not.’ So, we’re asking,” Lee said. Republished with permission of the Associated Press.
Alabama legislative week in review: May 26-28
The 26th legislative day ended with reports from House and Senate lawmakers that an August Special Session is likely in order to finish discussions on overcoming the states short-term and long-term budget shortfalls. Agenda items before lawmakers in August could include Senate President Pro Tem Del Marsh’s lottery and gaming proposal, various measures to increase state revenue, and a controversial proposal from Sen. Gerald Dial to eliminate earmarks and unify the education and general fund budgets. At a public hearing on Wednesday, agency chiefs outlined a list of horrible outcomes — from prison closures to shortages in mental health services — should the austere general fund budget come to fruition. Despite those concerns, lawmakers gave the budget proposal a favorable report by a vote of 13-0, moving the stripped-down budget closer to reality. Here is a quick week in review going through all of the major headlines from this week’s legislative agenda: Alabama lawmakers offered a final unanimous vote on a bill that would allow physicians to prescribe terminally ill patients promising, but unapproved medical treatments. House Bill 463, known as the Right to Try Act, allows doctors caring for people with terminal illnesses to prescribe medications that the Food and Drug Administration has deemed promising, but not yet ready for mass consumption. Thursday’s vote makes Alabama one of at least 12 states that have passed right to try legislation this year. • • • The Alabama House passed a bill to establish integrated care networks to allow more Medicaid recipients to stay in their homes instead of nursing homes. • • • The House also voted 68-26 to expand the Alabama Accountability Act and tighten restrictions on scholarships and the groups that distribute them.’ • • • Gov. Robert Bentley appointed the state’s first commission to oversee Alabama’s 25 community and technical colleges. Lawmakers say the eight-member commission will help schools to focus on developing more specialized training programs and preparing entry-level employees to meet growing workforce demands. • • • The House Judiciary committee offered a favorable report on House Bill 657, to ban employment discrimination on the basis of “immutable” characteristics that do not effect job performance. Bill sponsor Rep. Mike Ball said that the measure would protect differences in gender expression, gender identity and sexual orientation. The following day, lawmakers blocked House Bill 615, Rep. Chris England’s proposal to establish civil rights protections against any discrimination based on sexual orientation, gender identity, or familiar status.
Robert Bentley swears in new board for 2-year colleges
Gov. Robert Bentley has appointed the state’s first commission to oversee Alabama’s 25 community and technical colleges. Senate Bill 191, sponsored by Sen. Trip Pittman was signed into law in early May. During floor debate, Rep. Steve McMillan, who carried the bill in the House of Representatives, said that the shift would help the schools to focus on developing more specialized training programs and preparing entry-level employees to meet growing workforce demands. The state board of education had been responsible for community colleges, junior colleges, technical colleges, and trade schools. The group was not in favor of the legislation, calling it a “power grab” by Alabama lawmakers. Mary Scott Hunter, member of the state board, will serve as a nonvoting member of the commission and a liaison between the community college system and the BOE. Bentley swore in the new commission in a ceremony at the Capitol on Wednesday. The eight-member committee has already been sworn in by the Senate. Al Thompson III, representing Alabama Congressional District 1 Ron Fantroy, representing Alabama Congressional District 2 Susan Blythe Foy, representing Alabama Congressional District 3 J. Frank Caldwell, representing Alabama Congressional District 4 Crystal Brown, representing Alabama Congressional District 5 Milton Davis, representing Alabama Congressional District 6 Chuck Smith, representing Alabama Congressional District 7 Blake McAnally, representing the at-large position
