College Life

Introduction

Community-colleges are praised by many people for the commitment they have in serving low-income populations and minorities and also for their open policy. According to the report, “Reclaiming the American Dream: Community Colleges and the Nations Future, less than half of the students who enter a community college graduate or transfer to a four year college within six years”. this paper will discuss college life and its importance to students.

The primacy of America in the rates of college graduation has remained unchallenged for a long time but is now under siege by the fast-overtaking competitors mainly from foreign countries. It was reported that the success rates in community-colleges has eventually become unacceptably low, there is frequent dropping of handoffs between high schools, community colleges, and baccalaureate institutions. After dominating college completion rates for students aged between 25-34 -year-olds, the United States has now dropped and currently ranks at 16^th in the world. The challenge lurking ahead is that almost 2/3 of jobs in America will require either a postsecondary, baccalaureate or associate degree. If 20 million workers with postsecondary education certificates are added in the coming 15 years, then there will be a decline in income inequality that is becoming a phenomenon in the current American economy hence reversing middle class decline.

As a response to this concern, which signals that the American dream is imperiled, the college leaders were called upon to undertake transforming measures in their institutions which will suit the needs of students and the economy in the 21^st century. Currently, community-colleges are not are not even close to performing the tasks they are required to. The report indicated that although there has been success and growth of community-colleges, this has not been proportional to the number of graduating students since so many of them don’t graduate. Even after graduating the students don’t adequately prepare for to fit into the job market. The transformations needed in these institutions must constitute designing their institutions afresh, the mission of the given institution and the educational experiences of the students if at all the institution has to fully satisfy the needs of a dynamic society.

One of the reforms expected in American institutions is to assist their managers to half the number of students who are come into college not prepared for the rigorous work befitting college-level learning. In addition, it is recommended that practices and policies be established that can promote rigor, accountability and transparency for this is the sure way of achieving better results in college. To achieve these goals, the AACC intends to initiate a 21st Century Center that will ensure that the two-year colleges are provided with “leadership development strategic planning, and research and thus helping them to achieve their dreams. These are some of the recommendations forwarded by education-policy experts, committee of college presidents and nonprofit groups’ leaders (González, n.p).

Reclaiming the dream of America will require a determination to produce a population that is highly educated since such is fundamental to a vibrant democracy and growth in economy. In summary, it was suggested that the educational experiences of the students be redesigned, the strategies on how to go about redesigning the experiences be implemented, the students be taught what they are interested, when and how they need to learn it, protocols and venues be introduced so that the governing boards, faculty leaders, college presidents and partners be engaged in necessary discussions and decisions, consortia and partnerships be created for the support and development of student data and other systems, private and public investments have to be targeted to strategically create incentives for educational institutions,  finally, practices and policies efficient in promoting rigor accountability and transparence be implemented (Bumphus, n.p).

Conclusion

The former glory of community-colleges in America has waned and the United States has now dropped in rank. A report compiled indicated that so many students admitted into these colleges don’t graduate. The college leaders have to ensure transformations that will reclaim this image and hence the American dream is implemented. It was therefore recommended that practices and policies efficient in promoting rigor accountability and transparence be implemented.