Congress Passes Continuing Resolution, Adjourns till November

Last night, the Senate and House passed the continuing resolution which will fund the federal government till December 3rd. The new federal fiscal year is slated to begin on October 1st, but the continuing resolution will fund most programs at FY2010 levels. Although, the total funding provided in the resolution is $9 billion less than the total appropriated level in FY2010. After passing the continuing resolution, Congress adjourned until after the fall elections. Congress is scheduled to return for a lame-duck session starting on November 15th. Congress will need to move the appropriations bills to fund the federal government for the duration of the federal fiscal year. Read more!

Congress Readies Continuing Resolution; More White House Summit Details

This week, the Senate and House leaders are working to finalize a continuing resolution quickly in order to adjourn Congress until early December. The continuing resolution would fund the federal government at the FY2010 levels for most programs, but the overall funding level would be $9 billion than was allocated in FY2010. Currently, there is some discussion by Senate Republicans to delay the continuing resolution until sometime in February 2011, but congressional leaders are working to resolve the continuing resolution as soon as possible. It is unclear which date will be chosen. Congress was supposed to wrap up during the week of October 4, but there is major effort to end the session as soon as possible. As for the tax-extenders bill, it appears that with the shortened congressional schedule, Congress is putting off debate on the bill until after the election.

The White House recently released a media advisory for the White House Summit on Community Colleges, to be held on October 5, 2010. The event will begin at 12:15 p.m. and will likely end around 4 p.m. Eastern time. The opening plenary session and closing session of the Summit will be streamed LIVE on www.WhiteHouse.gov/live. Labor Secretary Hilda Solis, a former trustee at Rio Hondo Community College in California, and Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, a former student at Canton Junior College in Illinois (now Spoon River Community College), recently wrote about community colleges from their personal perspectives on the summit’s official website. ACCT encourages you to visit the summit website for more information. Please forward this information to your fellow trustees, presidents, and college communities to encourage participation in Tuesday's historic White House Summit on Community Colleges.

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Department of Commerce Funding Opportunities Announced

Today, the Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) and USDA’s Rural Utilities Service (RUS) announced the availability of $4.8 billion in American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) grants and loans to expand broadband opportunities. There are significant funding opportunities for community colleges within these grants. Below is the pertinent information for community colleges that was included in the department’s press release.

NTIA’s Broadband Technology Opportunities Program (BTOP)

NTIA’s NOFA allocates approximately $2.6 billion in this funding round of which approximately $2.35 billion will be made available for infrastructure projects. In this round, NTIA is adopting a “comprehensive communities” approach as its top priority in awarding infrastructure grants, focusing on middle mile broadband projects that connect key community anchor institutions – such as libraries, hospitals, community colleges, universities, and public safety institutions. Comprehensive Community Infrastructure projects maximize the benefits of BTOP by leveraging resources, promoting sustainable community growth, and ultimately laying the foundation for reasonably priced broadband service to consumers and businesses.

In addition, NTIA plans to award at least $150 million of the funding for Public Computer Center projects, which will expand access to broadband service and enhance broadband capacity at public libraries, community colleges, and other institutions that service the general public. NTIA also plans to award at least $100 million for Sustainable Broadband Adoption projects, which include projects to provide broadband education, training, and equipment, particularly to vulnerable population groups where broadband technology has traditionally been underutilized.

For more information, visit: http://www.ntia.doc.gov/frnotices/2010/FR_BTOPNOFA_100115.pdf

Or visit the Broadband Technology Opportunities Program website: http://www.ntia.doc.gov/broadbandgrants/ Read more!

ACCT President J. Noah Brown Featured in PARADE Magazine's "Intelligence Report"

ACCT is pleased to share with you that ACCT President and CEO J. Noah Brown was the featured interview for the "Intelligence Report" in the September 20, 2009 issue of PARADE magazine. You can find the interview on page 20 of the print magazine.

The interview, titled "Can Education Boost the Economy?," gives significant positive exposure to the mission and important contributions of community colleges to American higher education and our economy.

PARADE is circulated to 33 million households within the United States.

To read the full interview, go to http://www.parade.com/news/intelligence-report/archive/090920-can-education-boost-the-economy.html. Read more!

Commentary: Our community colleges are a national treasure by Dr. Jill Biden

Commentary: Our community colleges are a national treasure

By Jill Biden
Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune News Service

On Tuesday in Michigan, President Barack Obama announced an important national goal of 5 million additional community college graduates by the year 2020, and a landmark federal investment in community colleges to make it possible. It's a plan that makes sense, as I know firsthand.

I have been an educator for 28 years and I have taught in the community college system for more than 16 years. I don't have to look any further than my classroom to see the power of community colleges to change lives. My students enter the classroom from many different educational, economic and cultural backgrounds, but the community college system puts them on the same path of opportunity: It gives them a sense of confidence that they can achieve what they set out to achieve, and a marketable skill set that will enable them to do it. By supporting community colleges and their students around the country, this administration is expanding the future for millions of Americans.

In the United States there are almost 1,200 community colleges among our 4,100 public and private institutions of higher education. All together, community colleges serve 11.5 million students. As their name suggests, community colleges are uniquely able to address the needs of their communities. They are flexible, offering specialized training programs to address workforce shortages, and often partnering with local businesses to meet the emerging needs of their regions. That is why community colleges have seen the fastest growth among U.S. higher education institutions over the last three decades. The grants that President Obama announced Tuesday will allow community colleges to meet the needs of this rapidly growing enrollment by funding innovative programs that will increase graduation rates, make courses more relevant to business needs, and strengthen ties to high schools and other colleges and universities.

Obama's goal is for the United States to once again have the highest proportion of students graduating from college in the world by 2020 - and he's counting on community colleges to help make good on that promise. I know America's community colleges are up to the task. The grants he announced Tuesday will help these institutions renovate, modernize and expand campus facilities to serve additional students.

I have seen how community colleges fill important gaps, granting two-year degrees, teaching English to immigrants, providing vocational skills training and certification, and teaching basic academic skills to those who may not yet be ready to pursue a four-year degree. It's also hard to ignore the financial advantages: In today's challenging economy, community colleges are an increasingly affordable way for students from middle-class families to complete the first two years of a baccalaureate degree before moving on to a four-year university.
Community colleges typically have open admissions policies, providing training and learning opportunities for everyone who wants them. They are essential to our higher education mission, often providing access to a quality education for students who would otherwise not have that option.

Community colleges make so much sense for so many. From a policy perspective, they make sense; from an economic perspective, they make sense. But I am a teacher, and my experience with community colleges is personal. People sometimes ask me why I choose to teach at a community college, and why I have continued to teach since the presidential inauguration in January. There was never a doubt in my mind that I would keep teaching. The reason is simple: It's the students.

I have always said that my students are my heroes, and this is no exaggeration. I am profoundly moved by their determination to learn, and their quest to make a better life for themselves and their families. In my classes I find single parents who come to school in the evening, weary from a long day, yet eager to create a brighter future for their children. I find men and women who rush to class at the end of a busy work day. It's not easy - but they are determined to be the first in their family to attend college. I see recently unemployed workers who are looking for new skills in growing fields like health care, teaching, information technology and green technology. I see immigrants struggling to learn English who discover that America is indeed a land of opportunity; a place where education opens doors to what is possible.

And I am thrilled that this administration is investing in opening those doors even wider.

I have always said that community colleges are one of America's best-kept secrets - and we have a president who is supports their contribution, bringing more students to community colleges so that they can gain the skills and the confidence they need to succeed in a new era. I can't think of a better investment.

ABOUT THE WRITER

Jill Biden, who has a doctorate in education from the University of Delaware, teaches English at Northern Virginia Community College in Alexandria. She is the wife of Vice President Joe Biden.
This essay is available to McClatchy-Tribune News Service subscribers. McClatchy-Tribune did not subsidize the writing of this column; the opinions are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent the views of McClatchy-Tribune or its editors.© 2009, Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Information Services Read more!

White House to Make 'Major Announcement' on Community Colleges

June 18, 2009—Yesterday, during the Democratic Leadership Conference policy forum, White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel announced that in the coming weeks President Obama will make a major announcement on community colleges. Mr. Emanuel said that there will be a "rewriting of all legislation related to job training and vocational education, but most importantly in the area of community colleges." He said that "a lot of people, when we talk about education, talk about universities. What has been forgotten is how important the community-college system is to our economy, our ability to compete in a global economy. It is literally the conveyor belt to allow people to upgrade their skills when they are going from X job to Y career.

"As a former member of Congress who had two community colleges in his district," said Mr. Emanuel, "I cannot tell you how important this is. It has not gotten the attention of the four-year institutions, but as a competitive advantage to the U.S., the community-college system is essential. We're going to be outlining a system that is going to fund the growth of the community-college system."Mr. Emanuel commented on the importance of community colleges, including referencing his experience as a member of Congress and the two community colleges in his former district.

Mr. Emanuel noted that the President's announcement will outline "changes on what we can do for community colleges so we can achieve the goal of getting five million more children, five million more workers through the community college system than are expected over the next ten years." He also stated that the community colleges system "will be having major resource infusion, but also reforms and [the system will be] goals-driven as part of an overall economic strategy in the upgrading of American worker/employee skills..."

He said the focus on community colleges is "part of an upgrading of the economic strategy and the upgrading of American workers' skills."The reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act is on the horizon and would serve as a likely vehicle for these changes. ACCT's LAW E-Alerts and Inside the Beltway blog (http://communitycollegebeltwaynews.blogspot.com) will keep you informed of all developments related to President Obama's announcement as they happen. The audio of his speech can be found here: http://www.dlc.info/press/Policy_Forum_0609/Emanuel.mp3

In Congressional news, The House Republican Steering Committee selected Rep. John Kline (R-MN) to serve as the new Ranking Member on the House Education and Labor Committee.

The Education and Labor Committee will have the major task of dealing with the budget reconciliation, which allows for moving of the Pell Grant program to a mandatory program and merging of the Direct Lending program and Federal Family Education Loan program into a single program. Additionally, the committee will have to consider the reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act and the No Child Left Behind Act (Elementary and Secondary Education Act). Read more!

President Obama Highlights the Importance of Community Colleges

Today, President Barack Obama held a press conference to address the nation’s rising unemployment rate, which now stands at 8.9 percent, with 539,000 jobs lost in April of this year. At the conference, President Obama announced a significant change in the unemployment benefit rules, which stipulates that unemployed workers receiving unemployment benefits may qualify for education- and training-related financial aid.

Specifically, the Federal Pell Grant program can provide up to $5,350 for educational costs at community colleges, colleges and universities, and many trade and technical schools. "The idea here,” said President Obama, “is to fundamentally change our approach to unemployment in this country, so that it's no longer just a time to look for a new job, but is also a time to prepare yourself for a better job. That's what our unemployment system should be--not just a safety net, but a stepping stone to a new future." As part of this new plan, states will be encouraged to change rules that prevent the unemployed from enrolling in education or training courses because they are supposed to actively look for a job while taking government benefits.

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan and Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis have collaborated on the launch of a new website, http://www.opportunity.gov/, which provides the necessary information for unemployed workers about the array of financial opportunities open to them.

In other major news, President Obama announced that Dr. Jill Biden, a professor at Northern Virginia Community College and Second Lady of the United States, will “lead a national effort to raise awareness about what we're doing to open the doors to our community colleges.”

President Obama stated that “in the weeks to come, I will also lay out a fundamental rethinking of our job-training, vocational education, and community college programs. It's time to move beyond the idea that we need several different programs to address several different problems--we need one comprehensive policy that addresses our comprehensive challenges.”

To watch the President’s speech:
http://www.cspan.org/Watch/Media/2009/05/08/HP/R/18388/April+Unemployment+hits+89.aspx
Read a transcript of the President’s speech at:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Remarks-by-the-President-on-Job-Creation-and-Job-Training-5/8/09/

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Brookings Issues Federal Proposal to 'Transform' Community Colleges

Today, The Brookings Institution issued a federal proposal called “Transforming America’s Community Colleges: A Federal Policy Proposal to Expand Opportunity and Promote Economic Prosperity.” The proposal calls for the federal government to invest in community colleges and equip them for the 21st century. Brookings calls the plan a “long-overdue investment” that “should establish national goals and a related performance measurement system; provide resources to drive college performance toward those goals; stimulate greater innovation in community college policies and practices to enhance the quality of subbaccalaureate education; and support data systems to track student and institutional progress and performance.”

Joining in a chorus of others who have recently voiced their support for the value of community colleges, Brookings states that “the United States created an advantage over other countries by helping our citizens attain formal education, generating an able workforce and technological advancement,” in reference to the community college system. The Institution goes on to state:

Yet U.S. higher educational attainment, long considered a ladder to economic and social success, has stalled, and now reinforces inequalities between rich and poor America. Community colleges represent an affordable, accessible route for a wide income spectrum of students to access well-paying, high-demand jobs, as well as further education. But low degree completion rates at these institutions raise serious challenges for public policy efforts to achieve robust, broad-based economic growth.

Between 2000-2001 and 2005-2006 total enrollment in community colleges grew by 2.3 million students, more than in any other higher educational sector. The current economic downturn is spurring further increases. Yet community colleges receive less than one-third the level of direct federal government support as do public four-year colleges. This matters as economic research indicates that a relative decline in post-secondary funding diminishes degree completion. While all public colleges and universities rely on non-tuition revenue, community colleges depend disproportionately upon state and local governments, currently under severe budget pressure. Only the federal government has the capacity to raise expectations for community college performance and support the necessary investments to achieve those goals at a scale commensurate with the growing demands facing over 1,000 community colleges nationwide.

Brookings proposes “a new federal approach”:

The new administration and Congress should transform our community colleges into engines of opportunity and prosperity by targeting new investments to those colleges that succeed in helping their students succeed. To that end, the federal government should:

• Establish national postsecondary goals and create a performance measurement system to support the effective use of federal resources
• Double its current level of support in order to account for more than 10 percent of community colleges’ budgets, ultimately awarding threequarters of these funds based on colleges’ performance in meeting key goals around student credit, credential, and degree completion
• Stimulate instructional innovations and practices to increase the quality of community college education, by devoting half of the administration’s proposed $2.5 billion state-federal partnership fund to improve and evaluate practices enhancing sub-baccalaureate education
• Support the improvement of student data systems necessary to measure and
  track college student outcomes, guide funding, improve accountability, and promote continuous improvement in educational quality

For more information, read the policy brief or the full report from the Brookings Institution.

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