Community Colleges

Community Colleges Two year post-secondary institutions which offer Associate of Arts, Science, Commerce, Applied Arts and Certificate/Diploma Programmes. Internationally also known as ‘technical colleges’, ‘junior colleges’, ‘fachhochschulea’ or folk-high schools ‘workers-colleges’ and ‘short-cycle institutions’. U.K.: Foundation Degree Programmes since 2001.

Why an alternate system? Serve all segments of society through an open- access admissions policy. To serve as a community-based institution of higher education. Teaching focussed on skill development. Provision for vertical mobility. Lifelong learning to have an educated workforce.

International Trends U.S. : Number of Colleges: 1,195 Enrollment: Total: 11.5 million, Enrolled full time: 41%, Enrolled part time: 59% Canada : 150, Enrollment – 900,000 full time; 1.5 million part-time Hong Kong: From 2001 all Universities in Hong Kong are offering Associate Degree Programmes

Who attends community colleges? Average age around 25. Women comprise 60 percent of the student body. 39 percent of the students are first-generation learners. Minorities comprise 35 percent of community college students. 27 percent of community college students are employed full time and 50 percent are employed part time. 47 percent of community college students receive financial aid.

What is popular? Business, Accounting, Registered Nursing, Agriculture, Law, and Computer Technologies. Health care: 59 percent of new nurses and the majority of other new health care workers are educated at community colleges. Homeland security: Close to 80 percent of fire fighters, law enforcement officers are credentialed at community colleges. Workforce training: 95 percent of businesses and organizations that employ community college graduates recommend community college workforce education and training programs. Examples:

Why Community Colleges in India? Reaping demographic dividend - largest youth population. Only 5% of Indian labour force in the age group of have obtained vocational skills through formal means. (Industrialised countries 60-96%) Only 2.5 million vocational training seats are available where as 12.8 million enter the labour market every year. Largest share of new jobs likely to come from the un- organized sector which employs upto 93% of the national workforce.

Discussions in India National Policy on Education and Program of Action In 90’s UGC delegation of VC’s and Principal’s to U.S. to study the CC system Seminars organised by USEFI in India with VC’s, CII and other national bodies Delegation of 12 U.S. CC heads in India to meet educationists and academics. 10 th and 11 th Plan documents, Planning Commission and National Knowledge Commission

National Knowledge Commission “….. the possibility of having affiliated colleges which can be remodeled as community colleges. Provide both vocational education through two-year courses and formal education through three-year courses. Promote job-oriented, work-related, skill-based and life- coping education. A unique opportunity to provide holistic education and eligibility for employment to the disadvantaged”. ( Reference: National Knowledge Commission Note on Higher Education, 29 th November 2006).

State Government Initiatives Tamil Nadu Government G.O providing financial assistance for establishment of community colleges – Scholarships – Affiliation to TNOU – Recognition and vertical mobility into all T.N. universities Indian Centre for Research and Development of Community Education and MS University, Tirunelveli Haryana Government’s proposal to establish community colleges

IGNOU’s USP Provision to mainstream 10 th class drop outs- Bachelor’s Preparatory Program (BPP) Strong backbone of interactions with panchayat, district, state, national, governmental and non-governmental institutions. Large repository of courses in SLM – programme structures can be easily contextualised by CC’s if required. Extensive network of Work Centres to be leveraged for practical/applied component Flexibility and diversity – scope for lateral and vertical mobility.

Our Approach Invited Expression of Interest – more than 700 responded. National Interface Meeting in New Delhi – 400 participants. Regional Meetings. Credible NGO’s, Public and Private Bodies, Corporate Bodies short-listed. Regulations – Community College Board, Academic Committee, Examination Committee already framed. Curriculum development and transaction – Community Colleges responsibility - Examination and Certification – IGNOU.

Programme Structure Certificate and Diploma, Associate Degree programmes; full-time or part-time,. Exclusively face-to-face, on-line, blended. Mandatory apprenticeship. First year foundation courses 32 credits per semester, second year application oriented courses 32 credits per semester. Mobility into 3 rd Year as entry into workforce.

Challenges Public funding of the Scheme. Academic pathways - transfer of students to third year in other universities. Quality Assurance – recruitment of faculty, standards in industry-based curriculum development. Avenues for technical and vocational teacher and trainer-training. Business / industry linkages including training contracts. Programmes to be rooted in communities – regional and local needs and then expand to “world communities”.

Opportunities Increased enrollment across different age groups. Feeder pool to graduation get widened. Drop-outs provided a new option. Linking vocational and higher education.

Legend Below 10 Between 10 to 50 Above 50 Indira Gandhi National Open University Applications Received from Community Colleges

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