Obama and the Community Colleges

Obama and the community colleges

The Obama administration comes to power in perilous times. To deal with the economic crisis, Obama has promised an economic stimulus package that could top $775 billion to boost the economy. How will community colleges benefit from that funding? More specifically, will CCs receive more or less than 4-year universities?

With three-quarters of a trillion dollars being doled out, CCs will certain get something in the stimulus. But CCs aren’t alone in demanding a slice of the economic stimulus package: banks, auto makers, roads and bridges, health care, K-12 education, etc. The question is, what support does Obama believe CCs deserve during the current economic downturn? And how much will CCs receive vis-à-vis 4-year universities?

The stimulus package will cast Obama’s higher-ed priorities into sharp relief. Because CCs and universities educate approximately the same number of students, an equal payout between CCs and universities would indicate no preference between the two.

However, during the economic downturn many voices in the press are calling for extra consideration for CCs: USA Today, Leader-Call, and Canada’s Burnaby Now. Their arguments revolve around the fact that unemployed workers are best served by retraining for new careers, and CCs are the best place for that training. I concur.

Obama’s campaign documents proposed the “Community College Partnership Program” (see Community College Times and American Assn. for Community Colleges for a reviews of Obama’s campaign promises. Also, Obama's own campaign propaganda see page 11).

The CCPP is vague, at least in documents I’ve found. It proposes support for: (a) analysis of local industry needs (b) programs for “emerging industry and technical career demands” and (c) “rewards” for increasing degree attainment. All these are fine ideas, but much too vague to be of real value. Furthermore, on the President Elect’s website, he makes no mention of the Community College Partnership Program.

At any rate, we won’t have to wait long for our first indication of President Obama’s support for community colleges. His stimulus package will be waiting on his desk on day one.