Donna Carney

EDLD 8434: The Community College

Spring Semester 2015
ABSTRACT CRITIQUE
Topic: Student Loan Defaults
Source Title:
Author(s)/Editor(s): Roberto Gutierrez
Chapter/Article Title: Fixing the unintended perils of student loan default
rates
Journal/Book/Publication Title: ccdaily.com
Publisher:
Volume/Issue:
Date: April 17, 2014
Page(s):
Website: http://www.ccdaily.com/Pages/Sustainability/Fixing-the-unintendedperils-of-default-rates.aspx
Material Presented:
This article discusses the problems community colleges are facing with elevated
student loan default rates. Klamath Community College (KCC) in Oregon received a
default rate of 29.9% in 2011. KCC is happy with that rate. Their loan default rates were
higher in previous years. KCC implemented various measures in an attempt to prevent
student loan defaults.
Community colleges saw increases in enrollment due to the recession. The
student loan default rates increased because so many of the new students were
unprepared academically for college. Many of the students withdrew without completing
programs. Since the students did not complete their programs, they were unable to get
jobs to repay their student loans.
Community colleges are weathering the impact of the economic recession because
they enroll and serve students from all walks of life. Community colleges must be able to
maintain the ability to disburse federal financial aid to their students.

Donna Carney
EDLD 8434: The Community College
Spring Semester 2015
ABSTRACT CRITIQUE
Topic: Community College Transformation
Source Title:
Author(s)/Editor(s): Katherine Mangan
Chapter/Article Title: Community-College Association Issues Guide to
Transform the Sector
Journal/Book/Publication Title: The Chronicle of Higher Education
Publisher:
Volume/Issue:
Date: April 7, 2014
Page(s):
Website: http://www.chronicle.com/article/Community-College-Association/145795/
Material Presented:
At the annual meeting of the American Association of Community Colleges, a
guide was provided to attendees which outlines strategies to improve completion rates by
the year 2020. Five years ago, President Obama called on community colleges to
increase the number of graduates by five million by 2020.
Community colleges have students that enroll but never complete programs. The
colleges are going to have to pull the students in and assist them by proper advisement
and by paying attention so they can graduate. Technology is the key to strengthening
advising and curricula for the community college and K-12 school system.
The guide lists the associations goals to increase completion rates by 50% by
2020. One of the goals is to improve students readiness for college. The American skills
gap must be closed so students can be prepared for an occupation. Well-defined
pathways to teach skills for jobs must be made. Community colleges will have to refocus
their mission statements. Partnerships will need to be built with other colleges and nonprofit groups. We must continue to seek creative ways to diversify streams of revenue.
This process will be expensive and difficult. It must be done even though
community colleges are continuing to see financial support pulled away by federal and
state governments. The community colleges are going to have to find better ways to
serve the students.

Donna Carney
EDLD 8434: The Community College
Spring Semester 2015
ABSTRACT CRITIQUE
Topic: Developmental Education
Source Title:
Author(s)/Editor(s): Pamela Lau
Chapter/Article Title: League for Innovation in the Community College
Journal/Book/Publication Title: Community College Journal
Publisher:
Volume/Issue: Vol. 17. No. 3
Date: March 2014
Page(s):
Website: http://www.league.org/blog/post.cfm/developmental-education-relevantor-relic
Material Presented:
President Obama has called for an additional five million graduates of community
colleges by the year 2020. We are facing a troubling challenge for producing these
graduates. Many students cannot produce the needed placement test scores for
community colleges and place in the remedial range. Students coming out of high school
are not prepared for the academic world of college. Many students begin college in
remedial classes but never cross the bridge to become a successful college graduate. It
seems as though placing remedial students in noncredit courses is a huge stumbling block
on the road to college success. The cost of remediation is high and especially troubling
because the skills the students lack should have been taught/learned in high school.
Remedial education is not going away. The mission of open-access held by
community colleges will make us continue with some form of developmental education.
Developmental education should focus on building learning skills that will be
transferrable to ones occupational field. We must engage remedial students and not
discourage them from attending our community colleges.