PROJECT BRIEF. RCCI Pilot Colleges Sample Strategies

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1 PROJECT BRIEF AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF COMMUNITY COLLEGES Rural Access AACC-PB-98-1 Rural Communiy College Iniiaive I. Access: Removing Barriers o Paricipaion Execuive Summary Ronald Eller, Rubén Marinez, Cynhia Pace, Michael Pavel, Hecor Garza, and Lynn Barne The Rural Communiy College Iniiaive (RCCI) is a decade-long commimen by he Ford Foundaion o communiy colleges in disressed rural areas of he Unied Saes. Through RCCI, he foundaion channels boh funds and echnical assisance o argeed communiy colleges o improve access and foser economic developmen. The RCCI approach includes redefining a college s concep of access. I mus mean more han he radiional open-door policy; especially in areas of high povery, access also should include planned, argeed oureach o communiy members who are hesian o approach he open door on heir own, or hose who have never considered i a all. Faced wih ou-migraion and sagnan or declining economies, rural communiies need everyone o conribue as fully as possible. By removing barriers o paricipaion in higher educaion in spie of financial and oher challenges and by creaing new awareness of opporuniies rural communiy colleges may become effecive caalyss for communiy revializaion. By offering programs ha enhance sudens opporuniies o succeed, colleges can help preven he open door from becoming a revolving one. RCCI Pilo Colleges Sample Sraegies Alabama Souhern Communiy College, Monroeville, Alabama Re-engineered developmenal sudies program o emphasize individual learning syles, and assigned senior faculy o each developmenal courses. Coahama Communiy College, Clarksdale, Mississippi Developed a menoring program o help a-risk sudens succeed; helped low-income aduls hrough ailored workforce raining. For Belknap College, Harlem, Monana Me local learning needs by helping ribal members sar and operae successful small businesses. For Peck Communiy College, Poplar, Monana Creaed a new family and communiy developmen cener o address family problems affecing educaional success. Hazard Communiy College, Hazard, Kenucky Buil parnerships wih primary and secondary schools o improve lieracy. Norhern New Mexico Communiy College, Espanola, New Mexico Buil parnerships wih corporaions and agencies o build an arisan daabase and a regional disance learning nework ha links he college s large rural service areas. Salish Kooenai College, Pablo, Monana Served more han 300 people, including 50 new businesses; developed programs in business managemen and Indian business enrepreneurship. Souheas Communiy College, Cumberland, Kenucky Developed a join college/communiy program for arisk eighh graders ha includes scholarships and menoring. Souhwes Texas Junior College, Uvalde, Texas Joined 21 school disrics and Texas A&M Universiy o creae a regional disance educaion nework. AACC 1

2 The naional demonsraion program began in 1995 wih nine RCCI pilo colleges ha received Ford Foundaion funding, along wih echnical assisance from MDC, Inc., a nonprofi organizaion specializing in workforce and economic developmen ha manages he iniiaive. This repor is he firs of four repors on he impac of RCCI involvemen, prepared by he projec s documenaion and assessmen eam. Conclusions are based upon hree years of field observaions, sie visis, inerviews, focus group discussions, and oher quaniaive and qualiaive daa colleced from he nine pilo colleges. Subsequen projec repors will cover economic developmen, eam building, and insiuional capaciy. Findings There are many sraegies for removing access barriers o possecondary educaion. Differing insiuional hisories, regional geographies, and local culures call for varied approaches o change. Local siuaions including local asses (naural, insiuional, culural, business) influence which sraegies migh be mos effecive. Four general approaches appeared o be effecive among he nine RCCI pilo colleges: parnerships for ransiion (working wih schools and businesses) alernaive delivery sysems (finding ways o reach remoe areas) academic suppor services (helping disadvanaged sudens succeed) holisic approaches o access (reaching ou o underserved groups) Alhough progress has been made among he nine pilo colleges in idenifying and implemening acion sraegies o broaden access, here are sill gaps and challenges ha canno be ignored. The processes of rehinking access and redefining insiuional missions are difficul ones. Several areas sill o be addressed include he following: insiuional culure (values, policies, pracices, aiudes) financial resources (realignmens, sae/federal funding, new resources) welfare reform (focus on work, suppor service needs, varying regulaions) gender issues (pracices, aiudes, expecaions, family issues) racial dynamics (hisorical relaionships, ideologies, power srucures, divisions of labor) The mos obvious conclusion o be drawn from he RCCI work on redefining access is ha local culural conex canno be overlooked. Wha works in one communiy may no work in anoher; differen srucures, relaionships, and expecaions affec he oucomes in each place. Sraegies o improve access o possecondary educaion mus look oward he communiy and he conex of ha place. Sraegies mus ake ino accoun faculy and adminisraive saff developmen along wih programs ha encourage sudens personal growh. Colleges mus srech beyond radiional roles and delivery sysems o address noneducaional issues ha affec a suden s abiliy o succeed in college. The mos effecive effors among he pilo colleges are moving from insiuionally based approaches o communiy-based ones. Resilien communiies creae resilien people wih invigoraed spiri. This AACC Projec Brief is based on a research repor prepared by he auhors, members of he Rural Communiy College Iniiaive Documenaion and Assessmen Team: Ronald Eller, direcor, Appalachia Cener, Universiy of Kenucky; Rubén Marinez, associae provos, Universiy of Souhern Colorado; Cynhia Pace, founder/senior parner, PACEMAKERS; Michael Pavel, assisan professor, Washingon Sae Universiy, Hecor Garza, vice presiden, Access and Equiy Programs, American Council on Educaion; and Lynn Barne, direcor, Academic, Suden, and Communiy Developmen, American Associaion of Communiy Colleges. 2 RCCI Access

3 The Rural Communiy College Iniiaive The nex cenury calls for he greaer uilizaion of echnology, lifelong learning, educaional flexibiliy, long erm planning, and communiy-based sraegies for growh. Communiy colleges are ideally siuaed o provide leadership o mee hese challenges. To help develop ha leadership in some of he mos disressed rural areas in he Unied Saes, he Ford Foundaion began he Rural Communiy College Iniiaive (RCCI) in The RCCI program is designed o help colleges in hose areas develop locally effecive pracices ha faciliae a ransformaion of he college and he communiy. Through RCCI, he Ford Foundaion encourages colleges o esablish susainable programs ha simulaneously (1) increase access o higher educaion for radiionally underserved and disadvanaged populaions and (2) foser economic developmen in rural areas. This repor looks a some of he bes of hose local pracices o increase access o higher educaion being employed by nine RCCI pilo insiuions. I provides general implicaions from hese projecs collecively. Conclusions are based upon hree years of field observaions, sie visis, inerviews, focus group discussions, and oher quaniaive and qualiaive daa. Paern of Decline in Rural Areas Throughou he 20 h cenury, rural America has sruggled o mainain a sandard of living commensurae wih ha of he res of he naion. Periods of economic growh in rural communiies ofen have been followed by decline, job loss, and ou-migraion. Agriculural mechanizaion, naural resource depleion, and echnological change have decreased he demand for rural labor, leaving many communiies dependen and poor. In he shadows of modern sunbel ciies of he Souh and booming ouris desinaions in he Wes and on Indian reservaions across he counry, here are pockes of rural poor who lack he educaion and job skills o succeed in he new economy of he 21 s cenury. Tradiionally, higher educaion has served as a pahway ou of povery. For mos of he 20 h cenury, public and privae scholarships provided opporuniies for a few alened young people o aend college or vocaional/echnical school ouside of heir rural communiies. Unforunaely, many of hese individuals did no reurn home afer graduaion o conribue permanenly o he local economy. Economically disressed counies Daa compiled by Appalachian Regional Commission, April, 1997 AACC 3

4 Today here are more han 600 rural communiy colleges, one in four serving disressed areas from Appalachia o he Mississippi Dela, from he Texas Mexico border o norhern New Mexico and he Indian reservaions of he Wes (MDC, 1996, Foreword). Open enrollmen sraegies on hese campuses have dramaically improved educaional access for many rural ciizens, ye he problem of rural decline coninues, especially in severely disressed areas ha have suffered hisorically he mos from he exploiaion of human and naural resources. The RCCI Challenge: Renewal for Rural America The Rural Communiy College Iniiaive combines he goals of access and economic developmen o creae innovaive approaches o rural communiy developmen ha aim o help rural people and heir communiies move oward prosperiy in he nex cenury. A he Alabama Souhern Communiy College PO Box 2000 Monroeville, AL Phone: 334/ John A. Johnson, Presiden Ken Hudson, RCCI Team Leader Coahoma Communiy College 3240 Friars Poin Road Clarksdale, MS Phone: 601/ Vivian Presley, Presiden John Mayo, RCCI Team Leader For Belknap College PO Box 159 Harlem, MT Phone: 406/ hp://polaris.nmclies.edu/eoc/fbc.hm Philip Shorman, Inerim Presiden Marcie Redbear, RCCI Team Leader For Peck Communiy College PO Box 398 Poplar, MT Phone: 406/ hp://polaris.nmclies.edu/eoc/wp.hm James E. Shanley, Presiden Margare Campbell, RCCI Team Leader Hazard Communiy College One Communiy College Drive Highway 15 Souh Hazard, KY Phone: 606/ G. Edward Hughes, Presiden Tom Cravens, RCCI Team Leader RCCI Pilo Colleges Norhern New Mexico Communiy College 1002 Norh Onae Sree Española, NM Phone: 505/ Sigfredo Maesas, Presiden Kahleen Gygi, RCCI Team Leader Salish Kooenai College Box 117 Pablo, MT Phone: 406/ Joseph McDonald, Presiden Michele Lansdowne, RCCI Team Leader Souheas Communiy College Souheas Communiy College 700 College Road Cumberland, KY Phone: 606/ W. Bruce Ayers, Presiden Roy Silver, RCCI Team Leader Paul Pra, RCCI Coordinaor Souhwes Texas Junior College 2401 Garner Field Road Uvalde, TX Phone: 210/ Billy Word, Presiden Michel Burchfield, RCCI Team Leader 4 RCCI Access

5 hear of his Iniiaive is he belief ha rural communiy colleges are ideally siuaed o lead heir regions along he road o economic renewal. Through RCCI planning insiues and implemenaion grans, he Ford Foundaion invied nine communiy colleges o hink broadly abou heir poenial as caalyss for regional developmen and o creae on heir campuses a climae for innovaion ha will spark local soluions (MDC 1996, 1). Wih echnical assisance from MDC, Inc., a nonprofi organizaion specializing in workforce and economic developmen ha manages RCCI, hese pilo colleges creaed college/communiy eams ha paricipaed in a Vision o Acion planning process and implemened a variey of communiy parnerships and local projecs. All were designed o improve access o higher educaion and job opporuniies, and o spur business developmen. Sysemaic self-assessmen of he college and is communiy was key o he RCCI sraegy. Wihin a conex of a naional communiy college movemen oward communiy-based educaion, he RCCI challenged each of hese insiuions o improve educaion and economic opporuniies by linking access wih economic developmen in ways ha would redefine pracices of he college and re-vialize he local communiy. The RCCI challenges rural colleges no only o build communiies hrough collaboraion and local parnerships bu also o bring hose radiionally lef ou of he sysem ino ha communiy. Redefining Access The issue of access o possecondary educaion has been an ongoing ineres among educaion praciioners, policymakers, and researchers. A prevailing heme is ha access is a principal characerisic of he American higher educaion sysem and a primary mission of communiy colleges, ye higher educaion remains elusive for various groups. More equiable opporuniies may be achieved by increasing he resources and enhancing he repuaions of communiy colleges and insiuions serving hisorically disadvanaged populaions. A he same ime, colleges mus aend o he socioculural and economic facors ha influence he educaional aspiraions of people, especially hose in communiies currenly offering lile hope for economic prosperiy for many of heir residens. Volumes of daa have been cied o illusrae he effec of possecondary educaion on an individual s prospecs in life. A variey of facors deermine who has access o ha educaion, including pre-college experiences, ineracions wih college represenaives, percepions of campus environmens and possecondary educaion, and percepions by college represenaives regarding heir communiy and heir posiion wihin he insiuion. The communiy college mission is based on he philosophy of open access o higher educaion, bu colleges serving disressed areas face special challenges geographic disances, poorly prepared sudens, weak economies, and inadequaely rained workforces. To reach hose who face hese special barriers o educaion and employmen, colleges may need o redefine he meaning of access, moving beyond radiional open-door sraegies o provide aggressive oureach and suppor services o he disadvanaged. There is need for acive aenion o several populaions ha are a risk (MDC 1996, 6). The RCCI challenges rural colleges no only o build communiies hrough collaboraion and local parnerships bu also o bring hose radiionally lef ou of he sysem ino ha communiy. For many ciizens of economically disressed rural areas, possecondary educaion has been an alien idea and college a forbidding insiuion (MDC 1996, 6). For colleges o serve hese a-risk and alienaed populaions, hey mus re-examine old assumpions, re-srucure delivery sysems, comprehend family and communiy problems, and aggressively reach ou in new and creaive ways. AACC 5

6 Effecive Local Pracices: Four Sraegies The diversiy of rural communiies belies any single soluion o he challenge of access. Differing insiuional hisories, regional geographies, and local culures call for varied approaches o change. The mos effecive sraegies for improving access in rural areas appear o be hose ha spring from he local conex and grow as a resul of local asses. RCCI pilo colleges have designed a variey of sraegies o improve access o educaion and employmen. These sraegies generally fall ino four caegories: Parnerships for ransiion parnerships wih secondary schools and businesses ha can help individuals make a successful ransiion o higher educaion and beer employmen. Alernaive delivery sysems alernaives, such as disance learning, o radiional ways of providing access o remoe areas. Academic suppor services programs and services ha help disadvanaged sudens succeed in college. Holisic approaches o access broad oureach o recrui and suppor underserved populaions such as high school dropous, welfare parens, and oher disadvanaged aduls. Parnerships for Transiion Common o mos disressed rural areas is he fragmenaion of privae and public agencies, which makes i difficul o creae parnerships ha effecively address school dropou or low achievemen, welfare reform, job creaion, adul educaion, and oher problems. Ye limied local resources demand collaboraion if aggressive sraegies o improve educaion levels and workforce skills are o succeed. Building effecive college/communiy parnerships has been a key componen of RCCI, and he nine pilo colleges have launched a number of locally effecive projecs designed o improve he ransiion from high school o college, enhance workplace performance, and increase opporuniies for communiy revializaion. Collaboraion wih schools and universiies In Appalachian Kenucky as many as 50 percen of ninh-grade sudens do no complee high school and fewer han 50 percen of hose who graduae go on o higher educaion. The RCCI eam a Souheas Communiy College responded by launching a new parnership wih hree local school sysems o esablish a join college/communiy early inervenion program for eighh graders. The Souheas Scholars Program selecs 16 sudens per year, maches hem wih faculy and communiy menors, and provides hem wih scholarships o aend Souheas upon graduaion. Hazard Communiy College also has reached ou o he schools, assuming he responsibiliy for he area school-o-work program, assising in he developmen of enrepreneurship raining programs in local high schools and bringing parens and local educaors ogeher on he campus for workshops. Some sugges ha he college s presence in he schools has begun changing aiudes oward higher educaion. 6 RCCI Access

7 Souhwes Texas Junior College (SWTJC) creaed parnerships wih 21 local school disrics disribued across 11 rural counies ha will provide Inerne access and videoconferencing capabiliies. This sysem, known as he Televilla, will provide access o academic offerings previously unavailable a he region s high schools, especially hose experiencing financial hardships. SWTJC now offers concurren enrollmen opporuniies o local high school sudens and has enered ino purchasing agreemens wih he Middle Rio Grande Developmen Council and local school disrics o maximize insiuional buying power. Alabama Souhern Communiy College has designed is Tile IV TRIO Program o work wih principals, counselors, and parens o encourage qualified sudens o pursue opporuniies for coninuing educaion. This pracice has increased he number of sudens enrolling in possecondary educaion. Collaboraion wih business Several RCCI colleges mos noably Hazard, Souhwes Texas, and Coahoma Communiy College have iniiaed promising collaboraions wih local indusries o minimize he effecs of downsizing and o provide managemen raining and oher on-sie educaional services o local workers. Souhwes Texas Junior College creaed a self-supporing Business and Indusry Office ha pursues conracs wih local businesses o upgrade he skills of he regional workforce. Coahoma Communiy College expanded is Skill Tech Cener o coordinae campus and communiy effors o improve basic skills and echnology raining. The Cener s mission is o rain individuals for specific skills needed in indusry and o provide cusomized adul educaion classes. Such ceners link he college wih business and indusry in he area and serve as gaeways o enrollmen in raining programs a he college. These parnerships go beyond emergency and shor-erm raining programs o esablish more permanen relaionships among colleges, public schools, and business and indusry. They hold promise for changing communiy members commimen o educaion, improving educaional aainmen, and enhancing personal income and he overall qualiy of he regional workforce. Alernaive Delivery Sysems Colleges serving rural populaions have long recognized he need o exend course offerings off campus in order o improve access for remoe communiies. Geographic disances and ransporaion problems make i difficul for many rural individuals wih family and work responsibiliies o pursue higher educaion. Branch campuses and exended campus ceners offer opporuniies for basic educaion and core coursework, bu he range of offerings is ofen limied. Recen advancemens in echnology, however, make i possible o improve he delivery of a broader curriculum a he main campus as well as o hese remoe sies hrough elecommunicaions sysems, and a number of RCCI colleges have responded by expanding heir disance educaion echnologies. Souhwes Texas Communiy College has subsanially expanded is disance educaion and now offers more han 20 courses per academic year. Videoconferencing also akes place beween he main campus and is oureach ceners a Del Rio and Eagle Pass. In addiion, he college has signed an agreemen wih boh Texas A&M Universiy and Sul Ross Universiy o allow he delivery of graduae courses ha will provide local ciizens and campus saff access o graduae degrees. AACC 7

8 Disance learning faciliies are under consrucion a oher RCCI campuses (e.g., Norhern New Mexico Communiy College, Alabama Souhern Communiy College, For Belknap College, For Peck Communiy College, and Salish Kooenai College), and over he nex decade he elecronic delivery of courses should grow significanly for people in oulying areas. Academic Suppor Services Increasing paricipaion in credi and non-credi courses is only par of he challenge of improving access o educaion and job raining opporuniies in rural areas. Disadvanaged and firs-generaion college sudens ofen need academic and personal suppor services o succeed in higher educaion. The reenion of poorly prepared sudens in cerificae and degree programs has long been a challenge, and developmenal and remedial programs are expensive. Ye successful ransiion o employmen or o advanced degrees is dependen upon remediaing academic deficiencies, counseling for careers, and building sudens selfconfidence. This is especially rue for low-income sudens, paricularly hose from ehnic minoriy culures, who ofen see college as an alien and esranging environmen. Simulaed by RCCI, Alabama Souhern Communiy College resrucured is developmenal sudies program o provide a sronger suppor sysem for is sudens. In so doing, i has changed he face of insrucion a he college as well. A variey of changes have enhanced he college s abiliy o diagnose suden deficiencies and provide boh personal and insrucional suppor: exensive use of new compuer labs and elecommunicaion capaciies he resrucuring of suden success esing insrumens and ransferring hem o faculy for counseling and advising expansion of uorial programming inegraion of General Educaion Degree and adul educaion programs ino he curriculum. By inegraing basic skills, suden suppor services, and adul educaion he college has focused more squarely on sudens and learning, grealy reducing suden ariion and enhancing suden aiudes oward learning. This new approach o developmenal sudies has energized he faculy, raised he bar on faculy performance expecaions, and generally ransformed he eaching and learning process on he campus as a whole. Holisic Approaches o Access Many rural residens mus overcome a variey of non-educaional barriers before hey can ake advanage of possecondary educaion opporuniies. Family income, childcare services, healh problems, ransporaion, cusoms, and aiudes oward educaion can preven men and women from achieving producive employmen or pursuing furher educaion. If rural communiy colleges are o serve as gaeways o prosperiy and knowledge for hese hard-o-serve populaions, hey mus broaden he radiional meaning of access o educaion o include holisic approaches o learning ha reach he individual hroughou life and wihin he conex of family and communiy. Some of he pilo colleges are demonsraing ha connecing family and business services o an access agenda pays off. Because of unique world views or insiuional and communiy conexs, some exciing sraegies o reach ou o underserved populaions among RCCI pilo colleges have evolved a 8 RCCI Access

9 If rural communiy colleges are o serve as gaeways o prosperiy and knowledge for hese hard-o-serve populaions, hey mus broaden he radiional meaning of educaion o include holisic approaches o learning ha reach he individual hroughou life and wihin he conex of family and communiy. ribal and Hispanic colleges. A ribal colleges, no surprisingly, philosophical approaches o communiy have resuled in programming designed o reach he people who mos need help. Someimes he need is very basic iniiaing a conversaion wih someone who needs adul basic educaion. Tribal educaors feel ha even a simple conversaion is as significan o access as clarificaion of a degree program. On he reservaions, access is abou fulfilling he needs of and being of service simulaneously o individuals, families, and he communiy. 1. Business developmen Developing a business services door is one access sraegy. Salish Kooenai College launched a Tribal Business Informaion Cener ha in wo years has ouched he lives of 378 people, resuling in more han 44 business sarups and 38 business expansions. The college helped a leas 15 families ge off welfare; dozens more individuals have enrolled in a newly formed business program, signed up for enrepreneurship classes, and paricipaed in a variey of workshop/educaional endeavors. For Belknap College s Small Business Assisance Cener offers similar programs ha have araced more han 100 people, many of whom mus ravel 30 o 50 miles o paricipae. While keeping he door open for dozens of ribal members o use he compuer faciliy, he For Belknap Cener saff sared a compuer raining class for elders. 2. Family assisance The For Peck Communiy College Cener for Family and Communiy Developmen provides a far-reaching example of communiy-based educaion. Led by a 15-member eam, primarily women who are inimaely familiar wih various communiies hroughou he For Peck Reservaion, he Cener offers a variey of programs for welfare recipiens, een parens, young families, displaced adul workers, poenial farmers and ranchers, recovering subsance abusers, and ohers. Workshops on domesic abuse, dysfuncional family issues, grief recovery, saying sober, communicaing wih eachers, and oher subjecs rouinely arac as many as 100 people in spie of ransporaion hardships. Such programs no only help address a variey of family and communiy barriers o employmen and educaion, bu also creae an image of he college as a caring place and a gaeway o oher educaional opporuniies. A For Peck, family and communiy are so cenral o he mission of he college ha he adminisraion creaed he Deparmen of Communiy Services o coordinae oureach programs. In addiion o he family and communiy cener, he deparmen houses programs for disance educaion, coninuing educaion, summer school, culure and language, and adul educaion. Oher communiy-based programs Even Sar Lieracy Program, High Plains Rural Sysemic Iniiaive, Land Gran Saus Iniiaives, For Peck Communiy Business Assisance Cener, and he Communiy Healh and Wellness Cener are also incorporaed ino he new deparmen. 3. Personal conac Aiudes of faculy, saff, and adminisraors alike a he ribal colleges reflec a srong commimen o a broad definiion of access. Direc personal conac wih ribal members is crucial, hey say, bu i mus be coninual and should lead o program developmen ha mees boh individual and family needs. For Peck, for example, believes i should remove any AACC 9

10 barriers ha inhibi individual and family access o he college s programs and services. Removing barriers may mean addressing issues like affordabiliy, knowing a suden s family siuaion, and helping people sep-by-sep hrough he applicaion and enrollmen phase wih kindness, according o college philosophy. From heir incepion he ribal colleges mission has been o define service o he communiy broadly, o mee boh communiy and individual needs, and o do i wih a collecive spiri. I is no he sole responsibiliy of a few people. The RCCI philosophy has been a caalys o help hese colleges more effecively exend his mission wihin heir communiies. 4. Childcare issues Like ohers, Hispanic culure radiionally places a high prioriy on family values. This is eviden a wo Hispanic-serving colleges, where daycare ceners serve he needs of sudens wih young children. Souhwes Texas Junior College has esablished an early childhood developmen cener, and Norhern New Mexico Communiy College has creaed a childcare cener. Boh ceners provide valuable services o sudens wih small children. Alhough he need o provide such services o sudens is widely recognized among communiy college leaders in his counry, i is he elevaion of hese services o he op of insiuional prioriies ha is significan here. These faciliies no only make i easier for paren-sudens o aend classes, bu hey also provide he children wih significan early socializaion experiences ha will likely influence he children s fuure educaional aspiraions. 10 RCCI Access

11 Re-invening or rediscovering insiuional missions and rebuilding disressed communiies, however, is a long-erm process, and hese insiuions have only begun he journey. Gaps and Challenges Consrucing a building and puing up a welcome sign is no longer enough o ensure access, noed one professor a an RCCI focus group discussion. Pilo colleges know ha in order o expand educaional opporuniies hey mus redefine heir role in he communiy and re-examine he open door sraegy. Re-invening or rediscovering insiuional missions and rebuilding disressed communiies, however, is a long-erm process, and hese insiuions have only begun he journey. Many gaps and barriers remain o be overcome. Insiuional Culure A he hear of insiuional change are he aiudes and behaviors of faculy and saff who mus implemen and susain new philosophies, pedagogies, and programs. Long enrenched academic culures and individual comfor zones mus be ransformed hrough open discussion and college-wide planning. Presidenial leadership and effecive eam managemen can iniiae his insiuional dialogue, bu he involvemen of he enire academic communiy is necessary o susain insiuional change. Many RCCI pilo colleges (e.g., Hazard, Coahoma, Norhern New Mexico, and Souheas) are currenly engaged in insiuion-wide sraegic planning ha promises o exend he RCCI vision of access across he campus. Several campuses have launched communiy leadership programs o build regional civic capaciy based upon he RCCI philosophy of collaboraion and communiy-based parnerships. Engaging faculy and, for ha maer, communiy leaders in a sraegic planning dialogue, however, may no necessarily resul in new ways of hinking and doing. Geing individuals o hink ouside of he box of radiional definiions of educaion and economic developmen is difficul, and i is easier o weak he paradigm wihin he framework of radiional programs and delivery sysems han o significanly reshape i. College faculy are much more comforable wih college-based programs involving curriculum reform han wih communiy-based iniiaives ha require new relaionships and new ways of hinking abou educaion and communiy service. Simple realignmen of insiuional pracices involving adul educaion, basic skills educaion, suden suppor services, or raining for local business does no challenge simplisic open-door definiions of access. Innovaive approaches o eaching and learning are essenial o educaional change, bu hey are only par of he process. If colleges are o serve people radiionally lef ou of higher educaion and regional developmen, faculy and communiy leaders mus hink broadly beyond he classroom, beyond campus walls, and beyond individuals. Financial Resources C ampus leaders are quick o poin ou ha expanding access o he underserved members of heir regions will require more han jus a re-concepualizaion of access. The lack of financial resources, boh for sudens and he insiuion, coninues o presen a formidable barrier o educaion and economic developmen in hese disressed areas. There are pressures o increase uiion raes, limied local job opporuniies, and sae/federal funding sysems driven by suden full-ime equivalency credis. All hese presen real financial barriers o he developmen of non-credi programs, daycare faciliies, ransporaion neworks, individual and family counseling services, and oher programs necessary o develop a region s human AACC 11

12 Geing individuals o hink ouside of he box of radiional definiions of educaion and economic developmen is difficul. capial. Alhough hese issues confron communiy colleges across he naion, hey appear o have a more profound impac on colleges in disressed rural areas. Many communiy colleges in disressed rural areas already are severely srapped by inadequae financial resources and personnel. Grans alone do no solve financial problems. If new programs o expand access are o be susained over ime, hey mus be inegraed ino he life of he insiuion and ino is general operaing budge. Resources mus be realigned or new resources idenified o suppor space, personnel, echnology, raining, and oher needs resuling from expanded access programs. Disance educaion alone requires resources for curriculum planning and developmen, faculy raining, echnical suppor resources, and echnology managemen if rural populaions are o be served effecively over ime. Sae and federal policymakers, local foundaions and businesses, and higher educaion adminisraors all will have o learn o hink creaively wih regard o financing such iniiaives if access is o be expanded and disadvanaged populaions served. Welfare Reform Welfare reform implemenaion is an example of he coninuing gap beween policy and educaional programming. The goal of welfare reform moving people from welfare o work is consisen wih he mission of communiy colleges. Many curren sudens receive public assisance while hey are pursuing adul educaion, job raining, or a degree program. Ye he policies surrounding he implemenaion of welfare reform no only creae addiional barriers for hose currenly receiving public assisance and who migh seek access o programs a he communiy colleges, bu also presen a hrea o recipiens currenly enrolled in college. Since he focus of welfare reform is on work raher han educaion, funds available for vocaional educaion are limied o one year (saes may exend his limi if hey choose), a he end of which recipiens mus be working 20 hours per week hrough FY 1998, increasing by five hours in FY 1999 and anoher five hours in FY Funds, moreover, are generally no available for non-credi and remedial educaion. In some saes sudens mus enroll for a cerain number of hours per semeser. Many welfare recipiens have difficuly securing child care and ransporaion, need basic educaional suppor and personal counseling, and ofen have personal or family healh problems ha make i difficul for hem o successfully complee heir course work. This shif in funding from muliple years o one year of possecondary suppor hreaens sudens currenly enrolled in wo-year degree programs and discourages new welfare dependen sudens from mariculaing in such programs. Even wihin saes, local adminisraion of welfare reform may vary from couny o couny and many social service caseworkers, pressed o move people rapidly from welfare o work, end o emphasize shor-erm job raining programs raher han general educaion and degree programs hrough he communiy colleges. Federal welfare reform legislaion provides no addiional resources for job creaion, and mos sae funding policies do no recognize courses offered hrough coninuing educaion. Sories abound abou par-ime sudens dropping ou of college, fearing ha hey could no complee heir programs, work, and mainain heir families under he new welfare regulaions. Oher low-income sudens have dropped ou as a resul of recen changes in federal academic progress regulaions ha eliminaed financial suppor for underachieving sudens. The shor-erm job placemen goals of welfare reform creae no only a challenge for disressed rural areas where here are very few low-skill manufacuring jobs, bu also a challenge for communiy colleges o find ways o serve low-income communiy members. 12 RCCI Access

13 Gender For rural adul males, displaced from employmen in he mines, fields, and foress, aending college presens no only financial and academic challenges bu also a culural one. The barriers o access wihin welfare reform illusrae anoher challenge facing rural communiy colleges. The majoriy of aduls receiving public assisance are single, female parens who face difficul problems wih childcare and ransporaion. Females consiue a majoriy of sudens enrolled in communiy colleges naionally (57 percen) and in he RCCI pilo colleges (65 percen). Hisorically, among poor populaions of Appalachians, African-Americans, Chicanos, American Indians, and oher ehnic minoriies, males have been slower o ake advanage of opporuniies in higher educaion for employmen and personal growh han females. (Naional Cener for Educaion Saisics, ; Phillippe, 26). For rural adul males, displaced from employmen in he mines, fields, and foress, aending college presens no only financial and academic challenges bu also a culural one. For mos low-income males, accusomed o shor-erm graificaion and physical labor, college is an alien idea. This is especially rue among he rural poor. Low-income men in rural communiies see few incenives for he pursui of higher educaion, and in some cases males are hreaened when females pursue heir own educaion. Reaching more young men and older males which has effecs on family solidariy and social sabiliy as well as economic prosperiy presens a major challenge o all possecondary insiuions, bu especially o rural colleges. As he RCCI ribal colleges show especially well, offering special ineres, shor-erm courses, workshops, and culural evens as well as providing personal and family counseling can help an insiuion reach displaced males. Creaing an environmen on campus ha is more culurally sensiive for boh males and females no only can improve individual confidence and communiy pride, bu also can creae an amosphere for communiy reflecion and self-evaluaion. Only he communiy iself can address is own culural barriers ha preven i from becoming an inclusive learning communiy. Racial Dynamics The nine RCCI colleges represen he diversiy and he divisive hisory of many rural communiies. In he Souh, Souhwes, and ribal regions, hisorical relaionships among differen ehnic groups coninue o shape iner-group relaions. These relaionships someimes consrain he developmen of parnerships beween groups and limi possibiliies for enhancing insiuional capaciies o address access barriers. Racially sraified power srucures limi he capaciy of communiy colleges o increase resources and build linkages o boh dominan and subordinae groups. Someimes he relaionships become complicaed. For insance, people a a hisorically black college, which has radiionally served he African-American communiy and sees ha as is niche, may believe ha he insiuion s viabiliy or credibiliy would be enhanced by serving is whie communiy. This can resul in a percepion ha he college s radiional clienele may no be as well served as in he pas. These aiudes influence he effors o secure funding from he sae and surrounding communiies. Culural differences among groups also add o he difficuly of providing relevan educaional opporuniies. A Norhern New Mexico, for example, he educaional ineress and learning syles of Pueblos, Hispanics, and Anglo-Americans are no necessarily he same. Issues of regional developmen shape concepions of he curriculum ha differ across he groups and challenge campuses o mee specific group ineress. A he ribal colleges, here are racial ensions beween ribal members and non-indians ha symie opporuniies o develop meaningful parnerships. The Indian wars of he las cenury AACC 13

14 now ake place in non-indian banks where Indians have difficuly geing loans, in public schools where few if any of he adminisraors or eachers are Indian, and in he local economy where Indian businesses need non-indian clienele o survive. RCCI philosophical and logisical suppor for celebraing culural heriage a all he colleges may help provide insigh ino how he colleges can employ culural disinciveness as a suppor for access o services in higher educaion. Change begins wih hones self-assessmen. Conclusion Improving economic opporuniies for minoriy populaions in rural disressed areas requires colleges and communiies o re-examine radiional assumpions abou access o higher educaion. Sraegies ha are appropriae for urban and suburban areas are inadequae for rural communiies. The challenges of geography, culure, povery, and hisory of rural places sugges ha acceped open admissions sraegies and enrollmen-driven programming are frequenly insufficien o mee he needs of hese communiies in he 21 s cenury. Jus as we are learning ha an effecive curriculum for rural sudens includes a pedagogy of place and ha appropriae economic developmen for rural areas is place specific, sraegies o improve access o higher educaion mus look oward he conex of ha communiy. Change begins wih hones self-assessmen. Re-defining he meaning of access wihin he academic culure of he campus and wihin he communiy as a whole is he criical firs sep o building more effecive access sraegies. This means no only he re-educaion of faculy and adminisraive saff bu also he implemenaion of a variey of innovaive programs and pracices ha reach sudens where hey live and encourage boh personal and family growh. Such pracices include he expansion of radiional educaional services hrough new echnologies, disance learning, worksie raining, developmenal coursework, and scholarship aid as well as providing a more comforable and place-sensiive learning environmen ha values local culure. In order o reach hose populaions wihin rural communiies ha hisorically have faced barriers o employmen and educaion, however, colleges mus move beyond radiional roles and delivery sysems o address non-educaional issues such as child care, ransporaion, and family and personal developmen. Jus as educaional reform in rural secondary schools is placing greaer emphasis upon paren involvemen, suden nuriion, afer-school programs, ransporaion services, and ineracive learning, rural colleges mus develop family-based approaches o learning, including he iniiaion of parnerships wih schools and oher social agencies commied o his goal. Jus as many new businesses are finding ways o suppor he educaional and personal growh of employees in order o increase produciviy, colleges mus learn how o suppor he enire individual wihin his or her family and communiy conex in order o improve academic success. Paricipaion in he Rural Communiy College Iniiaive has empowered pilo campuses o re-examine he meaning of access and o begin a dialogue inernally and wih heir communiies o find ways o overcome a variey of exising barriers. Despie hese barriers, his reinvenion of he insiuion holds an exciing and promising fuure for rural America. Some campuses have focused heir energies on inernal changes wihin he eaching and learning environmen; ohers have developed holisic approaches and aggressively reached ou o underserved clien populaions. Boh are necessary o implemen access sraegies ha are more consisen wih local culure and values. 14 RCCI Access

15 Colleges mus move beyond radiional roles and delivery sysems o address noneducaional issues such as child care, ransporaion, and family and personal developmen. The RCCI process demonsraes ha insiuional capaciy for increasing access o previously underserved populaions can be expanded hrough he injecion of new ideas and higher expecaions for insiuional achievemen. All nine pilo campuses are much more visible in heir communiies afer wo years involvemen in he RCCI han hey were before i. Ineracion wih heir communiies has increased collaboraions and parnerships for change. Invigoraed campus leadership has recognized ha here is a need for leadership developmen in he local communiy as well, and many of he campuses have launched heir own communiy leadership programs. To varying degrees, he nine RCCI pilo colleges have adoped communiy-based frameworks for improvemen, as opposed o insiuionally based approaches. A communiy-based approach o access creaes a differen paradigm for learning ha measures success no jus in erms of numbers enrolled or credis awarded bu in erms of self-confidence, family sabiliy, desire for learning, creaiviy, and menal and physical healh. This approach values personal efficacy, ha I can do i aiude ha invigoraes he human spiri. The sudy of rural communiy change indicaes ha in imes of economic crisis resilien communiies are hose ha generae new civic leadership and insiuional asseriveness o idenify creaive soluions o local challenges. Resilien communiies creae resilien people. They empower individuals wih he means o discover heir alens and o go beyond survival and o hrive. Rural colleges can serve as imporan leaders o ha empowermen, and RCCI is an imporan caalys for ha change. Guidelines for Change Acknowledge local culural conex above all. Address childcare, ransporaion, and family issues. Increase parnerships wih communiy-based organizaions. Susain insiuional parnerships hrough personal relaionships. Expand access beyond open admissions. Consider local hisorical relaionships. Overcome insiuional exclusions. Develop inclusive curricula and services. Expand he communiy sakeholders in and ou of he college. Remember ha change akes ime and persisence. AACC 15

16 References Expanding Economic and Educaional Opporuniy in Disressed Rural Areas. A Concepual Framework for he Rural Communiy College Iniiaive Chapel Hill, N. C.: MDC, Inc. Naional Cener for Educaion Saisics Diges of Educaion Saisics 1996, Washingon, D.C.: U.S. Deparmen of Educaion, Office of Educaional Research and Improvemen. Addiional Resources Aury, George Educaion: The Souh s Cure for Racism and Povery, Forum for Applied Research and Public Policy (Fall): 12, no. 3: Boone, Edgar J., and Associaes Communiy Leadership hrough Communiybased Programming: The Role of he Communiy College. Washingon, D.C.: American Associaion of Communiy Colleges. ERIC Documen No. ED Day, Philip R., Jr., and McCabe, Rober H Remedial Educaion: A Social and Economic Imperaive. Execuive Issue Paper. Duplicaed. Eller, Ronald, Rubén Marinez, Michael Pavel, Cynhia Pace, and Hecor Garza Access o Rural Communiy Colleges: Removing Barriers o Paricipaion. Learning from he Rural Communiy College Iniiaive. Repor o he Ford Foundaion. Duplicaed. Gleazer, Edmund J., Jr The Communiy College: Values, Vision, Vialiy. Washingon, D.C.: American Associaion of Communiy and Junior Colleges. Harlacher, Ervin L., and James F. Gollascheck The Communiy Building College: Leading he Way o Communiy Revializaion. Washingon, D.C.: American Associaion of Communiy Colleges. Invesing in Qualiy, Affordable Educaion for All Americans: A New Look a Communiy Colleges Washingon, D.C.: U.S. Deparmen of Educaion, Office of Vocaional and Adul Educaion, Communiy College Liaison Office. Phillippe, Ken, ed Naional Profile of Communiy Colleges: Trends and Saisics, Washingon, D.C.: American Associaion of Communiy Colleges. Pulver, Glen C. (1990). The Response of Public Insiuions o he Changing Educaional Needs of Rural Areas. In Proceedings of Naional Rural Sudies Commiee, hird annual meeing sponsored by W. K. Kellogg Foundaion, eds. Emery Casle and Barbara Baldwin. Corvallis, Oreg.: Oregon Sae Universiy Wesern Rural Developmen Cener. ERIC Documen No. ED Roueche, John E., and Suanne D. Roueche Beween a Rock and a Hard Place: The A-Risk Suden in he Open Door College. Washingon, D.C.: American Associaion of Communiy Colleges. ERIC Documen No. ED Valdez, James R Educaional Access and Social Mobiliy in a Rural Communiy College, Review of Higher Educaion, 19, no. 4: Wi, Allen A., James L. Waenbarger, James F. Gollascheck, and Joseph E. Suppiger America s Communiy Colleges: The Firs Cenury. Washingon, D.C.: American Associaion of Communiy Colleges. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, CONTACT: LYNN BARNETT, DIRECTOR OF ACADEMIC, STUDENT, AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF COMMUNITY COLLEGES One Dupon Circle, NW, Suie 410 Washingon, DC Phone: 202/ lbarne@aacc.nche.edu 16 This publicaion is suppored by he Ford Foundaion AACC RCCI Access