Access to Education

Pursuing a higher education is a financial challenge for many, especially with rising costs and education budget cuts.  While the purpose and value of a higher education is much greater than workforce development, that alone is enough to prove the ROI.  There will be 55 million job openings in the economy through 2020, 24 million openings from newly created jobs and 31 million openings due to baby boom retirements.  By educational attainment, 35 percent of the job openings will require at least a bachelor's degree, 30 percent of the job openings will require some college or an associate's degree.  Our communities and our future depend on access to a quality education.  A number of programs have been proposed and put into place to help make that a reality.

Community College to Full-Time Graduate:  Northwestern is one of three new schools to sign on to the Chicago Star Partnership, a City Colleges initiative to help students obtain a bachelor's degree after graduation. Under the program, 15 Illinois public and private universities have agreed to provide scholarships to students who graduate from Chicago Public Schools, get their associate degree from one of the city's community colleges, and then get admitted to a bachelor's degree program.

Free Community College:  The Tennessee Promise was instituted in February 2014, making the state the first in the nation to provide free community college. In January of 2015 the Obama Administration proposed a plan where students who attend community college at least half-time and maintain a 2.5 GPA would be able to have their tuition eliminated.  The Kentucky House of Representatives passed a bill (86-11) last week that would allow students to attend community college for free.  Other states are following suit.

LAUSD: In his State of the City address last week, Mayor Eric Garcetti proposed that Los Angeles commit to a goal of giving every hardworking graduate of the Los Angeles Unified School District one free year of community college.  A spokesperson for the mayor said the deal is not done yet, but when finalized it would start in 2017. Funding would come from the community college district, the city and a private philanthropist.  If the plan comes to fruition, Los Angeles will become the largest city in the nation to participate in a free community college program.

Move On When Ready: Move On When Ready is based on more than 20 years of research on the education systems of countries that consistently outperform the United States in student achievement.  This approach moves away from "one-size-fits-all" and towards a more personalized model of education.  High school students who move through more quickly can leverage many choices such as advanced courses that can earn college credit, to graduating early.

Featured

  • Tennessee State University Gains Approval for New Engineering Facility

    Tennessee State University in Nashville, Tenn., recently announced that it has received approval from the Tennessee State Building Commission to build a new engineering building on campus, according to a university news release. The 70,000-square-foot, $50-million facility will play home to the university’s engineering programs and the Applied & Industrial Technology program.

  • Thomas F. Frist, Jr. College of Medicine

    Established in 1999, the Education Design Showcase is a vehicle for showing off innovative — yet practical — solutions in planning, design, architecture, and construction. Thomas F. Frist, Jr. College of Medicine has been recognized with an EDS 2025 Project of Distinction award in the category of New Construction.

  • Case Study Highlights Texas District’s Campus Security Upgrades

    The Taft Independent School District near Corpus Christi, Texas, recently partnered with Intech Southwest Services to revamp its campus security technology system, according to a news release. Intech has released a case study on its website detailing the process that advanced the district’s technology by more than 20 years in less than three weeks.

  • New Campus Stadiums Evolve Beyond Sports into Community Assets

    New campus planning documents reveal an abundance of high interest in new stadiums, or renovations and repurposing projects for existing facilities. Many universities, in fact, are developing campus complexes with new stadiums as a draw for retail, hotels, and student housing. Multipurpose facilities with high-end features are being designed to attract large sports events of various types, concerts, and other university functions.

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