The document discusses a national summit held by the National Academies regarding the evolving role of community colleges in STEM education and their importance in the higher education landscape. Key topics include challenges and opportunities for community colleges, the need for policy changes, and the significance of collaboration between two- and four-year institutions. The summit aims to propose evidence-based solutions and foster discussions to enhance STEM education pathways for students.

1. Community Colleges in the Evolving
STEM Education Landscape ‐
A National Summit
A National Summit
THE NATIONAL ACADEMIES
National Academy of Sciences
National Academy of Engineering
Institute of Medicine
Institute of Medicine
National Research Council
Catherine Didion (NAE)
( )
Linnea Fletcher (Austin CC)
Margaret Hilton (NRC)
Jay Labov (NAS, NRC)
Jay Labov (NAS, NRC)
ATE PI Conference – Washington, DC
October 27, 2011

2. Goals for this Session
Goals for this Session
• Learn about the basis for NSF’s support of this
Learn about the basis for NSF s support of this
project.
• Description of the project
Description of the project.
• Comments from other project leaders.
• Feedback and ideas from session participants.

3. PURPOSES OF THE
NATIONAL ACADEMIES
 To advance science and technology
 To advise government
 on applications of science and
engineering t policy
i i to li
 on policy for science, engineering,
and health care
d h lth

4. NAS ACT OF INCORPORATION:
1863
• Added to the end of the Act,
“... shall, whenever called upon by any
department of the Government, investigate,
examine, experiment, and report upon any
i i t d t
subject of science or art ...”
• “... but the Academy shall receive no
compensation whatever for any services to the
Government of the United States.”

5. As a result of the charter’s restrictions,
,
the U.S. National Academies are a
private, non profit organization that is
private non‐profit organization that is
independent from the U.S. Government
and whose work depends on volunteers.
and whose work depends on volunteers
Sources of studies: For access to all National
•Federal Government (Congress, Agencies) Academies’ reports
•States
States (now all reports can be
•Private Sources (e.g., Foundations) freely downloaded):
•Internal support (endowments)
•Board-generated p p
g proposals http://nap.edu

6. For More Information About the
For More Information About the
National Academies:
http://nationalacademies.org
For Access to National Academies
o ccess to at o a cade es
reports:
http://nap.edu
h // d
6

7. ‘Conventional Wisdom’ About the Role of Community
Colleges in the U.S. Higher Education System
Other Pursuits
High School
High School
(Personal Skills
(P l Skill
Students
and Interests)
Older and Community Colleges
(Associate Degrees and
(Associate Degrees and Four‐Year Colleges
Returning
Returning
Technical Education and Universities
Students
Certification)
Students from Workforce
Local Industries

8. Emerging Roles of Community Colleges in the U.S.
Higher Education System – Institutional Changes
Four Year Applied
Baccalaureate and Other Pursuits
High School
High School Postbaccalaureate (Personal Skills
(P l Skill
Students Degrees and Interests)
Older and Community Colleges
(Associate Degrees and
(Associate Degrees and Four‐Year Colleges
Returning
Returning
Technical Education and Universities
Students
Certification)
Students from Workforce
Local Industries

9. Emerging Roles of Community Colleges in the U.S.
Higher Education System – Institutional Changes
Four Year Applied
Baccalaureate and Other Pursuits
High School
High School Postbaccalaureate (Personal Skills
(P l Skill
Students Degrees and Interests)
Older and Community Colleges
(Associate Degrees and
(Associate Degrees and Four‐Year Colleges
Returning
Returning
Technical Education and Universities
Students
Certification)
Students from Workforce
Local Industries Teacher Education
T h Ed i
and Professional
Development

10. Emerging Roles of CCs in the U.S. Higher Education System –
2 Examples of Changing Student Populations
Four Year Applied
Baccalaureate and Other Pursuits
High School
High School Postbaccalaureate (Personal Skills
(P l Skill
Students Degrees and Interests)
Dual Enrollment
D lE ll t
Older and Community Colleges
(Associate Degrees and
(Associate Degrees and Four‐Year Colleges
Returning
Returning
Technical Education and Universities
Students
Certification)
Students from Workforce
Local Industries Teacher Education
T h Ed i
and Professional
Development

11. Additional Roles:
Additional Roles:
• Service to lifelong learning & to local communities.
Service to lifelong learning & to local communities.
• Student Research and Partnerships with Industry,
National Labs, etc.
,
• Applied graduate degrees
• Regional Centers for Technological Innovation and
Regional Centers for Technological Innovation and
Sustainability
• Increasing importance of introductory courses
g p y
(especially for transfer students)
g
• Growing contributions to STEM education.

12. Emerging Issues:
Emerging Issues:
• Students are voting with their feet about where to
Students are voting with their feet about where to
attend college – community colleges are benefitting
– and facing new problems with this changing reality.
• Policy is shifting to emphasize the kinds of education
traditionally offered by community colleges.
• State‐level articulation agreements are opening new
opportunities – and placing new pressures – on the
higher education system.
h h d
• Some faculty and administrators at 4‐year colleges
and universities are oblivious, or even resistant, to
d i iti bli i it t t
these changes.

13. The New Reality:
The New Reality:
It’s not your parents’
It’ t t’
community college
community college
anymore!

14. The National Academies Project
The National Academies Project
What new opportunities for students, faculty,
What new opportunities for students faculty
and institutions of higher education might
emerge if:
emerge if:
• the higher education and education policy
communities were better informed about the
communities were better informed about the
changing and evolving roles of community colleges?
• Analysis and synthesis of research could lead to new
a ys s a d sy es s o esea c cou d ead o e
working relationships between 2‐ and 4‐year colleges
and universities to improve STEM education?

15. The National Academies have reported on many issues
important to STEM in Community Colleges
All reports from the National Academies can be freely downloaded at http://nap.edu

16. Many Units of the National
Academies Are Involved
• National Academy of Engineering
• Board on Higher Education and Workforce
• Board on Life Sciences
Board on Life Sciences
• Board on Science Education
• Teacher Advisory Council
T h Ad i C il

17. Overview of Project
Overview of Project
• A 1‐Day Summit on the Changing and Evolving
A 1 Day Summit on the Changing and Evolving
Roles of Community Colleges in STEM
– December 15 in Washington (about 1 year after the
December 15 in Washington (about 1 year after the
White House Summit on Community Colleges)
– Approximately 100 invited participants
Approximately 100 invited participants
– Live web broadcast to up to 100 sites
– Series of commissioned papers to describe research
Series of commissioned papers to describe research
– Report from the Summit to be widely distributed
through collaboration with ATE and AACC
through collaboration with ATE and AACC

18. Emphases of the Summit
Emphases of the Summit
• Draw national attention to STEM education at the intersection
Draw national attention to STEM education at the intersection
of 2‐ and 4‐year colleges, both the challenges and new
opportunities.
• Suggest evidence‐based solutions to some of the major
challenges.
• Bring together critical stakeholders with the relevant research
to create new communities of concern and practice .
• Create a leadership discussion around these issues that can
Create a leadership discussion around these issues that can
act as a catalyst for systemic change.
• Identify high‐priority areas for practical solutions and future
y g p y p
research.

19. Topics for the Commissioned
Papers
• Transfer and Articulation Between Two‐ and
g
Four‐Year Colleges and Universities:
Policies and Practices
• Effective Outreach Recruitment and
Effective Outreach, Recruitment, and
Mentoring into STEM Pathways: Strengthening
Partnerships with Community Colleges
Partnerships with Community Colleges
• Mathematics Curriculum and Student Progress
to Completion of STEM Programs of Study in
to Completion of STEM Programs of Study in
the Community College

20. Topics of Interest to NSF for
Possible Future Work
• Interactions Between Two‐ and Four‐Year Postsecondary
Institutions:
• Changing STEM Education Pathways and Their Effects on
Employment of Graduates
Employment of Graduates
• Roles of Community Colleges in Broadening Participation for
Students
• Transfer of Community College Courses
• Demographics of Community College Faculty
• Student Advising
Student Advising
• Economic Impacts of Community Colleges
• Role and Value of Community Colleges in the System of Higher
Education
• External Funding of Community Colleges

21. Your Input and Contributions
Your Input and Contributions
• Today, Tomorrow at Breakfast, and Tomorrow at the ATE
Center Directors meeting
– Identify promising practices from ATE projects that could inform
the commissioned papers
the commissioned papers
• Before and During the Summit
– Comment on final versions of commissioned papers on the
Summit website
– Participate in the live webcast with colleagues from your project
(up to 100 sites)
(up to 100 sites)
• After the Summit
– Host discussions of the National Academies report that results

22. Comments from Panelists and
General Discussion
Thank you!!

23. For Additional Information and to
Provide Additional Comments:
• Jay Labov (PI)
National Academy of Sciences and National Research Council
jlabov@nas.edu
jl b @ d
• Margaret Hilton (Senior Program Officer)
Margaret Hilton (Senior Program Officer)
National Research Council
mhilton@nas.edu
• Summit website:
http://nas‐sites.org/communitycollegessummit/
htt // it / it ll it/

24. Your Input and Contributions
Your Input and Contributions
• Today, Tomorrow at Breakfast, and Tomorrow at the ATE
Center Directors meeting
– Identify promising practices from ATE projects that could inform
the commissioned papers
the commissioned papers
• Before and During the Summit
– Comment on final versions of commissioned papers on the
Summit website
– Participate in the live webcast with colleagues from your project
(up to 100 sites)
(up to 100 sites)
• After the Summit
– Host discussions of the National Academies report that results