| Author(s): | Mullin, C. |
| Title: | It's a matter of time: Low-income students and community colleges |
| Source: | http://www.aacc.nche.edu/Publications/Briefs/Do... |
| Date: | 2012 |
| Organization: | American Association of Community Colleges |
| Short Description: | In the higher education context, time-to-degree is a key
element of higher education analysis, particularly at a
time of constrained resources and a growing emphasis on
completion. It is generally thought, and is often true, that a shorter time-to-degree implies a more efficient or “better” higher education experience. However, this is not always the case, especially when we factor the needs and patterns of nontraditional students (who are now the norm in American higher education) into the equation. |
| Annotation: | In the higher education context, time-to-degree is a key
element of higher education analysis, particularly at a
time of constrained resources and a growing emphasis on
completion. It is generally thought, and is often true, that a shorter time-to-degree implies a more efficient or “better” higher education experience. However, this is not always the case, especially when we factor the needs and patterns of nontraditional students (who are now the norm in American higher education) into the equation. An example of outdated concepts and nomenclature can be found in the Student Right to Know completion rate calculation—150% of the “normal time” to complete a program. The operative reality at community colleges is that 2 years is not the time it takes most students to complete an associate degree. For example, when “normal time” is reframed from 2 to 4 years, Student Right to Know graduation rates double, and completion rates—inclusive of community college graduates and transfers—become greater than 45%. In this brief, I examine considerations of time as they relate to investments by students and institutions. The author concludes with perspectives of efficiency, as expressed by the role time has and should play in policymaking. |
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