Richard M. Romano

Editor's Choice: Measuring Outcomes: Is the First-time, Full-time Cohort Appropriate for the Community College?

This article discusses how the State University of New York and the U.S. Department of Education (VTEA programs) rely on a first-time, full-time cohort of entering students to measure the performance of community colleges through a review process that affects their funding. Data from a community college in upstate New York show that the use of this cohort misses roughly two thirds of the students enrolled in degree programs and should not be relied on when measuring overall institutional performance.

Measuring the Cost of a College Degree A Case Study of a SUNY Community College

Inspired by a white paper produced by the Delta Project on Postsecondary Education Costs, Productivity, and Accountability, this study uses different measures of calculating the cost of a college degree at an upstate community college in New York. Departmental cost per credit hour, direct instructional costs, and full costs are all explained. A transcript analysis of the 2008-2009 graduates highlights excess credit hours taken and cross-subsidies necessary within degree programs to produce these graduates.

Leaders in the Making: Profile and Perceptions of Students in Community College Doctoral Programs

This is a descriptive study of graduate students in doctoral programs focusing on the community college. It explores student demographics and educational background, influences on student perceptions of the community college, and student perceptions regarding leadership competencies. Students in the study are from 18 United States universities in 13 different states.

Using the Community College to Control College Costs: How Much Cheaper Is It?

Data from NCES indicate that it is two to three times more expensive to educate a student at a public four-year college than at a community college. These figures exaggerate the difference between the two when you calculate the costs of the first two years of education for students working on a bachelors degree. Using modified Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) data from the recently released Delta Project, this study shows that the cost per full-time equivalent (FTE) and the public subsidy per FTE are lower at public masters level colleges than at the community college. Trend data from 1987–2005 are examined along with appropriate cautions for interpreting the results.

A Brief Look at What Economists Are Saying about the Community College.

This essay canvasses selected studies undertaken by economists on the community college. Key authors and journals are noted, followed by an examination of what economists contribute to our understanding of the community college in terms of costs, price and financial aid, economic and social benefits, and the institution’s role in furthering student educational attainment.

“COOLING OUT” REVISITED: SOME EVIDENCE FROM SURVEY RESEARCH

Community colleges have been criticized for lowering the educational aspirations of their students. This paper suggests that this contention is subject to serious measurement errors. Evidence is presented from several surveys.

What Is the Economic Payoff to a Community College Degree

This article explores three different ways of approaching the question posed in its title: 1) age‐earnings profiles; 2) the present value of lifetime earnings; and 3) the rate of return on investment in schooling. While the lifetime income of a 2‐year graduate probably falls somewhere between that of a high school graduate and one with a 4‐year degree, under certain conditions, the payoff from a 2‐year degree may be higher than of a 4‐year degree

The Community College and the Business Cycle.

The swings in enrollment and funding caused by the most recent recession have reminded community college leaders that the ups and downs of the economy can have a significant impact on their institutions. While the impact on enrollment and funding is well documented, lesser known impacts can be also be found on things such as student persistence, choice of program, and a variety of outcomes. All have important, though often underappreciated, implications for performance-based funding, “free tuition,” and other emerging policy proposals that may inadvertently work against the essential role that community colleges play in providing access for students. This access mission is especially important during economic recessions when people turn to community colleges, if only temporarily, to weather the economic storm. As a consequence, it is essential that fiscal policies shore up, rather than weaken, the capacity of community colleges to absorb spikes in demand for educational services that occur when the economy sours and state funding falls. At a minimum, this will require policies that allow money to follow students even as the economy declines. It will also require vigilance against policies that tie funding solely to outcomes, such as the completion of a credential, which are not always in tune with the way students use the community college. What follows is a nontechnical look at the connection between the business cycle and key elements used to assess the performance of community colleges, concluding with recommendations for sustaining the fiscal support they need to carry out their important roles even in the wake of recurring economic downturns. Richard M. Romano is Professor Emeritus and Director of the Institute for Community College Research, SUNY Broome Community College. He is also an affiliated faculty member at Cornell University’s Higher Education Research Institute.

Remedial Education at Community Colleges in the State University of New York

Although much has been written about remedial education, little has actually been published on the “nuts and bolts” of its campus operation. This study helps fill in that information gap. Its main purpose is to provide a descriptive inventory of the policies and procedures found in one of the largest community college systems in the nation.

Community Colleges and Social Mobility

H istorically, community colleges have promoted social mobility by providing access to higher education, especially for underrepresented groups. Because of their geographic availability, open admissions policy, and low cost, these colleges have expanded educational opportunity to millions of Americans, young and old. Recently, however, the emphasis has shifted from access to completion, an area where community colleges have underperformed, at least as conventionally measured. Yet completion is not an end in itself, as the ultimate goal is to provide, along with the rest of higher education, an avenue for upward mobility for those that enroll. This article uses an important new dataset that attempts to measure the contribution of community college to social mobility. Leaders should be aware of this new measure because it says something important about outcomes and because it may very well become a new metric for judging the effectiveness of community colleges. In Short