Our Maine Street's Aroostook Issue 12 : Spring 2012 | Page 74

Celebrating Community College Month

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April is Community College
Month, and what better time to help
spread the word about what is happening
nationally as well as right here in Aroostook County’s own community college.
Community colleges are a vital part
of the postsecondary education delivery
system. They serve almost half of the undergraduate students in the United States,
providing open access to postsecondary
education, preparing students for transfer
to 4-year institutions, providing workforce
development and skills training, and offering a wide range of noncredit programs.
Globalization is driving changes in
our economy, and the need for an educated workforce has never been greater. The
majority of new jobs that will be created
by 2014 will require some postsecondary
education.
Without community colleges, millions of students and adult learners would
not be able to access the education they
need to be prepared for further education
or the workplace. Community colleges
often are the access point for education
in a town and a real catalyst for economic
development.
In Maine, that role is filled by the
seven higher education institutions that
comprise the Maine Community College System: Central Maine Community
College in Auburn; Eastern Maine Community College in Bangor; Kennebec
Valley Community College in Fairfield;
Northern Maine Community College in
Presque Isle, Southern Maine Community
College in South Portland and Brunswick;
Washington County Community College
in Calais, and York County Community
College in Wells.
Collectively, these colleges offer
nearly 300 associate degree, certificate and
diploma options. More than 18,500 students were enrolled in Maine’s community
colleges in the fall of 2011. The MCCS is
one of the fastest growing community college systems in the nation. Enrollment has
increased 83 percent in just nine years.
More students than ever are starting
their education at one of Maine’s community colleges and then transferring to a
4-year institution. During the 2010/2011
academic year, 916 MCCS students trans-

ferred on the University of Maine System.
They joined hundreds of other recent
MCCS alumni who are working toward
degrees at over 163 colleges in 40 states.
In addition, the colleges in the
MCCS offer customized training and
non-credit course offerings. When adding
those individuals to the mix, the MCCS
serves over 28,000 people annually, the vast
majority of whom are Maine residents.
In Aroostook County, NMCC had
1,156 students enrolled in the fall 2011
semester, 623 full-time and 533 part-time.
Approximately 85 percent of the students
are from Aroostook County.
Over the 50 years since the college was created NMCC has grown from
a “trade” school with four programs to a
comprehensive community college offering 27 programs covering a wide range of
careers. The trades continue to be a cornerstone of the institution, with nearly one
quarter of the current students enrolled in a
hands-on trade program that will lead to a
career in their field in just two years.
Liberal studies is the largest program
at the college, with more than 200 students
enrolled as they either begin their coursework for an NMCC program, such as nursing, that they are waiting to get in, or get
an affordable start for their ultimate goal of
a 4-year degree.
NMCC has always centered its efforts around providing educational opportunity and skill development to provide a
strong workforce for employers in the region. Always paramount has been ensuring
that students who turn to NMCC for their
opportunity receive the highest quality and
personalized education possible, whether to
prepare them immediately for the workforce or to continue their education.
“In that regard, our future is in our
past,” said NMCC President Timothy
Crowley. “Historically, program development was the result of responding to needs
of businesses in the community. Moving forward we will need to be even more
proactive. Key to that is working hand in
glove with economic development folks
and taking a leap to ensure we train the
workforce in the direction that growth is
anticipated in order to attract business.”