Chillicothe Gazette - New Senate Bill Would Help Build Student, Worker Success

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Chillicothe Gazette - New Senate Bill Would Help Build Student, Worker Success

Nation aims to turn out 5 million more grads from community colleges

U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown has introduced new legislation that would prepare Ohioans for the jobs of the 21st century through investments in work-force development.

Brown last week announced the introduction of The Building Student Success Act, aimed at improving student retention at community colleges. Tuesday, President Obama gave an address concerning the issue, calling for 5 million more community college graduates by 2020.

"It's critical that Ohio's work force is prepared for the jobs of the 21st century," Brown said. "This legislation will ensure Ohio workers have the right resources for a competitive job market. Work-force development and economic growth go hand-in-hand."

Brown said, despite Ohio's 10.4 percent unemployment rate, there is still demand in today's labor market for skilled workers. This is particularly true for "middle-skill" jobs that require more than a high school degree but less than a four-year college degree. These jobs make up nearly half of America's labor market and provide good compensation for workers, he added.

Ohio has 23 community and technical colleges and 24 regional branch campuses of public state universities, such as Ohio University-Chillicothe. These institutions enroll more than 225,000 students.

Only 10 percent of these students earn a degree after three years. Furthermore, Ohio's enrollment of 25-to- 49-year-olds in postsecondary education is nearly 20 percent below the national average.

Brown's legislation would create a "national, systemic, data-driven approach to improving student outcomes at community colleges and open enrollment institutions." Funds would be distributed to states based on poverty rates and student enrollment at community colleges.

Enrollment at OU-C has not been a real issue, although it is expected to start leveling off. Last fall, OU-C was ranked third among the state's regional campuses for growth, showing a 13.8 percent growth over the previous fall quarter. Winter quarter showed the largest enrollment in 10 years, and preliminary spring figures show full-time equivalent enrollment was up 21 percent from 2008.

Dean Richard Bebee said OU-C's increase is partially due to the affordability factor - tuition is 50 percent less than the main campus. The campus also is looking to retain students and better accommodate them with campus and service improvements such as the advising center and the learning commons.

As part of OU-C's 50-year improvement plan, the school is working to improve the look of the front of the campus, a $2.1 million project.

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