- Extended delay for in-person classes
- Dallas College looks for diversity — among its suppliers
- Police academy stays open on nights, weekends
- Cost-free CNA training
- A new tuition-free early college program
Extended delay for in-person classes
Due to the continued high rate of Covid infections in their communities, several community colleges that delayed their opening of in-person classes for the spring term will remain online only for another few weeks.
The Alamo Colleges District in Texas is extending remote learning for the term through February 6. In California, Porterville College and the South Orange County Community College District also will continue to operate classes online only for a while longer.
For Porterville, it will be for another two weeks, until February 14. Classes containing labs, such as STEM courses, as well as activity classes that require in-person participation, such as athletics, career and technical education (CTE) programs, performing arts and clinical rotations, may continue on-campus.
For South Orange, classes will remain remote until February 21. Certain CTE programs will remain in-person.
In a message to the college community, Porterville College (PC) President Claudia Habib noted that the Covid positivity rate in the county has increased from 20.3% to 32.6% over the past two weeks. In addition, the number of students and employees in quarantine has also increased significantly. In fact, it is double the number of individuals in quarantine at PC as compared to last semester’s high, she said.
Dallas College looks for diversity — among its suppliers
Dallas College is focusing on diversity among its suppliers.
“Our purpose is to strengthen economic development in our community and for Dallas College to be a leader in supplier diversity,” said Jeanette Schutz, the Texas college’s senior director of supplier diversity.
Dallas College’s Supplier Diversity program will reach partner organizations — chambers of commerce, regional contractor associations and others — to present information on how to do business with the college as well as upcoming opportunities in areas like commodities, facilities, IT, construction and more.
During the coming years, Schutz’s team will conduct internal and external outreach as well as develop a mentorship program and training for local small businesses. The team is now establishing a baseline of internal spending for the last four years, categorizing those companies and determining which are certified diverse suppliers.
Police academy stays open on nights, weekends
Quinsigamond Community College (QCC) this fall launched a new police academy that is also open on nights and weekends to offer students flexibility as it looks to help fill a dire need for police officers.
“Operating a full-time, pre-employment recruit officer course in an extended format meets the needs of those who may not be able to attend a traditional full-time police academy during the day,” said Captain Joseph Cecchi, the college’s police academy deputy director, in a release.
In 2018, QCC launched a Reserve Intermittent Recruit Officer Course Police Academy. However, these types of academies are now being discontinued in Massachusetts, according to the college. But a demand for trained officers remains high. According to the International Association of Chiefs of Police, 78% of its member law enforcement agencies reported having difficulty in recruiting qualified candidates, and 65% of agencies reported having too few candidates applying to be law enforcement officers.
The college’s first full-time police academy class currently has 14 student officers. The program began in mid-September 2021. Student officers will graduate on May 27.
Cost-free CNA training
Pennsylvania’s Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC) and Kane Community Living Centers are collaborating on a new certified nursing aide (CNA) training program to help meet the urgent need in the region for CNAs.
The program is cost-free to qualified local residents who want to become nurse aides. The centers will provide instructors and classrooms; CCAC will handle the curriculum.
Graduates who pass the state exam will be offered a position within the Kane system. When a CNA has completed one year with Kane, they become eligible for the Kane Career Ladder and tuition reimbursement. Using a combination of tuition reimbursement and the Kane Career Ladder, a CNA can become a registered nurse, bachelor of science nurse or master of science nurse with little or no out-of-pocket expenses, according to the college.
A new tuition-free early college program
The College of Southern Maryland (CSM) and Charles County Public Schools (CCPS) are partnering to offer high school students a tuition-free early start to higher education by piloting a new early college program.
The program will offer 150 total spaces to rising high school juniors from four area schools. Participating students will take 11 college classes as seniors and graduate high school with the first year of a general studies college program completed. Students can save $4,556 in college tuition costs through the earned credits, according to the college.
The 2022-2023 pilot may expand to include high school juniors and seniors at all CCPS high schools in the 2023-2024 school year.
CCPS is covering tuition for all participating students and associated course fees for eligible students in the Free and Reduced Meals (FARM) program. The cost of the pilot for CCPS next year is estimated at $694,000, which includes tuition and transportation.
