What a pleasure and an honor it is to be in the Great Commonwealth of Virginia, home of the first elected legislature in America, The House of Burgesses, 1619, which constituted the first steps toward political democracy in the New World. Virginia is noted for its great political leaders who played a significant role in the founding of these United States and for its outstanding educational institutions beginning with The College of William and Mary chartered some three hundred years ago (1693) and the University of Virginia some one hundred seventy-five years ago. And of course the writings of Thomas Jefferson on the importance of education are as relevant today as when he penned them. Jefferson wrote that only an educated people could preserve their freedom and promote their real happiness, and this education, he said, is the business of the state to provide.

Just as Thomas Jefferson realized the importance of education for the economic prosperity and political stability of society in the 19th century, your Governor, Jim Gilmore recognizes the importance of access to a quality and affordable education for the people of Virginia in the twenty-first century. And, just as the missions and purposes of colleges and universities have evolved and changed throughout history, it is now time to consider a change in the mission of community colleges so that they can be responsive to the present and future needs of our states for a well-educated workforce. The continued economic prosperity and political stability of our individual states and of the United States depends heavily upon our ability to develop the human intellectual capital necessary to remain competitive in a global economy.

As we stand on the threshold of the third millennium, there must be a further democratization of higher education at the baccalaureate level in order to sustain the economic prosperity of our nation and to strengthen and broaden the economic base of our society. A nation which allows a broad gap to develop between the wealthy and the poor is a nation which is headed for social and political turmoil.

Many states including Florida, California, Texas and Virginia are already predicting major increases in the demand for higher education during the next decade. Business and industry from small to large are clamoring for well-educated workers. Thus, state legislatures and blue ribbon commissions are beginning to study the problem and develop recommendations for solutions. My proposal will address two of the questions presented by Chairman Edward Flippen.

1. As we look across the next twenty-five years, how can Virginia make higher quality and affordable cost compatible goals throughout its entire system of higher education?

2. How can Virginia fulfill its fiduciary duty to the parents and students who pay tuition, to the taxpayers who subsidize tuition, and to the generous alumni who contribute their own resources to augment tuition at the Commonwealth’s institutions?

Governor Gilmore said, "A college education for everyone will be essential to the future quality of life in Virginia."

There are three major components to the problem: increasing demand, limited access, and rising costs. In order to address these problems ade-quately, and to increase both the quality and quantity of education, there needs to be a reassessment of the role and mission of the community college system. Why? Because a system which was started eighty years ago and expanded in a post World War II industrial economy cannot remain relevant in an information and knowledge age society without change. And, because not everyone can be admitted to the universities.

The mission of the community college has been changed many times in the last eighty years, and it is time for change again. It is time for the community college baccalaureate degree to be authorized, developed, and implemented as a means of addressing the problems of increasing demand, limited access and rising costs. This proposal is morally right, socially right, economically right and politically right. More on these points later. It would bring about the democratization of the baccalaureate degree.

The two-year associate degree is no longer adequate to meet the higher level education needs for a major segment of the workforce. The amount of knowledge and information is growing in geometric proportions and cannot be learned in so short a time as two years.

So, the role of community colleges must change to serve a nation which will depend more heavily than ever before on a highly educated population in order to maintain and advance its economic prosperity. Community colleges must follow the lead of America’s corporations and reinvent, reorganize and renew themselves in the globally competitive environment of the next century.

Legislators, governors, and business leaders, who have the ability to initiate change, must take the lead if this is to be done.

The national crisis in higher education calls for creative solutions. Traditional thinking, based on past experiences, limited by turf protection and personal interests, does a disservice to the millions of students who will need a baccalaureate degree, but can’t attend a university. It is time to rise above such thinking, and to develop innovative ways of solving the crisis of increasing demand, limited access, and rising costs.

According to a report of the Commission on National Investment in Higher Education, there is "a time bomb ticking under the nation’s social and economic foundations: At a time when the level of education needed for productive employment is increasing, the opportunity to go to college will be denied to millions of Americans unless sweeping changes are made to control costs, halt sharp increases in tuition, and increase other sources of revenue." An additional option should be added – make better use of the tremendous resources of the nation’s more than 1,000 community colleges.

If you believe that widespread access to higher education is critical to the economic health and social welfare of Virginia, then it is imperative that you take advantage of the system of 23 community colleges. The facilities, faculty, staff and programs are already in place at convenient locations. Expansion of the mission to include the baccalaureate degree, while retaining the open-door philosophy and local governance to assure responsiveness to local needs, is a logical option for solving the problems of rising demand, access and cost. This is not to suggest that community colleges should be converted to state four-year colleges. To the contrary, it is essential that the local mission and governance of the community colleges be maintained. And this is not to suggest that all community colleges should or would even want to expand their missions. The opportunity and authority, however, should be available for those community colleges where the need exists.

Consider a few of the benefits:

• It would increase geographical, financial and academic access to higher education without a major expenditure for more buildings.

• Promote cost efficiencies by utilizing existing infrastructure. Thus, avoiding overbuilding to meet projected enrollment increases to 2007 and then a decline.

• Maximize human resources, i.e., community college faculty are qualified to teach upper division courses and, they teach fifteen hours per week vs. six or nine for university faculty. Thus, less cost for faculty.

• Promote ready articulation and upward mobility for students with associate degrees;

• Expand community college commitment to economic development; and

• Respond to local industry needs for specialized programs.

Offering the workforce baccalaureate degree should be the next phase in the evolution of the community college movement. Open access and local governance should remain. The meaning of the word "comprehensive" should simply be expanded to include the baccalaureate degree. Our mission should not be defined by the needs of a bygone era. Rather, it must continue to include responsiveness, adaptation, and growth to meet the changing dynamics of the communities we serve by offering baccalaureate degrees.

It makes economic sense to utilize the existing community college infrastructure to meet higher education needs. It also makes sense to students and parents who are increasingly questioning the cost of higher education. Nationally, nearly half of all undergraduates attending public institutions are enrolled in community colleges. Why not let them remain there to complete a baccalaureate degree? It would be less costly to the students and to the state taxpayers.

Lower tuition costs and convenient geographical location at community colleges would mean greater opportunities for significantly more students. For adult learners who own a home, are raising families, and have jobs, taking classes at a local college is often the only viable option.

It is an economic reality that education and income are inextricably linked. As pointed out in Breaking the Social Contract, a report issued by the Commission on National Investment in Higher Education, "As service-related jobs have come to dominate the workplace, the college degree---or at least some form of postsecondary education and training---has replaced the high school diploma as the entry card into rewarding employment...Unless the nation makes a concerted effort to raise the level of education and skill of these Americans, the wage disparity between the rich and the poor will become so large that it will threaten both America’s social stability and its core democratic values. Widespread access to higher education is therefore critical to economic health and social welfare of the nation."

The Southern Regional Education Board’s Fact Book Bulletin states: "From 1983 to 1994 occupations requiring college degrees were the fastest growing part of the economy. The projections for 1994 to 2005 are that this trend will continue. Of the 191 occupations projected to have above average growth rates, 34 percent require a four-year college degree or higher."

Several states—including Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Pennsylvania, and Utah—have taken some action on the community college baccalaureate degree. And the Canadian government has created five community colleges—called university colleges—with baccalaureate degree authority.

In Florida, the Postsecondary Education Planning Commission’s five-year plan for higher education states that "Florida’s baccalaureate degree production will not be adequate for the state and its citizens to meet their economic goals." Projections by the commission indicate that "by 2010 there will be in excess of 200,000 additional college-credit students enrolled in the state’s institutions of higher education. Post secondary sectors and institutions are not prepared for the projected increase in enrollments." The commission developed several responses for addressing this issue, including the recommendation to "authorize community colleges to offer selected baccalaureate degrees."

At its November 1998 meeting, the Florida State Board of Community Colleges adopted its own five-year strategic plan that noted "increasing employer demand for performance-ready graduates at the baccalaureate level. Required is a new practitioner-oriented ‘workforce bachelor’s degree’ which emphasizes the competencies demanded in a contemporary business environment… The new workforce bachelor’s degree represents the natural and logical next evolution of Florida’s community colleges." A bill authorizing baccalaureate degrees at community colleges under certain conditions passed by unanimous vote in the Florida House and Senate, and was signed into law by Governor Jeb Bush.

The community college baccalaureate degree is a reasonable and affordable choice. It is morally right, socially right, economically right, and politically right.

It is morally right because as a nation we believe in the worth and dignity of the individual; thus every individual should have the opportunity to achieve an educational level commensurate with his or her abilities, determination and desire. As a nation and as individual states our moral compass must point toward the direction of the principles enunciated in the Declaration of Independence which states "we hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these rights are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness." The sophistication and complexities of the third millennium will require a highly educated populace to sustain economic prosperity on a broad scale basis, and also to produce the level of understanding and tolerance that is necessary to sustain a culturally diverse nation.

It is socially right because the social well-being of our nation is dependent upon having a broad base of citizens who are committed to the fundamental principles of a modern civilized society. For modern society to function effectively, its citizens must be well educated not only in terms of workforce skills or professional knowledge, but also in terms of the fundamental principles of government, law and order, economics, and all the other components which make up the general welfare of the nation.

It is economically right because it is an established fact that well-educated, well-trained workers will earn more money and will produce more profit for their employers. Likewise, they will pay more taxes to support the government. In return, the government will have more money to pay off its debts and to provide for the safety, defense, and general welfare of our nation. The cost of providing a baccalaureate degree through the existing structure of the community colleges is estimated to be one half of the cost of producing that same degree at the universities, and the tuition is about one-third less. Thus, the cost to the individual student as well as to the taxpayer through the government would be significantly reduced.

It is politically right because politicians must respond to the demands of the voters who elect them to office. The voters are demanding better access to quality education at an affordable price; and legislators want to provide better access to quality education at all levels at the lowest possible cost to taxpayers. Thus, it is politically right since politicians are committed in principle to doing those things which are morally right, socially right, and economically right.

I realize that there will be opposition to the position that I have proposed, and that the critics will raise issues such as mission, accreditation, and quality. However, I believe that all of those issues can be adequately and satisfactorily addressed and that in the final analysis the logic, cost effectiveness, and ease of implementation of the baccalaureate degree at the community college will be proven to be an acceptable common sense solution to the problems of increasing demand, limited access, and rising cost in higher education.

Chairman Flippen’s message says that he is looking forward to sharing ideas and developing creative and far reaching recommendations. Well, the community college workforce baccalaureate degree is that type of an idea. If you agree that it merits consideration, then a thorough study of the factors and benefits as they relate to Virginia higher education would need to be conducted.

Thank you for inviting me here today to present this idea for your consideration. If you have an interest in pursuing this idea, and if I may be of any service, it would be my pleasure to do so.

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Posted: October 29, 1999
By The Educational Policy Institute of Virginia Tech
sjanosik@vt.edu