UCR Holds Forum to Discuss the Fate of Community Colleges
Collaborative effort will address finance, student attainment, accountability and governance for California’s community colleges.
NEWS MEDIA CONTACT
Name: Todd RansomTel: (951) 827-1287
E-mail: todd.ransom@ucr.edu
RIVERSIDE, Calif. (www.ucr.edu) – Educators, administrators and the public will have the opportunity to hear about the current state of community college education during a free panel discussion of experts at UC Riverside. “Critical Issues Facing California’s Community Colleges: A Discussion” will be held Wednesday, June 10, 2009, at the UCR Alumni and Visitors Center from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
“The role of community colleges in helping people achieve a better quality of life is an extremely vital one,” said Professor John Levin of the UCR
C4 is a collaborative research and policy center established by the University of California’s Office of the President and the Chancellor’s Office of the California Community Colleges. C4 collaborates in research and organizational development with researchers, policy centers, university and community college systems and community college practitioners.
Levin, who wrote and produced a documentary film on the struggles of community college students, has said that the majority of the estimated 9 million students enrolled in community colleges are adults and in the lower economic brackets of society. Many students attending community college are first in their families to attend college, work full time and are single parents. They also face a 75 percent drop-out rate.
Issues, such as financing, student attainment, accountability, governance and additional challenges facing California community colleges, will be discussed followed by a dialogue among community college practitioners, policy makers and scholars.
Included in the panel: are Scott Lay, president and chief executive officer of the Community College League of California; Richard Mahon, associate professor of humanities and president of the Academic Senate, Riverside City College; Monte Perez, president of Riverside Community College, Moreno Valley Campus; Patrick Perry, vice chancellor of technology research and information systems, California Community College Chancellor’s Office; and Michelle L. Pilati, professor of psychology, Rio Hondo College.
For information and to make reservations, contact Noemy Medina, noemy.medina@ucr.edu
The University of California, Riverside is a doctoral research university, a living laboratory for groundbreaking exploration of issues critical to Inland Southern California, the state and communities around the world. Reflecting California's diverse culture, UCR's enrollment of about 17,000 is expected to grow to 21,000 students by 2020. The campus is planning a medical school and has reached the heart of the Coachella Valley by way of the UCR Palm Desert Graduate Center. The campus has an annual statewide economic impact of more than $1 billion. To learn more, visit www.ucr.edu or call (951) UCR-NEWS.
