Toward Rural Prosperity: A State Policy Framework in Support of Rural Community Colleges

1
Toward Rural ProsperityA State Policy Framework
in Support of Rural Community Colleges

• Sarah Rubin, MDC, Inc.
• RCCA Conference
• October 9, 2002

2
Rural America in Trouble

• Significant portions of rural America are in
  trouble the slow slide to no longer being
  viable economically, socially, or politically
  is within sight.
• Karl Stauber, President
• Northwest Area Foundation

3
Income, Poverty, Jobs
4
Educational Attainment 2000, Age 18
5
Persistent Poverty

• Poverty rate of 20 in every Census, 1960-1990
• 535 nonmetro counties nearly 1 in 4 have
  persistent poverty

6
The Rural Development Dilemma

• A community cant attract or develop jobs without
  an educated workforce.
• But a community cant retain educated workers
  without a healthy economy.

7
Rural Community College Initiative (RCCI)

• Community colleges have unique ability to address
  the rural development dilemma
• Twin goals
• Expand access to education
• Build the foundation for a stronger economy

8
Community Colleges

• Rural community colleges can bring together the
  institutional, human, and capital resources
  needed to jump-start chronically distressed rural
  economies.
• George B. Autry
• Founding President, MDC

9
Implications for State Policy

• Rural regions would benefit from more RCCI-like
  leadership by community colleges.
• How can states encourage and enable more rural
  colleges to take on this broader mission?

10
State Policy Issues
Economic Community Development
Governance
Access to Education
Rural Community Colleges
Funding
Workforce Preparation
Technology
11
Economic and Community Development

• Use rural colleges as civic conveners.
• Reward community service.
• Include rural colleges as partners in regional
  development initiatives.
• Use colleges for small business assistance and
  entrepreneurship education.

12
Access to Education

• Keep community college tuition and fees
  affordable.
• Enable colleges to serve a diverse student
  population.
• Fund counseling and support services.
• Help students overcome distance barriers.

13
Access to Education, cont.

• Support partnerships to prepare low-income youth
  for college.
• Provide sufficient resources for developmental
  education, literacy, and basic skills
  instruction.
• Make ABE and GED programs compatible with needs
  and learning styles of low-literacy adults.

14
Workforce Preparation

• Designate community colleges as presumptive
  deliverers.
• Mandate collaboration among workforce agencies.
• Fund non-credit workforce instruction.
• Enable TANF recipients and the working poor to
  train for better jobs.

15
Technology

• Ensure that rural areas have competitive
  telecommunications infrastructure with fair
  pricing.
• Ensure that small, rural colleges have adequate
  IT equipment and staffing.

16
Funding

• Economies of scale impact on small colleges
• Base funding
• Low-wealth tax districts equalization and
  capital funding
• Funding for new initiatives
• Regional partnerships for greater economies of
  scale

17
Governance

• Does the governance system for community colleges
  reflect their critical role in preparing the
  21st-century workforce?

18
Tribal Colleges

• Increase federal appropriations.
• Seek state support for facilities and non-Indian
  students.

19
Questions

• How does your state measure up in support for
  rural colleges and rural development?
• In todays budget climate, how can we advocate
  for an aggressive access and community
  development mission?

20
For More Information

• MDC www.mdcinc.org
• RCCI www.mdinc.org/rcci