Blog Post #10

"The stereotype of community college and college students is that they are 18 to 22 years old and pursuing their first postsecondary educational experience. However, it is now projected that as many as two-thirds of the students entering postsecondary education will be nontraditional students" (Brown, 2012, p. 294). This statement alone argues the case for comprehensive career development programs at the college level. In addition, the career development centers at colleges should be able to tailor their approach to many different types of students. At HACC, the average age of our students is 27. By 27 years old students have experienced a variety of life events, and many of our students are not only in school full or part-time but they also have jobs, children, mortgages, etc. that they need to juggle along with their schoolwork. Counseling someone who has other things on their plate besides school calls for a much different approach than counseling the traditional student about their future plans. It is interesting to consider that "the unemployment rate among workers with at least a college degree stood at 4.9 percent" (Brown, 2012, p. 292). It is scary to think about the amount of college graduates out there who cannot find gainful employment but are tens of thousands of dollars in debt from college. With no way to pay off their student loans, these students are much more likely to default on the loan which causes a trickle down effect of how much federal grant money is available to students in need of financial assistance to go to college. If colleges can develop more comprehensive career development programs and help students learn early about the options available to them after college and get help matching these career options with an appropriate major, we might see the unemployment rate among college graduates drop significantly.

I also personally appreciated Brown's plug for community colleges. He says, "A remarkable aspect of community colleges is their open-door admissions policy, which enables students to begin at their academic competency level and advance their education" (Brown, 2012, p. 295). I like the spin he put on the "open admissions policy" of community colleges. Many think that because a college accepts everyone, that the school is a joke when in fact, by allowing everyone a chance to further their education you allow students to wipe the slate clean and realize their full potential. I think many of us have at one time turned our noses up at the thought of taking classes at our local community college because it was considered "13th grade" or not "real college". I can only speak for HACC, but we are regionally accredited by Middle States Commission on Higher Education which is the same accreditation that Millersville, Penn State, Temple, etc. hold as well. If HACC's credits can transfer to any number of excellent four-year institutions the classes have to be legitimate and "real".

Brown, D. (2012). Career information, career counseling, and career development (10^th ed.). New York, NY: Pearson Education, Inc.