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Community colleges have long been an important part of the American education system, and that importance is greater now than perhaps ever before. Like many community colleges, Nevada’s College of Southern Nevada (CSN) is seeing spikes in enrollment and cuts to funding. But as one of the largest community colleges in the country, it is committed to finding new ways to continue offering students the educational opportunities they need.
In operation for 38 years, CSN’s service area includes the three southern counties in Nevada, the largest being Clark County. The college has three campuses, but that is just the beginning of its physical prowess. It has nine learning centers, locations that are adjacent to high schools that allow CSN to provide instruction to current students as well as juniors and seniors in high school who are ready for college work. It also delivers instruction at multiple other locations throughout Southern Nevada. It is the fourth largest two-year college of its kind in the country and the largest higher learning organization in the state. For the fall 2009 semester, the college has slightly more than 43,000 total students, about 22,000 of which are full time.
A CSN education provides opportunities for all kinds of students, whether they are looking to transfer to a four-year school or use their two-year degree immediately in the job market. According to Michael Richards, president, CSN is committed to providing multiple pathways for students to put their CSN education to work.
“For transfer students, we work closely with Nevada State College and UNLV to provide in-state transfer opportunities. We also have relationships with out-of-state and private institutions so our students have options,” he said. “With workforce development, we have credit and non-credit programs so students can pursue a competency or a degree. Those options need to be out there so people can choose what is best for them.”
Richards added that CSN builds partnerships in virtually every sector of the economy. For example, in healthcare it has partnered with local hospitals and clinics to offer clinical expertise and on-the-job training for students. In addition, it has partnerships with construction associations and 15 trade unions to help train the future workforce. These partnerships and others like that are important bridges for CSN students.
Building opportunity
One ongoing initiative at CSN involves investing institutional funds and monies granted by the federal government into distance education. During the last three years, the college developed 28 complete degree and certificate programs available online, including 300 courses. It is possible for students to earn an associate’s degree entirely online through CSN.
“There is more we could do online. We have the technological capacity but not the instructional resources,” said Richards. “We are seeking both private and government grants to invest in distance education. The next level of investment will be focused on the instructional resources we need.”
At the same time, the traditional brick and mortar learning experience is something CSN is working to enhance as well. At its West Charleston campus, it recently built a new facility with 28 classrooms and a library. The city of Las Vegas is also building a new fire station on the Charleston campus. The station will not only serve the city’s public safety needs, it will also include classrooms so CSN can offer general education courses in the facility. Additionally, CSN is constructing an addition to West Charleston’s Ralph & Betty Engelstad School of Health Sciences building that will add space for the training of cardiorespiratory technicians thanks to the donation of $8.2 million from the Engelstad Family Foundation.
“This will allow us to have the premier cardiorespiratory program in the country,” Richards said.
Other campuses have projects underway as well. At CSN’s Cheyenne campus, improvements include upgrades to HVAC and fire alarm systems and cosmetic repairs required at the college’s oldest campus. On the Henderson campus, the college is planning a project that will add a student services office addition to one of the buildings there. Lastly, in conjunction with the city of Las Vegas and Congress, CSN is exploring an opportunity that would give the college 40 acres of land in the northwest quadrant of the city for campus expansion.
Dealing with growing pains
Richards said CSN is doing everything possible to deal with a common problem facing community colleges: increases in enrollment and decreases in funding. Enrollment for its fall semester is up about 5%. To deal with increased student numbers and decreased funding, the college has increased class minimum sizes to ensure classes are fuller and put more emphasis on online programs. It has also put in a number of filters on popular programs to limit entry to only the most qualified students. Although this helps control class size and expenses, it does require turning away some qualified students.
“In our nursing program, we turn away one qualified student out of every two that apply,” said Richards. “Our access mission is changing. We are no longer fully open, but we are trying to remain convenient to the population.”
Even in this tough economic climate, CSN recognizes the long-term importance of maintaining a pool of top-level educators. It is trying to keep as much of its professional development program intact as possible, including sabbatical leaves, attendance and presentations at conferences, and seeking specialized accreditation for programs whenever available.
“We’ve done some limited hiring recently, mostly on temporary contracts and for part-time instructors,” Richards said. “There are standards we apply to our hiring process, and we maintain quality programs through accreditation and support for professional development.”
Clearly, maintaining dependable sources of funding for the college is a top priority as it is on a funding roller coaster in Nevada that means CSN has to plan for budget cuts annually. But just as important is helping the education continuum prepare Nevada’s youth to enter the workforce or pursue higher education. Richards said CSN works with the school system to create multiple interventions in the public education system, reinforcing the need for students to stay in school and finish their studies so they can take the next step toward achieving their dreams.
“We have programs specifically for underrepresented minorities, and we have programs for gifted and talented students who are ready for college work,” he said. “We start intervening in the elementary grades and middle schools through school adoption programs and specialized seminars for underrepresented minorities. The idea is to keep students in school so they can succeed in life.” |
