CCBA Announces Development of National Standards for Designing and Implementing Community College Bachelor’s Degrees

Community colleges continue to make national headlines for delivering on their promise to offer accessible, affordable, and equitable higher education pathways, including bachelor’s degrees. With 24 states and more than 200 community colleges now offering community college baccalaureate (CCB) degrees, the CCBA, in collaboration with Bragg & Associates and TSG Advisors – Education, recently announced they are developing a comprehensive CCB Quality Framework to serve as a roadmap for colleges and state agencies that plan to offer high-quality, workforce-focused CCB degree programs to their communities. 

“Over the next two years, community colleges across the country will actively engage in developing, piloting, and validating the CCB Quality Framework,” CCBA President Dr. Angela Kersenbrock noted. “Ultimately, this work will establish a shared understanding of the key elements that define high-quality CCB programs. By providing a clear framework and evidence-based guidance, colleges will have the resources and expertise to design and enhance programs that promote student success, align with workforce needs, and drive positive community and economic impact.” READ THE FULL STORY

Survey of Illinois Community College Students Shows Strong Support for CCBs

On behalf of the Illinois Community College Trustees Association (ICCTA), with funding from The Joyce Foundation, CCBA Research Partner Tim Harmon of Workforce Enterprise Services, Inc. recently published his findings from a survey of community college students that explored their level of interest in community college baccalaureate (CCB) degrees.

Ten colleges participated in two rounds of the survey, and 2,400 responses were obtained including the following highlights:

• Most community college students plan to continue their education following the completion of their community college degree or certificate.
• Students are very interested in pursuing a bachelor’s degree at the college they are attending now.
• Community colleges offer shorter commuting times compared to the closest university, based on the student’s own estimates of commuting time.
• Community college students are working and offered overwhelming support for the idea of allowing their colleges to offer a baccalaureate degree.

“If Sauk Valley Community College were to offer a Bachelor's degree program, it would genuinely be life-changing for me. The price and the availability of the degree alone would make it more than worth it to me.” - Sauk Valley College student

CCBA Student Scholars Program

Support Drive

Students are the reason the community college baccalaureate movement exists and succeeds in positively impacting communities across the nation. In honor of Community College Month, CCBA is inviting you to show your student support with a donation to the CCBA Student Scholars Program which honors academic excellence in students pursuing CCBs.

Since 2020, the Program has awarded more than $10,000 to outstanding students and graduates.