OpEd: Don’t Judge - Rather Support, Engage, and Invest in Two-Year Colleges
OpEd: Don't Judge - Rather Support, Engage, and Invest in Two-Year Colleges
Dr. Christopher J. Parker
President & CEO / National Junior College Athletic Association
Recently an article was released by the Hechinger Report claiming that the "reckoning" was here for community colleges. Maybe we do have a reckoning on our hands, but hopefully, it is also an eye-opening awakening for all to take a closer look at the value of two-year colleges. I am not speaking about those in the trenches working and currently supporting two-year colleges across the country but referencing those outside of two-year colleges who ultimately have the opportunity to support, collaborate, and invest in community and technical college education instead of judging them.
From my seat, I am fairly offended by this article not only as a community college leader but also for my countless colleagues around the country who are serving millions of students in ways that the authors do not even comprehend. Without the means that are given to four-year colleges, two-year college leaders make five and a half cents out of every nickel while serving, as noted, some of the most underserved populations in America.
However, one aspect of engagement that has and is continuing to grow at the two-year college level is athletic programming. I am not talking about the 53 national champions that are crowned annually by the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), but the way the association's member colleges recruit, retain, and graduate some of the most underserved students in the country. NJCAA student-athlete data shows that nearly 35% of the association's 65,000 student-athletes are first-generation college students and range from a vast number of ethnicities. Despite barriers, the ability of these student-athletes to overcome the odds through athletic programs at two-year colleges is exponential. NJCAA member colleges have figured out how to use a sport to change the lives of their student-athletes. For many first-generation college students, that initial opportunity sets a new precedent within a family and helps to change the expectation for their children and grandchildren as they progress through the higher education system in the years to come. This is truly generational change through higher education.
Athletic engagement at the two-year college level also focuses on those graduation rates being significantly higher, with many young men and women having the intention of attending a four-year institution with the need to meet NCAA or NAIA requirements. Additionally, student-athletes and athletic programs provide a sense of pride for the college and their community, and in the two-year college space, there is no price tag that can be put on that engagement and exposure.
Two-year college student-athletes are taking advantage of the best return on investment in education. They are saving thousands of dollars on classwork, rather than raking up endless debt that will take them years to pay off upon graduation, which has recently been front and center in American politics. Every potential two-year college student needs to be aware of the numerous tuition assistance programs that exist, taking that return on investment to an even higher extent. Whether that is athletic aid, institutional aid, state aid, or federal aid, the financial support at two-year colleges to help decrease out-of-pocket debt is real.
Rather than renouncing two-year college education, how about joining me in investing in two-year college students? No matter your role, no matter your title, there is a two-year college serving your community right now. Engage with your local community college, go check them out, ask how you can help, and while you are there, take part in an athletic event to see just how important that team is to the college.
Help be a change agent for the future, rather than a judge for today.
If you would like to donate to the NJCAA Foundation to help 65,000+ student-athletes a year reach their goals, visit: Give to the NJCAA Foundation
Yours in sport and education,
Dr. Christopher J. Parker
NJCAA President & CEO