The Columbus Dispatch – January 10, 2012
So what do you do? Call together the best minds in the college world together for a brainstorming session on shaping the future of higher education. At least that’s what the College Board did this past weekend in Newport Beach, Calif.
Columbus State Community College President David Harrison was one of only five higher-education presidents to lead a panel discussion on embracing the “new normal” — where schools have to serve more students with more diverse needs with less state and federal funding. The fact that the college board even invited a community college leader speaks to the notion of a new normal in the higher education world, in which more students are choosing to attend a two-year school before transferring on to a four-year university, says a lot.
It’s only been in the last several years that the nonprofit College Board has placed a growing emphasis on the role of community colleges as heavy-lifters in helping to assure that everyone in the United States has the opportunity to go to college.
Community college leaders have long said: It’s no longer enough just to let students in the door. Community colleges must do more to measure students’ progress and make sure they earn the credits they need to transfer or complete a four-year degree.
Since joining Columbus State in July 2010, Harrison hasn’t been shy about his desires for the school to become a leader in helping more students succeed in their classes, complete their degrees quicker and advance their careers. It’s probably one of many reasons that the College Board invited Harrison to speak at its annual colloquium.