Call for community colleges to schedule classes in blocks

Monday

Jan 30, 2012 at 12:01 AMJan 30, 2012 at 4:48 AM

Students who have had trouble juggling community-college classes with work and family obligations might get some relief soon. Chancellor Jim Petro has asked the state's public two-year schools to consider scheduling some classes as a block, in which they are offered back-to-back at a set time. Students could take classes from 8 a.m. to noon Monday through Friday, for example, and earn an associate degree in 18 months - as long as they go through summer.

Students who have had trouble juggling community-college classes with work and family obligations might get some relief soon.

Chancellor Jim Petro has asked the state’s public two-year schools to consider scheduling some classes as a block, in which they are offered back-to-back at a set time. Students could take classes from 8 a.m. to noon Monday through Friday, for example, and earn an associate degree in 18 months — as long as they go through summer.

Block scheduling is attractive to many students because they wouldn’t have to worry about rearranging job and family responsibilities every term because of their classes, Petro said. More than 80 percent of community-college students across the country have a job, and about 60 percent work more than 20 hours per week. That can prolong their studies.

“ Every extra year that students take to complete a college degree diminishes the chance they will graduate,” Petro said. “Time truly is the enemy.”

His goal is to improve the state’s graduation rate, providing skilled workers who can help turn around Ohio’s economy, he said.

An average of 9 percent of the state’s full-time community-college students graduate within three years; 56 percent of Ohio’s four-year university students earn diplomas within six years. The three- and six-year timelines are standard measures for judging college success nationwide.

Tennessee has had huge success with block scheduling at its 27 Technology Centers, Petro said. Seventy-five percent of students complete their degrees at those centers, which specialize in one-year to 18-month certifications in high-demand fields. And 83 percent of the students move directly into a job.

Students at the Technology Centers sign up for a program rather than individual courses, and attend at least six hours a day, five days a week. Classes end by 3 p.m., allowing students to hold an evening job or care for children after school.

“ Students know at registration what courses they must take, how much the program will cost and for which specific program they are training,” said James King, the vice chancellor of the Technology Centers. “We’re not like Burger King: You don’t get it your way.”

Petro doesn’t plan to require that all 23 of Ohio’s community colleges offer block schedules. But he hopes they consider it for at least one or two of their most-popular programs.

Several of the state schools already do, said Ronald Abrams, executive director of the Ohio Association of Community Colleges. “It’s done mostly in nursing, allied health and some highly technical programs."

Abrams said the idea could be expanded and “has the potential to improve student success.”

Columbus State Community College doesn’t have any true block-scheduling programs, officials said, but it does have a few variations.

A select group of science and technology scholars, for instance, take some classes, such as English and math, in blocks.

“ We’re always very committed to adapting our schedules to the needs of every student,” said Tom Erney, Columbus State’s dean of distance learning.

In the fall, Columbus State students will be able to take more classes in unofficial blocks in the mornings, afternoons and evenings. That’s because the school will be offering more classes throughout the day, from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., to accommodate the switch from quarters to semesters.

Central Ohio Technical College in Newark also has a limited number of programs that are offered in blocks, as well as courses that can be taken in pairs or sequences.

But the school stands out because it is the only area college that allows students to sign up for a whole year of classes at one time, said Richard Prystowsky, the vice president for academic affairs and chief academic officer.

“ We are very, very careful about putting together the master schedule so that students in a program can get the courses they need without having to come back all the time,” Prystowsky said. “Roughly, 50 percent of our students took advantage of it last school year.”

Starting in late spring, students will be able to sign up for two years of classes, he said.

epyle@dispatch.com

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