SACRAMENTO, Calif. - Education groups are praising a unanimous decision by a legislative committee Wednesday to audit the state's first online community college, called Calbright College.

Lawmakers expressed concern about transparency and duplication of current offerings. Jeff Freitas, president of the California Federation of Teachers, says the $140 million invested in Calbright would have been better spent bolstering online programs at existing community colleges.

"Could have done it cheaper, could have done it with the expertise of the faculty that are already employed by our community colleges," says Freitas.

Calbright College launched on October first and has 450 students enrolled, but just 38 who are pursuing certificates in medical coding, IT or cybersecurity. Its goal is to help working adults get flexible, low-cost job training.

CFT Community College Council president Jim Mahler says the funding imbalance in favor of Calbright is stark.

"If you look at the funding per full time equivalent student at Calbright," says Mahler, "they're being funded at the rate of 1,000 times what the rest of our students are getting funded at our traditional community colleges."

Carlos Turner Cortez is president of San Diego Continuing Education, part of the San Diego Community College District, which is launching its own online education program.

"The cost of launching ICOM Academy was $500,000 - less than 1% of the investment put in Calbright," says Cortez. "We could do a lot more to support student success by reinvesting that funding in existing districts that are aiming to expand distance-education opportunities."

Calbright has no full-time faculty and has been criticized for awarding a no-bid executive-recruitment contract to a friend of the former college president.

Indigenous populations have long faced barriers in pursuing higher education and Minnesota's new free college tuition program could help put some of these dreams within reach.

This fall, the state launched its North Star Promise initiative, where households earning below $80,000 qualify for free tuition at state colleges and universities. Experts said limited scholarships are one of the many obstacles Native Americans encounter in the world of higher education.

Anna Sheppard, president of White Earth Tribal and Community College, does not sense the new program will lead to a big enrollment boost but for students receiving aid, it could take their college journey to greater heights.

"What I really appreciate is that they're not going to have to graduate having debt," Sheppard emphasized. "Maybe they're going to pursue a master's or doctoral, so then they don't have to worry about that."

She noted juggling student loans and other college debt often limits Indigenous populations from obtaining advanced degrees. Research from the Postsecondary National Policy Institute shows that between 2010 and 2020, there was an 18% decrease in graduate enrollment among Native Americans.

At White Earth, Sheppard noted the possibility of more students from tribal areas means they could be learning about in-demand careers and technology, such as solar energy.

"On top of that, we do have a solar array on campus, so they get to see one that's actually an operation," Sheppard explained. "Right now, that powers our extension-customized education building."

She suggested the solar classes they provide, including learning how to install panels, put the students in a better position after graduation with more projects coming on board in Minnesota. Industry leaders said they are having a harder time filling jobs, increasingly offering good pay and benefits.

Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.


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Some North Dakota community colleges and technical schools have had success when it comes to student enrollment but they have not been able to avoid challenges seen nationwide in hiring enough faculty.

The National Education Association said across the U.S., the number of faculty at two-year institutions declined 5% in the past decade, with two in three community colleges seeing declines averaging 17%.

Lisa Karch, executive vice president of academic affairs at the North Dakota State College of Science, said they have had ups and downs with staff retention, noting there were a few unfilled openings to start this academic year. She argued it is vital to have enough instructors to keep specialized class sizes smaller.

"For our labs, it really comes down to a safety issue," Karch pointed out. "Whether it's a welding lab or a diesel lab or HVAC or plumbing."

She stressed they have accelerated efforts to have succession planning with more faculty retirements expected in the near future. The school also launched a new program where existing staff get additional training support on innovation related to their course material, making their professional development demands less of a burden.

Bismarck State College, which offers a mix of two-year and four-year degree options, reports difficulty in competing with the private market.

Dan Leingang, vice president of academic affairs at the school, said certain faculty are being wooed by job opportunities too hard to pass up.

"What we're seeing is a salary differential," Leingang observed. "Especially in highly technical fields, where the industry is paying very strong wages because of the demand."

Public schools have a harder time matching such offers. But Leingang added they are taking advantage of higher enrollment numbers and reinvesting the revenue into faculty salaries and bonuses. Like the State College of Science, they are also leaning on industry leaders within the region to serve as part-time faculty to help fill gaps and ensure students get a comprehensive learning experience.

Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.

As the economy continues to struggle with inflation and ongoing fears of a potential recession, a new report found the nation's labor market will add more good jobs in the next decade.

Skilled trades will offer solid career pathways and are even more promising due to massive public and corporate investment in infrastructure and the transition to green energy.

Artem Gulish, senior federal policy adviser in the Center on Education and the Workforce at Georgetown University and co-author of the report, said most good jobs will require bachelor's degrees or specialized credentials.

"Sixty-six percent of good jobs will go to workers with a bachelor's degree or higher, and 15% will go to workers with a high school diploma or less," Gulish reported.

A good job is defined as paying at least $43,000 a year and a median annual salary of $74,000 for workers age 25 to 44. West Virginia is among five states with the greatest expected share of jobs for workers with a high school diploma or less, according to data from the Center.

The mass exit of baby boomers from the workforce and artificial intelligence in the coming decade will cause shifts in many sectors of the economy. Gulish pointed out blue-collar jobs such as construction, health care, maintenance and repair will increasingly require postsecondary training.

"Those jobs are increasingly going to be shifting to middle-skills workers with more specialized skills," Gulish emphasized.

The report also pointed to job quality beyond salary in the future jobs landscape, including access to health care plans and retirement benefits. The data show 89% of workers in the highest wage bracket have access to health care plans and retirement benefits, compared with only 30% of workers in the lowest bracket. Flexible work schedules and access to wellness programs are more common among in higher-income jobs.

Support for this reporting was provided by Lumina Foundation.


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