ERIC ED391101: Seamless Education: Why a System for Transfer in Occupational Education? Briefing Paper No. 1, Spring 1994.

4 Pages·1994·0.15 MB·English

by  ERIC

DOCUMENT RESUME
CE 070 736
ED 391 101
Lynch, Richard L.; And Others
AUTHOR
Seamless Education: Why a System for Transfer in
TITLE
1, Spring
Occupational Education? Briefing Paper No.
1994.
Georgia Univ., Athens. Dept. of Occupational
INSTITUTION
Studies.
Georgia State Dept. of Technical and Adult Education,
SPONS AGENCY
Atlanta.
PUB DATE
94
4p.; For related documents, see CE 070 737-738.
NOTE
Viewpoints (Opinion/Position Papers, Essays, etc.)
PUB TYPE
(120)
MF01/PC01 Plus Postage.
EDRS PRICE
*Articulation (Education); College Transfer Students;
DESCRIPTORS
*Educational Needs; Educational Policy; *Educational
Trends; Education Work Relationship; *Futures (of
Society); Higher Education; Labor Force Development;
*Transfer Policy
ABSTRACT
The concept of a "seamless education" has taken hold
of the public imagination in recent years. Changes in the way society
views higher education and what it expects from education are forcing
colleges to reconsider the way learning is structured and credentials
are-awarded. Likewise, the importance of education as preparation for
work, in particular for the high performance jobs of the future, has
taken on new significance as the nation focuses on regaining its
global competitiveness. Four national trends identified in the
literature summarize the forces of change that underlie the need to
examine seamless education and to make it a reality in postsecondary
(1) higher
vocational-technical education. The trends are as follows:
education as a right and a requirement for all and a retcessity for
the quality of life for individuals and the country;
(2)
(3) educational access
institutional accountability to the public;
and social equality, with more "nontraditional" college students; and
(4) global competitiveness and work force preparation--leading to
integration of academic education and progression from associate
degrees to Bachelor's degrees. (KC)
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Reproductions supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made
from the criginal document.
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GEORGIA DEPARTMENT OF TECHNICAL AND ADULT EDUCATION
U S DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
PERMISSION TO SEINIODuCE rocs
BRIEFING PAPER
i)UCATIONAL RESOURCES INFORMATION
MATERIAL HAS SEEN GRANTED BY
CENTER IERICI
This diwurnent nas been reproduced as
rece,v,,d r,,,a, Teo pelson or organization
originating a
SEAMLESS EDUCATION: WHY A SYSTEM FOR TRANSFER
0 Minor change, ?have been macie to
,0 THE EDUCATIONAL RESOURCES
IN OCCUPATIONAL EDUCATION?
improve reproduction quahty
.NFORNIATION CENTER fERICI
paints of view iir opinsins stated in this
document do nut necesarily represent
DERI position or policy
ott
No. 1, Spring 1994
Occupational Research Group
and credentials completion, not necessarily
The concept of a "seamless education"
of institution
attend.
what type
they
has taken hold of the public imagination
for
opportunities
Changes in the way
educational
Higher
in recent years.
job/career retraining and advancement at
society views higher education and what it
all levels are seen as having a critical
are
education
forcing
from
expects
fz.1
impact on the quality of life for individuals
colleges to reconsider the way learning is
and for the country.
structured and credentials are awarded.
Likewise, the importance of education as
Institutional Accountability to the Public
preparation for work, in particular for the
high performance jobs of the future, has
Traditionally colleges have had a high
taken on new significance as the nation
degree of institutional autonomy in both
global
regaining
its
on
focuses
fiscal and curricular matters. Faculty have
The following
four
competitiveness.
always played a central role in the control
national trends identified in the literature
admission
content
forces of change that and
program
of
summarize the
standards (Bender, 1990). The image of
underlie the need to examine seamless
the ivory tower protected academia from
education and to make it a reality in
public scrutiny and criticism in the past.
postsecondary vocational and technical
Today there is a clear trend nationally
education.
towards increased legislative and other
policy-mandated activity representing the
Education and the Quality of Life
public interest, particularly in publicly-
funded colleges (Bender, 1990; Knoell,
Higher education in the United States
Higher education is no longer
was originally conceived of as a privilege
1990).
immune to calls for improved quality in
for a few (the "brightest and the best" -
national education
education and the
higher
Today
wealthiest).
and the
reform movement, as evidenced in several
education is seen not only as a right for all
of
critical
reports
citizens but as a requirement for our
national
recent
education.
nation (Bender, 1990). The establishment
With greater demands on public funds
of community colleges in nearly every
at the state level from all public agencies,
state has opened the doors of higher
and increasing requests for funding higher
education to millions who would otherwise
education growth, legislators are more
The
public
been
excluded.
have
responsive to taxpayer complaints a)3out
increasingly views education as a system of
the high costs of collese education and the
interdependent and complementary, not
perceptions of waste:babuse, duplication,
competing, institutions (Bender,
1990).
and claims of superiority resulting from
many--if not most--
What matters to
the current systems of higher education
students is the process of continuing study
2
BEST COPY AVAILABLE
two-year community-based colleges are
When state-supported
(Knoell, 1990).
key access points to higher education for
colleges do not recognize courses taken at
these groups, barriers to continuing higher
state-supported
other
and
colleges
education through transfer
restrictions
postsecondary technical institutes and thus
raise concerns about social equity and
require students to repeat courses,
it
artificial limits on economic opportunity
extends the time needed to complete a
(Rendon,
Legislators and taxpayers are
1992).
citizens
some
for
degree.
Rendon (1992) points out that community
strongly questioning the waste of public
colleges are where minority and low- or
funds through duplication of effort, as well
medium-income students are concentrated,
as the waste of student time and expense
and that studies show that over 50% of
required
or
aid)
(tuition
financial
to
community college students express an
complete a college education.
The actual rate of
intent to transfer.
much lower,
resulting
transfer
in
Educational Access and Social Equality
is
of both two- and four-year
criticism
provide
The traditional college student has
failure
their
to
for
colleges
opportunities for ongoing higher education
been
recent
school
high
typically
a
(NCAAT, 1991).
graduate, enrolled full-time and living on
campus. However, the demographics of
Global Competitiveness and Workforce
college attendance - who goes to college
and when - have changed dramatically
Preparation
over the past few decades. The "tyk;ical"
student today
impact
of
about
the
often
older,
Concerns
college
is
America's
on
part-time
educational
quality
employed
or
while
full-
attending college part-time, and raising a
international competitiveness and the need
to provide advanced training for high
commuter
The
community
family.
colleges have responded to the need for
technology/high performance skills and
lifelong learning among adults needing job
careers have beeti identified in several
skill training/retraining/upgrading, as well
national reports (America's Choice: High
providing general and liberal
arts
as
Skills or Low Wages; Workforce 2000).
education typically identified with the first
Recent legislation at the federal and state
two years of a baccalaureate degree.
level (Perkins Act with its focus on Tech
College students today also are more
School-to-Work
the
Prep,
and
for job
or family
relocating
mobile,
Opportunities Act) has moved vocational-
reasons, and dropping in and out of
of
place
education
to
a
technical
college study as life demands change. The
public debate on
prominence in
the
learners
of adult
increasing
mobility
educational reform (Hayward and Benson,
makes credit course transfer even more
The national trend
toward
is
1993).
to associate and baccalaureate
critical
integrating
and
expanding
redefining,
degree completion (Berman et al, 1990).
academic and vocational competencies
Access to higher education, including
taught in occupational education to better
completion of degee programs, has long
meet workforce needs of the future.
been seen to be a key to social-economic
Along with this is a growing demand
advancement
members
for
of
graduates' for
degree
associate
from
and
underrepresented
racial
ethnic
(Prager,
oppbrtunities
baccalaureate
minorities and economically disadvantaged
1988). The concept of a "terminal" degree
populations in the United States.
Since
(the AAS or AAT degree)
being
is
Knoell, D. (1990).
Transfer, articulation,
reconsidered (NCAAT, 1991), given the
increasing rigor of paraprofessional, mid-
and collaboration: Twenty-five years later.
Ford Foundation Research Project.
mamager, and technician occupational
Washington, D.C.: American Association
programs at the postsecondary level. The
of Community & Junior Colleges.
strengthened academic and occupational
the
taught
at
competencies
two-year
Marshall, R., & Tucker, M.
colleges, along with increased demand for
(1992).
high performance technology in many
Thinking for a living: Education and the
wealth of nations. New York: Basic Bks.
occupations today, has increased pressures
for transfer of credits from occupational
National Center for Academic Achievement
programs to bachelor's degree programs
Probing the
and Transfer.
(Bender, 1990; Prager,
(1993).
1988).
transfer function.
community college
The distinction between thinking versus
Washington, DC: American Council on
characterized
the
has
doing,
which
Education.
between
academic
versus
distinction
vocational learning, is being diminished by
The other transfer
the realities of a world-class workforce
Prager, C.
(1988).
degree. In C. Prager (ed.), Enhancing
which will demand high skill levels for all
workers in the future. For the US to be
ankulation and transfer. New Direcdons
San
for Community Colleges, no.61.
to
have
competitive
globally,
will
it
reconsider how it structures higher and
Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
education
(Marshall
and
vocational
Eyes on the prize:
Rendon, L.
Tucker, 1992).
(1992).
Students of color and the bachelor's
degree. Transfer Working Papers, 3 (2).
REFERENCES
Spotlight on the
Bender, L.
(1990).
GDTAE Briefing Papers are prepared by the
transfer function: A national study of
Occupational Research Group, School of Leadership
practices.
state
policies
and
and Lifelong Learning at the University of Georgia,
American
Washington,
DC:
under contract to Georgia Department of Technical
Association of Community & Junior
and Adult Education, to summarize emerging issues
Colleges.
in the national literature on postsecondary technical
education.
B., &
Berman, P.,
Nelson,
Curry,
J.,
CONTRIBUTORS:
Weiler, D. (1990). Enhancing transfer
effectiveness: A model for the 1990s.
School
of
Director,
Lynch,
Richard
L.
Dr.
American
Washington,
D.C.:
Leadership and Lifelong Learning, University
Association of Community & Junior
of Georgia
Colleges, National Effective Transfer
Dr. Dorothy Harnish, Coordinator, Occupational
Consortium.
Research Group, University of Georgia
Hayward, G., & Benson, C. (1993). The
Mr. Teddy G. Brown, Graduate Research Assistant,
and
of vocational
role
changing
Occupational Research Group, University of
technical education in the United States.
Georgia
Center
National
for
Centerwork,
Research in Vocational Education, 4 (2).
4