Paper

Continuing Education programs are present in universities and community colleges. The role and courses offered by continuing education divisions vary depending on the needs of the community they serve. Usually, continuing education is thought to exist mainly at community colleges. There are, however, research universities leading continuing programs impacting their regional economy. For example, some of leading research universities in New England also offer continuing education programs for working adults (O’Neill, 2005).
 * Norma' draft**
 * Introduction**

"One of the least understood community college functions, continuing education can be defined broadly as the range of programs and services that provide workforce training, adult basic education, academic transfer curricula, personal enrichment, and community outreach courses. Long considered an auxiliary aspect of postsecondary organizations, continuing education divisions at community colleges serve an increasingly diverse group of learners in their local communities, as well as through state and national partnerships" (Downey, Pusser, & Turner, 2006).

Cohen and Brawer (p. 314) note that Gleazer, Jr., president of the American Association of Community and Junior Colleges (AACJC) from 1958 until 1981, emphasized that community colleges should serve the community and expand their roles beyond post secondary education, and Continuing education should be their main purpose. To Gleazer, the community college is a resource of lifelong learning“used by individuals throughout their lifetimes”.

Findings from the National Study of Continuing Education (Center for the Study of Higher Education, 2005) suggest that continuing education divisions are adapting to meet the challenges of increased competition, decreased funding, and widespread changes in educational delivery methods by fostering increased entrepreneurial activities and innovation.

The following sections decribe the role of continuing education in the community college, issues with continuing education, trends in continuing edcation, and future of continuing education.

Not all research universities, of course, have embraced career and continuing education to the extent that Harvard and Boston University have. Some see it as inconsistent with their primary mission. In these cases, local officials might produce better results for their communities by promoting university collaboration with a local community college. Such collaborations could involve university faculty in the design and delivery of community college courses, research internships for community college students and expanded student access to university libraries and other facilities.
 * Role of Continuing Education (Norma's Draft)**

According to Cohen & Brawer (Chapter 10, 2008, p. 318), Continiung Education in community colleges serves many roles and purposes. One of the roles of Continuing Education is to provide adult basic education to those whose literacy level is lower than high school. Offerings may include English as a Second Language (ESL), General Education Development(GED), and literacy programs. Another role of Continuing Education is to provide non-credit, vocational type offerings to those who would like to upgrade their job skills. A third role of Continuing Education is to offer lifelong learning opportunities to those who would like to enrich their personal lives. And the last role or function of Continuing Education is to offer entrepreneurship training.

The scope of Continuing Education covers a broad area of services, ages, levels of education, interests, orintentations (Cohen & Brawer, p. 323). Continuing Education in community colleges could be categorized within that area of adult education because it is intended for adult learners, especially those beyond traditional undergraduate college oruniversity age. However, continuing education differs from Adult Education in the sense that its offerings are not for credit. Adults enrolling in continuing education learning opportunities vary from professionals who already hold adegree to those who never completed high school.

Downey, Pusser, and Turner (2006) in the Emerging Pathways project, a national study of adult and nontraditional learners in postsecondary education that is supported by the Lumina Foundation for Education, surveyed 524 community colleges. The data showed that community college continuing education divisions offer four primary types of courses: 1. workforce development courses that are designed to develop workplace readiness skills but generally do not lead to a certificate or credential; 2. credit-bearing general education and transfer preparation courses that lead to an associate degree or transfer to a four-year institution; 3. noncredit professional education courses that lead to a certificate, professional license, or industry-recognized credential; and 4. noncredit community service, general interest, and leisure courses.

Respondents in the survey were asked to list the two most important goals they would like their continuing educatin programs to achieve. Findings suggest that helping students acquire specific skills is the primary motivation for offering continuing education credit instruction, and that community engagement is the primary goal for offering noncredit courses (Downey, Pusser, & Turner, 2006).

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 * References**

Center for the Study of Higher Education. “Institutions: 2004 National Study on Continuing Education.” Unpublished manuscript, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, 2005.

Cohen and Brawer (2008). The American Community College.........

Downey, Pusser, and Turner (2006) New Directions for Community Colleges, Winter2006, Vol. 2006 Issue 136, p75-82;, 8p

**Community Education Issues** The nature of community education is broad and widely defined by many which make it prone to many issues in community college. Advocates for community education believe the purpose of community education is to serve the whole community and enhance community pride (Cohen & Brawer, 2003). Critics of community education believe it is a waste of resources that could be better suited in the academic areas of community colleges. The issues, in regards to community education, presented in this paper are program effectiveness, funding and program validity. **Program Effectiveness** Community education needs to be able to prove its worth to the community to retain and maintain its value to the larger community. Cohen & Brawer (2003) believe “assessing the outcomes is difficult; because the entire community is the client, effects are diffuse and subject to contamination from innumerable sources” (p. 301). To adequately measure the problem, it seems that one would have to measure its effectiveness within the larger community. This proves to be difficult to obtain due to the broad nature of community education. The most common way to measure program effectiveness is to ask the participants for their evaluation of the course (Cohen & Brawer, 2003). These surveys usually include questions that pertain to enjoyment rather than effectiveness (Cohen & Brawer, 2003). Other evaluations are focused on the process of the community education courses, rather than outcomes. McGuire (1988) provided a set of guidelines to be used for program effectiveness, but they all focus on the process and not the product. His areas of measure include the extent to which community members participated in the construction of programs, linkage between community college and outside organizations and feedback from community leaders and clients (McGuire, 1988). Although the results from a survey like this would provide useful information about the planning and development of community college education, it provides little in the area of outcomes assessment. **Funding** Since the 1970s, community colleges have been receiving less aid, while enrollment numbers continue to increase (Downer, Pusser, & Turner, 2006). Thus, they are given the message that they must offer more with less money. This crisis has trickled itself down in terms of funding community education programs. All states have different criteria in how they fund their community colleges and more specifically community education programs (Cohen & Brawer, 2003). There are some community colleges that use funding provided by community education programs to offset years with low enrollment (Cohen & Brawer, 2003). Other colleges have had to cut some of their community education programs to balance the budget. There seems to be a shift to offering more programs that have economic and academic benefits in community colleges (Downer, et.al., 2006). Community education programs range from workforce development, social interest courses, and leisure course. There are growing mandates to have colleges be fully self supported in areas of community education (Cohen & Brawer, 2003). These supporters ask whether or not the problem brings value to the individual or to the community itself. Cohen & Brawer (2003) believe there needs to be a separation between the individual and the community when assessing community education. Does the program address the needs of the individual or the whole community? Is the program addressing an issue or a problem? A problem would relate to an individual (i.e. job loss) where as an issue would describe a community problem (high unemployment rate). Thus, advocates for this viewpoint argue if a community education program benefits the community, it should receive public financial support; whereas if the community education program benefits the individual, it should be paid for by the individual (Cohen & Brawer, 2003). **Program Validity** Critics of community education believe that community colleges use community education primarily as a marketing resource. These critics further state that the usefulness of community education is to bring more students in the doors at community colleges. Cohen & Brawer (2003) found that almost 80% of students who were awarded credits for life experiences later enrolled in courses at the same community college. The community’s perception of community education varies greatly according to Hightower (2005). He believes in the validity of offering community education, but feels there is a lack of accolades to support community education. He further believes when accolades are given to a community college, it is often focused on academic offerings and community education offerings are ignored (Hightower, 2005). When looking at the validity of community education, Hightower (2005) believes community colleges, as well as public figures, need to focus their energies in educating the public about the different community education programs offered at community colleges. He believes, by advertising more about community education, the community will hold these programs in higher esteem (Hightower, 2005). Community education is often seen as a separate entity from the college itself. Often times faculty ignore the members of the community education group and there is an internal dissonance between credit bearing courses and non-credit bearing courses (Cohen & Brawer, 2003). Some faculty members feel there is no level of program validity because community education courses are taught by part-time faculty, who have no commitment to the institution as a whole (Cohen & Brawer, 2003). Furthermore, faculty rarely participate in community education course offerings and feel those programs are less important than academic programs (Cohen & Brawer, 2003). Cohen, A.M., & Brawer, F.B. (2003). The American community college. San Fransisco: Jossey- Bass. Downey, J.A., Pusser, B., Turner, J.K. (2006). Competing missions: Balancing entrepreneurialism with community responsiveness in community college continuing education divisions. //New Directions for Community Colleges, 136 Winter,// doi: 10.1002/cc.261 Hightower, T. (2005, March 14). An identity crisis in continuing education. //Community College Week,// pp. 4-5. McGuire, K.B. (1988). State of the art in community-based education in the American community college. Washington D.C.: Association of American Community and Junior Colleges.
 * Pardess' Draft**

====Curriculum and planning for CE programs is impacted by the needs of the global society at any given time. Courses and curriculum are constantly changing to meet the global demands of the workforce and economy. Gone are the days when courses, such as Typewriting 101 and Becoming a Travel Agent were offered. Now, new topics and interest areas have emerged. The previous courses have been replaced with Photoshop 101 and Wines of the World. Needs placed by a changing economy have ushered in new content and courses in CE programs. "Adult education is an important aspect of state and local economic development because it helps prepare a skilled work- force to attract and retain businesses and industries that support the local economy" (Reese, 2010).====

====Currently, there are 4 identifiable trends impacting curriculum development for CE: competency and high performance, new economic models and performance, changes and expansion in delivery formats and commitment to continuing professional development (ALA, 2006). These trends can be related to various professional needs in occupational fields as the majority of occupations are looking for "employees to work more efficiently and expediently, while also being meticulous about details" (Huff, 2005). For example, the nursing industry understands the need for nurses to have the opportunity to take courses in which they can acquire specialized certifications to meet the needs of urban and rural communities as shortages currently exist (Huff, 2005). Additionally, bank and finance no longer needs only knowledge in handling money and stocks. Financial employees must now be aware of ever-changing laws and practices (Huff, 2005).==== ====On the reverse side, curriculum is not only impacted by the needs of employers. A large component of CE courses appeal to the personal interests of a community and groups of people. For example, new courses in green living, diversity in cooking and new trends in exercise have a great influence on the courses being offered in CE programs.==== "Benefiting society as a whole, educated individuals are more likely to participate in civic affairs, volunteer their time to charities, and subscribe to personal values—such as tolerance and an appreciation of cul- tural differences—that are increasingly crucial for the healthy functioning of our diverse society" (Schejbal & Wilson, 2008).

Overall, the influence of trends on continuing education curriculum is wide and varied. Many credit the needs of a changing global economy. Other attribute the interests and needs of the community and groups surrounding the higher education institutions. Whatever the reason for trends in CE course offerings, the fact remains that "continuing education as one arm of that enterprise—is not just an economic engine; it contributes directly and in a multifaceted fashion to the common good. it generates and makes accessible a great deal of the knowledge that drives our economy" (Schejbal & Wilson, 2008).

Reese, S. (2011). An Education for All Seasons of Life. // Techniques: Connecting Education and Careers //, 86(2), 20-23. Retrieved from EBSCO // host //.

Schejbal, D., & Wilson, D. (2008). The Value of Continuing Education. // Continuing Higher Education Review //, 7232-43. Retrieved from EBSCO// host //. ‍One component of continuing education that cannot be ignored is the technological advances that are changing the way adults gain knowledge, as colleges and training programs move away from being the main funnel of knowledge. ‍Beyond the normal anxieties associated with enrolling in continuing education programs, many adults are concerned about future trends in education. Their apprehension is focused on how technological tools will impact the way education is delivered. To expand on this, their unease is centered on the way online tools are used to make it easier to earn a college degree or complete professional training. To this end, the future trends in continuing education are changing to meet the 21st Century adult learner by offering increased e-learning or online learning opportunities. This trend includes learning networks including professional social networks, as well as reliance on mobile devices and technology. <span style="color: black; font-family: 'Andalus','serif'; font-size: 16px;">There is an increase and reliance on mobile devices and technology. Society is using these tools on a grand scale. These tools include wireless smart phones, iPods, lap top computers, Tablet PCs, iPads, personal digital assistants, and other personal media players. The wireless connectivity of these online tools is moving towards more e-learning as the way college courses are taught and professional training is delivered to integrate more web-based technology. This trend has led to several advantages for adult learners and includes: reduced time spent on learning and increased retention, on-demand availability of college courses or professional training, self-paced learning, a real benefit for faster or slower learners, increased interactivity for students with instructors, increased confidence for adult learners, the ability to accommodate a varied learning styles such as auditory, visual, and kinesthetic learners, the ability to teach or learn from anywhere in the world, and mobile learning is becoming one of the fastest growing trends in continuing education.The increased trend of adults enrolling in online professional networks is transforming aspects of continuing education. This change is being driven by advances in Web 2.0 technology as adults become more tech savvy and increase their use of free online tools to support their learning. This trend in online professional networks support e-learning for adults who: want to learn new things from experts and colleagues, along with keeping current with the latest trends and processes in their career field, know there are many paths to learning or finding out the latest information, instead of the traditional methods of formal learning, rely on a broad set of online information and communications tools to keep current. These professional learning networks offer the ability to create a presence in a career field outside an adult’s current employer.