Community colleges: Continuing to 'meet, serve needs'
Sep. 3—EDITOR'S NOTE — This is the second in a three-part series looking at the creation and ongoing impact of community colleges in Northeast Ohio.
Experiencing a whirlwind of change throughout its 55-year history, including political disruption, nothing has shifted when it comes to preserving Lakeland Community College's spirited stance of being "open-door" and "second choice" — terms then applied to community colleges — according to founding president, Wayne Rodehorst.
"We've always embraced the 'community' in Lakeland Community College," he said, asserting that "second choice," if the "label" indeed bears on, does not equal diminished drive and dedication. "Excellence was sought at the beginning and continues in all (of our) collegiate endeavors today. We have always been focused on serving the people where they are today.
"Nothing is written in stone when it comes to that very important fact, and nothing was sacrificed," added Rodehorst, who retired in 1981. "The function hasn't changed, but the details have because we've changed, our society has changed, our world....but serving our residents, our students, that's key and always will be. That's our sense of personal pride."
Mission/Outcomes
The mission of the college has remained constant: to provide quality learning opportunities to meet the social and economic needs of the community.
"To that fact, over 35,000 graduates and hundreds of thousands of students have benefitted from the high quality, affordable education, and training that Lakeland provides," said President Morris W. Beverage Jr., the school's fifth president. "Over 90 percent of Lakeland graduates live or work in our community, and 97 percent find employment or continue their education.
Additionally, since the Holden University Center opened in 2011, over 1,100 students have graduated with advanced degrees, and Lakeland was ranked as one of the "Best Community Colleges in Ohio" by College Consensus in 2020.
The same year, the college was also ranked No. 1 in Ohio and No. 2 in the nation for students reaching their educational goals by the Chronicle of Higher Education.
Lakeland received reaffirmation of its accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission in early 2021, following a comprehensive review of the quality of the college's academic programs and continuous improvement processes.
Enrollment
Lakeland's credit headcount enrollment peaked in 2010 with 9,866 students, officials reported, and since that year, community colleges across the nation have experienced enrollment declines due to fewer high school graduates.
Additional factors have affected enrollment as well.
According to the college, the number of high school graduates in Lakeland's top-feeder schools has decreased by 17 percent from 2010 to 2020.
More recently, enrollment has been impacted by low unemployment and uncertainties due to the pandemic.
In 2010, Ohio's funding formula for higher education changed from enrollment-based to performance-based, emphasizing student retention and completion.
In 2015, Ohio launched College Credit Plus, a dual enrollment program that provides students in grades 7-12 with the opportunities to earn college and high school credits simultaneously by taking courses from Ohio colleges or universities.
Lakeland CCP enrollment reached 1,500 in the fall of 2019. To date, nearly 8,000 students attend Lakeland annually (unduplicated): In the fall of 2021, 72 percent attended part-time, 28 percent attended full-time, and 63.5 percent of students were enrolled in at least one online class.
The average age of part-time students was 21.1, with the average age of full-time students being 26.7.
Physical plant
Lakeland's campus, and the college as a whole, have seen notable changes, too, over in recent years, including the closing of Lakeland West in 2012, and Lakeland East, in 2019, due to low enrollment and budget cuts.
In 2015, the school's 0.4-mill bond issue to expand and renovate the Health Technologies Building was passed by Lake County voters and was Ohio's first capital improvement levy for a two-year college. The project was completed in 2018.
Lakeland's HIVE Makerspace also opened that year.
To date, the college encompasses 10 attached buildings and the Holden, across from the main entrance on state Route 306 in Kirtland.
Academic programs
Since 1967, the number of classes and programs of study have grown substantially, officials noted, as Lakeland now offers 1,100 credit courses, 78 degrees and 64 certificates.
Classes are offered in-person, online, or in a hybrid format, and new programs are regularly being created to meet the needs of an ever-changing society, economy, and workforce.
In 1990, the Ohio Board of Regents established the Ohio Transfer module, a subset of general education courses that, when taken in its entirety, is guaranteed to transfer to any public college or university in the state.
Lakeland also developed transfer agreements with other colleges and universities located all over the country.
Additionally, Holden has grown to 10 college partners and over 50 programs, with Case Western Reserve University's Siegal Lifelong Learning Program, added in 2021.
Progress also continues with Lakeland's Teaching Learning Center, an accredited day school for pre-school-aged children and a licensed National Association for the Education of Young Children accredited teaching facility for the college's Early Childhood Education program.
Rounding out current programming are the Nonprofit and Public Service Center, established in 2005 to "enhance the capacity of nonprofit and public service organizations in Northeast Ohio," and the Entrepreneurship Center, created to support existing businesses and encourage the creation of new businesses.
In 2018, Lakeland became the first community college in the nation to establish a chapter of the Teachers Guild, officials reported. Area K-12 teachers and Lakeland staff and faculty participate in the program, which is one of only a handful of similar professional learning programs in the United States.
Last year, the Lakeland Foundation exceeds its $10 million "Futures Rising" campaign goal for scholarships and programs to support student success and future economic growth.
Student life
The college operates centers dedicated to supporting the "unique needs" of male, female, Hispanic and veteran students.
Coordinators encourage first-generation and underrepresented students to enroll and provide support services to help them reach their educational goals.
Overall, Lakeland supports approximately 200 student veterans with class flexibility and military-specific support services through its Wells Fargo Advisors Veterans Center, where a dedicated liaison assists with GI Bill educational benefits and early registration each semester.
The college, in addition, boasts 21 student clubs and organizations, including Lakeland Student Government, Campus Activities Board, Gamers' Guild, Hispanic Club, Robotics Club, and the Lakeland Signers.
A range of athletics programs has included men's and women's basketball, baseball, women's volleyball, men's and women's soccer, wrestling, men's bowling, women's bowling, tennis, golf, and softball, though not all are currently active.
Events
Culturally, "Lakeland has become a focal point for high-quality regional arts and lecture presentations," officials said, with the college hosting professional theater productions, frequent concerts, and art shows housed in one of the largest galleries in Northeast Ohio.
The college is the home to noted music and art competitions that draw artists from around the nation. Also, a variety of series and symposiums are offered yearly to address "important political, economic, environmental, and educational issues affecting area citizens."
Specifically, the arts at Lakeland are comprised of The Gallery at Lakeland, Lakeland Civic Band, Lakeland Civic Chorus, Lakeland Civic Flute Choir, Lakeland Civic Orchestra, Lakeland Civic Jazz Orchestra, Jazz Impact, Lakeland Civic Theatre, the Lakeland Jazz Festival, and the Young Artist Competition.
After relocating WonderStruck to Cleveland, Northeast Ohio's largest outdoor music festival premiered at Lakeland in 2021. The two-day event returned this summer, attracting over 10,000 people to the campus.
As the college continues to grow, Beverage believes fundamental foundations, particularly anticipation, and adapting to the future, will ensure success.
"And the whole need to meet first-generation students continues today, just as it was in the 60s," he said, "so the role of the community college, while it has morphed and evolved and been responsive to the community, it remains the only option for many of our citizenry.
"It really is about one student at a time, and our 35,000 graduates have found their lives impacted as a result of Lakeland being there when they needed it to be."
Tri-C's recent expansion
Over the last 15 to 20 years, Cuyahoga Community College has become nationally recognized for its focus on a continuum of education, financial stability and physical expansion, according to school officials.
Jerry Sue Thornton, president from 1992 to 2013, realized that Tri-C had to move beyond its three-campus structure.
As a result, Corporate College launched in 2003, providing an alternate site for training office workers and supporting staff with flexible, affordable learning opportunities.
Tri-C's Hospitality Management Center opened in downtown Cleveland in 2010, providing culinary students a link to the area's growing dining and entertainment industries, which, to date, continues, noted Anthony Moujaes, public relations manager, integrated communications department.
To support the region's burgeoning need for health care talent, he added, Tri-C continued its expansion in 2011 with the opening of the Westshore Campus in Westlake.
The initial campus building primarily housed courses in nursing and other health career fields.
In 2019, under President Alex Johnson — who recently retired after serving in the role since 2013 — the college partnered with Esperanza Inc., the MetroHealth System, Olivet Housing, Community Development Corp., and the Cuyahoga Metropolitan Housing Authority to support individuals and families by providing community-based educational and workforce programming at three Tri-C Access Centers.
A fourth center is slated to open in the Slavic Village neighborhood in 2023.
Increased presence and effect
"It's an important vehicle, bringing together key stakeholders to create pathways to education and jobs within core communities throughout Cleveland," said Johnson, who spurred CCP enrollment, increasing it by 33 percent from 2015 to 2022.
Under the former president, Tri-C applied for an innovation waiver, allowing the creation of additional opportunities for students — particularly those in the Cleveland Metropolitan School District — to participate in career-focused CCP programming through the College's Youth Technology Academy.
According to the school, approximately 4,300 students take college courses through the program each year, making it "one of the largest in the state," while some earn a college degree alongside their high school diploma.
"I am proud of our programs that connect our mission to the region's high school students," Johnson added. "Programs like CCP, High Tech Academy and the Youth Technology Academy provide tremendous opportunities for Cleveland high school students to experience college."
