Rural Access

ERIC Clearinghouse for Community Colleges
EdInfo Number 99-12
December, 1999

Currently there are over 600 rural community colleges of which 25 percent serve the Sunbelt states and American-Indian reservations. Even with an open access policy, the enrollment of rural residents continues to decline. Therefore, it has become necessary to develop strategies that will not only increase access, but also retention in order to improve economic opportunities by obtaining a higher education.

The American Association of Community Colleges has reported on four general approaches that have worked for nine targeted community colleges serving distressed rural areas.
1. Partnerships for transition strengthen the transition from community college to the workforce through business and community college collaborations.
2. Alternative delivery systems such as distance learning, off-site campus centers, and/or branch campuses can extend out to students living in remote areas from the main campus.
3. Academic support services that improve academic deficiencies, offer career counseling, and build the self-confidence of students, particularly those students who are disadvantage or at-risk students.
4. Holistic approaches to access reach all parts of the student’s life, which incorporates family and community issues (i.e. opportunities for business development, family assistance, personal contact, and childcare).

This information was reported in ED 416 936, titled "Rural Access. AACC Project Brief," by Ronald Eller, Ruben Martinez, Cynthia Pace, Michael Pavel, Hector Garza, and Lynn Barnett. A full-text copy of this document may be obtained from the ERIC Document Reproduction Services , 7420 Fullerton Road, Suite 110, Springfield, VA 22153; or call (800) 443-ERIC.

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