CHAPTER 5

Middlesex Community College

Evolving Programs to Meet Community Needs

Carole Cowan and Michelle LaPointe

Middlesex Community College (MCC), in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, was founded in the 1970s and originally designated as a health careers college. In support of that mission, the college was located in the Bedford, Massachusetts, Veterans Medical Center for two decades before moving to its own campus not far from the VA Medical Center. MCC expanded to Lowell, Massachusetts, in 1986 and now occupies a large, historic facility downtown and other facilities in the city, including the MCC’s Health, Science, and Technology Center. MCC has continued to focus on careers in health, which gives the students an advantage in Massachusetts where the economy is booming in the areas of health care, medical research, and biotechnology research.

Lifelong Learning at Middlesex Community College

In the late 1950s, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts recognized a need for a greater diversity of programs and institutions in the higher education system. In the 1960s, the Commonwealth’s first community college was founded in the Berkshire Mountains of Western Massachusetts. Within the Massachusetts higher education system, the community colleges were designed to be open pathways to bachelor’s degree programs and to careers and career advancement. At their founding, each community college was created with a focus on a particular career area, but now all offer comprehensive programs. Each of the colleges has a distinctive program, though, because they adapt to local needs and partner with local organizations.

Middlesex Community College has adapted to economic and community changes to best serve the residents of Middlesex County. From the health-focused program in the VA hospital, it now offers courses off-site for a variety of employers and some public high schools. The college has formal articulations programs to facilitate transfer of credits between Middlesex and partnership schools, both to help high school students earn community college credit and to help Middlesex students transition to 4-year programs at other institutions. At the request of the local school district, the college created one of the first charter high schools in the Commonwealth to provide more applied experiences to students who were not succeeding in a traditional high school setting. Middlesex also has a contract with the Commonwealth to run career centers for the state Department of Labor. Throughout these changes, the faculty and staff of Middlesex Community College have relied on evidence of best practices, have collected data to ensure effective implementation, and have been willing to continually adapt as local needs change.

Programs for Every Stage of Life

Through a variety of programs, Middlesex serves students from ages 8 to 88. This includes summer programs for elementary students, a project with the local Girl Scouts to foster awareness of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) careers, a charter high school, dual-enrollment programs for high school student (on campus and at a few local high schools), general equivalency diploma (GED) programs, college credits, professional certifications, training for workers (on campus and on their worksite), retraining for unemployed workers, and tuition discounts for retired residents of Massachusetts. Middlesex also participates in the federal Trio¹* program, providing support to low-income students to succeed in high school and become first in their family to attend college. Students at the community college have great needs; 70% take developmental courses to prepare them for college-level work and half of the students receive financial aid.

Partners

Middlesex is able to adapt to local needs because of close relationship with local organizations. Not only do these relationships help Middlesex stay abreast of shifts in the economy and in the skills and education prized in the community, but they facilitate the implementation of programs at every stage of life. Although relationships may develop around short-term projects and initiatives, they often develop into enduring relationships to support formal education and professional training and certification. Partners foster both formal education and workforce training.

Partners to Support Continuing Formal Education. Middlesex has both articulation agreements with high schools (dual enrollment) and transfer agreements with other colleges. The Commonwealth of Massachusetts provides a strong framework to facilitate transfers within the public system of higher education, and Middlesex goes further to develop specific articulation agreements so that the students can seamlessly begin a program at Middlesex and complete it at a partner institution. In addition, MCC participates in joint admissions with four University of Massachusetts undergraduate programs with seven of the state universities and Suffolk University in Boston. These programs allow students to be admitted to both institutions simultaneously and, contingent on successful completion of courses, the students are guaranteed a place at the partner university.

Partnerships to Strengthen Workforce Development. Middlesex has a strong model for partnering with local employers to promote workforce development (Exhibit 5-1). The partnerships rest on three pillars: (1) relationships between faculty and employers, (2) faculty and administrators staying abreast of changes in the local economy, and (3) the strong reputation of alumni. This model is particularly successful due to the college’s history of being responsive to local employers. For example, the Leahy Clinic approached Middlesex Community College to provide nursing certification for their employees. Leahy employees were having trouble getting certification given the long waiting lists for nursing programs. Leahy pays tuition for their employees to attend courses at Middlesex, and the clinic established a nursing lab at its own facility to support the training. In addition, the college and Lowell General Hospital have a grant so the college can adapt training programs to meet the ongoing needs of the hospital. It is common for employers to repeatedly hire graduates of the college and, once they witness the success of individual employees, and to reach out to the college to provide ongoing training to all their employees.

Exhibit 5-1.   Organizational partners.

Program Design

Middlesex Community College is a cost-effective option for learners at every stage, although the focus of this study is adult education and workforce development, such as adults who are seeking professional certifications to provide more career options, and unemployed workers who receive training and job search assistance. The college also offers special education and remedial education services to help students improve their academic readiness for the demands of college. Also, some MCC students are traditional college students who are taking introductory courses at Middlesex to save tuition money as they earn a 4-year degree. The following is a brief description of the types of programs offered at Middlesex.

Professional Certifications

Middlesex Community College offers 24 programs leading to professional certification. Many are targeted at the important sectors in the Massachusetts economy: biotech and research (biotechnology technician, clinical laboratory assistant), and health care (medical assistant, dental assistant, nursing assistant, phlebotomy medical office administration). Students in these programs accrue credits toward an associate’s degree, and, in many cases, upon passing a certification exam, they receive a professional credential. Other programs document mastery of professional skills (computer-aided design, graphic design, hospitality management) and students accrue credits toward an associate’s degree. There are also programs targeted at professionals who have completed a bachelor’s degree and are seeking a professional credential or state certification.

One-Stop Centers

About 20 years ago, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts redesigned its workforce development system and created the one-stop centers as part of a new federal model of workforce investment boards, which primarily serve the unemployed. These centers connect people with retraining programs, sponsor job fairs, and generally helping place clients in jobs. Initially, MCC successfully competed for the one-stop center in its geographic district. In the most recent competition to manage the one-stop centers, MCC took over the management of a second one-stop center when the incumbent organization failed to meet the standards in the annual evaluation. Now MCC runs two centers in Middlesex County.

Developmental or Remedial Courses and Tutoring

These special services can be divided into three broad categories: (1) developmental or remedial courses and tutoring; (2) basic education (e.g., GED courses, English as a second language courses); and (3) special education and services for students with disabilities. These services are important at MCC because experience and outside research shows that community colleges with a strong support system for students who need remediation have improved course completion rates.² In addition, the more time students spend in development classes, the less likely they are to graduate.³ Although there may not be immediate gains in pass rates, there appear to be gains when the support services have been in place longer.

Many MCC students received special education services in high school, but these programs are harder to secure at the college level. These students require services above and beyond the remediation that has been traditionally offered at community colleges. Although the Americans with Disabilities Act requires that any student who enrolls at a community college must receive support and accommodations, there is little funding to support these services. For example, while the Commonwealth pays for special education in elementary school and high school, there are no supports for special education in the higher education system. MCC has invested considerable resources in supporting students with special needs despite the fact that, in some cases, these services cost much more than the students pay in tuition and fees. Middlesex does have a federal Trio grant, but MCC’s service model is very labor intensive and may not be sustainable if that grant funding is cut.

Special education at MCC has a service model that combines classroom instruction and supplemental support (including one-on-one tutoring), case management, metacognitive supports, self-advocacy training, as well as helping students develop interpersonal skills. The college has worked diligently to accelerate developmental education to minimize the amount of time spent preparing to take for-credit courses. One strategy for acceleration is the newly developed math program called Ramp-Up Mathematics^© (Pearson). Ramp-Up^© includes 12 online modules (up through Algebra II). Passing the course requires finishing four modules, but students can finish all 12 and place out of developmental math in one semester. Although it is a self-paced, online program, students enroll in 3 hours of class and one lab period per week. Classes are facilitated by a teacher and a tutor.

College-Level Courses

In addition to helping students prepare for work and college, MCC also offers college-level credits. These credits also lead to an associate’s degree from MCC or can be transferred to a 4-year degree program. About 20% of MCC students continue their formal education, transferring to a variety of competitive institutions.

In addition to supporting students who apply to transfer, Middlesex participates in articulation agreements with specific institutions. These include a joint admissions program, a bachelor’s completion program, and transfer paths for specific MCC majors. In addition to helping student transition to the next stage in their lifelong learning, some of these agreements include scholarships or tuition discounts.

Middlesex Community College has a joint admissions program* with the four University of Massachusetts undergraduate campuses, seven state universities, and Suffolk University. Students apply to both schools at once and complete their introductory courses at Middlesex. If they maintain a 2.5 grade point average, they can continue at the partner institution where they were jointly admitted. Students with at least a 3.0 average receive a 33% discount on in-state tuition at the public universities participating in the joint admissions program.

Additional programs facilitate completing a bachelor’s degree. Middlesex has a bachelor’s completion program with Salem State University, leading to a 4-year degree in either criminal justice or early childhood education. The biotechnology program also has articulation and transfer agreements with Boston University and the University of Massachusetts–Lowell. Other universities also accept the 66 credits of the MCC biotechnology program. Students have also transferred biotechnology credits to other University of Massachusetts campuses and Northeastern University. Students transferring to Boston University also receive a Boston University community scholarship, which pays for 50% of their tuition.

Impact

Middlesex Community College has worked diligently for over 40 years to meet the needs of its students and the local community. The impact of the college can be seen in many ways. Program statistics for MCC are impressive, with most students successfully completing a program or degree. This in turn improves career opportunities and outcomes for alumni. MCC has also had an impact on employers, building relationships that meet their workforce development needs. All of this translates into a strong return on investment.

Program Outcomes

Middlesex Community College has been in existence for 45 years. Beginning with space provided by the VA hospital, it has grown to be one of the largest community colleges in Massachusetts. Currently, the college serves 13,000 mostly part-time students (or the equivalent of 7,000 full-time enrollments).

Community colleges measure their success in both program completion and transfer rates to other institutions. Middlesex Community College is exemplary on both counts. Course completion rates average 75%. First-time pass rates on professional certifications exams are also high: dental hygiene, 100%; radiology technician, 86%; nursing education (National Council Licensure Examination in Nursing [NCLES-RN]), 83%. In 2012, MCC awarded degrees and certificates to 1,235 students, including 185 certificates and 1,050 associate’s degrees. In addition, 20% of students are accepted into programs at another college or university.

Exhibit 5-2.   Four-year colleges that commonly accept MCC transfer students.

As noted earlier, MCC has a variety of articulation agreements with 4-year degree programs. Of the 20% of MCC students who transfer to another college or university, most students transfer to a campus of the University of Massachusetts or Massachusetts State University system. Some of these students transferred to another community college. A significant number of students transfer to competitive private colleges and universities (Exhibit 5-2).

Middlesex Community College works hard to make every program and student successful. The organization partnerships provide students with hands-on experience to enhance mastery of professional skills and facilitate transfers to 4-year programs. Careful refection, awareness of best practices, and analysis of data are important for improving special education, remediation, and developmental education. The earlier description of the newly implementing RAMP Up is just one example of efforts to improve outcomes. In 2010–2011, fall-to-spring persistence rates for RAMP Up students were 60% compared with 51% for students enrolled in the traditional math sequence. The completion rate for the RAMP Up sequence is 68%, compared with 52% of students in the traditional math sequence in 2010. Middlesex constantly strives to improve programs and services.

Student Outcomes

These program outcomes have a direct impact on MCC alumni. All MCC students have jobs when they graduate, in part because they are likely to be already working part-time to pay for school, but also because many job placements and internships lead directly to jobs. Completing a program at a Massachusetts community college is a big boost to a graduate’s earning potential. A study commissioned by the Massachusetts Community College system⁴ in 2002 found that completing a program at a Massachusetts community college more than doubles annual earnings—from $21,200 to $42,600. Over their working life, community college graduates earn $330,000 more than students who did not attend or failed to graduate.

Benefits to Employers

Local employers know that they can turn to MCC to recruit qualified, credentialed employees to fill staffing vacancies. In addition, when a business needs to provide credentials to an entire cohort of employees, the college will tailor a program to that employer’s specific needs and often provide the courses on-site at the business. As noted earlier, this has led to many partnerships between the college and local employers. Employers who hire MCC graduates repeatedly return to recruit more employees. MCC has expanded the pool of qualified applicants in the region, which has improved the employment pipeline and made succession planning easier for local businesses. Businesses also report saving resources due to reductions in turnover, so less money is spent on recruiting.

Return on Investments

Nationally, return on federal investments in community colleges is almost $5 for each dollar spent.⁵ The Commonwealth of Massachusetts estimates that completing a program at a Massachusetts community college more than doubles a worker’s annual earnings, which, in turn, increases the Commonwealth’s income tax revenue. Estimating that a career spans three decades, the Commonwealth can expect $25.2 million in additional tax revenues from the community college cohort that graduated in 2001. Given that 90% of community college graduates stay in the Commonwealth, this income tax revenue stays in Massachusetts.⁶

Conclusion

There are several factors that enable Middlesex Community College to sustain and improve its programs. Two of the most important are staying aware of best practices and weaving together myriad grants to support the diverse offering. Both of these factors have allowed MCC to continually meet the needs of lifelong learners in their community.

Best Practices

The faculty and staff of MCC are continually looking for ways to improve their programs and services. They use research and evidence to guide programmatic changes. College administrators also eagerly participate in state and pilot programs, not only to help refine what is known about best practices at community colleges but also to stay connected to other colleges. This knowledge of research and best practices allows Middlesex to innovate. One example of the innovation at MCC is the way the college embraced online learning as early as 1996, when it piloted one course with 77 enrollments. In the 2010–2011 school year, online enrollment was 8,283. Many of these are hybrid courses, and some target a specific area of concern, such as the RAMP Up developmental math program.

In addition, the college actively seeks out information about the local economy. Several years ago, the Donohue Institute of the University of Massachusetts released a report highlighting a lack of jobs for community college graduates in biotechnology. In reaction to the report, Middlesex approached employers and other community colleges to strengthen program requirements. This is typical of the college’s evolution: curriculum is constantly adjusted based on the job market.

None of this is done in a vacuum. Every year MCC surveys students and reviews data on course completion, academic achievement, and the placements of graduates. The data it collects helps the school adapt best practices to best meet the needs of its students.

Leveraging Resources

Although community colleges are historically state-funded institution in Massachusetts, the Commonwealth provides less than 35% of MCC’s operating budget. Continued success relies on actively seeking grants to support programing. During the 2010–2011 school year, MCC had about 50 different grants to support programming.⁷

Many of these grants came from federal and state education agencies, tied to innovative programming or targeted to specific populations. The college also received funding from other public agencies. At the federal level, MCC has grants from the Department of Labor, the Department of Energy, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the National Science Foundation. At the state level, additional grant funding comes from the Department of Labor, the Department of Mental Retardation, the Office of the Attorney General, the Executive Office of Health and Human Services, and the Massachusetts Campus Compact. Locally, the college receives grants from the Lowell Public School District, Lowell High School, and the Cultural Organization of Lowell. Finally, the college receives money from private foundations, national associations, and its own foundation. Leverage is key to MCC’s success. These grants provide an opportunity to leverage services in a rich fabric that otherwise would not be possible.

Since its founding in 1970, Middlesex Community College has served increasing numbers of students by providing an increasingly diverse array of programs. Not only are the offerings diverse, but the options for where students earn credits continues to expand: two campuses, on-line courses, and on-site courses for employers. Middlesex Community College’s dedication to change and improve is illustrated by the Ramp-Up program. Given the college’s deep experience with online learning, this developmental program seemed a natural extension of existing development services. The passion is not just for innovation but also for providing high-quality services. Not only was RAMP Up a carefully designed program, but the college has monitored the implementation to be sure it is meeting the needs of students. This implementation reflects the priority Middlesex Community College puts on remaining adaptable so that it can meet the needs of students and employers in its community.

Notes

1. Gerlaugh, K., Thompson, L., Boylan, H. & Davis, H. (2007). “National Study of Developmental Education.” Research in Developmental Education, 20, (4). Boone, NC: Appalachian State University. http://ncde.appstate.edu/sites/ncde.appstate.edu/files/RiDE%2020-4.pdf.

2. Burley, H., Cejda, B. & Butner, B. (2001). Dropout and Stopout Patterns Among Developmental Education Students in Texas Community Colleges.Community College Journal of Research and Practice. Volume 25, Issue 10, 2001, pp. 767–782. See also, the National Post-secondary Education Cooperative (NPEC), http://nces.ed.gov/npec/papers.asp, and the reports from the National Symposium on Postsecondary Success.

3. Massachusetts Community Colleges Executive Office. (2002). A Smart Investment. Boston, MA. http://www.masscc.org/pdfs/economicimpactreport.pdf.

4. Eyster, L. (2010). “Cost-Benefit Analysis of the American Graduation Initiative.” Paper presented at the APPAM Fall Conference, Boston, MA.

5. Ibid.

6. LaPointe, M. & Chmielewski, E. (2011). “Investing in Community Colleges of the Commonwealth: A Review of Funding Streams,” Mosakowski Institute for Public Enterprise. Paper 7. http://commons.clarku.edu/mosakowskiinstitute/7.

* When the federal Trio programs were created as part of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s Great Society initiative, there were indeed three programs: Upward Bound, Educational Talent Search, and Student Support Services. These services for low-income, first-in-their-family college students have expanded to seven programs, but the nickname persists. For more information, go to http://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/trio/index.html.

* The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is phasing out this program.