[JAHOPL]

A large part of the community college mission is to provide degrees that qualify people to receive good incomes with two years of schooling, the occupational and technical trades. At Chandler-Gilbert CC we offer two-year degrees in nursing, aviation maintenance and piloting, police science, and several other specific industries. These are partially economically-supported by employers who work with the instructional program administrators in tailoring class work to meet their industry needs. The four-year programs would only be offered for certain degrees in which universities are challenged in completely meeting the demand for skilled workers, such as producing more teachers. Of course Michael Crow doesn't want to see this happen, community colleges taking some of his potential customers, and pretty much has the legislature in his pocket in that regard. The recent articles in the Tribune and Republic about community college problems conveniently coincided with talk about cc's and four-year degrees.