There’s not a lot of non-election news happening right now, but there was this.
Houston Community College officials are working to integrate virtual reality and more digital advances into every classroom and program by next fall, one of several goals that Chancellor Margaret Ford Fisher shared at the institution’s recent State of the College address.
The speech on Friday came about a year into Ford Fisher’s tenure at the head of the college system. HCC is building off enrollment growth following severe declines during the COVID-19 pandemic: More than 53,000 students enrolled this fall, up more than 7% from last fall, according to college data.
[…]
College officials will have a recommendation to the Board of Trustees by March or April, Ford Fisher said. On Friday, the chancellor called a name change a “must,” even though trustees were divided on the idea at a summer board meeting.
Several members had questioned making a new name a priority while they attempt to raise graduation and retention numbers for better funding from the Legislature. Former revenue formulas were mostly based on enrollment, but the performance-based metrics have not benefited HCC to the extent other institutions have seen.
A few board members had agreed with Ford Fisher, who raised the topic after HCC launched new four-year degrees in artificial intelligence and robotics as well as in healthcare management. They said dropping “community” from the name would appeal to a broader set of students and their potential employers, and they pointed to other community colleges that have changed their names to reflect status.
HCC is also undergoing a review to find where it might add new bachelor’s degrees, though Ford Fisher said the school is looking at labor market demands that are not in competition with local four-year universities.
[…]
HCC is reinventing its urban transportation programs, particularly related to flying taxis, self-driving cars and electric vehicles, according to the chancellor.
Those modes of transportation will require new infrastructure, including in maintenance and construction, that will require new skillsets, she said.
I remain ambivalent about the possible name change. I don’t object, but I do agree that there are higher priorities. I’d also like to see some data to suggest that changing the name, in particular dropping “Community” from the name, would enable the school to appeal to a broader audience. I’m not disputing the assertion, I’m just not accepting it as a given. Surely there’s been some studies, a survey, something to add some evidence to this?
On the subject of flying taxi maintenance, that does indeed seem like a wise direction to go. I’m curious how much of this new curriculum HCC would need to develop on their own and how much they would expect to inherit from the nascent manufacturers and providers. Are there other schools out there with the same idea, and if so how much can HCC collaborate with them? I don’t know what my expectations are here, but I’m very interested to hear more.
I am not in favor of a name change. Moreover, I am not in favor of ignoring the non-degree seeking community who want to continue life-long learning. The overemphasis on degree curriculum has significantly hurt the “community” aspect . For example, HCCS leadership eviscerated a once-great jazz curriculum that offered both younger and older students opportunities to learn.