BMCC administration claims this will support the needs of our community
However, when you consider that enrollment for the transfer program is 2x that of the Career Technical-- it seems clear that MORE students will be hindered by this move, than helped.
The Career and Technical program offer 43 certificate options, while the lower collegiate courses targeted by these cuts contribute to over 457 degrees spanning all levels (AS, BS, MS, PhD). These cuts are short-sighted, they may fill a job today, but ultimately will limit student choice and flexibility for growth.
Research indicates that students in career and technical education pathways have a limited path toward a university transfer as opposed to the lower collegiate courses in associate's degrees.
See: https://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/EJ1182590.pdf
If we shift our offerings to meet workforce demand for today without providing some modicum of skills that will help them transfer to advanced positions and transition to their second and third careers when automation or AI kill their first one, we are not really transforming lives.
See: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/false-binaryism-cte-vs-transfer-education-dr-elliot-stern
Furthermore, the proposed cuts to BMCC’s English program will remove the only full-time faculty member (in any discipline) from the Hermiston Center - located in the fastest-growing part of Umatilla County. The termination of the Integrated Systems Technology program, specifically threatens the workforce support in Morrow County, one of the highest growing areas within Eastern Oregon.
