Which do you think motivates the Advantage program?
It is no secret that CC graduation rates tend to be low. Students often leave CC after one year to attend a 4 year college; that is actually a success. But, it is also true that many students simply drop out or take a course every year or so-the ten year plan. Often they have such skill deficits that they struggle even in CC. I’ve read that nationally CC’s are trying to improve the success rates of those students at greatest risk of drop out. Naturally, the way to do that is to help those at greatest risk remediate any deficits. Helping students who struggle academically is a major mission of CCs and it is a great way to improve the graduation rates.
New York seems eager to improve CC ratings; they seem less eager to do it by helping struggling students succeed. Instead, they seem focused on improving CC ratings by redirecting capable strong students from 4 year colleges to community colleges. These students have applied to 4 year colleges and universities and appear to have strong credentials for 4 year schools. Binghamton’s Advantage program is a good example. Those who got into other 4 year schools are being rejected by Binghamton but offered a slot in the Advantage Program. They live in Binghamton University dorms (expensive) but take classes in CC. Their scores don’t count in Binghamton’s freshman profiles because they are technically CC students who are willing to sacrifice a year at CC (that they clearly don’t need since they are fully capable of academic success) to end up with a Binghamton diploma. They fill the expensive dorms. But here is the benefit for CC. Since they don’t need remedial work and since they had planned to attend a 4 year school, they are low risk for drop out. So they improve the graduation stats (and transfer to 4 year college stats) of NY’s community college. This is clearly not the best thing for most of those students from a pedagogical standpoint-in fact it seems harmful to them because it conveys the sense that they were not academically ready for college (when they are, as evidenced by the fact that they were often accepted by other strong 4 year programs that they don’t view as being as “prestigious” as Binghamton). And ironically, at the same time, the advantage program helps CC ratings by giving the appearance that they are doing better retaining and educating at risk students. They have filled expensive Binghamton U dorms. But they have not helped the population of at risk students who were dropping out. It is a shell game. Move students fully capable of success at a 4 year school and give the CC status so it looks like they are improving the outcomes of the high risk community college population. That’s Binghamton!
Incidentally, these students have not applied to the Advantage program and are often initially confused about the program.
They often struggle to decide if it is worth going backwards (yes many have already taken many AP classes and done well on the tests) for that Binghamton U degree in 4 years or should they go to actual 4 year colleges that accepted them?
At the same time BCC and Binghamton University are claiming improved retention rates and they are celebrating the increase in students from outside of Broome. This is a community college in a town with low education levels. Let’s get those students from Broome who really are not ready for 4 year college. Stop the gamesmanship Binghamton and Broome. We want transparency!
"With a 5.6% enrollment increase this year, SUNY Broome stood out from its peers this year as the
only New York State Community College to report an increase. On-campus student housing, the
growth of the Binghamton Advantage Program and the college‟s focus on retention efforts can be
credited for rise in enrollment. "
"The Student Village, the College‟s first residence hall, opened this year and added more than 350
students to the campus community. More than 90% of these students are from outside of Broome
County. The number of students in the Binghamton Advantage Program – a unique admissions
program linking SUNY Broome and Binghamton University – have more than doubled in the past
year; more than 90 percent of these students also come from beyond the county‟s borders.
Retention efforts have also increased over the past five years, with the percentage of fall-to-fall
retention increasing from 61% to 63% for full-time students enrolled for the first time. SUNY
Broome will be continuing its retention progress with the implementation of Starfish Retention
Solutions, beginning this Fall. An organizer and facilitator of student success, Starfish provides
tracking, assessment and communication tools that will help increase our retention percentages
campus-wide. "