Poll: Should SCCC remove “Community” from its name?

SCCC’s mission statement is:

Seattle Central Community College promotes educational excellence in a multicultural urban environment. We provide opportunities for academic achievement, workplace preparation, and service to the community.

If you have any other thoughts you’d like to share with us, please put them in the comments below. Thanks for taking our survey!

9 thoughts on “Poll: Should SCCC remove “Community” from its name?

  1. Community is just a word, it is what you do in the community that gives the college the positive image they desire and value so much.

  2. Removing community would not be a huge issue if it did not reflect a policy shift. As the elimination of student day care and the decline of local student numbers illustrates, removing community is in line with changing administration priorities. We are heading towards privatization and away from service to the general public.

  3. if you’re going to prioritize providing accessible education to an actually diverse student body, you’re going to offer a lot more than just 4-year degrees, and you’re going to want to keep “Community” in the name. If you suddenly started to offer dozens and dozens of 4-year Bachelor’s tracks, then you might take out the word. But are you really filling a need that’s not being filled elsewhere? Are you shifting away from other, shorter courses of education because there is no longer a need, or because you think you can get more money for Bachelors? What’s your actual point as an institution? Accessibility and diverse options or creating more barriers to appropriately short educational careers? The last thing this city needs is less community.

  4. if you’re going to prioritize providing accessible education to an actually diverse student body, you’re going to offer a lot more than just 4-year degrees, and you’re going to want to keep “Community” in the name. If you suddenly started to offer dozens and dozens of 4-year Bachelor’s tracks, then you might take out the word. But are you really filling a need that’s not being filled elsewhere? Are you shifting away from other, shorter courses of education because there is no longer a need, or because you think you can get more money for Bachelors? What’s your actual point as an institution? Accessibility and diverse options or creating more barriers to appropriately short educational careers? The last thing this city needs is less community and less services for people who want and need to get prepared and available for a return to work.

    1. It’s hard to get a decent paying job without a 4 year degree in a city that has one of the highest percentages of advanced degrees out there. A 4 year degree is more needed in our area to obtain higher paying employment than it would be in other areas. The state knows this and is providing a wonderful avenue for people that can’t afford the alternative to obtain a higher degree. I personally don’t even care why they are doing it, money or otherwise. It will help a lot.

  5. If you want a job that pays you more, drop community. Seriously. This is about your future and there are lots (believe me) LOTS of people with advanced degrees that think community colleges are just an extension of high school and have low quality schooling. While I know this not to be the case, it is MUCH easier to change the name than it is to change lots of people’s perceptions. People that are on the other end, making determinations of who they will hire. People, in a city, with the highest amount of advanced degrees out there. Change the name. This isn’t about changing the ‘community’ aspect of the school, it is about changing the perception of the degree that you will put on your resume. Believe me, I went to community college. I am much smarter and WAY more productive than a few who went to prestigious 4 year college and who gets paid more? It isn’t me. I work with these people who have advanced degrees over a few jobs. It isn’t easy to change perception but it is easy to change the name.

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