KCC’s new skill-building program get students college-ready faster

Sometimes students who need to go to school to re-train for a new job or simply to further their education are not ready for college courses. A new program at Kellogg Community College funded through a $760,000 grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation will help those students become better prepared.

Last year, 51 percent of KCC students were required to take remedial coursework before beginning course work. That compares with 60 percent of incoming freshman required to take remedial work nationally.

Work in remedial programs prepare students for the type of work they will be expected to do in college classes. Although the courses are viewed as critical for success, educators have found the time it takes to complete these classes demoralizes some students, especially if they have to wait until certain classes are open to begin the work.

The project funded by W.K. Kellogg Foundation -- "Starting Here and Now" -- will allow students to start a program at any time during the year and proceed at their own pace. Those who only need to brush-up on some skills can finish quickly and others can take as much time as they need to become competent enough to proceed.

"A factory worker who is laid off in February should not have to wait for months to begin re-training," says Kellogg Community College's President Dr. Dennis Bona. "That worker needs the training immediately so he or she can get back into the workforce as quickly as possible. In the same way, a single mother with two children starting school in September may be better able to start her own education in mid-October, and we needed to find a way to make that a reality for her. This program does exactly that."

The "Starting Here and Now" project begins July 1. Additional faculty and staff are being hired to support the project. KCC's current Learning Place Director Karel Asbury will head of the project.

Writer: Kathy Jennings
Sources: Nicole Finkbeiner, Dennis Bona, Kellogg Community College