Are we shutting her out? Dual degree and transfer agreements between state four-year and community colleges were once an open door to universal access. Now, for many, those doors may be closing

University Business, May, 2004 by Rebecca Sausner

According to Mark David Milliron, president and CEO of the League for Innovation in the Community College (www.league.org), "The question becomes, 'Are we wasting money by funding people to take classes twice, because institutions aren't accredited by the same body?'"

Yet, the American Association of Community Colleges (www.aacc.nche.edu) strongly opposes any federal government intervention in the issue of credit transfer.

"Our people think that the acceptance of credit is really a very fundamental aspect of an institution's mission and activity," says David Baime, vice president for Government Relations at the AACC. "If they're forced to take credits from students, they can no longer positively affirm" (that is, put their stamp of approval on) "a student whom they confer a degree upon graduation."

Baime notes that for-profit institutions are lobbying strongly in favor of the credit-transfer legislation and traditional schools are lobbying against it, preferring to handle the issue within academia. However, the for-profits are proving a powerful force in this area, perhaps to the detriment of the traditional system.--RS

Rebecca Sausner is a New York City-based freelance education and technology writer.