Community Colleges: General Information
Multnomah Falls in autumn. (Photo courtesy Cheryl Hill)
Oregon has 17 community colleges. Although community colleges receive state money, each college is governed by a local board. In 2009, full-time equivalent (FTE) community college enrollment was 105,149. Approximately 29 percent of 2009 Oregon high school graduates attended an Oregon community college the following year. However, 66 percent of community college students are older than 24. This reflects the fact that many students are seeking retraining for different jobs. In addition, many graduating high school students attend community college for the specific education to become qualified for available jobs. Average tuition and fees for 2009-10 was $3,569.
Department of Community Colleges and Workforce Development
The Department of Community Colleges and Workforce Development (CCWD) coordinates Oregon’s 17 community colleges. It has responsibility for monitoring the programs, services, outcomes and effectiveness of local community colleges and for reporting to the Legislative Assembly. The commissioner is appointed by the State Board of Education.
Direct state support to community colleges is funded in the CCWD budget, primarily through the Community College Support Fund (CCSF). The agency also coordinates and provides statewide administration of the federally funded Workforce Investment Act (WIA), Title IB Adult, Youth, Dislocated Worker programs, WIA Title II Adult Education and Family Literacy programs, Carl Perkins Career and Technical Education Programs, the Oregon Youth Conservation Corps (OYCC) and the General Education Development (GED) program. During the 2007-09 biennium, WIA served over 139,410 adult Oregonians.
The 2009-10 legislatively-adopted budget for CCWD was $788 million. The state provided $464 million from the General Fund and $138 million in other funds. Federal funds amounted to $158 million. In general, state money is distributed to community colleges on the basis of enrollment. The General Fund supports 41 percent of the college costs. The General Fund support is distributed to community colleges through a formula adopted by the State Board of Education. Another 23 percent of college operating revenue is provided through property tax collections. Tuition and fees, which are not included in the state agency budget, are projected to provide the remaining 36 percent of college operating revenues.
Note
The CCWD Web site includes additional information about the department and its programs.
Source
Source: Camille Preus, Commissioner
Address: Department of Community Colleges and Workforce Development, 255 Capitol St. NE, Salem 97310
Phone: 503-378-8648
Fax: 503-378-3365
Web: www.oregon.gov/ccwd