Commentary
Guilford Can Be Proud of CCE Program
Dear Editor:
As Dean for the Center
of Continuing Education I
am responding to the re
cent article by Janice
Hoods regarding concerns
she and several other
students raised about the
CCE program. Some of the
information is incorrect.
Some of the conclusons
drawn reveal the need for
clarification of the history,
mission and facts about
the CCE program.
Prior to my coming to
Guilford College a year
ago last June, the college
had spent a year review
ing and, subsequently,
restructuring CCE.
Throughout the review
year there were numerous
open meetings and oppor
tunities for input from all
avenues of the campus as
reflected in faculty and
Administrative Council
minutes. I was hired to re
juvenate the program
which included increasing
full time equivalency
(FTE) from 300 to 350.
The College can be ex
tremely proud of the CCE
program. Not only is it the
oldest continuing educa
tion program in the city,
but also it is the finest in
every aspect: qualified
faculty and staff, evening
course offerings, special
services, adult student
government association, a
caring environment, and
an outstanding student
body.
Forty years ago the
Greensboro Chamber of
Commerce created a
special Adult Education
Committee to consider
educational alternatives
for returning World War II
vets and women entering
the work force in
Greensboro. They
chartered the first evening
adult education program
in Greensboro and located
it downtown. Within five
years the program's ad
ministration, recognizing
the need for accreditation,
asked the Guilford College
Board of Trustees' to ac
quire the school, which
they did in 1962. The school
remained downtown until
1973 when college officials
decided to move CCE to
the main campus in an ef-
fort to integrate the two
programs, and to cut the
costs by maximizing use of
the main campus facilities
and reducing duplicate
programs. The CCE
buildings were sold,
Founders was renovated
in order to serve as a main
campus student center,
and CCE was moved to
Hendricks Hall. It was
agreed that Hendricks
Hall would be the CCE
building.
At the time of the move
main campus student
enrollment was 961 head
count (HC) and 943 FTE;
and CCE was 623 HC and
471 FTE. (Today MC
enrollment is 1,250 HC and
1,232 FTE, and CCE is 503
enrollment is 1,250 HC and
As the need for office
space increased, Admis
sions and Financial Aid
were moved to Hendricks
Hall in 1983. CCE Office
and lounge space was
reduced to accommodate
the changing campus
needs and cooperative use
of the CCE lounge arrang
ed with Admissions.
Today three high traffic
offices and a 500+ CCE
student body share a
crowded facility in a spirit
of cooperation and mutual
respect.
The primary mission of
CCE has always been ser
vice to the community.
The program was created
to meet the special needs
of adults and that remains
true today. It is the only
complete evening degree
program of real substance
in town.
According to 1986-87
statistics, 300 of our 468
adult students attended
school at night only, 86 at
tended both day and night
classes, and 83 attended
day classes only. 41%
registered for one class on
ly and 87% reported
employment. Thus, a clear
pattern emerges for many
CCE students. They take
one or two evening classes
after work. They do not
use the entire campus.
They do not participate in
campus activities with the
exception of a few SGA
sponsored social events
which their fees cover.
They are allowed to use
Letter to the Editor
the following services: ad
missions, registration,
academic advising and the
academic skills center.
They are not allowed to
use student health or the
counseling service. They
may not participate in the
athletic program nor hold
office in the community
senate, Guilfordian, year
book, college union,
WQFS, clubs and interest
groups. If they wish to use
the career development
services they must pay a
sls one time fee. CCE
students must be
registered for two classes
and pay a $lO fee per
semester in order to use
the YMCA. They pay $1
per hour for babysitting, a
service available to all
students, faculty and staff
who are parents. This ser
vice hires main campus
work study students, is
self supporting, and is
located off-campus.
"The primary mission
of the CCE has always
been service to the com
munity. "
Academic Skills Center
provides tutoring and
academic skills assistance
for both MC and CCE
students at two locations,
the library and Hendricks
Hall.
Few CCE students
qualify for financial aid
for several reasons: two
thirds are part time and
many are married with a
combined income that ex
ceeds the need-based
guidelines.
Although evening
classes were historically
scheduled to meet the
needs of working adults,
as main campus enroll
ment increased,
classroom availability
necessitated some evening
scheduling for main cam
pus students as well.
Classroom space is reserv
ed in some but not all even
ing classes for CCE
students to accommodate
those students who cannot
attend day time. There is
no stated policy which
governs quotas. In some
cases a quota is establish
ed by the Assistant
Registrar. In other cases
the faculty member
establishes the quota.
Usually there is some
negotiation as classes fill
and students make special
requests.
Tuition for CCE and part
time MC students is $l2O
per credit hour. The lower
tuition is based on the
premise that both groups
do not use the full services
of the college.
In early years CCE tui
tion was kept as low as
possible. After the pro
gram was moved to main
campus, the tuition was in
creased significantly.
Even though CCE tuition
is lower than MC, it con
tinues to be top dollar in
the Greensboro area.
There is concern that the
local market won't bear
higher charges.
Does MC tuition sub
sidize the CCE program?
A 1983-84 CCE Income and
Expense study conducted
by Floyd Reynolds frac
tionalized instructional
costs for MC and CCE
students. The study includ
ed faculty, CCE ad
ministrative and clerical
salaries and fringes, and
operating expenses. (It did
not include percentages of
other administrative of
fices such as the Presi
dent's office, business and
financial aid offices, facul
ty development, computer
office, library and consor
tium, utilities, and
maintenance of
buildings). After the above
expenses, CCE netted
$133,880. Thus, at that
time, MC was not subsidiz
ing CCE. In fact, one of the
reasons for relocating
CCE to the main campus
was to reduce the cost to
MC students by maximiz
ing the use of the campus
facilities. If the CCE pro
gram were eliminated, the
cost to MC students would
be increased.
What are the facts con
cerning the Frazier apart
ments? In 1954 John
Frazier donated money to
build 26 low cost married
3
student apartments. His
giff stipulated that the
housing must be used for
married students. In the
1960's 10 additional units
were constructed. In the
early 80's guidelines were
reestablished by Ad
ministrative Council that
restricted the use of the
Frazier apartments to full
time MC and CCE married
students and single
parents with legal
dependents, and to MC and
CCE handicapped
students. This past year
security was moved to #ls
and housing to -16, #l7 is
used as alternative hous
ing for MC residential
students; #35 and#36 are
used for residential hall
overflow and #2, 3, 20, 25,
26, 29 and 34 are empty this
fall so they could be
repaired and painted. CCE
students occupy 18 units
and MC students occupy 3
units. The managers,
David and Laura Eades,
are MC students. Rent is
S9O for a double bedroom
and SBO for a single
bedroom.
What are enrollment
goals for CCE? There is no
plan to expand CCE
dramatically. The ceiling
established by Ad
ministrative Council in
1986 was 350 FTE and we
are currently at 319 with a
503 HC. In 1977, just ten
years ago, FTE was 392
with a 552 HC.
I hope the above facts
will clarify some of the
confusion concerning the
CCE program. It is a fine
program with a
distinguished history and
has served the college and
community well.
Although the issues rais
ed by several MC students
concern policies that were
established by the chief
administrative officers of
the college well before my
time, I would be glad to
visit with anyone concern
ing the current CCE pro
gram. Please feel free to
call me at extension 120 or
stop by my office in Hen
dricks Hall.
Janet Krause
Dean of Continuing
Education