Change is a constant in our lives, and there is no exception in education. Students and faculty at PPSC have seen some significant changes to the school over the last several years.
In response to evolving demands from the community, a diminishing student population and a decline in public perception of community colleges, Pikes Peak took the monumental step of dropping ‘community’ from its name in the fall of 2022.
This transformation signifies more than a new era for PPSC, it is an indication of how education at large is changing.
“I think Pikes Peak read the signs of the times right. Four-year colleges, two-year colleges, and high schools are melding and morphing. Education is changing rapidly at all levels” says Executive Dean of Arts Humanities and Social Sciences, Deidre Schoolcraft.
“College is different than it was even a decade ago. I think the [name] change was necessary for us to keep up with the changes and to stay alive,” she says.
In the last decade, higher education institutions have adapted to growing demands from their communities, which were only accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. These include offering a variety of specialized programs, expanding online learning and offering programs and degrees relevant to local and national industry needs.
One example of fulfilling communal needs is in healthcare. The healthcare industry has seen a rapid rise in demand for professionals, especially in nursing. PPSC seeks to relieve the workforce demand by offering bachelor’s programs in Nursing, Emergency Medical Services and Emergency Service Administration.
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This transformation signifies more than a new era for PPSC, it is an indication of how education at large is changing.
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Despite offering a bachelor’s program since 2017, however, PPSC leadership noticed how public perceptions from both employers and potential students may be affecting enrollment.
In an effort to combat this issue, PPSC decided that a rebranding would adjust perceptions of the school and its value to the community. “Many employers don’t believe that community colleges can offer bachelor’s degrees, and many of our early BSN graduates reported that employers seemed to discount the degree because it was from a community college,” says Matt Radcliffe, Digital Strategy Manager at PPSC.
This sentiment is echoed by Schoolcraft when she says, “We collected some data from the community that told us students were not attending the college because they perceived ‘community college’ as inferior to four-year schools.”
While it is still too early to tell how the name change will affect the school, student body and faculty in the long-term, there may already be some results. When asked if the college had seen any improvement around growth, Radcliffe says, “We are up 5% in enrollment this fall from where we were last year and have more applications too.” The correlation is not proven to be connected to the name change.
For now, students and faculty alike are navigating this new state of change, and education, at PPSC.
