AURORA | Graduates of the Community College of Aurora are honing their professional skills in a tight job market, according to a recent survey completed by the school’s Office of Institutional Research.
The survey, part of a state-mandated follow-up program for graduates, showed that 294 alums who’d graduated in the past year had taken classes related to fields such as computers, film/media, police academy and emergency medical services. Of the graduates polled, 72 percent of all had found employment between nine months and one year after receiving their degrees or certificates. Of that group, 91.2 percent of the career and technical graduates and 88.5 percent of transfer graduates offered positive reviews of the school’s contribution to their professional success.
In addition, 65.8 percent of transfer students and 27 percent of career and technical students polled said they’re continuing their education beyond CCA’s two-year degree programs.
“It’s not just a one-time trend this year but something we’ve seen over several years,” said Catherine Trouth, the school’s director of assessment and institutional effectiveness, in a statement. “CCA continues to satisfy our students by providing them with the hands-on experience they need and the connection to instructors they covet.
School offering more transfer degrees
The Community College of Aurora now offers statewide transfer degrees in anthropology, French, political science and sociology, following a larger move by the the Colorado Community College System last year.
Starting with the community college’s summer semester, the four new degrees will bring the amount of transfer diplomas available at CCA to 11. The new degrees approved as part of statewide transfer articulation agreements come in addition to the business, economics, history, mathematics, political science, psychology and Spanish degrees that are already in place. These transfer degrees are accepted by any state public college or university for four-year bachelor’s degrees.
According to school officials, the new degrees add a level of formality and structure to the college’s course offerings, as well as majors that are available for transfer students.
“We’ve gone from this, ‘Everybody can do anything they want. Come be very broad,’ to being very specific,” said Janet Brandau, the school’s associate vice president of instruction in a statement. “There’s much more intentionality early on in not giving students a lot of choice, but really focusing them in on an area.”