One thing we know is that community colleges are essential to making that dream [of economic well-being] come true for millions of Americans every year. Nearly half of all American undergraduates today are at community colleges, and I’m proud that the majority of students receiving Pell grant aid are community college students. It’s one of the best investments we can make in America’s future.

Margaret Spellings
Secretary,                               U.S. Department of Education

So-called “traditional” full-time undergraduates under age twenty-three and residing on campus now account for just 16 percent of the U.S. higher education population. Instead, the majority of today’s higher education students are working adults attending community colleges and other institutions of continuing education. Clearly we must understand and respond to the unique needs of this growing pool of adult learners if we are to sustain a healthy, competitive U.S. economy in the years ahead. Along with their important role in lifelong learning, community colleges have an equally important role in preparing students for baccalaureate programs and careers. These dual missions and other obligations create challenges to the system and opportunities for research addressing these challenges.

In March, 2007 the Secretary’s Summit on Higher Education followed up findings and recommendations from the 2006 Commission on the Future of Higher Education and offered an action plan for a twenty-first century higher education system. Following the Commission’s work, and in accord with the community college career and technical education mission authorized by the Carl D. Perkins Career and Technical Education Improvement Act of 2006 (P.L. 109-270) the U. S. Department of Education supported a National Community College Symposium on June 19, 2008. The symposium was sponsored by the Department's Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE) and contributes to the research base for OVAE’s community college initiatives.

OVAE contracted with Synergy Enterprises Incorporated (SEI) of Silver Spring, MD and the Community College Research Center (CCRC) at Teachers College, Columbia University to organize the symposium. The symposium was held at the Holiday Inn Capitol in Washington, DC. Video of the symposium was broadcast live via webcast and has been archived for viewing on demand. Please click on the webcast button at the top or bottom of the page to access the symposium video.

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