As Seward County Community College/Area Technical School begins its 41st

year in operation, the highlight for this semester is recognition as one of

the top 50 community colleges in the nation.

The Washington Monthly has named SCCC/ATS as number thirty-three in its 2010

ranking of America’s 50 best community colleges. The only other public

Kansas Community College in the top 50 was Barton County Community College

as number 50.

The data is based on the Community College Survey for Student Engagement as

well as the graduation rate of those students who continue their education

and graduate from a four-year college or university. The college has

achieved this honor based on the survey criteria that covers Active &

Collaborative Learning, Student Effort, Academic Challenge, Student Faculty

Interaction and Support for Learning.

While most community colleges are inexpensive, have open admissions, and are

largely unknown outside their local communities, they stand out in teaching

and helping students earn degrees, according to Washington Monthly. Kevin

Carey in this publication went on to say that ??when it comes to quality of

instruction they outperform not only their two-year peers, but many elite

four-year research universities as well. Students at the top community

colleges are more likely than their research university peers to get prompt

feedback from instructors, work with other students on projects in class,

make class presentations, and contribute to class discussions. Research

universities too often subordinate teaching to research. At the best

community colleges, teaching comes first.??

SCCC/ATS has long been known for its personalized instruction and this

recognition show??s the college??s commitment to student success, said Dr.

Duane Dunn, SCCC/ATS president. ??We know that personal interaction,

individual support and advising, and concerted efforts toward insuring

faculty and advisor availability are key aspects of helping students achieve

their goals.??

Traditionally, students who begin at SCCC/ATS and transfer to a four-year

college or university are more successful than those who begin at a

four-year institution. ??A large part of that success can be attributed to

the ongoing efforts of our faculty and staff,?? Dunn said. ??Being recognized

as one of the leading colleges in the nation validates the efforts of our

faculty and staff. We are proud of this recognition and will continue to

make sure our students are provided services, which lead to their success.??

Washington Monthly is a nonprofit magazine, based in Washington, D.C.