Dear Sir / Madam,
Greetings,
I
am pleased to inform you that M.S. Panwar Community & Technical
College, Solan (H.P) is organizing a two-day International Conference
on “Community Colleges as a Catalyst for Change in India” in Solan on
May 23-24, 2017 as part of the 10 years celebration of the college.
The main objective of this workshop is to provide platform to the
upcoming Community Colleges to get to know how to start a Community
College and to provide an opportunity to existing Community Colleges to
network and interact with each other and with the experts from Community
Colleges in India and USA.
The
main goals of the Conference are to interact with the policy makers and
others about what a community college is and what it can do, involve
local industry in supporting the Community Colleges as a way to get
trained workers and enhance their efficiency, partner with local
universities or colleges and consider transfer functions, brainstorm on
how the Community Colleges can assist in tackling the problems including
poverty and inequality in educational opportunities
A panel of practicing experts from India and USA would be the keynote/guest speakers on this occasion. Each
Community College can send two representatives. The participants would
have to bear their own travelling and lodging expenses. However,
accommodation on payment basis can be arranged on prior intimation.
The
Registration fee of the Conference is Rs 2,000/- per participant to be
paid in the form of DD in favour of Director, M.S. Panwar Community
College, Solan (H.P). All participants would get Certificate of
participation. You are requested to send your paper for presentation in
the conference by May 5, 2017.
I
hope your organization would avail this wonderful opportunity of
interacting and learning best practices of Community Colleges. The
concept note is Confirmation of participation would be appreciated.
With warm Regards,
Yours Sincerely,
Brijender Singh Panwar, Ph.D,
President,
M.S. Panwar Community & Technical College
Rajgarh Road, Shamti, Solan (H.P)
Website - www.mspcommunitycollege.org
CONCEPT NOTE
India is a country of “young people”. In 2020, the average Indian will be only 29 years old. We could take advantage of this demographic profile if we could turn large percentage of the Indian youth into skilled and productive workforce. Unfortunately, India does not have enough higher educational institutions to accommodate even half of this young population. When it comes to Vocational training, only 10 percent of the workforce in India is formally trained, compared to 96 percent in Korea, 80 percent in Japan and 68 percent in the United Kingdom. There are two important issues which need to be addressed. First, quantity issue; there are not enough vocational education providers. Two, the current public perception of vocational courses is problematic; such courses are often seen as a refuge for those who have failed to make a mark in mainstream education.
We have to change this perception by creating awareness about vocational education and providing career counseling at an early age in schools. In order to address educational inequities and massive workforce skill shortages, India has an ambitious goal to train 500 million of its citizens by 2022 with skills and competencies for participation in the present and future labour market. Therefore, the viable alternative to formal tertiary education is Vocational Education and Training (VET) and Community Colleges which will directly contribute to skilled workforce and the nation’s economy. We have to give due emphasis to the role of community colleges in implementing National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF) through Skill India project being implemented by National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC). In India, graduation being stepping stone to the employment market holds no good in the present times because the latest reports of various research indicates that more than 47 per cent graduates in India are not employable for any industry role. The reason for the unemployment is their lack of English language knowledge and cognitive skills. It was felt that there is a need of substantive intervention at school and college levels for improving basic skills of students as well as renewing the focus on imparting vocational training alongside theoretical learning.
After attaining independence in 1947, India adopted the British system of education. Technical education in India comprises of three tiers -skill based technical courses offered by Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) which train skill based manpower, technical Diploma courses offered by Polytechnics which train supervisory staff and higher education undergraduate and graduate technical courses offered by Engineering courses which train managerial staff. However, this system of technical education has failed to produce the required technical manpower to our industries because there is a total mismatch between the education provided in educational institutions and the requirement of the industries. Hence, India needs alternative system of education in the form of community colleges.
How the Indian Community College system differs from other forms of vocational education in the country e.g. apprenticeship training, the plus two vocational system in schools, Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), Polytechnics and the Vocationalization of first-degree level education at the collegiate level. The main difference is that the Community College system focuses on the employment of the individual; aims to develop competencies and certify students simultaneously, promotes strong industry-institutional linkages by equipping students with skills that are in demand by local industries; emphasizes the teaching of life, communication and English skills; lessens the burden on higher education and is an evolving system of evaluation and assessment of personal, social, language, communication, work and creative skills. . Another purpose of Community colleges is to offer “bridge” courses to complete higher certifications, ensure employability and competency of the individual trained. The track record of Indian Community colleges is unique because they focus on three main components- i) Information (30%), ii) Attitude (40%) and iii)skills (30%).
The International Conference on ” Community Colleges as Catalyst for Change in India (4 C’s)” being organized by M.S.Panwar Community & Technical College, Solan (H.P) on May 23-24,2017 is designed to bring together people who promote and believe that the concept of the community college can bring positive outcomes to India. The concept of the Community College took root in the U.S. at the beginning of the 20th century (1901). It experienced its biggest expansion during the 1960s. Over the past 116 years, the U.S. network of community colleges has grown to well over 1,000 colleges located across the country. The community college system of affordable adult education with open access and a blind eye to socioeconomic differences, race, gender, or any type of privilege has made training and adult education a reality for millions of Americans; yet it is not without its flaws. Lessons to be learned from the American system may be important to India’s economic future.
The 4C’s conference may serve as a fundamental step to continue to develop and expand the Indian Community College system. The Indian system was never meant to be a copy of the American version, but rather its own entity that acknowledges lessons learned (both positive and negative) from its American counterpart while creating a system that serves the needs of the diverse citizens of India. The 4C’s Conference provides a venue to discuss, develop and enhance the community college systems in place in all the regions of India. It is a chance to bring together policymakers, educational administrators and leasers, researchers, university faculty, industrial partners and the practiconeers of Community Colleges and other stakeholders from India as well as community college researchers from the U.S. Goals for the Conference:
Taking advantage of the alliteration of the letter “C” within the 4C’s conference, topics to be discussed and determined include:
• Catalyst- how community colleges can change lives
• Creation of a national system
• Collaborations with colleges and universities
• Cooperation with local industries on job training
• Compassion for adult students of all ages and affiliations
• Continuation of the work done so far
• Charity- as a tool of compassion for those who have had slim opportunities for training or education
early in life
• Control- governance of the community college system
• Curriculum- what skills and trainings should be included.
• Climb- how community colleges can assist students to overcome educational deficits and climb to
higher achievement levels
• Change Agent- how community colleges can enact change at the individual and national level
• Creative- How to creatively design the Indian Community Colleges to bring the most benefit to India.
• Contract – (at the end of the day).
LIST OF THE PANEL OF SPEAKERS IN THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
Dr Linda Serra Hagedorn:-
Linda is an Associate Dean of Undergraduate Programs, International Programs, Student Services, Diversity, and Community in the College of Human Sciences and Professor in the School of Education at Iowa State University. She is a prominent researcher in the area of community college student success and international education with over 200 publications and presentations. She has worked with
universities in Vietnam and Indonesia. Currently she is funded by the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Embassy in Beijing to be the American Director of the American Cultural Centers at Henan Normal University and Harbin University of Science and Technology in China.
Rev. Dr. Xavier Alphonse:-
Dr. Xavier Alphonse, S. J., is a PhD in English Literature. He is the Founder Director of Indian Center for Research and Development of Community Education (ICRDCE), Chennai, India and former Principal of Loyola College, Chennai and former Vice Principal of St. Joseph’s College, Trichy. He is an authority on College Autonomy in India. He also pioneered the formation of Community Colleges and has initiated the implementation of an alternative system of education for the poor and the downtrodden. He started the ICRDCE in 1999 as a facilitating and coordinating agency for Community Colleges in India. He has been involved in the preparation, establishment and evaluation of 214 Community Colleges in 19 States of India. • Dr. Bob Ferrentino:-
Bob Ferrentino has served as the President of Montcalm Community College since 2009. He holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing and a master’s degree in business administration from northern Illinois University, and a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from the Thomas M. Cooley Law School. Prior to his time at MCC, he spent 25 years in Community College education, serving both Lansing Community College and Muskegon Community College as program director and academic vice president. He taught abroad in Japan and Germany during foreign exchanges, and has been to almost all of the 50 states in the U.S. and 15 foreign countries.
Rob Spohr:-
Rob Spohr has served Montcalm Community College since 2003 in his roles as instructor in business, marketing and management, dean of occupational education, and vice president for academic affairs. He holds a BA in marketing from Grand Valley State University, an MS in career and technical dedication from Ferris State University, and is an EdD candidate (ABD) in community college leadership from Ferris State University. He lived in Japan for over a year, and has visited several foreign countries. He is the president of the Montcalm Economic Alliance and a general counselor, marketing specialist, and online mentor.
Bill Bishop:-
Bill Bishop has taught at Montcalm Community College since 2004 as an adjunct and then full-time instructor of accounting and business, and today serves as the chair of that department. He earned his BBA from Aquinas College, and MBA from Ferris State University. Bill is a member of the American Accounting Association and the Institute of Management Accountants, and is co-chair of MCC’s Business and Professional Students of America.
Dr. Rhonda Bishop :-
Rhonda Bishop is Program Coordinator for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program at Ferris State University. She earned her RN, MSN, and Ed.D. in Nursing from Central Michigan University.
Dr. Gary Hauck:-
Gary Hauck has served as Montcalm Community College’s dean of arts since 2008. He teaches humanities, religion, philosophy, and geography. He earned his BRE and ThB degrees from Clarks Summit University, a ThM from Dallas Theological Seminary, a DMin and PhD from California Graduate School of Theology, and a PhD in Educational Administration from Michigan State University. Hauck is the author of 19 books, including Organizational Transformation in Higher Education, and Exploring Humanities Around the World. He has visited all 50 U.S. states and 59 countries.
Dr.Brijender Singh Panwar:-
Brijender Singh Panwar is the founder President of the first Community College in North India-M.S.Panwar Community & Technical College,Solan (H.P). He has a Doctorate in Mass Communication and Master’s in English Literature, Journalism, Sociology and Business Administration to his credit. He worked as a mainstream journalist and Editor of a newspaper, Chief of Public Relations & Communication in leading PSU and various departments of the Government of India. He visited USA as Fulbright Scholar in 2014. During the last three years, he visited 30 Community Colleges in Michigan and Texas, USA to learn the best practices in Community Colleges.
India is a country of “young people”. In 2020, the average Indian will be only 29 years old. We could take advantage of this demographic profile if we could turn large percentage of the Indian youth into skilled and productive workforce. Unfortunately, India does not have enough higher educational institutions to accommodate even half of this young population. When it comes to Vocational training, only 10 percent of the workforce in India is formally trained, compared to 96 percent in Korea, 80 percent in Japan and 68 percent in the United Kingdom. There are two important issues which need to be addressed. First, quantity issue; there are not enough vocational education providers. Two, the current public perception of vocational courses is problematic; such courses are often seen as a refuge for those who have failed to make a mark in mainstream education.
We have to change this perception by creating awareness about vocational education and providing career counseling at an early age in schools. In order to address educational inequities and massive workforce skill shortages, India has an ambitious goal to train 500 million of its citizens by 2022 with skills and competencies for participation in the present and future labour market. Therefore, the viable alternative to formal tertiary education is Vocational Education and Training (VET) and Community Colleges which will directly contribute to skilled workforce and the nation’s economy. We have to give due emphasis to the role of community colleges in implementing National Skill Qualification Framework (NSQF) through Skill India project being implemented by National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC). In India, graduation being stepping stone to the employment market holds no good in the present times because the latest reports of various research indicates that more than 47 per cent graduates in India are not employable for any industry role. The reason for the unemployment is their lack of English language knowledge and cognitive skills. It was felt that there is a need of substantive intervention at school and college levels for improving basic skills of students as well as renewing the focus on imparting vocational training alongside theoretical learning.
After attaining independence in 1947, India adopted the British system of education. Technical education in India comprises of three tiers -skill based technical courses offered by Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) which train skill based manpower, technical Diploma courses offered by Polytechnics which train supervisory staff and higher education undergraduate and graduate technical courses offered by Engineering courses which train managerial staff. However, this system of technical education has failed to produce the required technical manpower to our industries because there is a total mismatch between the education provided in educational institutions and the requirement of the industries. Hence, India needs alternative system of education in the form of community colleges.
How the Indian Community College system differs from other forms of vocational education in the country e.g. apprenticeship training, the plus two vocational system in schools, Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), Polytechnics and the Vocationalization of first-degree level education at the collegiate level. The main difference is that the Community College system focuses on the employment of the individual; aims to develop competencies and certify students simultaneously, promotes strong industry-institutional linkages by equipping students with skills that are in demand by local industries; emphasizes the teaching of life, communication and English skills; lessens the burden on higher education and is an evolving system of evaluation and assessment of personal, social, language, communication, work and creative skills. . Another purpose of Community colleges is to offer “bridge” courses to complete higher certifications, ensure employability and competency of the individual trained. The track record of Indian Community colleges is unique because they focus on three main components- i) Information (30%), ii) Attitude (40%) and iii)skills (30%).
The International Conference on ” Community Colleges as Catalyst for Change in India (4 C’s)” being organized by M.S.Panwar Community & Technical College, Solan (H.P) on May 23-24,2017 is designed to bring together people who promote and believe that the concept of the community college can bring positive outcomes to India. The concept of the Community College took root in the U.S. at the beginning of the 20th century (1901). It experienced its biggest expansion during the 1960s. Over the past 116 years, the U.S. network of community colleges has grown to well over 1,000 colleges located across the country. The community college system of affordable adult education with open access and a blind eye to socioeconomic differences, race, gender, or any type of privilege has made training and adult education a reality for millions of Americans; yet it is not without its flaws. Lessons to be learned from the American system may be important to India’s economic future.
The 4C’s conference may serve as a fundamental step to continue to develop and expand the Indian Community College system. The Indian system was never meant to be a copy of the American version, but rather its own entity that acknowledges lessons learned (both positive and negative) from its American counterpart while creating a system that serves the needs of the diverse citizens of India. The 4C’s Conference provides a venue to discuss, develop and enhance the community college systems in place in all the regions of India. It is a chance to bring together policymakers, educational administrators and leasers, researchers, university faculty, industrial partners and the practiconeers of Community Colleges and other stakeholders from India as well as community college researchers from the U.S. Goals for the Conference:
Taking advantage of the alliteration of the letter “C” within the 4C’s conference, topics to be discussed and determined include:
• Catalyst- how community colleges can change lives
• Creation of a national system
• Collaborations with colleges and universities
• Cooperation with local industries on job training
• Compassion for adult students of all ages and affiliations
• Continuation of the work done so far
• Charity- as a tool of compassion for those who have had slim opportunities for training or education
early in life
• Control- governance of the community college system
• Curriculum- what skills and trainings should be included.
• Climb- how community colleges can assist students to overcome educational deficits and climb to
higher achievement levels
• Change Agent- how community colleges can enact change at the individual and national level
• Creative- How to creatively design the Indian Community Colleges to bring the most benefit to India.
• Contract – (at the end of the day).
LIST OF THE PANEL OF SPEAKERS IN THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE
Dr Linda Serra Hagedorn:-
Linda is an Associate Dean of Undergraduate Programs, International Programs, Student Services, Diversity, and Community in the College of Human Sciences and Professor in the School of Education at Iowa State University. She is a prominent researcher in the area of community college student success and international education with over 200 publications and presentations. She has worked with
universities in Vietnam and Indonesia. Currently she is funded by the U.S. Department of State and the U.S. Embassy in Beijing to be the American Director of the American Cultural Centers at Henan Normal University and Harbin University of Science and Technology in China.
Rev. Dr. Xavier Alphonse:-
Dr. Xavier Alphonse, S. J., is a PhD in English Literature. He is the Founder Director of Indian Center for Research and Development of Community Education (ICRDCE), Chennai, India and former Principal of Loyola College, Chennai and former Vice Principal of St. Joseph’s College, Trichy. He is an authority on College Autonomy in India. He also pioneered the formation of Community Colleges and has initiated the implementation of an alternative system of education for the poor and the downtrodden. He started the ICRDCE in 1999 as a facilitating and coordinating agency for Community Colleges in India. He has been involved in the preparation, establishment and evaluation of 214 Community Colleges in 19 States of India. • Dr. Bob Ferrentino:-
Bob Ferrentino has served as the President of Montcalm Community College since 2009. He holds a bachelor’s degree in marketing and a master’s degree in business administration from northern Illinois University, and a Doctor of Jurisprudence degree from the Thomas M. Cooley Law School. Prior to his time at MCC, he spent 25 years in Community College education, serving both Lansing Community College and Muskegon Community College as program director and academic vice president. He taught abroad in Japan and Germany during foreign exchanges, and has been to almost all of the 50 states in the U.S. and 15 foreign countries.
Rob Spohr:-
Rob Spohr has served Montcalm Community College since 2003 in his roles as instructor in business, marketing and management, dean of occupational education, and vice president for academic affairs. He holds a BA in marketing from Grand Valley State University, an MS in career and technical dedication from Ferris State University, and is an EdD candidate (ABD) in community college leadership from Ferris State University. He lived in Japan for over a year, and has visited several foreign countries. He is the president of the Montcalm Economic Alliance and a general counselor, marketing specialist, and online mentor.
Bill Bishop:-
Bill Bishop has taught at Montcalm Community College since 2004 as an adjunct and then full-time instructor of accounting and business, and today serves as the chair of that department. He earned his BBA from Aquinas College, and MBA from Ferris State University. Bill is a member of the American Accounting Association and the Institute of Management Accountants, and is co-chair of MCC’s Business and Professional Students of America.
Dr. Rhonda Bishop :-
Rhonda Bishop is Program Coordinator for the Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program at Ferris State University. She earned her RN, MSN, and Ed.D. in Nursing from Central Michigan University.
Dr. Gary Hauck:-
Gary Hauck has served as Montcalm Community College’s dean of arts since 2008. He teaches humanities, religion, philosophy, and geography. He earned his BRE and ThB degrees from Clarks Summit University, a ThM from Dallas Theological Seminary, a DMin and PhD from California Graduate School of Theology, and a PhD in Educational Administration from Michigan State University. Hauck is the author of 19 books, including Organizational Transformation in Higher Education, and Exploring Humanities Around the World. He has visited all 50 U.S. states and 59 countries.
Dr.Brijender Singh Panwar:-
Brijender Singh Panwar is the founder President of the first Community College in North India-M.S.Panwar Community & Technical College,Solan (H.P). He has a Doctorate in Mass Communication and Master’s in English Literature, Journalism, Sociology and Business Administration to his credit. He worked as a mainstream journalist and Editor of a newspaper, Chief of Public Relations & Communication in leading PSU and various departments of the Government of India. He visited USA as Fulbright Scholar in 2014. During the last three years, he visited 30 Community Colleges in Michigan and Texas, USA to learn the best practices in Community Colleges.
