• Enrollment: In fall 2011, 21,916 students were enrolled
• Faculty & Staff: More than 1,000 full-time faculty and staff; 1,900 adjunct faculty and part-time staff
• Degree Programs: More than 50 degree and certificate programs
• Transfer Programs: Transfer/articulation agreements with many four-year colleges and universities
• Accreditation: The Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association www.ncahigherlearningcommission.org,
• Campus Size: 234 acres and 20 major buildings
• Athletics: 18 intercollegiate sports

What is a community college?

The community college is America's contribution to education in the 20th century. The roots of the community college movement may be found in the junior colleges of the 1920s and '30s, which offered the first two years of a postsecondary education. Today, there are more than 1,130 comprehensive community colleges across the country. The community college's broad curriculum, its responsiveness to community needs and its accessibility to all local residents distinguishes it from the old junior college.

Recent research shows that public community colleges serve 44 percent of all U.S. undergraduates. Forty-three percent of first-time college freshmen are enrolled in community colleges. Across the country, 8 million students are enrolled in community college credit programs, and 5 million are taking community college noncredit courses. Because of the equal opportunity for education offered to its supporters, the community college has been called the "characteristic educational institution of the United States."

A local college serving local needs

Johnson County Community College was founded in 1969 to serve the residents of Johnson County, Kan. JCCC is governed by a seven-member board of trustees elected at-large from the community to four-year terms. The board governs the college and sets the budget and local tax levy. Every other year, in odd calendar years, three trustees face re-election.

State legislation has enabled communities to create college districts that are supported by state funding and local taxes. About 54 percent of JCCC's operating funding comes from county taxes and motor vehicle taxes; the remainder comes from student tuition and state aid.

The college's fiscal year 2013 management budget, which represents the actual amount the college spends in a year, is $232,930,138. It is composed of the operating budget, totaling $139,617,631 and the budgets for all other funds such as capital outlay, auxiliary and restricted funds, totaling $93,312,507.

How well does JCCC fulfill its mission?

Innovative, high-quality curriculum

• JCCC offers a full range of undergraduate credit courses that form the first two years of most college curricula.
• Class size averages 25 to 30 students, which is much lower than at many larger colleges and universities.

Preparation for college/university transfer

• The college has more than 100 transfer agreements with regional colleges and universities, which assure admittance without loss of time or credit.
• More than 36 percent of JCCC students enrolled in fall 2011 planned to transfer to another college or university.

Occupational preparation and retraining

• More than 50 one- and two-year career degree and certificate programs prepare students to enter the job market in high-employment fields.
• Eighty-nine percent of respondents to a survey of students who had completed a career program at JCCC in 2010-2011 indicated they were employed full-time, and 96 percent of their employers rated the overall job preparation their employee had received at the college as "good" or "very good."
• Continuing education classes are available to help county residents hone their working skills or acquire new ones, either for the jobs they hold now or to prepare for new careers.
• Professional education is offered to individuals who are required by state licensing boards, certifying agencies and professional associations to obtain continuing education units (CEUs). Professions currently served include health and human services, mediation, early childhood educators, payroll and human resources managers, and individuals in technical trades.

High enrollments and accreditation

• With more than 50,000 students enrolled in credit and continuing education classes each semester, Johnson County Community College is the largest institution of higher education in the state.
• JCCC is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association, www.ncahigherlearningcommission, 312-263-0456.
• Individual college programs are accredited by associated professional organizations.
• JCCC is a member of the League for Innovation in the Community College.

A diverse student body

• Almost 20 percent of Johnson County's recent high school graduates come to JCCC. JCCC enrolls 21 percent more first-time freshmen from Johnson County than KU and 37 percent more than K-State. Thirty-three percent of Johnson County students who stay in Kansas for college attend JCCC.
• However, the average age of JCCC's students is 25.9, which means that many older students take JCCC classes, either to fulfill personal goals or to change their lives by acquiring a college education or career training.
• About 76 percent of JCCC's students reside in Johnson County. Female students make up 55 percent of the student body. About 21 percent are non-Caucasian.
• About 67 percent of JCCC's students attend classes part time.

Dedicated faculty and staff

• The college has 1,007 full-time faculty and staff. Another 1,926 people work as adjunct faculty or part-time staff.
• Most faculty members have master's degrees, and many have or are earning doctorates.
• Faculty and staff have won many awards for excellence.

A beautiful, well-maintained campus

• The 234-acre campus, which opened in 1972 with six buildings, is located near the population center of the county at College Boulevard and Quivira Road. Today, there are 20 major buildings on campus. A new hospitality and culinary academy is under construction; it should open for classes in fall 2013.

Supportive student services

• JCCC offers students state-of-the-art computer labs (both PC and Macintosh) as well as fully equipped health care, language and science education labs.
• The Academic Achievement Center provides a range of services to help all JCCC students achieve academic success. The AAC offers 1-credit preparatory courses in basic match, algebra, chemistry, spelling and study skills. In addition, walk-in tutoring is available in study skills, reading, math and COMPASS test preparation.
• The Math Resource Center provides instructional/tutorial support on a drop-in basis to all JCCC math students.
• The Writing Center is a free student and community drop-in support center committed to assisting all writers in any stage of the writing process. The Writing Center offers a range of support services including face-to-face sessions, an online writing lab, and a hotline to answer writing questions.
• Counseling Center faculty assist students in reaching their goals through comprehensive academic advising and personal/career counseling using an engagement approach for student success.
• The Career Development Center provides assistance for students with the career decision-making process; career assessments; career counseling, exploration and selection of a college major or career; and the job search process when seeking work experience through a job or internship.
• The Hiersteiner Child Development Center serves children of students, faculty and staff by providing care and education for children age 1 year and walking through age 6 years, as long as the child turns 6 after Sept. 1.
• Testing Services administers COMPASS and COMPASS/ESL for entry-level course placement, waiver exams, proficiency exams, the ACT national and residual for selective entry programs, the GED examination, distance learning and instructor makeup testing. Prior learning assessment is available by appointment. Testing Services provides ADA testing accommodations through Access Services.
• The Student Success Center, housed in the Student Center, is a one-stop location for new, continuing, returning and prospective students. Staff and faculty from all Student Services and Learner Engagement offices are located in this one area to assist students with most of their needs and questions, including admission, registration, records, financial aid, counseling, career and access services.
• Student Life and Leadership provides numerous student engagement and leadership activities that enrich and enhance the college experience.
• The JCCC Billington Library has more than 110,000 books, videos and audio recordings and holds more than 375 current periodicals with extended journal and full-text content available via 110 online databases. The library provides patrons with Internet access. In addition, wireless networking is available to JCCC students, staff and faculty; laptops configured to work with the library's wireless network or network cards may be borrowed for in-library use. Through the library's access to a national interlibrary loan system, students may request materials not available locally. Instruction on the use of various electronic database resources is offered to currently enrolled students, giving them access both on and off campus. Reference assistance is offered by phone, email or in person by MLS-degreed librarians. Students with disabilities may access both print and online library resources using assistive technology available in the library.

Programs for special student groups

• The college's Honors Program stimulates and challenges academically talented students.
• Access Services for Students with Disabilities provides accommodations for students with documented disabilities through a variety of services including (but not limited to) note takers, readers and scribes for exams, extended time for exams, assistive technology or materials produced in alternate format. Interpreters and transliteraters are available as are assistive-listening devices.
• Developmental and basic reading, writing and math courses are available using traditional classroom techniques or multimedia technology.
• International and Immigrant Student Services serves individuals wishing to come to the U.S.; those presently in the U.S. on a visa; those in asylum or refugee, pending permanent resident status (having filed an I-485 application for permanent residence); or those with undocumented status.
• English for Speakers of Other Languages courses are available at many levels.
• Because not every student can take courses taught in the conventional classroom, JCCC also offers online classes, telecourses, self-paced study, courses taught by arrangement, weekend classes, classes at local high schools, late-start classes, accelerated classes and credit through prior learning assessment. Telecourses are available on video-cassette or nightly and on weekends on Time Warner Cable, channel 17, or Comcast Cable, channel 22, or SureWest Cable, channel 17.
• JCCC's Adult Basic Education and GED programs served 2,466 students in 2010-2011, 1,997 of whom completed at least 12 hours. More than 1,360 of those students studied English as a second language, 201 received their GED, 315 received citizenship skills, 120 went on to postsecondary education, 739 retained and improved their employment, and 37 received employment.

Collaborative programs with other schools

• More than 3,200 area high school students take courses for college credit through JCCC's College Now program each semester. Another 1,500 high school Quick Step students enroll in classes on the JCCC campus for college credit. More than 220 area high school graduates continue their career education at JCCC each year.
• JCCC's College Close to Home program offers general education credit courses off campus in the evenings at high schools in De Soto, Eudora and Gardner Edgerton, and at King's Cove, Lawrence Centennial School and KU Edwards Campus.
• In addition to transfer/articulation agreements with many four-year colleges and universities in Kansas and Missouri, JCCC has degree completion agreements in place with American Public University, Avila University, Baker University SPGS, Columbia College, DeVry University, Emporia State University, Fort Hays State University, Friends University, Kansas State University-Distance Learning, MidAmerica Nazarene University, National American University, Ottawa University, Park University, Rockhurst University, Southwestern College-Professional Studies, University of Central Missouri, the University of Kansas Edwards Campus, UMKC, University of Phoenix, University of Saint Mary, Washburn University and Webster University that offer courses in the evening and weekends, online, web-assisted, guided/independent study or a combination of methods of delivery.
• Arts education programming is provided for students at their own schools and at the Carlsen Center and the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art.

International education

• International education spans the entire range of college activities at JCCC, from credit and continuing education courses to study abroad and an award-winning international service project in Mexico. JCCC offers many international courses in business, humanities and social sciences, and 12 foreign languages and provides opportunities for students to study in one of 30 countries. JCCC's five partner colleges from around the world bring international faculty to the college, and experts on international topics visit the campus each year.
• JCCC is one of 23 U.S. regional centers for the Asian Studies Development Program of the East-West Center and the University of Hawaii and a member of the Community Colleges for International Development, the College Consortium for International Studies, the Institute of International Education and the Forum on Education Abroad.
• The college received a National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Exemplary Grant in 2004-2005 for the study of Japan and a Title IV International Education Grant for 2006-2009 to enhance its international curriculum and faculty development for Arabic culture studies. JCCC faculty continue to earn Fulbright awards for extended study and immersion in various countries. The college received a Fulbright Group Projects Abroad Grant for the summer of 2008 to support 14 faculty in a curriculum development project in Morocco. In 2010, JCCC began work with a new Title VI grant through the Asian Studies Development Program to develop curriculum on Chinese studies.
• JCCC is one of the top community colleges for student study-abroad awards from the competitive Freeman Asian and Gilman scholarship programs. In 2010-2011, JCCC students studied in Argentina, China, Costa Rica, the Czech Republic, Ecuador, Ghana, Honduras, Italy, Japan and Spain.

Lifelong education and workforce training

• JCCC's continuing education program is the largest, most comprehensive in the Kansas City area.
• JCCC's Center for Business and Technology provides contract training in management and supervisory skills and a Supervisory Assessment Center. Training runs the gamut from call center entry level to executive mentoring and coaching. In 2011, the center launched “Discover Your Strengths,” a program designed to help companies identify and maximize employees’ strengths to drive superior business performance.
• The center has one of the top three computer software and information technology training programs in the metropolitan area. State-of-the-art hardware and software, combined with top instruction, are assets to companies and individuals in Johnson County and the greater Kansas City area.
• The Center for Business and Technology offers continuous process improvement programs with Lean Six Sigma training and certification.
• The center boasts about 14,500 enrollments each year in more than 2,990 certification, recertification and relicensure workshops, seminars, independent study, computer and information technology classes, and contract training events.
• More than 2,500 employees of nearly 200 area companies take advantage of contract training courses specifically tailored for them and presented at the college or on site at the workplace.
• Credit classes are offered at area businesses, including the Lawrence Energy Center, through the college's On Your Site program.

Social/cultural/recreational enrichment

• During 2010-2011, JCCC's more than 1,710 personal enrichment classes, on topics ranging from gardening to money management, attracted more than 11,300 enrollments.
• Allied with the major performing arts organizations in greater Kansas City, the Carlsen Center at Johnson County Community College provides a suburban alterantive for patrons who enjoy attending performing arts events. This multivenue performing arts facility presents one of the largest and most diverse multidiscipline performing arts series in the region, including master classes, workshops and demonstrations with artists from around the world.
• In addition to the series, the Carlsen Center supports events sponsored by other JCCC departments as well as activities and performances sponsored by community groups and local arts presents who rent the space. In all, more than 200 events a year are presented in the Carlsen Center's performance halls. During its 2011-2012 season, more than 48,000 tickets with a value of $914,000 were issued to all performances. Since opening in 1990, more than 1.75 million people have attended performances in the Carlsen Center.
• The Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art at JCCC is the largest contemporary art museum in the four-state region and the only contemporary art museum in Kansas. The museum houses a range of exhibition spaces, including major exhibition galleries, permanent collection galleries, a new media gallery and an intimate "focus" gallery. In addition, a project gallery is devoted to area artists. The museum also houses Cafe Tempo (seating 110), a 200-seat auditorium, two arts education classrooms for children and adults and a museum shop.
• JCCC collects contemporary art from around the world. The work of more than 1,000 regional, national and international artists is represented in JCCC's collection, which features a diverse range of painting, photography, clay, sculpture, works on paper and new media. In addition to the museum, the college's collection is installed in "focus" areas in the corridors, dining halls and other highly visible and accessible locations across the campus, sparking a spontaneous engagement with art for students, faculty, staff and visitors.
• In April 2006, Public Art Review magazine named JCCC one of the top 10 university/college campuses for public art in America, citing the outdoor sculpture and the paintings, ceramics, photography and works on paper installed throughout the campus.

Affordable costs

• Cost per credit hour is $84 for Johnson County residents, $99 for Kansas residents outside Johnson County, and $197 for out-of-state residents.
• Student Financial Aid oversees the awarding and disbursing of more than $40 million in scholarships, grants, work study and loans to students to assist them in financing their education. They also provide advice on institutional, state and federal aid programs to students who may be eligible.
• Costs vary for continuing education courses.

Easy enrollment

• JCCC has an open admissions policy. Students wishing to attend the college must file an application, submit official transcripts and complete an assessment process. Students may register for classes via the Web.
• Enrollment in continuing education classes is continuous by phone, fax, Web, mail or in person throughout the semester.

Athletics on campus

• Men and women participate in 18 intercollegiate sports. Men compete in basketball, indoor track, outdoor track, cross country, half marathon, tennis, golf, soccer and baseball. Women compete in basketball, indoor track, outdoor track, cross country, half marathon, tennis, soccer, volleyball and softball.
• The campus has excellent indoor and outdoor athletic facilities. The indoor facilities include the 3,500-seat gymnasium, the Barbara Gill Lifetime Fitness Center and the Fieldhouse, a 43,000-square-foot area with a 200-meter, six-lane track and a multifunctional area that can be configured for basketball, volleyball and tennis. The outdoor facilities include six tennis courts, baseball/softball diamonds, a 10-lane track and soccer fields.
• JCCC is sanctioned under the National Junior College Athletic Association and participates in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference. With 10 national championships, 80 top-five national finishes, 121 region titles, 156 conference titles, more than 1,000 All-American athletes, and more than 200 Academic All-American athletes, the Cavaliers are successful both on and off the fields and courts.

Promoting economic development and partnerships

• JCCC returns about $2.70 to the community for every tax dollar it collects. JCCC's total tangible economic impact on the community is more than $182 million annually.
• It's estimated that JCCC's partnership with Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway and the city of Overland Park adds an additional $50 million to the county's economic base.
• To support industry training needs, the college partners with the Kansas Department of Commerce to help companies access workforce training funds. Through this partnership, companies have accessed an estimated $205 million from the Department of Commerce since 1983 to support local workforce development.
• In 2011 the Small Business Development Center provided free and confidential management consulting and technical assistance to 563 existing and aspiring business owners. Small business training was provided to 955 workshop attendees. The SBDC is funded by the U.S. Small Business Administration, the Kansas Department of Commerce and JCCC. In 2012, the KSBDC partnered with the Kansas Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) at Missouri Southern State University to open a PTAC Subcenter at JCCC. The subcenter will assist small businesses in 29 northeastern Kansas counties with potential market expansion through procurement opportunities with the government.
• The National Higher Education Benchmarking Institute coordinates two national data collection/data sharing consortia: the Kansas Study of Community College Instructional Costs and Productivity and the National Community College Benchmark Project. More than 450 colleges across the country participate in one or both of these projects annually.
• JCCC’s HITECH (health information technology) program offers two intensive training programs that can be completed within six months. Students are trained for workforce roles that support the adoption of electronic health records in hospitals, medical offices and health care organizations.