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American Association of Colleges and Universities

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The American Association of Colleges and Universities ( AAC&U ) is a global membership organization headquartered in Washington, D.C. , United States. It works to improve quality and equity in undergraduate education and advance liberal education .

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43-500: Founded in 1915 as the Association of American Colleges , AAC&U comprises more than 1,000 member institutions in the US and abroad, including accredited public and private colleges, community colleges , research universities, and comprehensive universities. It was renamed the Association of American Colleges and Universities in 1995, and acquired its current name in 2022. The organization

86-530: A Diploma of Agriculture might be recognised as the equivalent of the first year of the Bachelor of Agricultural Science degree; a unit of Letter Writing in a Certificate IV of Writing might be recognised as a unit towards a Bachelor of Business degree; experience in aged care might be recognised towards a Certificate in Community Services . All students doing nationally recognised training need to have

129-442: A Unique Student Identifier (USI). Certificates I–IV are the basic qualifications and prepare candidates for both employment and further education and training. There is no firm duration for these qualifications. Entry for Certificate III and Certificate IV courses requires the completion of Year 10 or Year 11 education, respectively. Certificates I–II provide basic vocational skills and knowledge, while Certificates III–IV replace

172-404: A courtesy title where it is existing practice for that profession. Universities are not permitted to refer to these degrees as doctorates and must note on documentation such as transcripts that the qualification is a master's degree (extended). Master's level courses are delivered by universities and a limited number of registered private providers. The highest qualification, a doctoral degree

215-545: A bachelor's degree or higher. In some cases, admission may be on the basis of significant work experience. Graduate certificates typically take six months of full-time study to complete, while graduate diplomas typically take twelve months. A completed bachelor's degree, sometimes with honours (typically for Master of Philosophy degrees), is a prerequisite for admission. Often there is a minimum grade point average (GPA), weighted average mark (WAM) or honours requirement for admission also. The pattern of study generally takes one of

258-592: A community college, some students transfer to a liberal arts college or university for two to three years to complete a bachelor's degree . Before the 1970s, community colleges in the United States were more commonly referred to as junior colleges . That term is still used at some institutions. Public community colleges primarily attract and accept students from the local community and are usually supported by local tax revenue. They usually work with local and regional businesses to ensure students are being prepared for

301-477: A cross-institutional method of evaluating student learning by getting faculty from different institutions to agree on a set of general education outcomes by using a common rubric, the AAC&;U Value Rubrics, for evaluating student work. The leaders of the collaboration hoped that the results of the project would "paint an accurate picture of learning nationwide and, in turn, spark continuing improvement. The notability of

344-744: A higher educational institution that provides workforce education and college transfer academic programs. Some institutions maintain athletic teams and dormitories similar to their university counterparts. In Australia , the term "community college" refers to small private businesses running short (e.g. six weeks) courses generally of a self-improvement or hobbyist nature. Equivalent to the American notion of community colleges are Technical and Further Education colleges or TAFEs; these are institutions regulated mostly at state and territory level. There are also an increasing number of private providers colloquially called "colleges". TAFEs and other providers carry on

387-455: A master's degree with a significant research component. The AQF also permits the awarding of higher doctorates on the basis of an internationally-recognised contribution to the field of study the doctorate is in. Holders of doctoral degrees are permitted to use the title 'Doctor'. A federal review of the AQF reported in 2019, recommending an overhaul of the framework and setting out principles for

430-432: A network of educational institutions whereby vocational and technical skills training could be provided at all levels for school leavers before they entered the workforce. The community colleges also provide an infrastructure for rural communities to gain skills training through short courses as well as providing access to a post-secondary education. At the moment, most community colleges award qualifications up to Level 3 in

473-455: A university. The former is also known as a technical college. In the United States , community colleges, sometimes called junior colleges , technical colleges , two-year colleges, or city colleges, are primarily public institutions providing tertiary education , also known as continuing education , that focuses on certificates , diplomas , and associate degrees . After graduating from

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516-527: A variety of their own degrees, often in business, technology, science, and other technical fields. Each province has its own educational system, as prescribed by the Canadian federalism model of governance. In the mid-1960s and early 1970s, most Canadian colleges began to provide practical education and training for the emerging and booming generation, and for immigrants from around the world who were entering Canada in increasing numbers at that time. A formative trend

559-698: A variety of topics such as arts, languages, business and lifestyle. They usually are scheduled to run two, three or four days of the week, depending on the level of the course undertaken. A Certificate I may only run for 4 hours twice a week for a term of 9 weeks. A full-time Diploma course might have classes 4 days per week for a year (36 weeks). Some courses may be offered in the evenings or weekends to accommodate people working full-time. Funding for colleges may come from government grants and course fees. Many are not-for-profit organisations. Such TAFES are located in metropolitan, regional and rural locations of Australia. Education offered by TAFEs and colleges has changed over

602-407: Is awarded by a university. This generally requires the completion of a major thesis, which has to be assessed externally by experts in the field of study. Additionally, there are professional doctorates, which require less research and are partially assessed by coursework or projects. Entry into an Australian standard doctorate program usually requires an honours degree with at least class 2A honours or

645-557: Is less likely to happen at a university or a private institution. The two sectors form a continuum, with VET at the lower end and Higher Education at the higher. VET courses are typically short, practical in nature and delivered by a TAFE college or registered training organisation at a certificate to diploma level. Higher education courses typically take several years or longer to complete, are academic in nature and are delivered by universities and other higher education providers at diploma, associate degree, degree or higher level. There

688-524: Is significant overlap, however; a TAFE college may offer degrees and universities may offer certificates and diplomas (so called 'dual sector' providers). There has been a strong push towards mutual recognition of qualifications, with VET or Higher Education courses recognised towards other courses (and for those under 21 towards an SSCE). A process of Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) has been implemented to allow competencies gained through work and other experience to be assessed and recognised. For instance,

731-777: Is structured around levels of descriptive criteria, with formal qualifications aligned to the appropriate levels. The Senior Secondary Certificate of Education (SSCE) is the graduation certificate awarded to most students in Australian high schools, and is equivalent to the Advance Placement of North America and the A-Levels of the United Kingdom. Students completing the SSCE are usually aged 16 to 18 and study full-time for two years (years 11 and 12 of schooling). In some states adults may gain

774-620: Is used in Western Canada to refer to a two-year college arts or science degree, similar to how the term is used in the United States. In other parts of Canada, the term advanced degree is used to indicate a three- or four-year college program. In Quebec , three years is the norm for a university degree because a year of credit is earned in the CÉGEP (college) system. Even when speaking in English, people often refer to all colleges as Cégeps ; however,

817-929: The Australian Tertiary Admission Rank . Universities and other Higher Education providers typically use this mark as the main criterion in selecting domestic students. Prior to 2010, this was called the Equivalent National Tertiary Entrance Rank (ENTER) in Victoria, and the University Admissions Index (UAI) in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory, and the Tertiary Entrance Rank (TER) elsewhere. Competing qualifications outside

860-876: The Malaysian Qualifications Framework (Certificate 3) in both the Skills sector (Sijil Kemahiran Malaysia or the Malaysian Skills Certificate) as well as the Vocational and Training sector but the number of community colleges that are starting to award Level 4 qualifications (Diploma) are increasing. This is two levels below a bachelor's degree (Level 6 in the MQF) and students within the system who intend to further their studies to that level will usually seek entry into Advanced Diploma programs in public universities, polytechnics or accredited private providers. In

903-713: The National Training System , and Higher Education sectors in Australia. Courses are primarily taken by those aged over 18, however in some vocational and general academic courses a minority of students enter at the minimum school-leaving age of 16, although from May 2009 Federal Government policy calls for young people to be in education, gainful employment, or training until age 17 (Year 12 qualification) with tightening of income support payments to age 20 if not undertaking further training. This tends to happen particularly at Technical and Further Education colleges (TAFE), and

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946-524: The Philippines , a community school functions as elementary or secondary school at daytime and towards the end of the day convert into a community college. This type of institution offers night classes under the supervision of the same principal, and the same faculty members who are given part-time college teaching load. The concept of community college dates back to the time of the former Minister of Education, Culture and Sports (MECS) that had under its wings

989-495: The 24 colleges of applied arts and technology have been mandated to offer their own stand-alone degrees as well as to offer joint degrees with universities through "articulation agreements" that often result in students emerging with both a diploma and a degree. Thus, for example, the University of Guelph "twins" with Humber College and York University does the same with Seneca College. More recently, however, colleges have been offering

1032-403: The AQF. Honours may be awarded on top of a bachelor's degree after an additional year of study for three-year degrees. An Honours degree is a Level 8 qualification and is denoted by "Hons" in parentheses following the degree abbreviation, for example BA (Hons). Honours degrees requiring an additional year of study generally involve a research project and require the completion of a thesis during

1075-619: The Australian Qualifications Framework are the International Baccalaureate (IB) and Accelerated Christian Education (ACE) Year 12 Academic Certificate. The IB is well accepted by universities. ACE has lesser support, and students may also have to additionally pass a Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). There has been growing overlap between the Vocational Education and Training (VET), organised under

1118-547: The Bureaus of Elementary Education, Secondary Education, Higher Education and Vocational-Technical Education. MECS Secretary, Cecilio Putong, who in 1971 wrote that a community school is a school established in the community, by the community, and for the community itself. Pedro T. Orata of Pangasinan shared the same idea, hence the establishment of a community college, now called the City College of Urdaneta. A community college like

1161-751: The associate degree is being developed at some institutions. Certificate courses I to IV , diplomas and advanced diplomas are typically offered, the latter deemed equivalent to an undergraduate qualification, albeit typically in more vocational areas. Recently, some TAFE institutes (and private providers) have also become higher education providers in their own right and are now starting to offer bachelor's degree programs. In Canada , colleges are adult educational institutions that provide higher education and tertiary education , and grant certificates and diplomas . Alternatively, Canadian colleges are often called "institutes" or "polytechnic institutes". As well, in Ontario,

1204-412: The certificate through a Technical and Further Education college or other provider. The curriculum, assessment and name of the SSCE is different in each state and territory . The government of each determines these themselves, although the curriculum must address mutually agreed national competencies. Universities Australia generates a nationally standardised final score for each SSCE student called

1247-409: The community. This education includes but is not limited to sports, adult literacy and lifestyle education. Usually when students finish their secondary school studies at age 16, they move on to a sixth form college where they study for their A-levels (although some secondary schools have integrated sixth forms). After the two-year A-level period, they may proceed to a college of further education or

1290-460: The courses are designed and registered, diplomas may be vocational or higher education, while associate degrees are higher education. These courses are usually delivered by universities, TAFE colleges, and private registered training organisations and higher education providers. The bachelor degree is the standard university qualification and is recognised worldwide. Most courses take three to four years to complete and are Level 7 qualifications on

1333-580: The following three forms: Master's degree (extended) are permitted to deviate from the 'Master of ...' naming convention. Those in legal practice may use the name Juris Doctor but the qualification does not allow a graduate use of the honorific title 'doctor'. Master's degree (extended) in medical practice, physiotherapy, dentistry, optometry and veterinary practice are allowed to be named 'Doctor of ...' or 'Master of ...', such as Doctor/Master of Dentistry, Doctor/Master of Optometry and Doctor/Master of Medicine, and graduates are permitted to use 'Doctor' (Dr.) as

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1376-561: The local workforce. Some research organizations and publications focus upon the activities of community college, junior college , and technical college institutions. Many of these institutions and organizations present the most current research and practical outcomes at annual community college conferences. Several peer-reviewed journals extensively publish research on community colleges, including Community College Review and others. Australian Qualifications Framework The Australian Qualifications Framework ( AQF ) specifies

1419-524: The one in Abuyog , Leyte can operate with only a PHP 124,000 annual budget in a two-story structure housing more than 700 students. Except for Scotland , this term is rarely used in the United Kingdom . When it is, a community college is a school which not only provides education for the school-age population (11–18) of the locality, but also additional services and education to adults and other members of

1462-510: The optional fourth year of study. Traditionally these courses have almost exclusively been delivered by universities, however there is now a growing number of TAFE institutions and private colleges who have higher education status to deliver degree programs. Graduate certificate and graduate diplomas are Level 8 qualifications alongside the Bachelor (Honours) degree. Entry to a graduate certificate or graduate diploma typically requires completion of

1505-453: The previous system of trade certificates and provide training in more advanced skills and knowledge. These courses are usually delivered by TAFE colleges, community education centres and registered private training providers. Courses at diploma, advanced diploma and associate degree level take between one and three years to complete, and are generally considered to be equivalent to one to two years of study at degree level. Depending on how

1548-594: The project is its "subject of analysis: the authentic stuff of college – the homework, problem sets, and papers that students regularly produce." Community college A community college is a type of undergraduate higher education institution, generally leading to an associate degree , certificate , or diploma . The term can have different meanings in different countries: many community colleges have an open enrollment policy for students who have graduated from high school , also known as senior secondary school or upper secondary school. The term usually refers to

1591-601: The standards for educational qualifications in Australia. It is administered nationally by the Australian Government's Department of Industry , with oversight from the States and Territories, through the Standing Council of Tertiary Education Skills and Employment. While the AQF specifies the standards, education and training organisations are authorised by accrediting authorities to issue a qualification. The Framework

1634-864: The term is an acronym more correctly applied specifically to the French-language public system: Collège d'enseignement général et professionnel (CEGEP); in English: College of General and Vocational Education. The word "college" can also refer to a private high school in Quebec. In India , 98 community colleges are recognized by the University Grants Commission . The courses offered by these colleges are diplomas, advance diplomas and certificate courses. The duration of these courses usually ranges from six months to two years. Community colleges in Malaysia are

1677-482: The tradition of adult education, which was established in Australia around the mid-19th century, when evening classes were held to help adults enhance their numeracy and literacy skills. Most Australian universities can also be traced back to such forerunners, although obtaining a university charter has always changed their nature. In TAFEs and colleges today, courses are designed for personal development of an individual or for employment outcomes. Educational programs cover

1720-606: The years. By the 1980s, many colleges had recognised a community need for computer training. Since then thousands of people have increased skills through IT courses. The majority of colleges by the late 20th century had also become Registered Training Organisations. They offer individuals a nurturing, non-traditional education venue to gain skills that better prepare them for the workplace and potential job openings. TAFEs and colleges have not traditionally offered bachelor's degrees, instead providing pathway arrangements with universities to continue towards degrees. The American innovation of

1763-503: Was a quarterly magazine published by the association from 2000 to fall 2019 that reported "emerging trends and key debates in undergraduate liberal education". The Multi-State Collaborative to Advance Quality Student Learning was a collaboration led by the AAC&U and the state higher education executive officers from approximately 2014 to 2018. As of October 2016, the project involved 900 faculty members at 80 public two- and four-year institutions in 13 states. The project aimed to produce

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1806-560: Was founded in Chicago in 1915. In 1976, it ended its role in federal lobbying and spun-off this work to the newly created National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities . Today, it focuses on "advancing the vitality and democratic purposes of undergraduate liberal education" and hosts conferences, workshops and an annual meeting. AAC&U publishes Liberal Education magazine, sponsors meetings and institutes for campus teams and publishes reports and monographs . Peer Review

1849-583: Was the merging of the then separate vocational training and adult education (night school) institutions. Canadian colleges are either publicly funded or private post-secondary institutions (run for profit). In terms of academic pathways, Canadian colleges and universities collaborate with each other with the purpose of providing college students the opportunity to academically upgrade their education. Students can transfer their diplomas and earn transfer credits through their completed college credits towards undergraduate university degrees. The term associate degree

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