Santa Fe College hosted a delegation of fourteen Indian community college administrators from October 5-16, 2015 as part of a six week Community College Administrator Program (CCAP) funded by the United States Department of State. The CCAP with India was administered by Florida State University with Santa Fe College as the lead community college partner.
India faces some daunting educational and economic challenges. Over 50% of the country's current population of 1.2 billion is under the age of 30. It is estimated that by 2025, India will account for approximately 25% of the world's total workforce. The Indian government is exploring different ways it can provide educational and economic opportunities to this young population to ensure their individual and the country's prosperous future. Beginning in 2012, the government of India introduced a plan to pilot 100 community colleges throughout the country. Community colleges affiliated with a university require completion of 10th grade plus two years of high school. Students seeking admission to community colleges affiliated with polytechnic colleges are required to complete only grade 10. Private community colleges may follow a slightly different model. The fourteen Indian administrators who visited Florida as part of the CCAP came to learn about the U.S. community college model and best practices on how to administer it. The video below captures some of what these visitors experienced and learned.
Learn more about India Program Overview here.
Vilma Fuentes:
This is our president, Dr. Jackson Sasser
Dr. Jackson Sasser
Welcome! I'm Jackson. I am glad you are here today.
Narrator:
In October 2015, Santa Fe College was honored to host delegates of 14 educators from India as part of Community College Administrator Program (CCAP) funded by U.S. Department of State. At the current literacy rate just over 74%, India has the largest illiterate population and only 10% Indians have a college degree. These Indian educators came to Santa Fe College in order to learn best practices in United States Community College System by immersing themselves over a course of 10 days. They learned about governance and how Santa Fe College has been able to grow, build, and expand to serve students and the community better.
Dr. Niladri Biswas:
In America, you have 300 million population, but in India we have 1.2 billion population. So, our task is gigantic. How can we increase the level of income? That's why I'm interested.
Dr. Prabhakar Laishram:
I want to go to this place so that I can do something for our country or particularly for our state.
Dr. K. Visalakski:
I want to know how you are developing the curriculum, how you're going about the teaching methodology, how you're counseling the students to take up the courses, and how your partners and industry partners are playing a role in employing the students.
Santa Fe Student Ambassador:
I'm here to give you the best possible tour in Santa Fe College Experience you can have.
Mayamole Thomas:
Right in from the walking tour of the campus until now, it has been a great expedition and an exploration into the various accepts of the community college. You left no stone unturned in explaining the different offices and departments. Staring with its governance, curriculum development, student support system, strategic planning, implementation, and assessments, helping students through Student Affairs, career counseling & development, etcetera. And it was satisfying to look at the senders of your outreach program. This is what made you #1.
Dr. K. Visalakski:
I hope to give a presentation to our government about what I have learned here and the main thing I want to just stress to our government is the transfer of credits. Because it holds a greater part for our students and allows for vertical student mobility.
Dr. Prabhakar Laishram:
I like to copy from this the community college the way they are working: the coordination among the faculty members, coordination among the teachers and staff members, coordination among the students. There is no difference between the staff, faculty, and students. That should be there.
*Singing*
Fr. Melwyn Anil Lobo:
Everyone feels here that it is their college, and I think it is because of shared governance. I'm very happy about it. When I go back, I take this as my treasure. I'm grateful to Santa Fe College. I have learned a lot.
*Singing*
The Community College Administrator Program (CCAP) is sponsored by the U.S. Department of State with funding provided by the U.S. Government and administered by Florida State University and Santa Fe College.