Frederick Community College Facilities Master Plan Chapter 3 Academic Program Review 3-2 May, 2023 All conclusions and recommendations are based on data obtained by Frederick Community College, the Maryland Higher Education Commission, the Maryland Association of Community Colleges, the Maryland Department of Labor, the Maryland Department of Budget and Management, and the U.S. Department of Labor and Statistics, among other sources. THE COVID CHALLENGE Frederick Community College students are well engaged in their academic studies. Some students are engaged in fully online instruction while other students have returned to campus after a year of online learning. Faculty, administrators, and staff have returned to their classrooms and offices, online and in person. They have all returned with the goal of learning or teaching in a hybrid or an online environment, but with the additional complication of new regulations and policies dealing with vaccinations, social distancing, and new data and/or science that may change from day to day. Layered on top of that is the political environment on the pandemic and you have a good sense of the challenges and factors that impact FCC’s mental health and ability to learn and grow. Under these circumstances, students are not only considered as learners, but as developing adults who are prepared to enter the workforce. ENVIRONMENTAL SCAN During this academic review process the academic planning team reviewed and analyzed the major implications for academic programming, namely the challenges, opportunities and constraints, and considered such factors as demographic, economic, workforce, societal, technological, political/governmental, and educational. The academic planning team identified the status of academic program strengths, priorities and readiness for meeting challenges and opportunities. Recommendations for academic program development are proposed for strengthening and enhancing existing programs, for proposing new (“cutting edge”) programs, for developing market niches, for promoting interdisciplinary initiatives, and for seeking opportunities for greater collaboration within and beyond the college. HIGHLIGHTS • Frederick county has experienced strong long-term economic growth for several years. • As a result, the county is successful in attracting and retaining millennial workers. The community college is a vital asset to County employers. • The college adds highly trained human capital to the county workforce. • Students at the college are highly competitive in the marketplace and as a result the regional labor market is strengthened through increased employment and job performance.
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