Pathways Magazine Spring 2014 Theobald Calls the College ‘Invaluable’ to Temple

Community College of Philadelphia and Temple University are connected in many ways, and the Delaware Valley and its regional businesses reap the dividends of this relationship, according to Temple University President Neil D. Theobald, Ph.D.

“We work together to provide this region with its greatest asset, which is human capital,” he said. “We are the main customer-receiver of each other’s students. There are nearly 2,000 former Community College of Philadelphia students enrolled at Temple.”

Temple University has long been the top transfer destination for the College’s students. In fact, about one in 19 Temple students formerly attended the College. One in seven college grads in Philadelphia is a Temple graduate.

Some Temple students also transfer to Community College of Philadelphia to earn credits or earn new credentials. In a 2006 report, 38 percent of Community College of Philadelphia students enrolled in a career program said they were reverse transfers and Temple was the institution they were most likely to have attended. “In short, Community College of Philadelphia is invaluable for Temple University,” Dr. Theobald told the audience.

The College’s diverse student population adds to the Temple University experience, he said. “They provide something really different at Temple. They tend to be more experienced. They bring their work history, their insights, their experience to our classroom discussions,” Dr. Theobald said. “(They)… really provide a nice mix for us that enhances the experience for everyone.”

Dr. Theobald also highlighted other shared goals and common interests as he spoke to College staff and regional business leaders on April 8 at the launch breakfast for the Spring 2014 edition of Pathways, the magazine of Community College of Philadelphia. Seated at his table throughout the breakfast was Erika Lawrence, the College’s 2014 student Commencement speaker who plans to transfer to Temple’s Fox School of Business.

Temple and Community College of Philadelphia both play a large role in educating and preparing the workers that area educational institutions and hospitals need, he said, adding that the region’s future, in large part, lies in the strength of its “eds and meds.”

His remarks took a serious turn as he touched on the problem of growing student loan debt. “We have got to do something that addresses this issue of affordability in higher education and keeps costs low,” Dr. Theobald said.

Community College of Philadelphia’s clearly-defined paths to possibilities help many students transferring to Temple to reduce those costs. “That’s where the transfer agreement with the College is a big help because it lowers the cost of a bachelor’s degree, he said.

In the Pathways article about Dr. Theobald, he addresses the importance of a liberal arts education to the world economy, Temple’s role and responsibility in moving the city forward, and the need to reduce student debt. Other articles examine the unique learning environment of the honors program; the College’s new psychology degree that prepares students to become counselors, educators and researchers in addition to psychologists, and a host of other career options.