What was going on in the nation? What was going on in society?
(list of group participants)
Group 1
Reagan/Bush era
Emergence of a third party (+) system, (e.g., Rainbow coalition, Ross
Perot)
Changes in Europe and China, globalization begins
Decade for women
Emergence of MACs (Window, icon concept) vs. DOS systems
National economy not good: high unemployment, high interest rates
Michigan economy good
High school enrollments bottomed out
Olympics in Seoul
Earthquake in San Francisco
Drought/heat wave in the Midwest
Blanchard was Governor
Focus on "outcomes assessment" in graduate programs
Terrorism
Baby Boomers: focus on health and exercise
Few involved in "risky" investments, (e.g., stock market)
Infant mortality an issue/other poverty-related issues
Decline in state appropriations to education
Group 2
Iran contra affair
Reagan administration
Bush wins
Shoulder pads were in
Conspicuous consumption
Mergers-conglomerates
Layoffs
Interest rates falling
Insecurity: corporate loyalty disappears for both employees and
companies
Telemarketing becomes more pervasive and invasive
More distrust of government
Mainframes: few PCs, little networking
Not much computerization for end-users, things like touch-tone
registration
Group 3
More diversity
Outsourcing of services
Globalization: outsourcing, down-sizing
Federal ADA, AIDS guidelines, Drug Free Workplace requirements
Group 4
High unemployment
Global recognition
Focus on accountability in K-12 education
Computer literacy not an expectation, no idea of a Web, primitive
software, etc.
1,000 Points of Light, individual contribution to society
TRA, foreign competition
Break up of the Soviet Union, Glasnost
Excellent enrollment in community colleges
Power of economic forces
Down-sizing, doing more with less
Less invasive media
Group 5
Economic development major topic: downsizing or right-sizing,
unemployment and interest rates high, beginning of recovery, tremendous increase in
federally funded training programs
Environmental issues of greater concern
Actor as Republican president, Democratically controlled congress
Push for greater ADA rights
Health care issues are major societal concern: HMOs take hold, HIV/AIDS
guidelines created
Drug free work place takes hold: leads to employee and student
assistance programs
Group 6
Time shift: VCRs provided the ability to record events for later viewing
Personal computers were low tech
IRAN Contra affair
Economy was recovering
Election year, Dukakis versus Bush
Fortune 500 companies prevalent
Managed care begins
Auto industry revival
Gary Hart scandal: public offices become "public", no longer
behind closed doors
Deming: quality management, industrial restructuring
Job uncertainty- downsizing
More people on welfare
James Blanchard, Governor
Olympic year
Pagers in
Mainframe systems on campus used for student reporting
Nation at risk initiative
Decline of unions
Media influence: everything public, see example #9
Group 7
Los Angeles Earthquake
Olympics in LA
Presidential election: Bush elected president
High unemployment
Less computer usage
Dan Quayle
High inflation
No large casinos
Blanchard governor
Smart Card (Michigan Opportunity Card)
No Internet
Recorders at meetings did not have laptops
No cell phones
S&L scandals
Enrollments possibly higher
Auto industry downsizing
Recession
How did these events affect student services in Michigan community
colleges?
Group 1
Technology started to emerge on campuses (some PCs)
Two and four-year enrollments bottomed out.
JTPA was BIG! (Block Grants)
Re-training became a greater part of our mission (linkages with business
and industry)
"Skill Sets vs. Diplomas"
Accountability (from and to EVERYONE!)
Campuses became more diverse
More part-time /adjunct staff
More dependence on information integration
Technology created a need for more professional development/training
Push for strategic plans
"Quality" started to emerge as a focus
More single parents (funding for at "risk populations" in
general)
Students with disabilities more visible
Soft dollars for staff (specialized /focused areas)
Student services was viewed as "subservient" (not valued
professionally)
Group 2
Community college growth led to an increase in demand for services
Job training, TRAs
Higher unemployment than today
Increase in numbers of non-traditional students
Career counseling, job placement issues
Increased accountability
Age sensitivity as numbers of elderly increased
Team-based decision making, management gurus, Megatrends, etc.
Title III grant to improve academic advising
Little focus on enrollment, less focus on enrollment management
Started to focus on customer services
End of first wave of retirements of people who started at our colleges
in the 60s
Started to build partnerships with K-12, tech-prep, outside agencies
Grants available for JTPA, sex equity, TRA
Less sensitivity to ADA issues
Student loans increased as a proportion of student aid
Group 3
Retraining provided greater sense of mission and accountability
Emphasis on skill delivery rather than degrees
Group 4
Increased enrollment
Funding cutbacks
TRA funds available
Difficult to deliver services
Millage issues
Technology confusion: dual systems on paper and computer, computer
problems
Good enrollment in occupational programs
Unaware of power and use of computers
Immigration: need to recognize diversity
Poor made to feel responsible for their plight
Assessment for course placement
Group 5
College positions were beginning to open up
Growth of student enrollment
Increased challenges of dealing with an increase in students and
addressing their needs
Technology: what to purchase, how do we implement (training and use of);
more employees and students are on-line, led to a warehouse of information and issues of
what to do with it
Increase in industry partnerships: on-site location of student services
provided for an increase in customized industry training
Increase in numbers of non-traditional students
Group 6
Limited access to PCs/resources per individuals
Suspicious of technology and technology integration
Beginning of student assessment and accountability for services
No worries re: numbers and recruiting, students were plentiful
Career decision-making courses evolved
Business, industry and corporate continuing education courses first
developed
Enrollment growth
Resource reduction, do more with less resources and staff
State aid decrease, tuition increase
Grants to support business/industry available
Tuition reimbursement from industry
Internal training
Centralized department of education
Group 7
Student demands for services increasing
Programming classes in high demand
Working with unemployed, retraining
Social services recipients encouraged to be in college
Budgets were improving
Financial aid was easier to get
Accountability standards initiated
Support for disabled services enhanced
At Risk program initiated
Tuition Incentive Program begun
Building expansion
Higher % of full-time students compared to today
Native American student population increased
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