Rural community colleges face distinct challenges - Lee Romney, LA Times

State efforts to ease overcrowding and help colleges adapt to budget cuts are backfiring in rural districts already burdened by vast territories, withered economies, high poverty rates and dwindling populations. Rather than serving "lifelong learners," the state's 112 colleges have been directed to focus on students seeking to acquire such basic skills as English, transfer to four-year schools or earn associate degrees or certificates. To that end, upcoming restrictions will limit the number of times students can repeat classes in such programs as arts and athletics. While theater arts professor and director Reid Edelman said he will allow maxed-out community members to audit, they will no longer count toward enrollment goals — or bring in state resources for the college — leaving the department's future vulnerable. "What the state wants is for students to come here for two years and then transfer," Edelman said. http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-college-mendocino-20121103,0,3472340.story