Chris Gray, Ph.D.
Founding President, Erie County Community College
Literally. As EC3 is an open-access institution, our doors are always open to our community and our prospective students. If you've been around a while, you know that I'm a champion for the mission of the comprehensive community college chiefly because it allows everyone access to the opportunities we offer.
If you're new (or newer) to reading this blog, I thought it might be useful to provide a brief overview of what open access means in a college context:
Open access, also known as open enrollment, is the beating heart of what makes community colleges so vital to the educational landscape in the twenty-first century. The concept is so simple: anyone with a high school diploma (or equivalent) can walk through our doors and start taking classes. There's no need to worry about your ACT or SAT scores, your high school GPA, or whether you were captain of the debate team. It's education, unfiltered and accessible to everyone.
It seems so obvious that this model should be available, right? You'd think so, but the innovation that is the community college is relatively new. A fun bit of trivia is that the nation's first community college, Joliet Junior College, was founded in 1901 in my home state of Illinois. Contrast that to the nation's oldest university, Harvard, founded in 1636, and community colleges are the babies of higher education. It took almost three hundred years to change the model, but what a wonderful change for the better!
Community college construction exploded in the 1950s and 1960s in the aftermath of World War II and during the height of the baby boom, and they have truly revolutionized education. The concept of an open-door policy embraced by community colleges brings in students from all walks of life. Recent high school grads, working parents, career changers – everyone starts off on a level playing field and gets the same shot. Whether you're returning to school after a long break or simply curious about learning something new, open enrollment means that we welcome you when and where you are. Fundamentally, it's built on the belief that education is for everyone, not just the few who fit a certain mold.
For a lot of students, it's a fresh start. Maybe they didn't do so well the first time around, or maybe life got in the way. Open enrollment says, "Come as you are." The classes are challenging for sure; while the workload can be heavy, the opportunity is there, waiting for anyone who's ready to seize it. No gatekeeping, just open doors. That's what we're all about.
At the end of the day, open enrollment is about understanding that life isn't a straight path and that sometimes you need another chance – or even a first one. And that's what open enrollment provides: a chance to grow, learn, and change your future. All you have to do is take that first step.
To that end, I'm excited to announce two opportunities to come check out EC3. Come as you are, and we'll get you started.
If you're looking for information about E3 and what we offer, please stop by our Mid-Fall Open House on Wednesday, October 2 from 4:00pm to 7:00pm at EC3 West.
If that doesn't fit your schedule or you're just ready to sign up, you can stop by our Mid-Fall Instant Enrollment Day on Saturday, October 5 from 11:00am to 1:00pm at EC3 West.
And what if neither of those times works for your schedule? We've got you covered! Prospective students can also schedule a visit no matter what time of the year; simply reach out to us for more information.
We can't wait to meet you and have you join us.
Our community: your college.
