Baltimore Sun editorial today mulls 'The BRAC Effect' on higher education

The Baltimore Sun's editorial page today urges Central Maryland's community colleges to "be on their toes" so they can respond to the as-of-yet-undetermined needs of an as-of-yet-undetermined number of people who will be looking for training when BRAC moves them here.

"There could be a demand for midcareer credits and professional training from the contractors and military personnel themselves. Or it might be that their spouses, having relocated, will be looking for the sort of training -- in who knows what fields -- to get new jobs here. Or simply that their children, as they leave high school, will put new demands on the community colleges for undergraduate education."

The story details some things schools already have in the works:

"Harford is weighing a capital fundraising drive, in search of private donations. Harford and Cecil have entered into partnerships with Towson University and the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, respectively; this is a good start, but both have a long way to go. Harford and Arundel operate higher-education centers that make it possible to take graduate-level courses through four-year universities -- another good idea that needs to be pushed further. These partnerships make increased capacity possible. So do online courses, and the use of high school classrooms at night; that's not a perfect arrangement, but it works."

It ends by saying that if colleges can rise to the challenge ....

"...they'll have made a strong argument for more state financial support in the years ahead."