Comment on Kaylah Macaullay's post:
Your point captures something foundational the module emphasized — that listing community resources reveals both the gaps in available training AND the unmet needs of potential students. Without this kind of community awareness, institutions risk launching programs that meet no real demand or missing opportunities to serve underserved populations.
The phrase you used about "what area is lacking in the community" stood out to me. This framing positions program research as an act of community service rather than just institutional expansion. When schools identify genuine gaps, they create programs that strengthen the local economy and serve community development.
Your attention to "what potential students may require" also resonates. The module's six demographic categories — census, income, ethnicity, age, transportation, and employers — each reveal something about what students actually need. Without this awareness, even well-designed programs can fail to reach the people they could most help.
In my context as College Director at Central Virginia Community College's Amherst Early College Center, your framing reminded me that institutional planning is fundamentally about serving real people in real communities, not just running programs.
Thank you for a thoughtful contribution.
With Benevolence, Shannon
