Visioning 2026 Blog
Role of the Community Colleges From a Historical and Futures Perspective
Rural Nebraska has made profound progress over my life-time. I can remember my father saying that when the 2-cylindar John Deere tractor was introduced it radically changed farming and ranching operation from horse drawn to mechanized operations and the growth in row crop operations. In the same time frame Rural Public Power Districts installed a electrical power grid that drastically changed operations on the farmstead.
Not long after this time entrepreneurs recognized the value of underground water resource and the potential of center pivot irrigation along with the introduction of plant genetics. These changes helped convert corn yields from under 50 bushels per acre to more than 200 bushels per acre. In addition, communications and navigations technologies have improved the management practices of the farming operations. Beside genetics, chemistry and biology research has helped introduce numerous changes, for example in the late 60’s the feed additive Rumenson increased the rate of gain with less feed input for beef animals. Now with the introduction of probiotics in animal husbandry producers are reducing the need for antibiotics while increasing rates of gain.
We are in an era experiencing three economic models changing at the same. We are transitioning from an industrial economy to a knowledge based economy and are now beginning an early introduction to what some see as the “creative molecular economy.” This accelerating rate of change has been impacting our rural communities and culture.
For example putting social media marketing in perspective. It took radio 38 years to reach 50 million listeners. Terrestrial TV took 13 years to reach 50 million users. The internet took four years to reach 50 million people... In less than nine months, Facebook added 100 million users.
We are beginning to better understand the need to become life-long learners, making connections outside our traditional local level, and using foresight to evaluate “weak signals”, and asking appropriate questions as critical rural cultural principles. In parallel the focus on regional community colleges has allowed us to keep pace with many of these changes and opportunities. I believe community colleges are an extremely important educational, economic and community development model for our future successful rural transformation.
In the past we could use history to help us better prepare for the future. However this in many cases is no longer the situation. Could you imagine the impact of the personal computer or even the internet and world wide web on our personal lives let alone the impact on the world-wide economy? Did we understand how the global positioning system would enhance our farm management operations? As we move through uncharted waters our community colleges can and should be a focus for regional economic development, a rural institutional center for our life-long learning opportunities and preparing ourselves for future success in our rural communities.
I believe Northeast Nebraska Community College (NECC) can establish itself as a “center for strategic futures” for life-long learning and rural economic and community development. Dr. Bill Path, NECC President, recognizes the importance of establishing a curriculum for the development of our future rural community leaders and connectors. This initiative can be further expanded on as we learn from other leaders/communities of excellence that are helping develop innovators and entrepreneurs, especially from around the world. Just as NECC's collaboration with Wayne State College and University of Nebraska Medical Center there will be a growing need to establish future relationships that will further our access to learning opportunities. I would suggest a center of strategic futures will be instrumental to improving our leadership capacity building tool kit and preparing for and endorsing the future impact of change.
Mark D. Hall
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