By Jeff Petry (Udon Magazine Guide Issue 16)
First Global Community College (FGCC) is a unique and unusual institution in a number of ways. First of all, it is located in a building that everyone around here sees regularly, yet very few know what it now houses. At the very end of the Friendship Highway, 50 km north of neighboring Udon Thani, it is the FGCC office and instructional building, situated in the Old Provincial Hall behind the Prap Hau Monument.
It is also Thailand’s only community college. How did this come about, and what is FGCC’s role as an institution of higher learning? And why don’t more people know about it?
In the beginning, in 1994, the US Government (through USAID) made a grant to the Royal Thai Government through the Department of Technical and Economic Cooperation. The University Foundation of Thailand was charged with launching the USAID project and FGCC was established in Nong Khai in 1995 as "a pilot project to establish one community college after the American model in each of Thailand's four regions..."
Unfortunately, due to the withdrawal of USAID from Thailand, the creation of the other three additional colleges was put on hold; nonetheless, FGCC opened its doors in 1996 when the first students enrolled and is still in operation today.
FGCC is an educational institution that is unique in Thailand, serving the community of Nongkhai, Udon Thani and beyond. The college is a vehicle to promote cultural exchange and to broaden the horizon of students, local staff and the volunteers from all over the world.
Some former FGCC students go on to volunteer themselves, many working for Travel to Teach (http://www.travel-to-teach.org). Other former students, plus one current student, work for an American company based in San Diego doing office work from Nong Khai. Why? Because of the English skills obtained at FGCC through daily interaction with English-speaking teachers and volunteers at FGCC.
A major problem in Thailand's educational system is the insufficient existence of higher educational opportunities for qualified Thai students. More than 200,000 students graduate from secondary schools each year but only about 20 percent are admitted to four-year universities. The situation is especially critical in rural provinces where there are few facilities. FGCC tries to function as a model for absorbing this student surplus, acting on a local basis in rural Isan.
The Student Support Services department is committed to helping students deal with academic concerns, connect to campus resources and meet educational goals. Student Support Services will provide assistance to students in setting and reaching their educational goals by providing academic advising and counseling, access to relevant and accurate information, educational enrichment workshops, and more.
The educational areas of study in FGCC focus on English language training, computer and Information Technology, the natural and social sciences, and humanities. English and Computer classes reflect the needs of the local community, providing up-to-date skills and certification for employment.
FGCC's focus is on creating a low-stress learning environment in English where everyone grows. A learner-centered approach to education is intended to foster the critical thinkers needed for the 21st century.
We hope to hear from anyone with any questions about FGCC, including those wishing to enroll in classes.
Please see our website at http://www.fgcc.ac.th or contact Ajarn Supaap at 042-460517.