Here’s an interesting issue.
Call for Equity for Community Colleges :: Inside Higher Ed :: Jobs, News and Views for All of Higher Education
American higher education “is not sustainable,” and risks a growing detachment from reality if it does not come to grips with the needs of community colleges and the way higher education and government consistently mistreat the sector.
As we talk about equity in access, perhaps we should consider the red-headed stepchild of higher education. Community colleges “get it” when it comes to education. As the article points out, they take anybody who wants to make the effort. What do you think of the points Dr. Mellow makes? Is this a relevant question?
February 11th, 2008 at 12:06 pm
Reading this article reminded me a lot of when I was looking for a college to attend and discussing it with my fellow classmates. We were all excited about college and what awaited us there. Some would say they were going far away to a state institution and some even made it to private ones, but it seemed as though the ones who planned on attending community colleges got an odd look from their peers. Community colleges have received a bad reputation because some believe them to not be “real” universities.
I don’t understand this at all. They employ real professors to teach college level content and prepare students for four-year universities. Like the article said, they teach a student everything they learned in 12 years of schooling within a single year. If it wasn’t for institutions like these, my mother would not be a college graduate.
I can see what she is talking about when four-year universities pick only the ones who can complete their degrees to be accepted. But, this isn’t necessary true for all of their selections. What about the students who go to college and decide it is not for them? What really defines success? Is it by the factors surrounding your life or is it the drive you possesses to want to succeed? I heard several stories about people who faced daunting obstacles to obtain their bachelor’s degree. So, what about those people? Are they going to be turned away just because they MAY not finish their degree and the university won’t receive anymore money from them?
Institutions of higher education should all receive appropriate funding to provide the best education possible to their student body. Inequality of funding results in an class system that separates us and prevents equity from occurring.
February 12th, 2008 at 9:51 am
As a “non-traditional” student when I returned to college in 2003 (after an unsuccessful try at an university after high school) I went straight to a community college. One reason was because it was a lot cheaper, while another reason was because it was less intimidating and had a smaller class size.
While I have never thought about going to an Ivy League University or even one that would have turned me down, community colleges were always available to me. In high school, we had to opportunity to attend the town’s Jr. College to earn college credit and I took advantage of that. However, once on the “big” campus, I felt out of place and had many professors that said, “I don’t care if you show up to class” so I didn’t. Of course I wasn’t the one paying for it at that time.
Community colleges will take anyone and since they are more inexpensive, many students will choose to go there. There are some high schools in the area that do not seem to be preparing their students for college life and expectations, so many will fail and return home and enroll in the community college. It is just one more opportunity for anyone who truly wants to better themselves or expand their opportunities. They will become better students for it, or at least I did.
Instead of saying, “You are not good enough for our school,” many colleges need to take notice of how the community colleges are taking in any student who wants an education and how those students are succeeding.
February 12th, 2008 at 3:04 pm
I didn’t realize that the cc were not being funded like they should. I agree with De. Mellow to the extent that I know about the community college system. I especially like the statement she made: “How about thanking them for only taking a year to teach students what they were unable to master in their 12 previous years of education?” I feel that community colleges should be credited for the nontraditional students return and success in school. I received my associates from a cc and think that that was the best thing that got me through college. I don’t think I would have a degree today if I had jumped in to a big university right out of high school. I don’t know how they determine their allotment for money at the cc level, but if they aren’t accounting for anything but the Associates degrees for the amount of money received then they need to reevaluate their methods. I know many students that received their basics from the cc, but didn’t actually get an associates.
There was also a comment made about the Alabama college systems. It says that the cc are treated like the k-12 schools with the same benefits as a regular teacher. Not for sure if that is a great thing or not. Must not be too great since that is the first time I have heard of any state doing that. What do you think?
February 12th, 2008 at 10:08 pm
Our society would really be missing out if we did not have community colleges. There is a definite place for this institutions. There are many people who are never going to leave their hometown and that is okay, local community colleges fit that need. Community colleges meed the needs of the non-traditional society. Where would our communities be without them? If anything, we should get more people involved with our community colleges. But I do agree that our community colleges are somewhat treated as stepchildren. How can we change this perception?
February 13th, 2008 at 3:29 pm
I agree that the whole university structure and assumptions must change as we are now in an era when most students go to college (at least for some period of time). I was unaware that community colleges were funded less than universities, and I agree that this is wrong. I also agree that graduation rate is not a very good statistic to value a school by, but I don’t think that some of the suggestions were very practical either.
February 14th, 2008 at 11:52 pm
Community colleges meet a need that other institutions have not. Students who would not otherwise achieve a college degree (for whatever reason) have been successful at the community college level. The confidence to go on to a four year institution and to receive a four year degree may not have been evident without the step taken at a community college. The value of community colleges is great. Motivation of the learner cannot be underestimated either.
February 17th, 2008 at 7:18 pm
Like some of the others have stated, I did not realize the difference in funding between community colleges and Universities. I agree that community colleges provide some students with a stepping stone to see what they want to do. It also does not discrimate among it’s students.
February 21st, 2008 at 10:03 am
I think it is a valid question. Afterall, the large majority of student body on a community college campus is a non-traditional student. Probably because the college’s entry requirements are minimal. These community colleges are a stepping stone for many students who can’t travel and reside on a university campus. Their tuition rates are more affordable for people who are not eligible for those ’straight out of highschool’ scholarships, and more and more community colleges collaborate with nearby universities to facilitate credit transfers and help to support degrees that are actually earned from the university. So, I do believe that community colleges should receive more support and recognition for what they do.