scholarly journals The Death of the Public Community College

2016 ◽  
Vol 2 (2) ◽  
pp. 164
Author(s):  
William E. Piland
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Community College ◽  
Community Colleges ◽  
Undergraduate Education ◽  
The United States ◽  
Local Communities ◽  
Institutions Of Higher Education ◽  
The Public ◽  
Internal Forces ◽  
Governmental Institutions

<p>Community colleges have been in existence for over 100 years in the United States. They began by offering the first two years of undergraduate education for students in local communities. Over the decades they evolved into comprehensive institutions of higher education with a multi-faceted mission. Today, in an era of accountability and mistrust of governmental institutions, they are under siege. There are external and internal forces that are causing their troubles. Perhaps, the unthinkable could happen and they might cease to exist if bold steps aren’t taken to save them. There appears to be little time to waste.</p>

scholarly journals The Woods around the Ivory Tower: A Systematic Review Examining the Value and Relevance of School Forests in the United States

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 531
Author(s):  
Kimberly J. Coleman ◽  
Elizabeth E. Perry ◽  
Dominik Thom ◽  
Tatiana M. Gladkikh ◽  
William S. Keeton ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
United States ◽  
Systematic Review ◽  
Ecosystem Services ◽  
The United States ◽  
Local Communities ◽  
Ivory Tower ◽  
Institutions Of Higher Education ◽  
Cultural Ecosystem Services ◽  
Research And Teaching

Throughout the United States, many institutions of higher education own forested tracts, often called school forests, which they use for teaching, research, and demonstration purposes. These school forests provide a range of benefits to the communities in which they are located. However, because administration is often decoupled from research and teaching, those benefits might not always be evident to the individuals who make decisions about the management and use of school forests, which may undervalue their services and put these areas at risk for sale, development, or over-harvesting to generate revenue. To understand what messages are being conveyed about the value and relevance of school forests, we conducted a systematic literature review and qualitatively coded the resulting literature content using an ecosystem services framework. While school forests provide many important benefits to academic and local communities, we found that most of the existing literature omits discussions about cultural ecosystem services that people may receive from school forests. We discuss the implications of this omission and make recommendations for addressing it.

The North American Community College and Australian Higher Education

1978 ◽  
Vol 22 (2) ◽  
pp. 113-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. S. Harman
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
United States ◽  
Community College ◽  
Community Colleges ◽  
North American ◽  
The United States ◽  
Student Transfer ◽  
The North ◽  
Education Today

This paper discusses the development of community colleges in the United States and Canada, outlines some of their key distinguishing characteristics and the main models that have developed with regard to student entry to higher education and student transfer between institutions, and attempts an evaluation of the community college idea, looking at both strengths and weaknesses. The paper then explores the possible relevance of the community college for Australian higher education today.

scholarly journals The Community College: Educating Students at the Margin Between College and Work

1999 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 63-84 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas J Kane ◽  
Cecilia Elena Rouse
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Community College ◽  
Community Colleges ◽  
The United States ◽  
Financing Structure ◽  
Education Financing ◽  
Public Subsidies ◽  
Higher Education Financing ◽  
Training Institutions ◽  
The Impact

The authors provide background on the history and development of community colleges in the United States in the last half century and survey available evidence on the impacts of community colleges on educational attainment and earnings. They also weigh the evidence on the impact of public subsidies on enrollment at community colleges and explore some weaknesses in the current higher-education financing structure. Finally, the authors reflect on how students who have been responding to the rise in payoff to education are to be absorbed by our postsecondary training institutions.

scholarly journals THE HISTORY OF FORMATION AND THE PRESENT SOCIAL ROLE COMMUNITY COLLEGES USA

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mariia Bratko
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Community College ◽  
Community Colleges ◽  
World War Ii ◽  
Research University ◽  
Social Role ◽  
Educational Innovation ◽  
The United States ◽  
Community Services ◽  
Access To Higher Education

This article represents the results of the scientific research of the community colleges in USA. The author traces the development of community colleges in America from their earliest days through modern times, describing the social, political, religious, and economic factors that influenced their development. The community college evolved from at least seven sources of educational innovation: community boosterism and the rise of the research university (1880s and 1890s.); the advent of universal secondary education, the professionalization of teacher education, and the vocational education movement (from the educational reforms of the Progressive Era (1900–1916); open access to higher education, and the rise of adult and continuing education and community services (were primarily post–World War II phenomena). The community college is largely a phenomenon of twentieth-century American higher education. The label applies to an array of institutions that offer six-month vocational diplomas; one- and two-year vocational, technical, and pre-professional certificates; and two-year programs of general and liberal education leading to an associate degree. Two-year colleges may be public, private, proprietary, or special purpose, although public institutions represent the majority of community colleges in the twentieth-first century. Community colleges in the United States have a considerable popularity, which is growing every year. Community colleges serve the region where were placed, usually a city and district. College students often study in various forms of education (day, evening, distance form) and have the opportunity to work during the day. A special interest of educational manager of Ukrainian colleges is paid on issues concerning governance, financing, access into higher education and cooperation with employers at community colleges.

scholarly journals Reconceptualizing Student Engagement

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dina Ghazzawi ◽  
Lyle McKinney ◽  
Catherine Horn ◽  
Andrea Backsheider Burridge ◽  
Vincent Carales
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Community College ◽  
Community Colleges ◽  
International Students ◽  
Student Engagement ◽  
International Student ◽  
The United States ◽  
Student Experiences ◽  
Starting Point ◽  
Relevant Variables

International students in the United States have been increasingly attracted to community colleges as a starting point to higher education. Recently, their enrollment has been dropping. Research highlights the importance of student engagement to international students. However, few studies investigate their engagement experiences in community colleges. This study investigated the validity of the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) benchmarks as proxies for international student engagement in community colleges. The original CCSSE benchmarks were a poor fit for international students. Resulting constructs and underlying items differed significantly from the original benchmarks and demonstrated poor reliability. Findings highlight the inapplicability of CCSSE benchmarks in representing international student engagement. Recommendations include adding culturally relevant variables to the CCSSE structure more applicable to international student populations, and accompanying the survey with qualitative input for in-depth knowledge of international student experiences.

scholarly journals American Community Colleges: The International Student’s Guide

2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (2) ◽  
pp. 1264-1266
Author(s):  
Nara M. Martirosyan
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
Community College ◽  
Community Colleges ◽  
International Students ◽  
Undergraduate Education ◽  
International Student ◽  
The United States ◽  
Bachelor's Degree ◽  
Foreign Countries ◽  
Tuition Costs

As a former international student, I never thought of an American Community College as being a choice to start undergraduate education in the United States. This is also true for many prospective international students who explore study opportunities in the United States. American community colleges (also called 2-year colleges) offer diverse higher education opportunities with comparatively lower tuition costs. Moreover, unlike in many other foreign countries, American community colleges are often the best pathway to a bachelor’s degree through transfer agreements that exist between community colleges and 4-year institutions.

scholarly journals PUBLIC (COMMUNITY) COLLEGES AS A COMPONENT OF HIGHER EDUCATION SYSTEMS IN THE USA

2018 ◽  
pp. 53-60
Author(s):  
M. Bratko
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Community College ◽  
Community Colleges ◽  
Continuing Education ◽  
Low Income ◽  
The United States ◽  
Barriers To Entry ◽  
Education Systems ◽  
Higher Education Systems ◽  
Wide Range

The article describes the features of public (community) US colleges as a part of the US system. This reference provides some aspects of the community college in America. The mission of America’s community colleges is focused on three areas of commitment: access, responsiveness to community need, and equity. It is found that US community colleges are focused primarily on meeting the needs of the local community and cooperation with it, providing training for local organizations and businesses. They offer a wide range of educational programs for the training specialists who are prepared directly for work in the workplace and continuing education (academic (associate degree), labor and vocational (vocational and occupational education) programs; programs in adult education and continuing education, ensuring the implementation of the concept of “life-long learning” corporate training programs for the needs of a particular company or organization, etc.), as well as providing correction a previous level of education and, in some cases, providing a complete secondary education. Community colleges in the United States have a considerable popularity, which is growing every year. Community colleges serve the region where they are located, usually a city and district. College students often study in various forms of education (day, evening, distance form) and have the opportunity to work during the day. The commitment to access is exemplified by the open admissions policies of community colleges and the multiple ways colleges remove financial, physical, and academic barriers to entry. That access has resulted in entry into higher education by first generation, low-income, minorities, dropouts, working adults, and others who lacked the financial, academic, time, or location means to participate in traditional higher education systems. The author summarizes the experience of public (community) US colleges through the prism of the feasibility of its implementation in the domestic educational practice. A special interest of educational manager of Ukrainian colleges is paid on issues concerning governance, financing, access into higher education and cooperation with employers at community colleges. This article will be valued by everyone interested in the past, present, and future of the community college in America.

Community Colleges as Gateways and Gatekeepers: Moving beyond the Access "Saga" toward Outcome Equity

2007 ◽  
Vol 77 (4) ◽  
pp. 407-419 ◽  
Author(s):  
ALICIA DOWD
Keyword(s):  
Higher Education ◽  
Community College ◽  
Community Colleges ◽  
Institutional Effectiveness ◽  
Institutions Of Higher Education ◽  
College Leaders ◽  
Higher Education Accountability ◽  
Outcome Equity ◽  
Education Accountability ◽  
Multiple Missions

Community colleges are essential – though often overlooked – institutions of higher education. In this essay, Alicia C. Dowd draws attention to the challenges facing community colleges as they seek to balance their roles as both gateways and gatekeepers with their multiple missions, which include meeting the diverse needs of students at the postsecondary level and responding to the changing educational and economic needs of U.S. society. Using research from the California Benchmarking Project, Enhancing Institutional Effectiveness and Equity, Dowd offers insights about the ways community college leaders, staff, and partners might navigate these dual and often divergent roles. Her essay raises important questions about the nature of higher education accountability in the context of community colleges and the way these institutions are used, managed, and evaluated.

Immigrant-Origin Students in Community College: How Do They Use Their Time on Campus?

2019 ◽  
Vol 121 (7) ◽  
pp. 1-48
Author(s):  
Edwin Hernandez ◽  
Carola Suárez-Orozco ◽  
Janet Cerda ◽  
Olivia Osei-Twumasi ◽  
Monique Corral ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Community College ◽  
Community Colleges ◽  
Peer Relationships ◽  
First Generation ◽  
Second Generation ◽  
The United States ◽  
Foreign Born ◽  
Grade Point ◽  
Class Time ◽  
Generation Immigrant

Background Immigrant-origin students are the fastest growing new population in community colleges, making up nearly a third of the community college population. To date, little is known about how immigrant-origin students make use of their time on community college campuses. Purpose This study sought to understand in what ways and to what extent immigrant-origin students—defined as first-generation (foreign-born) or second-generation (born in the United States to immigrant parents)—used their out-of-class campus time at three urban community colleges. We examined the following quantitative questions: How much time do students report spending on campus doing what activities? What is the demographic variation in these patterns (according to immigrant generation, ethnicity/race, and gender)? What factors predict how much overall time immigrant-origin students spend on campus? What is the effect of academically productive time spent on campus on grade point average for immigrant-origin students? We also explored the following qualitative questions: What do immigrant-origin community college students say about the time they spend on campus? What insights do they have as to what impedes or facilitates their spending (or not spending) time on campus? Research Design The study proposed a new conceptual framework and employed an embedded sequential explanatory mixed-methods design approach. As part of a survey, participants (N = 644, 54.6% women; M age = 20.2 years; first-generation immigrant n = 213, 33%; second-generation immigrant n = 275, 43%) completed a series of items about the time that they spent on campus and their relationships with their instructors and peers. Qualitative response data were derived from an embedded interview subsample of participants (n = 58). Results Immigrant-origin students reported spending a considerable amount of out-of-class time—an average of 9.2 hours—on campus. Hierarchical regression analyses demonstrated that peer relationships and time spent helping parents or commuting positively predicted the amount of time students spent on campus. Qualitative responses provided further insights into immigrant-origin community college student experiences and provided perspectives on issues contributing to their spending out-of-class time on campus. Conclusions This study has implications for research, practice, and policy, given that immigrant-origin students make considerable use of their campus spaces. Community colleges should strive to nurture positive spaces and design the kind of on-campus programming that will enhance the success of immigrant-origin students. Collectively, these services will not only enhance the experience of immigrant-origin students but also be beneficial to the larger campus community that uses the community college sector as a stepping-stone toward upward social and economic mobility.

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