Pasadena City College (PCC)

Community College students in Rochester, New York

A community college is a type of educational institution. The term can have different meanings in different countries.

Australia[link]

Community colleges carry on the tradition of adult education, which was established in Australia around mid 19th century when evening classes were held to help adults enhance their numeracy and literacy skills.^[1] Today, courses are designed for personal development of an individual and/or for employment outcomes. The educational program covers a variety of topics such as arts, languages, business and lifestyle; and are usually timetabled to be conducted in the evenings or weekends to accommodate people working full-time. Funding for community colleges may come from government grants and course fees; and most community colleges are not-for-profit organisations. There are community colleges located in metropolitan, regional and rural locations of Australia.

Learning offered by community colleges has changed over the years. By the 1980s many colleges had recognised a community need for computer training and since then thousands of people have been up-skilled through IT courses. The majority of colleges by the late 20th century had also become Registered Training Organisations; recognising the need to offer individuals a nurturing, non-traditional education venue to gain skills that would better prepare them for the workplace and potential job openings.^[2] Qualifications such as undergraduate degrees and higher are not offered at community colleges, though some community colleges do offer certificate courses I to IV.

Canada[link]

In Canada, the 150 institutions that are the rough equivalent of the US community college are usually referred to simply as "colleges" since in common usage a degree granting institution is, almost, exclusively a university. In the province of Quebec, even when speaking in English, colleges are called Cégeps for Collège d'enseignement général et professionnel, meaning "College of General and Vocational Education". (The word College can also refer to a private High School in Quebec).

Colleges are educational institutions providing higher education and tertiary education, granting certificates, and diplomas. Associate's degrees and bachelor's degrees are granted by univerisites, but, in some courses of study, there may be an agreement between colleges and universities to collaborate on the education requirements toward a degree. Only in Western Canada is the term Associates degree used as in the United States. In other parts of Canada a degree is usually attained as a 4 year study program, and to a much lesser degree now (except in Quebec, where it is the norm), in 3 years.

Each Province has its own Educational system reflecting the decentralization of the Canadian provinces and therefore of the Education system. However most of the colleges began in the mid-1960s as a response education and training for the then emerging baby boom generation, and to provide training to the post second World War II European immigrants and newer immigrants from around the world, that were starting to enter the country.

The motivation for community colleges was a new way of thinking about education and training in Canada (more specifically in Ontario), and was economically based as opposed to the much earlier start in the United States of Junior and Community Colleges which was driven by an integrative social policy. Some programs are still economically based, as to the needs of the area, province and country. All programs are reviewed regularly, or every few years for relevancy. Programs and courses are changed, added or deleted according to projected economic future, while many programs are relatively stable and have been around as long as the colleges, such as various business administration programs.

Canadian Community College Systems

• Nova Scotia Community College system
• Quebec CEGEPs
• New Brunswick Community College

Malaysia[link]

Community colleges in Malaysia are a network of educational institutions whereby vocational and technical skills training could be provided at all levels for school leavers before they entered the workforce. The community colleges also provide an infrastructure for rural communities to gain skills training through short courses as well as providing access to a post-secondary education.

At the moment, most community colleges award qualifications up to Level 3 in the Malaysian Qualifications Framework (Certificate 3) in both the Skills sector (Sijil Kemahiran Malaysia or the Malaysian Skills Certificate) as well as the Vocational and Training sector but the number of community colleges that are starting to award Level 4 qualifications (Diploma) are increasing. This is two levels below a Bachelor's degree (Level 6 in the MQF) and students within the system who intend to further their studies to that level will usually seek entry into Advanced Diploma programs in public universities, polytechnics or accredited private providers.

Philippines[link]

In the Philippines, a community school functions as elementary or secondary school at daytime and towards the end of the day convert into a community college. This type of institution offers night classes under the supervision of the same principal, and the same faculty members who are given part time college teaching load.^[3]

The concept of community college dates back to the time of the former Minister of Education, Culture and Sports (MECS) that had under its wings the Bureaus of Elementary Education, Secondary Education, Higher Education and Vocational-Technical Education. MECS Secretary, Dr. Cecilio Putong, who in 1971 wrote that a community school is a school established in the community, by the community, and for the community itself. Dr. Pedro T. Orata of Pangasinan shared the same idea, hence the establishment of a Community College, now called the City College of Urdaneta.^[3]

A community college like the one in Abuyog, Leyte can operate with only PHP 124,000 annual budget in a 2-storey structure housing more than 700 students.^[3]

United Kingdom[link]

In England, a community college is a school which not only provides education for the school age population (11-19) of the locality, but also additional services and education to adults and other members of the community.^[4] This education includes but is not limited to sports, adult literacy and lifestyle education. Usually at the age of 16 when students finish their secondary school studies, they move on to a sixth form college where they study for their A Levels (although some secondary schools have integrated sixth forms). After the 2 year A Level period, they then proceed to university.

United States[link]

Joliet Junior College Main Campus, in Joliet, Illinois the first Community College in the U.S.

Fullerton College the oldest community college (originally "Junior College") in continuous operation in California, having been established in 1913

Monroe Community College main campus, in Rochester, NY

In the United States, community colleges, sometimes called junior colleges, technical colleges, or city colleges, are primarily two-year public institutions providing higher education and lower-level tertiary education, granting certificates, diplomas, and associate's degrees. Many also offer continuing and adult education.

After graduating from a community college, some students transfer to a four-year liberal arts college or university for two to three years to complete a bachelor's degree.

Before the 1970s, community colleges in the United States were more commonly referred to as junior colleges, and that term is still used at some institutions. However, the term "junior college" has evolved to describe private two-year institutions, whereas the term "community college" has evolved to describe publicly funded two-year institutions. The name derives from the fact that community colleges primarily attract and accept students from the local community, and are often supported by local tax revenue.

Comprehensive community colleges[link]

Many schools have evolved into and adapted the term comprehensive to describe their institutions. These schools typically offer six facets of education.

• Transfer education – The traditional two-year student that will then transfer to a four-year institution to pursue a BS/BA degree.
• Career education – The traditional two-year student that will graduate with an Associate Degree and directly enter the workforce.
• Developmental – Remedial education for high school graduates who are not academically ready to enroll in college-level courses.
• Continuing – Non-Credit courses offered to the community for personal development and interest.
• Industry training – Contracted training and education wherein a local company pays the college to provide specific training or courses for their employees.
• eLearning - Distance learning occurs online using one's computer and proctored exams. Pell grants and federal aid apply to eLearning also. For example, studying Spanish in an eLearning environment is possible when in another state and federal aid is applied to out-of-state tuition.

Within the transfer education category, comprehensive schools typically have articulation agreements in place that provide prearranged acceptance into specific four-year institutions. At some community colleges, the partnering four-year institution teaches the third and fourth year courses at the community college location and thereby allows a student to obtain a four year degree without having to physically move to the four-year school.

There are a number of institutions and organizations which provide community college research to inform practice and policy.

For background on U.S. community college libraries, see "Disposed to Consolidation and Innovation: Criteria for the Community College Specialization."^[5]

Research[link]

There are a number of research organizations and publications who focus upon the activities of community college, junior college, and technical college institutions.^[6] Many of these institutions and organizations present the most current research and practical outcomes at annual community college conferences.

• The American Association of Community Colleges^[7][8] has provided oversight on community college research since the 1920s.^[9] AACC publishes a research journal called the Community College Journal.^[10]
• The Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) has provided education for community college boards of directors and advocacy for community colleges since 1972. ACCT President and CEO J. Noah Brown has authored a book about the past, present, and future of community colleges called Charting a New Course for Community Colleges: Aligning Policies with Practice. The book will be released in October 2012 by the Rowman & Littlefield publishing company. ^[11]
• The mission of the Community College Research Center from Teachers College at Columbia University is to "conduct research on the major issues affecting community colleges in the United States and to contribute to the development of practice and policy that expands access to higher education and promotes success for all students."^[12]
• The Center for Community College Student Engagement at the University of Texas at Austin administers surveys and provides data analysis support to member colleges regarding various factors of student engagement and involvement in community colleges in the United States and Canada.^[13]
• The Community College Futures Assembly is an annual conference to showcase the best practices in community college administration. Focus groups convene at the conference to serve as a "think tank" to inform practice of community college board of trustees, presidents, and policy makers.^[14]

Additionally, several peer-reviewed journals extensively publish research on community colleges:

• Community College Journal of Research and Practice
• New Directions for Community Colleges
• Community College Review
• Journal of Applied Research in the Community College
• Journal of Transformative Leadership and Policy Studies

See also[link]

• Articulation (education)
• Distance learning
• E-learning
• Lifelong learning

In Australia

• Technical and Further Education
• Workers' Educational Association also in the UK

In the Philippines

• Association of Local Colleges and Universities
• Local college and university

In the UK

• Further Education

Notes[link]

References[link]

• Baker, G. A. III (1994). A handbook on the community college in America: Its history, mission, and management. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.
• Cohen, A.M., Brawer, F.B. (2003) The American Community College, 4th edition. San Francisco: Jossey Bass.
• Dougherty, K. J. (1994). The contradictory college: The conflicting origins, impacts, and futures of the community college. Albany, NY: State University of New York Press.
• Floyd, D.L., Skolnik, M.L., & Walker, K.P., eds. (2005). The Community College Baccalaureate: Emerging Trends and Policy Issues. Sterling VA: Stylus Publishing.
• Frye, J. H. (1992). The vision of the public junior college, 1900-1940. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press.
• Kasper, H.T. (2002). The changing role of community college. Occupational Outlook Quarterly, 46(4), 14–21.
• Murray, J.P. (2002). The current state of faculty development in two-year colleges. New Directions for Community Colleges, 118, 89–97.
• Vaughan, George, Mellander, Gustavo, Beverly Blois (1997). The Community College Presidency. Washington,DC: The American Association of Community Coolleges.

External links[link]

• Community Colleges Australia