Community college

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

Australia

In Australia, the term community college is not used. Analogous to community colleges are colleges or institutes of Technical and Further Education (TAFEs); institutions mostly regulated at state and territory level. There are also an increasing number of private providers of varying social esteem; often these are colloquially called "colleges".

TAFEs and other providers 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. The majority of Australian universities can also be traced back to such forerunners, although obtaining a university charter has always changed their nature. In TAFEs and colleges today, courses are designed for personal development of an individual and/or for employment outcomes. Educational programs cover 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 colleges may come from government grants and course fees; and many are not-for-profit organisations. There are located in metropolitan, regional and rural locations of Australia.

Tidewater Community College

Tidewater Community College, also known as "TCC," is a two-year higher education institution in South Hampton Roads with campuses in Chesapeake, Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Virginia Beach. It is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges to award the associate degree; among two-year institutions in the U.S., it is the 19th largest associate degree producer.

TCC is the largest provider of higher education and workforce development services in southeastern Virginia, enrolling nearly 47,000 students annually—the second largest undergraduate student body in the Commonwealth of Virginia. The 11th largest public two-year community college in the entire nation, TCC is among the 50 fastest-growing large two-year institutions. During the 2011-12 academic year, 51 percent of South Hampton Roads residents who enrolled in higher education did so at TCC. The school offers a variety of vocational and transfer-oriented degrees and certificates for prospective students, including a nursing school and culinary arts degrees. The school also offers several career programs in marine trades and logistics. It is the second-largest community college in the Virginia Community College System and the 37th largest in the United States.

Community

A community is a social unit of any size that shares common values, or that is situated in a given geographical area (e.g. a village or town). It is a group of people who are connected by durable relations that extend beyond immediate genealogical ties, and who mutually define that relationship as important to their social identity and practice. Although communities are usually small, community may also refer to large groups, such as national communities, international communities, and virtual communities.

The word "community" is derived from the Old French comuneté which comes from the Latin communitas (from Latin communis, things held in common).

In human communities, intent, belief, resources, preferences, needs, and risks, may be shared in common, affecting the identity of the participants, and their degree of cohesiveness.

Perspectives from various disciplines

Community studies

Community studies is an academic field drawing on both sociology and anthropology and the social research methods of ethnography and participant observation in the study of community. In academic settings around the world, community studies is variously a sub-discipline of anthropology or sociology, or an independent discipline. It is often interdisciplinary and geared toward practical applications rather than purely theoretical perspectives. Community studies is sometimes combined with other fields, i.e., "Urban and Community Studies," "Health and Community Studies," or "Family and Community studies."

College

College (Latin: collegium) is an educational institution or a constituent part of one. Usage of the word college varies in English-speaking nations. A college may be a degree-awarding tertiary educational institution, a part of a collegiate university, or an institution offering vocational education.

In the United States and Italy, "college" formally refers to a constituent part of a university, but generally "college" and "university" are used interchangeably, whereas in Oceania and South Asia, "college" may refer to a secondary or high school, a college of further education, a training institution that awards trade qualifications, or a constituent part of a university (See this comparison of British and American English educational terminology for further information).

Etymology

In ancient Rome a collegium was a club or society, a group of people living together under a common set of rules (con- = "together" + leg- = "law" or lego = "I choose" or "I read").

Overview

Higher education

Tidewater

Tidewater may refer to:

See also