Outdated Community Colleges

Perhaps one of the greatest concerns that torments America’s new generation is pursuing higher education in order to make more money and while avoiding being in debt, decades after graduation. This topic has become even more as tuition continues to rise and politicians are left to ponder the best course of action to insure that the next generation of Americans is more educated than the last. One particular solution was posed by former president, Barack Obama, who promoted the idea of free community college. Although, it may not be the most direct or most elegant solution, it would certainly be a push in the right direction. By making community college tuition free nationwide, states would become more invested in accommodating the influx of students, lead different school systems to compete by lowering tuition prices, and finally address America’s shortcoming in adults who possess more than just high school diploma.

Community college is a great institution for students to start their educational journey. Especially when they do not have the funds or lack some of the prerequisite that a university would require. Community college was created to serve the community, traditional and non-traditional students with the best higher education and lifetime learning opportunities. The faculty and staff members at a community college is there to provide leadership in education while going above and beyond to recognize the needs of the students and the community by providing excellent educational programs and support services that are available to all who have the opportunity to take advantage of them. “Student services now include recruitment and retention, counseling, student activities, student health, financial aid, academic support, career centers, transfer centers, and supplemental services such as transportation, child care, and services tailored for specific populations of students” (Cohen, Brawer, & Krisker, 2014, pg. 209). My philosophy in fulfilling the role and mission of the community college, is to establish the mission, vision, goals and values to guide all students on their journey to strive to become successful both in school and in today’s economy.

Community colleges in the United States develop rapidly and have become a vital component of the postsecondary education delivery system. As of 2011-2012 school year, 45% of all undergraduate students were enrolled in public two-year colleges, approximately 8.3 million students (Knapp et al., 2012. Cited by AACC Fast Facts). And it seems that with globalization and Obama’s education agenda, the trend of growing enrollment in community colleges won’t change. A high school graduate who decides to pursue postsecondary education may face with a dilemma--whether enroll in a community college or a traditional four-year college. Even within a community college, a student may be faced with a choice—enroll in a vocational program and enter workforce after graduation with a vocational certification, or choose an academic program with an intention of transferring to four-year institutions.

The ultimate objective of a community college is to help people to better themselves through education, it is imperative that the college cannot do this by itself; it has to have the aid from the community where it is.

In the article “The Good That Community Colleges Do, Part 1”, author Rob Jenkins discusses the benefits and values of Community College. Recent studies have shown that the value of two-year colleges were hard to predict. In fact, one report shows that the value of a two-year degree is less than that of a high school diploma, while another report shows that most students are receiving a financial return on their degree. While Rob Jenkins believes both reports have valid points and arguments, he states that “so many of the things that community colleges do for their students and communities are difficult to measure empirically” (“The Good That Community Colleges Do, Part 1”).

Another reason in which I agree with …. that community college is a real college because its classes are as challenging as university’s classes. People usually thought that the classes in community college is easier than the classes in university, but that is not true. For example, my sister had a friend who is passed the physics class in university with an A, but when my sister got stuck in a physics question that she did not know how to solve, she asked her for help. However, her friend did not now how to solve that question either and she was surprised that question was hard as university level.

Community college is an ideal sources for obtaining higher education for many reasons. First, local community colleges provide an affordable alternative to large public and private universities (Grimes, Rezek, Campbell, 2013). In addition to serving as a gateway for economically disadvantaged students, local community colleges serve as a gateway for less academically qualified students (Grimes, Rezek, Campbell, 2013). Many students who are unable to attend highly selective colleges can attend community colleges, obtain a degree and/or transfer to a school that offers or more diverse degree programs (J. Doe, personal communication, November 11, 2015).

Since there are four guided questions to help address the main research question. There will also be some subtopics to help us better understand the reasoning toward the altered mission of community colleges. First, I will discuss about the first community college founded in American history of higher education and its mission, the influences on community college mission during the Depression era, and the intention of community college mission after the World War II era. Second, I will report what I have found about the impact on community college to alter their institution from a 2 years institution to a 4 years institution. Third, I will discuss what the organizational culture was like today compared to the twentieth century. Lastly, I will examine some of the societal factors that impact the altered mission of community colleges.

According to the US Department of Education, the cost to attend community colleges increased by 150 percent, even after taking inflation into account. Students today incur much more debt than their parents’ generation to have the privilege to work even middle classed job.

Where does one go to college, to further their academic education, while also having qualifications, time, and money restricting them? The simple answer to this question is Community College. Individuals regularly struggle to attend college, either after high school or later in life, because of the difficulties of attending major universities. Therefore, community college is crucial, to people of all ages, wanting to further their education.

In 2016, the average cost of community college was $46 a unit for in state residents. To be considered a full time student, one must take 12 units a semester. That totals out to be $552 a semester (or $2,200 for a full two years) in just tuition alone (icanaffordcollege.com). If you factor in just the cost of books, which run about $200 a book per class, it will cost a student about $800 a semester assuming that they are taking four 3 unit classes. In books alone, a two year program will cost a college student roughly $3,200. That's already $5,400 and we haven't even factored in travel costs, other school supplies, housing, and basic living expenses. The cost of getting an education adds up fast! These types of numbers can scare off any potential student. After all, why spend that amount of money when you can earn the same amount by working? This is the thought process of many people when they are deciding whether or not to attend school. However, if the cost of attending community college is free, the immense fees will be greatly reduced, allowing more people the ability to attend

The first reason for attending a community college is enhanced academic quality. In fact, nowadays community colleges have greatly raised academic standards with the intent of suiting all the students’ needs. In fact, if someone is serious with understanding what is offered in community colleges nowadays, there is no doubt that one leaves the institution with the required skills for approaching life.

There are many similarities and differences points between the community colleges and the four-year colleges in the United States. The first point is the degree of students. Both are accepted the high school degree or undergraduate degree, but the four-year colleges are also accepted into the graduate degree. The community colleges offer an associate degree that can get entry-level jobs. Whereas, the four-year colleges offer three types of degree that are bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, and PhD degree. The bachelor’s degrees lead to entry-level and mid-level jobs. The next point is the costs to pay to study in the college. The students have to pay the tuition. The tuition at the community colleges is about $3,000 per year, which the tuition

At some point in the life of a high school student, community college becomes an option when applying to colleges. In some cases for those looking to further their education past high school it is still an option, even to students who are already in college. However, not everyone is able to see the benefits of attending a community college. Somehow in the past millennia, community college somehow gained the reputation of being a punishment for things such as having bad grades in high school, sometimes due to things the student can’t control. It is my hope that I will be able to change this opinion of community college and actually encourage the idea that community college can help students to improve their grades and get

For an Iowa resident, the cost to go to community college is one hundred and forty-five dollars per credit hour. For an undergraduate, each credit hour is worth three hundred and thirty-six dollars, but a graduate credit hour fee is worth five hundred and thirty dollars. Students can save a lot of money by going to a community college rather than a university or private college. Have you seen the news lately? Anything that involves college, especially community college? President Barack Obama is working on this proposal on having the first two years of community college free. That’s right, free! This plan is called the America’s College Promise. This would save students even more money by going to