Community Colleges

The Encyclopedia of American Education describes community colleges, one of the various divisions of higher education, as two-year institutions, created to satisfy the educational needs of the local community (238).  Many of the first community colleges were developed for specific skills such as mechanics and nursing.  Two years of schooling were sufficient for these types of occupations.  Later, the purpose of junior colleges was to bridge the gap between high school and four-year institutions.  This was to assist students who could not meet the requirements necessary for admission to a four-year college according to the Encyclopedia of American Education (238).  Today, the National Education Association explains that, "Community colleges are established to provide educational and vocational training to all citizens, regardless of their economic, social, or ethnic background" (sec 2, par 8). 

According to Encyclopedia Americana,  Henry Tappan (president of the University of Michigan) decided that community colleges should be created as a way to assist high school students in adjusting to a college environment before moving on to a four-year university (226).  It was William Rainey Harper (first president of the University of Chicago) though, who set up a separate division of freshmen and sophomore years at his university in 1896.  Thus, the development of the junior college had begun. 

“There are more than 1,200 junior colleges in the United States, and more than half of all students entering college each year enroll in a two-year institution,” declares Encyclopedia Americana (223).  The low tuition costs, fairly easy admissions, location, and variety of classes offered cause many students to favor these junior colleges, as opposed to a four-year institution.  Community colleges usually accept all high school students who received a diploma, but there are some private two-year schools that require a certain high school grade point average or an entrance exam (226).  Encyclopedia Americana claims that credits earned at a community college will most likely be accepted by four-year institutions (225). 

As far as the appearance of community colleges goes, Encyclopedia Americana claims that most two-year schools have "attractive and well-equipped campuses" (226).  The administrative layout of these schools is almost equivalent to that of four-year colleges.  Most look for faculty members with more than a bachelor's degree (225).  The National Education Association points out that the faculty should regulate much of the community college academic system (sec 4, par1).  Financial aid is offered for students planning to attend either private or public community college.  This aid takes the form of loans, grants and work study programs just like that of the four-year institutions.  Students at community colleges can only earn associate's degrees, though.  They do not offer bachelor's, master's or doctorate's degrees, which is why students must go to a four-year or graduate school to obtain these higher degrees, says Encyclopedia Americana (223). 

The National Center for Educational Statistics says: "Community colleges are an important cost-saving vehicle for students seeking bachelor's degrees" (sec 5, par 1).  Although this may be true, students planning to earn a bachelor's degree by first attending a two-year school are less likely to achieve their goal than those who initially start out at a four-year college.  Statistics show that only 23% of the students seeking bachelor's degrees in the 1989-90 school year began their post secondary educational career at a two-year school (sec 5, par 1).  A large number of students enrolled at a community college attend school only part time, which is a major reason why obtaining a bachelor's degree typically takes longer for these students.  Although community colleges tend to prolong a student's post secondary education, it provides them with a less expensive alternative.  Without the development of community colleges many people would be deprived of their goals to expand their knowledge through higher education, so they have come to be a very important addition to the system of higher education in America. 
 

Bibliography

This encyclopedia was published four years ago, making it fairly recent, and contains basic information about various topics.  It gives you a brief overview on the many aspects of education, including historical facts and some insight on modern education.  I found this encyclopedia a good source of introductory information on the topic of community colleges and also very credible.

This source consists of a great deal of information on the topic of community colleges, as well as many subjects other than education.  I obtained most of my information from this encyclopedia as I consider it a credible source, and it is extremely up to date being last printed in 1999.  This book gives you much more detailed information then most general encyclopedias and was very informative.

Since this source is a government document, it is most likely a reliable source.  It also provides an e-mail address, allowing you to submit questions, which means the creators are probably confident in their publication.  This web site contains all kinds of statistics and facts about postsecondary education, including visual information such as bar graphs and pie charts.  These graphics assist in explaining some of the ideas presented about post secondary education. Being updated in 1997, it is a quite recent web site. 

The National Education Association is a well-known organization affiliated with the topic education.  It consists of over 2.5 million men and women working in schools all over the United States.  It is a very reliable source and consists of the latest government polices and recent NEA resolutions.  It is frequently updated to replace the old information as education policies are changing regularly. 

People

• Henry Tappan
• William Rainey Harper

Places

• University of Michigan
• University of Chicago
• Washington, D.C. 

Chronology