{"id":1754,"date":"2012-04-04T23:46:38","date_gmt":"2012-04-05T03:46:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/commons.trincoll.edu\/edreform\/?p=1754"},"modified":"2012-04-06T17:41:26","modified_gmt":"2012-04-06T21:41:26","slug":"maintaining-a-mission-the-history-of-community-colleges-in-the-united-states","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/commons.trincoll.edu\/edreform\/2012\/04\/maintaining-a-mission-the-history-of-community-colleges-in-the-united-states\/","title":{"rendered":"Maintaining A Mission: The History of Community Colleges in the United States"},"content":{"rendered":"

Why were community colleges founded in the United States and have they maintained their original goals?<\/em><\/p>\n

Community colleges, formally called junior colleges, provide the populations of their surrounding communities with higher education opportunity. These colleges provide associate degrees, certificate programs, developmental courses, vocational programs, distance learning opportunities, flexible scheduling, childcare, veteran resources, counseling, and employment for the communities they reside in. They provide these resources at a fraction of the cost of the traditional four- year colleges and universities. Community colleges are currently reporting record high enrollment rates; seven million students were attending community college in 2009. [1. Anon. \u201cDigest of Education Statistics, 2010.\u201d http:\/\/nces.ed.gov\/programs\/digest\/d10\/tables\/dt10_201.asp.] High enrollment has lead to closer examination of their results. These institutions are under tremendous scrutiny for low retention and graduation rates. \u00a0Perhaps, a look at history can uncover what has resulted in the under performance of our countries community colleges. Why were community colleges founded in the United States and have they maintained their original goals? <\/em><\/p>\n

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Retrived from American Association of Community Colleges <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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In the early twentieth century community colleges were founded on the belief that a more skilled workforce would result in a stronger economy. Enrollment in high schools had increased, and additional higher education prospects were necessary [2. Anon. 2012. \u201cCommunity Colleges Past to Present.\u201d American Association of Community Colleges<\/em>. http:\/\/www.aacc.nche.edu\/AboutCC\/history\/Pages\/pasttopresent.aspx.] The history of community college creation is what I hope to examine. What were the original goals, and intentions for these institutions? Who were the original supporters of community colleges? Where were these colleges founded? Who were the first students to attended community colleges and what were their prospects upon completion? Finally, how were community colleges funded? To assist in answering some of these questions, primary source data is available at the American Association of Colleges<\/a>, which houses a historical photo gallery<\/a> and timeline of community college development.<\/p>\n

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In 1930, a Wisconsin automotive-mechanic class poses for a picture in their shop. Vocational schools were founded in Green Bay and Marinette in 1913 to standardize the education of apprentices. Today, those two campuses and one that opened in Sturgeon Bay in 1941 compose the Northeast Wisconsin Technical College. Retrieved from Sarah's AACC's Photostream at Flicker. http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/51048873@N02\/sets\/72157624996758893\/<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

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I hope to continue this research by examining the success of the early community colleges and compare that success to the community colleges of today. How did community colleges of the past contribute to the socio-economic mobility of their students? How did they respond to economic trends of the United States, and were they as scrutinized as community colleges are today? Secondary source information in \u201cDiverted Dream\u201d by Steven Brint and Jerome Karabel, a book about \u201ccommunity colleges and the promise of educational opportunity in America 1900-1985\u201d and in \u201cGateway to Opportunity\u201d by J. M. Beach will assist in answering the historical questions and provide further sources for primary data. Furthermore, I will obtain the data available through the National Center for Educational Statistics<\/a> on the enrollment and retention rates of community college, which dates back to 1963 [3. Anon. \u201cDigest of Education Statistics, 2010.\u201d http:\/\/nces.ed.gov\/programs\/digest\/d10\/tables\/dt10_201.asp.] Additionally, I will utilize the data provided by The National Educational Longitudinal Study to help facilitate understanding of population demographics of students who have attended community college at different times throughout the past century.<\/p>\n

While maintaining the underlying goal of the research, I am hoping that by learning who community college students were at various points in history, will provide a better analysis of the intended goals of community colleges. Have the student populations of community colleges changed over time and have they shifted the goals or purpose of community college education? As goals and directions may have shifted how were they influenced by political pressure.\u00a0 In 2012 President Obama commissioned eight million dollars to go towards developing a career path for community college students [4. Lewin, Tamar. 2012. \u201cObama Budget Seeks Job Training at Community Colleges.\u201d The New York Times<\/em>, February 13, sec. Education. http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2012\/02\/14\/education\/obama-to-propose-community-college-aid.html.] Were community colleges always a part of political education policy? How has politics and policy affected their goals, and rates of success?<\/p>\n

A journal article published by Teachers College at Columbia University<\/a> in 2011 \u201cThe Growth of Community Colleges in the American States: An Application of Count Models to Institutional Growth\u201d utilizes statistical regression and data on all fifty states to suggest that political force has only small affect on the role of community colleges. It states, “This study provides support for the idea that the supply of higher education institutions is responsive to demand. Little support is found for the role of social stratification in the development of new institutions. Political forces do appear to play at least a small role in the expansion of institutions. Existing institutions may slow the growth of newer forms of post secondary education” [5. Doyle, William, and Alexander Gorbunov. 2011. \u201cEBSCOhost: The Growth of Community Colleges in the American States: An Application of …\u201d Teachers College Record<\/em> 113 (8) (August): p1794\u20131826.] Yet, presidents as far back as Harry Truman and as recent as Obama have provided funding and addressed the state and success of community colleges [6. Anon. \u201cCommunity Colleges Past to Present.\u201d American Association of Community Colleges<\/em>. http:\/\/www.aacc.nche.edu\/AboutCC\/history\/Pages\/pasttopresent.aspx.]<\/p>\n

<\/strong>Today community colleges are frequently in the media. They are examined for their cost, their enrollment, their retention, their graduation rates, their curriculum and their transfer rates.\u00a0 The Chronicle<\/a>, a publication dedicated to the news of higher education has an entire weekly newsletter responsible for reporting the news of community colleges. Some of their articles include \u201cCommunity-College Dropouts Cost Taxpayers Nearly $1-Billion a Year\u201d<\/a> and “Success Programs at Community Colleges -Often Offered, Rarely Required-Miss Many Students”<\/a> are at the heart of some of the newest criticism on community colleges. The New York Times<\/a> has featured pieces titled \u201cTwo-Year Colleges, Swamped, No Longer Welcome All\u201d<\/a> and \u201cCommunity Colleges Need to Improve Graduation Rate<\/a>\u201d these provide proof of the current pressure that community colleges are faced with. I hope this recent media attention will help analysis when answering how community colleges are counseling, providing, and educating their seven million students? Have their goals remained the same or have they changed?<\/p>\n

I am a graduate of community college. At community college I was provided a space to develop skills in writing, reading, and math that were never before taught to me. I was provided a community, a group of supporters who understood the precarious nature of the adult student. I was provided guidance on how to achieve and advance in my educational pursuits. I would not be at Trinity College, without community college. The topic is not only relevant because of increasing enrollment rates or media attention \u2013 it is relevant to me, and my own aspirations for educational success and completion. <\/em><\/p>\n

Additional Works Consulted<\/span><\/p>\n

Anon. 2012. \u201cCommunity Colleges Past to Present.\u201d American Association of Community Colleges<\/em>. http:\/\/www.aacc.nche.edu\/AboutCC\/history\/Pages\/pasttopresent.aspx.<\/p>\n

Anon. \u201cDigest of Education Statistics, 2010.\u201d http:\/\/nces.ed.gov\/programs\/digest\/d10\/tables\/dt10_201.asp.<\/p>\n

Anon. 2012. \u201cLow Graduation Rates at 2-Year Colleges Affect Students and State Governments, Report Says\u201d. The Chronicle of Higher Education. The Ticker<\/em>. http:\/\/chronicle.com\/blogs\/ticker\/low-graduation-rates-at-2-year-colleges-affect-students-and-state-governments-report-says\/41961.<\/p>\n

Anon. \u201cBadillo Says Community Colleges Need to Improve Graduation Rate – New York Times.\u201d http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/1999\/12\/01\/nyregion\/badillo-says-community-colleges-need-to-improve-graduation-rate.html?ref=communitycolleges.<\/p>\n

Brint, Steven, and Jerome Karabel. 1991. The Diverted Dream: Community Colleges and the Promise of Educational Opportunity in America, 1900-1985<\/em>. Oxford University Press, USA.<\/p>\n

Beach, J. M. 2011. Gateway to Opportunity: A History of the Community College in the United States<\/em>. Stylus Publishing.<\/p>\n

Doyle, William, and Alexander Gorbunov. 2011. \u201cEBSCOhost: The Growth of Community Colleges in the American States: An Application of …\u201d Teachers College Record<\/em> 113 (8) (August): p1794\u20131826.<\/p>\n

Foderaro, Lisa W. 2009. \u201cTwo-Year Colleges, Swamped, No Longer Welcome All.\u201d The New York Times<\/em>, November 12, sec. Education. http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2009\/11\/12\/education\/12community.html.<\/p>\n

Lewin, Tamar. 2012. \u201cObama Budget Seeks Job Training at Community Colleges.\u201d The New York Times<\/em>, February 13, sec. Education. http:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2012\/02\/14\/education\/obama-to-propose-community-college-aid.html.<\/p>\n

Supiano, Beckie. \u201cIn California, Private Colleges Benefit From Public System\u2019s Shrinking Capacity – Students – The Chronicle of Higher Education.\u201d http:\/\/chronicle.com\/article\/In-California-Private\/131331\/.<\/p>\n

Thomas, Jacqueline Rabe. \u201cReport: Community College Graduation Rate Lags | The Connecticut Mirror.\u201d http:\/\/ctmirror.org\/story\/11893\/grad-rates.<\/p>\n

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Weisberger, Ronald. 2005. \u201cEBSCOhost: Community Colleges and Class: A Short History.\u201d Teaching English in the Two Year College<\/em> 33 (2) (December): 127\u2013142. ERIC.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Why were community colleges founded in the United States and have they maintained their original goals? Community colleges, formally called junior colleges, provide the populations of their surrounding communities with higher education opportunity. These colleges provide associate degrees, certificate programs, developmental courses, vocational programs, distance learning opportunities, flexible scheduling, childcare, veteran resources, counseling, and employment … Continue reading Maintaining A Mission: The History of Community Colleges in the United States<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":80,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[10],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/commons.trincoll.edu\/edreform\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1754"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/commons.trincoll.edu\/edreform\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/commons.trincoll.edu\/edreform\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/commons.trincoll.edu\/edreform\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/80"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/commons.trincoll.edu\/edreform\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1754"}],"version-history":[{"count":28,"href":"https:\/\/commons.trincoll.edu\/edreform\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1754\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1854,"href":"https:\/\/commons.trincoll.edu\/edreform\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1754\/revisions\/1854"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/commons.trincoll.edu\/edreform\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1754"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/commons.trincoll.edu\/edreform\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1754"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/commons.trincoll.edu\/edreform\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1754"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}