Community college

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

In Canada and the United States, a community college, sometimes called a junior college, is an educational institution providing post-secondary education and lower-level tertiary education, granting certificates, diplomas, and associate's degrees. The name derives from the fact that community colleges primarily accept and attract students from the local community, and are often supported by the local community through property taxes.

In the United Kingdom, community college is sometimes used to describe further education colleges that provide part-time adult education.

1 Enrollment
2 Educational Offerings
3 Advantages of Community Colleges
4 Disadvantages of Community Colleges
5 See also
6 External links

[edit]

Enrollment

In North America, community colleges operate under a policy of "open admission". That is, anyone with a high school diploma or GED may attend, regardless of prior academic status or college entrance exam scores.

The "open admission" policy results in a wide range of students attending community college classes. Students range in age from teenagers in high school taking classes under a "concurrent enrollment" policy (which allows both high school and college credits to be earned simultaneously) to working adults taking classes at night to complete a degree or gain additional skills in their field.

[edit]

Educational Offerings

Community colleges generally offer three levels of study programs.

The first level of study is toward an Associate's degree, in which a student takes necessary courses needed to earn a degree that will allow for workforce entry into jobs requiring some level of college education but not a full four-year degree. The Associate's degree program also allows for students who wish to eventually obtain a bachelor's degree at a four-year college to complete the necessary "core" requirements to attend the college of their choice.

Many community colleges have arrangements with nearby four-year institutions, where a student obtaining an associate's degree in a field will automatically have his/her classes counted toward the bachelor's degree requirement. (For example, a community college associate's degree in accounting would count toward the four-year school's core requirement for a Business Administration degree.) Some have gone one step further, having arrangements with a four-year college for the student to obtain the bachelor's degree from the four-year college while taking all the courses via distance learning on the community college campus, thus limiting the number of trips to the four-year school.

The second level of study is towards certification in an area of vocational training (such as nursing, computer repair, or welding), which require preparation for a state or national examination, or where certification would allow for hiring preference and/or a higher salary upon entering the workforce.

The third level of study offers services of local interest to members of the community, such as job placement, adult continuing-education classes (either for personal achievement or to maintain certification in specialized fields), and developmental classes for children. Some community colleges offer opportunities for students to return and earn a high school diploma or obtain a GED. Community colleges often work with local businesses to develop specialized classes tailored toward the company's needs.

[edit]

Advantages of Community Colleges

Community colleges are geared toward local students and local needs. Students who could not afford campus or off-site housing at a four-year college, or for other reasons cannot relocate, can attend courses while staying in their local community. Also, community colleges can work with local businesses to develop customized training geared toward local needs, whereas a four-year institution generally focuses on state-wide and/or national needs.
The "open enrollment" policy allows anyone to begin the goal towards future college education. The policy is highly beneficial to students with mediocre academic records in high school (or who dropped out and later obtained a GED), students "maturing" later in life who now see the benefits of college education, or students who could not attend college after high school but now have the chance to do so.
Tuition and fees are substantially lower than those of a traditional four-year public or private college or university. Students from low-income families, or those having to work to pay for their education, benefit from the reduced costs. Many colleges offer and accept scholarships or educational grants.
Community colleges have little or no time limits on when classes must be taken or a degree must be earned (many four-year schools, tired of "professional students" taking up limited space, have imposed limits on when a degree can be earned). Students who must hold down full-time employment, and who cannot take a full-term load, are thus not under pressure to complete courses in a limited timeframe.
Four-year colleges often give priority to students transferring from community colleges, citing their demonstrated preparedness for junior and senior college-level work. Students who may not have been able to attend a particular college after high school (either for academic, financial, and/or personal reasons), may now be able to attend the college of their choice.
Community college professors are solely dedicated to teaching, and classes are generally small, whereas a four-year college course may be taught to 300 students by a student intern, while the professor is concentrating on research. Many professors have Master's degrees and several hold doctorate degrees.
Several community colleges have tremendously successful athletic programs, where students have gone on to play for major colleges and/or the professional ranks.

[edit]

Disadvantages of Community Colleges

Transferring credits can sometimes be a problem, as each four-year college has its own requirements as to what is and isn't required for enrollment. However, many four-year colleges (usually nearby to the community college) have made arrangements allowing associate degrees to qualify for transfer, and in some cases allowing the student to complete the bachelor's degree via distance learning from the community college campus.
It is frequent for many courses to be taught by part-time lecturers holding only a basic degree in the field.
Few community colleges have on-campus housing. This makes it more difficult for students to participate in extra-curricular activities.
Many community colleges do not offer any athletic programs other than basic physical education classes.

[edit]