Community college

Community colleges are two-year colleges. These institutions were originally known as, and are still often called, junior colleges. Community colleges originated in the United States and were unique to the country for about one hundred years. They primarily serve the communities in which they are located and generally are nonresidential institutions.

The American Association of Community Colleges reported in 2012 that nearly half of the undergraduate students in the United States were enrolled in the country's 1,167 community colleges. Community colleges are nationally accredited, and credits earned there are usually transferable to other higher institutions of learning. Students may earn associate's degrees or certifications. Many community colleges offer skills retraining, English as a second language, enrichment, and cultural education programs as well as academic programs.

Background

During the nineteenth century, the US government passed important legislation in support of higher education. The first of these, the Land-Grant College Act of 1862 (also called the Morrill Act), provided land grants to states to fund education in agriculture and the mechanical arts. The states sold the property or sold land-use rights, such as mineral and timber rights. They then used the funds to establish schools or donated the funds to existing public and private colleges, which established agriculture and mechanic arts, or A&M, colleges. The second Morrill Act of 1890 supported more land-grant colleges.

Higher education at that time followed a traditional institutional model. Freshmen and sophomores studied general subjects. Only juniors and seniors studied specialized topics. American educators began calling for the adoption of the German system: The emphasis during the first two years is on the basics, while the final two years are devoted to research. This model lent itself to a restructuring of American colleges and universities and opened the door to a new type of institution.

At the dawn of the twentieth century, the world market was gaining influence in the United States. Competition with global trade highlighted the need for a more educated and skilled American workforce. While government and industry realized the value of higher education, only about 25 percent of American high school graduates went on to college. While many states had established new land-grant colleges and universities during the nineteenth century, most of the schools were far from the urban communities in which the majority of people lived. Most young Americans were unwilling to travel away from home to study, and tuition costs were prohibitively high.

These concerns and a rise in populist thinking related to a desire for upward social mobility created a demand for a new form of higher education—the "people's college." Working-class individuals did not want to attend the exclusive institutions of higher education that were so prominent at the time. A number of junior colleges began to operate across the United States, mostly serving young white men. They were located in local communities, so students did not have to move away, and were inexpensive and often publicly funded. Admission standards were accessible, and the curriculum was often focused on practical training.

One such venture began in Illinois. William Rainey Harper, the president of the University of Chicago, supported the community of Joliet, Illinois, in the formation of a junior college program to operate out of a local high school. Joliet Township High School began offering postgraduate high school courses in 1901. The first class of Joliet Community College (JCC) consisted of six students. Other courses were added gradually, and other high schools modeled similar programs after the JCC. In 1920, the curriculum expanded to include six programs: literature and arts, science, engineering, pre-law, pre-med, and education. During World War II, the demand for nurses led a local hospital to work with JCC to train nursing students. Associate degrees were soon offered in arts, science, engineering, and education. Other programs—including adult continuing education, occupational courses, and vocational training—were added during the 1940s and 1950s. In 2016, JCC, the nation's oldest community college, celebrated 115 years in operation.

Although envisioned as a stepping-stone to four-year degrees, most junior colleges did not fulfill this mission. Instead, they served their communities by providing a variety of needed vocational programs, much as the A&M schools were doing. This need increased as several major events, including the Great Depression (1929–1939) and World War II (1939–1945), took place. Rampant unemployment during the Great Depression left many college students with few career options. Junior colleges pivoted and put more vocational instruction programs into place. In addition to established manual arts programs, junior colleges offered accounting, civil engineering, finance, marketing, and nursing programs, among others. Junior colleges increasingly began calling themselves community colleges, changing their names to reflect their local ties.

Community colleges and four-year colleges alike received a boost beginning in 1944. Congress passed the Servicemen's Readjustment Act, commonly called the GI Bill, to aid World War II veterans who wanted to continue their education. The GI Bill provided federal funding for higher education, permitting many people who previously had no resources the chance to attend college. The millions of veterans who benefited included more than sixty thousand women and seventy thousand African Americans. Veteran attendance of both junior colleges and four-year institutions served another purpose beyond the education received; by providing tuition funds, the government prevented the sudden return of millions of veterans to the workforce, which would have resulted in massive unemployment.

The majority of veterans who used the GI Bill to pursue higher education attended public colleges and universities. In 1947, more than half of the college students in the United States were veterans. These individuals pursued four-year degrees and in many cases post-graduate degrees. The impact of this increase in the number of college-educated individuals in the workforce was long-lasting. Many of the people involved in some of the most important scientific projects of the latter twentieth century, including the US space program and the creation of the Internet, received their educations using the GI Bill.

Topic Today

Although World War II veterans attended community colleges in droves, their children—many born while their parents were still in school—led to the greatest wave of growth. Hundreds of community colleges opened during the 1960s to serve the baby boomer generation, enrolling greater numbers of young women. The civil rights movement also had a tremendous impact on community colleges, which integrated at a much faster rate than four-year institutions did. As a result, in the twenty-first century, community college enrollment more closely mirrors the ethnic makeup of American society.

In the United States, 1,108 community colleges operated as of February 2016. Fall of 2014 enrollment totaled 7.3 million students. Two-year institutions appeal to many full-time, part-time, and continuing education students. Many students are able to complete their degrees while holding down jobs, due to flexible scheduling and distance-learning options. Most community colleges have summer and weekend classes too.

Community college classes are usually smaller than classes held at four-year institutions. The campuses are often smaller as well, and many students find the atmosphere more relaxed. Since the colleges are located in communities in which most of the students live, the student body has much in common.

While many students attend two-year schools for certification, others recognize the cost-effectiveness of beginning their four-year college careers at more affordable institutions. Community college courses typically are much less expensive than the courses offered at four-year colleges and universities. Since credits are usually transferable, students can take many courses, such as basic classes required for degrees, at a reduced cost—an important consideration as the cost of higher education has continued to rise. Many students complete their educations with degree-specific courses at four-year institutions. According to the College Board, the annual published yearly tuition and fees for a public two-year college was $3,440 in 2016. In-state students at public four-year colleges paid an average of $9,410 annually, while out-of-state students paid $23,890. Private four-year colleges were much more expensive, averaging $32,410 a year.

Community colleges have added workforce retraining programs to address the changing needs of industry and local businesses. Many such programs focus on helping workers train in new, often in-demand fields after layoffs.

Because community colleges are focused on the local region, they often respond to needs quickly. Emerging industries, for example, often work with community colleges to develop training programs to help local businesses fill job openings. Emerging industries such as green technology development frequently look to community colleges to ensure workers have the most up-to-date training available.

Two-year institutions drew increasing attention in the United States during the 2010s. On January 9, 2015, President Barack Obama announced the America's College Promise proposal. Under the proposal, eligible students would attend two years at community colleges free of charge. President Obama called on states to invest in higher education and training and on community colleges to renew efforts to help students graduate, while strengthening the programs schools offered. The proposal cited studies that found a bachelor's degree would be the minimum required for 35 percent of job openings by 2020, while 30 percent would require an associate's degree or some college. Some states and cities—including Tennessee and Chicago, Illinois—had already established free community college programs. Following the president's announcement, other states, including Oregon and Minnesota, and communities such as Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, created new free community college programs. Several Democratic candidates for president, including Senator Bernie Sanders and former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, campaigned on a platform that included providing free tuition for college students at both community colleges and four-year institutions in 2016.

Community colleges face a number of challenges. While they were quick to incorporate flexibility to serve the needs of continuing education students, many four-year colleges have done the same. Distance learning, which also benefits many working students, is expensive and often beyond the budget of publicly funded community colleges, while private institutions have more options for financing such efforts. As a result, community colleges are often forced to compete with four-year institutions to attract students.

In 2003, the Community College Research Center noted the importance of community colleges in immigrant communities, especially those in major metropolitan areas. Children of immigrant families often struggle to afford higher education, and many choose community colleges. The center also said that community colleges were critical for students who graduated from high school with a weak educational foundation. Many American high school graduates are ill prepared for the demands of full-time enrollment in four-year colleges. Although many four-year institutions have provided remedial education, many have phased these programs out and focused on admitting the most highly qualified students instead. Because the majority of community colleges offer remedial courses, students are able to build on the skills they lack before transferring to four-year colleges. The Community College Research Center expected many community colleges to expand such support programs.

Another change in community college education is the development of dual enrollment programs. These allow students to take community college courses while still completing high school. These classes are economical for the community colleges because high school teachers usually provided the instruction at their high school's facility.

In the twenty-first century, as at the dawn of the twentieth century, community colleges are a bridge to higher education. They continue to provide equal access to education for students of working-class families and are increasing opportunities for minority and immigrant populations. Community colleges also continue to develop and fine-tune training programs to meet the demands of twenty-first century employers.

Bibliography

Bailey, Thomas R. "Community Colleges in the 21st Century: Challenges and Opportunities." Community College Research Center Brief, Jan. 2003, ccrc.tc.columbia.edu/media/k2/attachments/community-colleges-21st-century-challenges.pdf. Accessed 9 Dec. 2016.

Berman, Eliza. "How the G.I. Bill Changed the Face of Higher Education in America." Time, 22 June 2015, time.com/3915231/student-veterans/. Accessed 8 Dec. 2016.

"College Costs: FAQs." Big Future/College Board, 2016, bigfuture.collegeboard.org/pay-for-college/college-costs/college-costs-faqs. Accessed 8 Dec. 2016.

"Fact Sheet—White House Unveils America's College Promise Proposal: Tuition-Free Community College for Responsible Students." White House, 9 Jan. 2015, HYPERLINK "http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/01/09/fact-sheet-white-house-unveils-america-s-college-promise-proposal-tuitio" www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2015/01/09/fact-sheet-white-house-unveils-america-s-college-promise-proposal-tuitio. Accessed 9 Dec. 2016.

"Fast Facts from Our Fact Sheet." American Association of Community Colleges, Feb. 2016, www.aacc.nche.edu/AboutCC/Pages/fastfactsfactsheet.aspx. Accessed 9 Dec. 2016.

"GI Bill." City University of New York, www.cuny.edu/site/cc/higher-education/gi-bill.html. Accessed 8 Dec. 2016.

"Historical Information." American Association of Community Colleges, www.aacc.nche.edu/aboutcc/history/Pages/default.aspx. Accessed 8 Dec. 2016.

"A Look at the Future." American Association of Community Colleges, www.aacc.nche.edu/AboutCC/history/Pages/lookatfuture.aspx. Accessed 8 Dec. 2016.

Nagy, Michelle, Sam Ritz, and Rachel Rose. "Connecting the Past to the Present." Connections Joliet Junior College Magazine, Spring 2016, flipflashpages.uniflip.com/3/40593/367303/pub/html5.html#page/1. Accessed 8 Dec. 2016.

"Significant Events." American Association of Community Colleges, www.aacc.nche.edu/ABOUTCC/HISTORY/Pages/significantevents.aspx. Accessed 8 Dec. 2016.

Trainor, Sean. "How Community Colleges Changed the Whole Idea of Education in America." Time, 20 Oct. 2015, time.com/4078143/community-college-history/. Accessed 8 Dec. 2016.

"What Is Community College?" Study in the States, US Department of Homeland Security, 13 Mar. 2012, studyinthestates.dhs.gov/2012/03/what-is-community-college. Accessed 8 Dec. 2016.