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What do you think about improving the reputation of community colleges as a way to increase rates of Americans getting higher education? I read about the idea in a great book called Thinking Big. A few of the ideas within are to create an online curriculum and to strengthen the ties between high schools and community colleges as a way to get more people educated. I know that Obama has talked so much about his plan is to invest in early child-education and teacher training and payment. Do you think that increasing emphasis and funding for public secondary education should be included?
love the idea of more emphasis on commnity college. that way we won't hear the complaints about massive college debt that would have been far less, had the student not wanted to leave home and party. get your first two years at cc at a much lower rate, then transfer if need be thus spending wiser
I think community colleges, like all other colleges, should be evaluated on an individual basis.
The community college I attend has a pretty good relationship with the high school I graduated from and I'm sure with others.
If you take certain classes, make good grades, and a certain ACT score, your tuition and fees are paid for, including summer classes.
In other parts of the state, the community college is not the best.
I see nothing wrong with community colleges but a lot of times they are filled with nontraditional students. The average age is 28/29, according to websites I've looked at but I have also read the average age is going down probably because more "traditional" college students are seeing the amount of money they can save by starting out at community college.
Pantagraph.com | News | Community colleges have younger students, more business collaboration (http://pantagraph.com/articles/2007/03/26/news/124614.txt - broken link)
A lot of people might point to community colleges' graduation rate and I think that's the wrong way of approaching things. A lot of things affect the graduation rate of community college students: kids, work (a lot of community college students work), socioeconomic status, typically being from backgrounds that are typically underrepresented in the college world, a lot are first-generational students and that is a whole 'nother set of problems....and the list can keep going.
I sat down and read Community College Times and they had an analysis into the low graduation rate of community colleges. Quite interesting.
I think a lot of times community colleges get a bad rap and I would suggest people look at them on an individual basis. Not all four-year colleges are great and not all community colleges are diploma mills.
I'm all for community colleges, nothing wrong with starting that way at all. There are so many people that go to college all because their friends are going to college and have their parents pay for it too. I tell lots of people that there's nothing wrong with starting out at a community college, especially if you're an undeclared major, in fact, that's probably the best way to go if you ask me. Why would you want to go to a huge college and sit in a psychology class of 5,000 people? If you're not an english major, what do you care where you take english. I started at a community college, did one year, entered the air force, did my 4 years, got off active duty, did one semester at the same community college, got my 2 year degree, transfered all those credits to the university right down the street, did another two years, finished with my degree in Education. And oh by the way, instead of entering the teaching field I decided to go into medicine and become a dentist. Yea, I tell people I started at a community college, in fact, I have no problem hanging that two year degree next to my 4-year degree or my degree from dental school, nothing wrong with it in the least bit. It's amazing how many people think that because you take biology at the community college level that it's somehow different than at a 4-year university. I'm all for community colleges as a good starting point!
I see nothing wrong with community colleges but a lot of times they are filled with nontraditional students. The average age is 28/29, according to websites I've looked at but I have also read the average age is going down probably because more "traditional" college students are seeing the amount of money they can save by starting out at community college.
A lot of people might point to community colleges' graduation rate and I think that's the wrong way of approaching things. A lot of things affect the graduation rate of community college students: kids, work (a lot of community college students work), socioeconomic status, typically being from backgrounds that are typically underrepresented in the college world, a lot are first-generational students and that is a whole 'nother set of problems....and the list can keep going.
I sat down and read Community College Times and they had an analysis into the low graduation rate of community colleges. Quite interesting.
I think a lot of times community colleges get a bad rap and I would suggest people look at them on an individual basis. Not all four-year colleges are great and not all community colleges are diploma mills.
I have read that the average age of all college students is around 26. That includes CC's and places like U of Phoenix.
My personal observation is that CC's have a low graduation rate because of:
1-Many students enroll just to take a class or two, usually to brush up on work related skills or something else work related.
2-The student transfers to a four-year.
3-The low(er) tuition plus the stigma of going to a CC might make it easier for a student to drop out.
I think that many CC's deserve more respect, but I do not think that any real effort needs to go into promoting the CC as most are seeing higher and higher enrollment rates each year.
....... A few of the ideas within are to create an online curriculum and to strengthen the ties between high schools and community colleges as a way to get more people educated. .....early child-education and teacher training ....
This is already in place at my college (and state) and many community colleges across the country. Wonder how old the book is or whether the author has any contact or experience with community colleges.
This is already in place at my college (and state) and many community colleges across the country. Wonder how old the book is or whether the author has any contact or experience with community colleges.
Hmmm... according to amazon ---
Publisher: Berrett-Koehler Publishers (January 15, 2009)
Does the OP have connections to this book, as the post was made so soon after the publishing date?
I'm all for community colleges, nothing wrong with starting that way at all. There are so many people that go to college all because their friends are going to college and have their parents pay for it too. I tell lots of people that there's nothing wrong with starting out at a community college, especially if you're an undeclared major, in fact, that's probably the best way to go if you ask me. Why would you want to go to a huge college and sit in a psychology class of 5,000 people? If you're not an english major, what do you care where you take english. I started at a community college, did one year, entered the air force, did my 4 years, got off active duty, did one semester at the same community college, got my 2 year degree, transfered all those credits to the university right down the street, did another two years, finished with my degree in Education. And oh by the way, instead of entering the teaching field I decided to go into medicine and become a dentist. Yea, I tell people I started at a community college, in fact, I have no problem hanging that two year degree next to my 4-year degree or my degree from dental school, nothing wrong with it in the least bit. It's amazing how many people think that because you take biology at the community college level that it's somehow different than at a 4-year university. I'm all for community colleges as a good starting point!
I am glad I am starting out at community college, considering all the times I have changed my major. If I had went to my once first choice college, I would be stuck at a school that didn't have my major.
I see a lot of pros in choosing my college, which I won't go into but I am loving my community college. In the beginning I felt kind of left out of the stereotypical college experience, mostly the dorm experience, but now I am perfectly happy staying at home [most days....].
I also like that a lot of community colleges offer small classes AND you're actually taught by a professor and not some graduate assistant while the professor is off writing books and trying to publish so they don't perish.
Even my friends who are at four year schools who have taken classes at community colleges say they liked the small class size of a community college.
Quote:
Originally Posted by K-Luv
I have read that the average age of all college students is around 26. That includes CC's and places like U of Phoenix.
My personal observation is that CC's have a low graduation rate because of:
1-Many students enroll just to take a class or two, usually to brush up on work related skills or something else work related.
2-The student transfers to a four-year.
3-The low(er) tuition plus the stigma of going to a CC might make it easier for a student to drop out.
I think that many CC's deserve more respect, but I do not think that any real effort needs to go into promoting the CC as most are seeing higher and higher enrollment rates each year.
Well some of those links I posted said the average age is going down since more "traditional" age students see the savings in attending community college and the small class sizes.
I agree with your observations. Also community colleges tend to have a lot of minority students or students from disadvantaged socioeconomic backgrounds and these students tend to have to take a lot of remedial courses. With each remedial course a student has to take, it becomes a certain % less likely that they WON'T graduate.
Some people just look at graduation rates and think just because it's not high, the college is somehow failing its students.
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