Quality of Teachers at Community College (PhD, doctorate, degrees, reputations)

[RogueMom]

I am attending the local community college part-time while working full-time.

Is it me, or do the teachers leave something to be desired? Most of them are contracted, not full-time employees, is this the problem? If I wanted to just sit and learn it all on the computer, I can do that at home. I was hoping for that good "classroom" experience and interaction. Some of the teachers just seem to be there to collect a paycheck, very lame.

[SookieStackhouse]

My community college experience was that some of my teachers were excellent (the ones who were there long term), but there definitely seemed to be a lot of "part-timers", and they were pretty bad. Seemed like CC was much easier than high school.

[uptown_urbanist]

It depends on the college, and of course the individual teacher. I know some excellent teachers who teach at the community college level; I also know someone who experienced a lot of attitude from the administration because they didn't like teachers with PhDs and experience teaching college classes. (not that those people always make the best teachers, but to actively and systematically actually prefer less education and less experience from the school's faculty seems to show a lack of respect for the students) From the sounds of it, that particular CC didn't want their teachers to treat the position with respect or expect high-quality work from their students. I also know CCs with excellent reputations that really do pride themselves in giving their students a high-quality education at an affordable price.

I don't think that by itself the fact that the teachers aren't there permanently is a bad thing. A tenure-track job in academia can be very difficult to find, and a lot of people (including very good teachers) string together jobs teaching where they can. Or in some cases they may be working in the field they teach in during the day, and teaching relevant classes at night. You'll find the same thing at even the big-name private colleges, or at least in the sense that you have the tenured, core faculty heavily supplemented by instructors teaching one or two classes.

Make sure to fill out evaluation forms whenever you get the chance; try to be specific. Not all teachers are going to be good, but evaluations may help weed out the bad ones, and in the case of teachers who really do want to provide a good classroom experience evalutions can be a useful tool for figuring out what works and what doesn't work.

[Mrs. 14th & You]

You have to consider the working conditions at most community colleges.

1) They usually pay professors less than more prestigious four-year schools
2) Though there are some good two-year technical degrees and hard-working students who want to get a four-year degree in the long run, there are also a lot of students there because their parents told them they needed to go to school or students attending because they need remediation.
3) Because of budget cuts and the rising price of education, CCs are more popular now, which has led to more crowded classes.
4) CC's are less likely to have the budget and the commitment to require their professors to engage in professional development. Good teaching is something that must be learned and is developed through reflective practice.
5) If professors want to rise in academia, they need to get published. Major academic journals don't take research from CCs as seriously. Therefore, the hard-driving high-achieving prof.s are likely to move on to a four-year institution if they intend to make a career in academia.

There are some exceptions to the rules. For example, my husband took some real estate courses at a CC that were great and taught by professionals from the field. These folks were teaching part-time, and their real-world experience was far more important than academic credentials. The same may also be true for many information technology, nursing, paralegal, and other professional-track classes.

I'm working on a graduate degree in elementary education right now, and I recently had to take some pre-requisiste undergrad classes at a CC. The courses were fine, but the quality of the teaching was positively abominable. Halfway through my training as a teacher, I could list hundreds of weaknesses in the instructional techniques of my profs. That said, I just needed to get requirements behind me for a minimum of effort and cash outlay, so the CC worked perfectly in that sense.

[user_id]

I've been involved with a few community colleges and I would say the majority of the teachers certainly "leave something to be desired" and decent percentage of them are just down right horrible. Of course, some are rather excellent but they are not that numerous and their classes usually fill up fast.

Other than the obvious issues, one issue I've noticed is that the departments (especially the smaller ones) are rather cliquish. You usually can only get hired if you know somebody or share the same views as those that have already established themselves. This is particularly worrisome in fields that are explored.

[North Beach Person]

Four year universities/colleges are no different-you get good ones and you get bad ones.

[anadyr21]

It depends. I've worked in some CCs that will hire anyone who fills the basic requirements and has a pulse. Sometimes, you don't have a choice (in hiring) if the regular adjunct instructor bails out at the last minute. Yes, some contract employees are horrible, and are only there to collect a paycheck, but the same can be said for some tenured professors. Keep in mind, at many CCs, the number of adjuncts greatly outweigh full time staff, and it's not unusual to have almost all your classes taught by an adjunct. You don't realize it's an adjunct at a 4 year college because a PhD is required, where as at a CC, a Master's is the minimum requirement. There are also some brilliant adjuncts, especially those with experience teaching, and/or in the actual field.

[christina0001]

My experience varied too. Most of my professors were very good, but a few were mediocre and one was terrible. Some of the part time ones had more relevant experience to share since they were still actively employed in their field. I only had one, maybe two that had a doctorate. Definitely try to talk to other students to find out which teachers are best.

[WIHS2006]

I go to Suffolk County Community College in NY and my conclusion is that:

- the full time professors are excellent.
- the adjunct professors are hit or miss; some are excellent and some are well not that good.

Unfortunately, we have 470 or so full time professors and about 1,300 adjuncts so yeah chances are more then likely most of your professors will be adjuncts. Most of the full timers are located at the main campus in Selden so the 3 satellite campuses in Riverhead, Brentwood, and Sayville are often shortchanged. I would say about half of my professors over the past 3 years have a doctorate.

The one advantage is that since all NY community colleges are part of the SUNY (or in NYC, the CUNY) system we have many adjuncts that also teach classes at the "real" colleges and universities like Stony Brook or Farmingdale.

[LovingSAT]

Check this out... a little snippit from one of my CC professors web page. To say this professor was/is excellent is an understatement!

<LI class=MsoNormal style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in">[SIZE=5]Courses[/SIZE][SIZE=5]:[/SIZE][SIZE=5] I am here to help. I want you to feel free to contact me whenever you have a question or concern about any of the courses - internet or classroom. These questions can be of a procedural or a substantive nature. I can tell you what is expected if you are considering taking the courses. I will assist you if you are having difficulty understanding a course of mine that you are currently taking. I will try to respond to your queries as soon as possible. If you have any questions on courses - get in touch.[/SIZE] <LI class=MsoNormal style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in">[SIZE=5]New Course: Introduction to International Relations[/SIZE][SIZE=5] [/SIZE][SIZE=5]Every Fall & Spring the Political Science Department will offer a course entitled Introduction to International Relations. This course will count toward Core Curriculum Behavioral Science Hours at SAC or towards a Political Science or International Studies Major at SAC or towards International Studies Certificate. I am especially trying to recruit International Students, people with military experience, and those students who have lived or travelled extensively abroad. Importantly, the course will also transfer for credit to universities in Texas. If you are interested in finding out more - get in touch. [/SIZE]<LI class=MsoNormal style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in">[SIZE=5]University Recommendations and Careers in Political Science[/SIZE][SIZE=5]: For those of you who are interested in what careers you might pursue with an undergraduate or graduate degree in Political Science - I am happy to discuss this with you. I am also pleased to discuss the relative merits of different undergraduate programs in Political Science.[/SIZE] <LI class=MsoNormal style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in">[SIZE=5]Debating/Discussing Politics[/SIZE][SIZE=5]: [/SIZE][SIZE=5]I also love to debate/discuss politics - especially international politics and US Foreign Policy. If we want to chat about them - get in touch. [/SIZE]<LI class=MsoNormal style="mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops: list .5in">[SIZE=5]Sports[/SIZE][SIZE=5]: [/SIZE][SIZE=5]Finally, if you want to talk about the UT Longhorns, the San Antonio Spurs, the Houston Astros or [/SIZE]