THE PEOPLE'S COLLEGES: MISSISSIPPI'S SYSTEM OF COMMUNITY AND JUNIOR COLLEGES

Mississippi's system of public community and junior colleges developed as a response to changing educational needs in the state. The need to provide secondary education to rural areas of the state led to the agricultural high school movement in 1908. Time diminished the need for these schools, so the state's educational leadership proposed using the facilities to offer college‐level coursework. In 1928, Mississippi counties were authorized to join together in forming junior college districts. The colleges began as agencies of local government and continue so to the present. A state‐level office with coordinating responsibilities was established at the State Department of Education. The state's system of 2‐year colleges began just 1 year before the national economic depression. Easy access and low costs made the junior colleges attractive to Mississippians then and now. The junior college mission was to offer university transfer programs to students. After World War II, the junior colleges expanded their missions to include vocational and technical training. This was in response to the demands of business and industry as well as the needs of veterans returning to the workforce. Postwar industrial development in the state gave the junior colleges a greater role in workforce training. Mississippi's two‐year colleges have experienced demographic and technology changes that reflect national trends. In contrast to most other states, Mississippi's community and junior college leadership continues to identify university parallel programs as their primary mission.     

A RE‐EXAMINATION OF THE PAST: SOME ORIGINS OF THE “SECOND BEST” NOTION

A premise of the current criticism that community colleges are institutions that promote social tracking and inhibit social mobility was reviewed and analyzed. The relationship between the roles of the two‐year college and the research university as proposed by Harper and Lange was examined. The thesis that junior colleges emerged when universities supported their growth as feeder institutions was tested by the case history of the development of community colleges in Wyoming. Findings of this study were that: (a) the University's opposition did not halt the development of community colleges, (b) community colleges were comprehensive and community‐based from the outset in Wyoming, and (c) establishment of the transfer function was not predominant in the rationale for the community college movement. It was concluded that the stereotypic explanation of two‐year college development from transfer‐oriented “junior” colleges to comprehensive institutions may be incorrect, and that many two‐year colleges may have been comprehensive from inception.     

Community Colleges,the Media,and the Rhetoric of Inevitability

Community college practitioners frequently bemoan negative or stereotypical representations of community college students and community college life in general in the popular media. Saturday Night Live skits and satirical news reports in The Onion enjoy poking fun at community colleges, while mainstream news outlets often fail to challenge stereotypes of community colleges as lacking academic rigor. Those frustrated by these portrayals should know that the press overwhelmingly lauded 2 year colleges during the early decades of the “junior college” movement. Such reporting celebrated the new institutions' missions, and praised their speedy growth as components of public education. In fact, the press often implied that these new campuses reflected an inevitable step in the evolution of American higher education. This paper analyzes media reports about public 2 year colleges (at the time called junior colleges) published during the 1920s and 1930s. The term junior college is used in this historical review since the term was common during the era in question.     

The distributive effects of public junior college availability

This paper presents the results of a study to determine the effect of the presence of a public junior college in a community upon the types of colleges attended by high school graduates of that community. Results of multivariate cross-tabular analysis of the college destinations of over 8,000 1966 Illinois high school seniors of different sex, ability, and social-status backgrounds living in 25 different communities, suggest that the local availability of a public junior college serves largely to alter patterns of college-going by substituting attendance locally for attendance elsewhere in a manner inversely related to social status. More importantly, results also suggest that among lower- and middle-status persons the substitution is such as to replace attendance at nonlocal four-year colleges with attendance locally at the public junior college.     

Moberly Junior College,the four-year junior college

In Leonard Koos’s book, The Junior-College Movement, he described the establishment of a junior college in an American public school district as the ‘culmination of the local school system’, alluding to the prestige associated with having a junior college in a community. The best-known example of this arrangement was in Pasadena, California where the combined high school and college operated for 27 years. Less well known is the four-year junior college in central Missouri called Moberly Junior College (MJC). MJC operated as a combined high school and college for 36 years from the autumn of 1931 to the autumn of 1967, the longest running four-year junior college in the United States. This case study of the college examines how the seamless transition between high school and college was accomplished, and what changes in the institution and the educational environment led to the eventual dissolution of the four-year junior college.     

THE COMMUNITY‐JUNIOR COLLEGE AND ITS ECONOMIC VALUE: A 3‐YEAR STUDY

As local governments tighten their budgets, community‐junior colleges are often caught in the squeeze. Economic impact studies are often appropriate to help explain the monetary benefits of a local community‐junior college. Temple Junior College evaluated its impact on the local Temple, Texas, economy over a 3‐year period. The results have been used as a meaningful public relations tool that has allowed the administration to explain the value of the college in quantitative terms.     

Student Decisions to Attend Public Two-Year Community Colleges

While the strategy of funding both systems provides an incentive for both school districts and community colleges to participate with dual enrollment, the current fiscal environment has drawn attention to the inefficient use of the dual funding structure. This article highlights the results of a case study on Florida's dual enrollment program documenting how over a 20-year period policymakers offered different financial incentives as an inducement to greater participation among districts and community colleges. The article documents how the current state fiscal condition has altered lawmaker's motivations for supporting dual enrollment. It concludes by describing the implications of this on community college participation with dual enrollment.     

THE USE OF FACULTY RANK IN THE COMMUNITY‐JUNIOR COLLEGE SYSTEM OF FLORIDA

This investigation was undertaken to determine the extent to which academic ranking of faculty exists in the community‐junior college system of Florida and whether the use of academic rank is on the increase or decrease. A questionnaire was submitted to each of Florida's 28 two‐year colleges. Responses were received from all the institutions included in this study, which is a replication of an earlier study done in 1974. Eight of Florida's 28 community‐junior colleges use some form of academic rank. Most of these award the traditional rank of instructor, assistant professor, associate professor, and professor. In general, promotion is determined by degree, advanced graduate credit, experience, effective teaching, professional growth, and service. Six of the eight colleges have adopted a salary schedule related directly to the rank held.     

A STUDY OF STATE ASSOCIATIONS OF COMMUNITY COLLEGE DISTRICT GOVERNING BOARDS

This study describes the organization, staffing, cost‐sharing alternatives, and administrative patterns of associations that coordinate community/junior college local governing board activities on a statewide basis. A review of literature is provided.

Methodology used for the study included letter‐surveys to state associations of community/junior colleges, community college presidents’ organizations, trustee organizations, and knowledgeable community college individuals in 33 states. Information concerning structure of community college associations, organizations of local trustees and college presidents, whether such organized groups operate as one common group or as separate organizations, and definition of any paid staff was obtained. Results were tabulated for 25 states identified as sharing state and local control of community/junior colleges. Tables are included to show: (1) states that elect trustees, states that appoint trustees, and the number of college districts and campus locations in each state; (2) organization and staffing patterns of trustee organizations and chief administrator groups; (3) patterns of organization types in the 25 states; and (4) fee structure used to finance state community college associations in a selection of state examples.

It was found that little work has been done to evaluate effectiveness of the various systems cited. Information furnished by the study did not give evidence that one form of structure serves more effectively than another.     

CORRECTIONAL POST‐SECONDARY EDUCATION: THE EXPANDING ROLE OF COMMUNITY COLLEGES

More than 75 percent of post‐secondary institutions offering education programs in prisons are community and vocational/ technical colleges. The predominance of community colleges among correctional education providers is a major change from the early 1970's when two‐thirds of such programs were provided by four‐year institutions.

Over 260 community colleges provide programs and services to the 26,000 inmates participating in higher education. Results of a survey on correctional post‐secondary education indicate that these programs are in many ways different from those educational institutions provide on their own campuses. For example, they generally, have different admission standards, are administered by part‐time staff, and rely upon part‐time and adjunct faculty.

Community and junior college administrators are urged to closely examine the operation and quality of their correctional programs and the need for evaluative research on the long‐term effects of these programs is also stressed.     

Strategic Global Advantage: The Career Academy/Technical College State Initiative

Georgia's legislators have approved a plan whereby public school districts in the state could convert to charter schools to tailor programs for local educational communities. The state has authorized funds for five secondary-level charter career academies that are to be positioned regionally and partnered with a postsecondary community or technical college on-site. This is a model of seamlessness that is predicated upon physical placement near one of the strategic industry clusters in the state. Yet, assignment of these academies is matched not only to geographical targets as designated in the governor's global industry and innovation initiative. Career academies also serve the function of early colleges in that they become a transitioning model between two very distinct educational institutions. This includes close articulation with technical college instructors, curriculums, and workforce and economic development programs—an arrangement that is much more likely to amplify and improve the pool of trained workers for cluster-based firms. Drawing technical colleges and career academies together for an agenda of educational reform signifies that a state is tooling-up both to accommodate new business growth and firm relocations, and also to equip young people with the skills and know-how needed in 21st century workplaces.     

REVERSE TRANSFERS WHO RETURN TO A UNIVERSITY: AN ANALYSIS OF THEIR ACADEMIC PROGRESS

The examination of the transfer function at a sample of private/independent junior colleges yields knowledge helpful for the public community college. Through document analysis and survey research, quantitative and qualitative data were gathered from a representative sampling of 10 private/ independent junior colleges. The historical and contemporary role of the transfer function is examined as an essential component of the educational environment of these colleges. Research yielded evidence of the private/ independent junior colleges’ commitment to a solid general curriculum and strong academic advisement in order to prepare students for transfer. In total, the educational environment of private/independent junior colleges can provide knowledge and experience for its public counterpart in their efforts to revitalize the transfer function.     

初中起点五年制大专生自主阅读素养的现状研究

近年来,随着社会的不断发展,我国的教育模式也呈现多元化趋势,初中起点五年制大专的设立为想要继续学习的学生提供了良好的环境,圆了他们的大学梦。相比较其他院校而言,五年制大专生的起点比较低,他们的学习方法以及学习态度都有待于提高。根据我国对初中起点五年制大专生的相关人才培养模式的要求,在教学活动中,学校领导和老师应该注重培养他们运用语言的能力,改进传统的教学方法。     

Great Business Training is Just Enough,Just in Time,and Just for Me

Retrenchment practices in the 1980s represented a new challenge to institutions of higher education. The literature encompassing higher education within the past 10 years has revealed limited information concerning retrenchment policies in public community colleges in Texas. This study investigated the presence or absence of retrenchment policies and their relation to fluctuations in enrollment and state funding. All 49 public community‐junior college districts in the state of Texas were included in the study. Twenty (41%) of these community colleges had a retrenchment policy. This study indicated that administrative decisions regarding the development and adoption of retrenchment policies are based on state revenue declines as opposed to enrollment fluctuations.     

师范专科教育应尽快适应小教专科化需要

随着科教兴国战略的实施,素质教育的发展和教育改革的深入,对教师的素质提出了更高的要求。“办好教育的关键在教师”,随着高中专任教师本科化和小学教师专科化的推进,师范专科教育有了前所未有的发展空间和机遇,也面临着严峻的挑战,师范专科教育改革必须适应小学教师专科化的要求。因此,研究小学教师的素质结构和知识结构,搞好师范专科教育的课程设置和管理,确定适合时代要求的人才培养模式是师范专科教育改革的关键之所在。     

Community College Governance,Funding, and Accountability: A Century of Issues and Trends

Community colleges in America are now very visible and highly respected institutions of higher education. More than 1,000 community colleges in all 50 states now comprise nearly 25% of all colleges and universities in the U.S., with over 6.5 million students, or about 45% of all college students.

State and local governance and coordination of community colleges vary from single-state governing boards to minimal state control and strong local governing boards. The relative degrees of state and local control of community colleges generally “follow the money,” in that accountability to state and local governing board and state legislatures is generally about proportional to the funds provided by each level of government.

Funding for operational support of community colleges comes primarily from state and local governments, with considerable federal support for grants and subsidized loans to students. In 2000–2001, the largest proportional funding sources for community colleges were: state governments (44.6%), local governments (19.5%), tuition and fees (19.5%) and the federal government (5.4%). State lotteries in at least 38 states represent a relatively new source of funds for community colleges, often in the form of student scholarships.

Many of the earliest public junior colleges charged no tuition, especially in California in the early 1900s. Now many community college students pay $3,000 or more per year in tuition and fees, and recent annual tuition increases in many states have been in double digits. This is a troubling trend that threatens to reduce access to higher education for poor people.     

Does Student Effort Respond to Incentives? Evidence from a Guaranteed College Admissions Program

This paper studies the effects of guaranteed college admission on student effort and achievement. In 1997, Texas enacted the “Top Ten Percent” law, which guarantees admission to any public college for students in the top ten percent of their high school class. In practice, eligible students become aware of their admission status at the end of their junior year in high school—more than 1 year prior to attending college. We use data from a large, urban school district and regression discontinuity methods to test for effects on effort. Our preferred estimates show that students who barely qualify for the admissions guarantee earn marginally lower grades and take fewer advanced courses in their senior year compared to students who do not qualify for guaranteed admission and learn their status in the final senior year term. We find qualitatively similar results when limiting our sample to finer bandwidths, although the estimates are imprecise.     

BOOK REVIEWS

Data from NCES indicate that it is two to three times more expensive to educate a student at a public four-year college than at a community college. These figures exaggerate the difference between the two when you calculate the costs of the first two years of education for students working on a bachelor's degree. Using modified Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) data from the recently released Delta Project, this study shows that the cost per full-time equivalent (FTE) and the public subsidy per FTE are lower at public master's level colleges than at the community college. Trend data from 1987–2005 are examined along with appropriate cautions for interpreting the results.     

REFLECTIONS ON VALUES,VISION, AND VITALITY: PERSPECTIVES FOR THE 21ST CENTURY

Participants at a recent Futures Assembly urged a reassessment of values when establishing perspectives for direction of community college development in the new century. The author affirms that there are five fundamental values that have given guidance in the past and can serve well in future decision-making: (1) People: This is the beginning point and the continuing point of reference. All aspects of what is done and how it is done derive from the people who are in the community; (2) Learning: The learning college will be part of a learning community. Learning must be perceived as an educational enterprise that extends beyond the schools and colleges to all people in the community during the span of their lives; (3) Connections: Community colleges do not do it alone. They need to connect in two ways. First with the conditions in the community that bear upon the lives of the people there, and second, when relating to other community organizations; (4) Opportunity: Former community college students declare that ''the college was the door to my future.'' The times in which we live require more than ever that colleges offer learning experiences described by students as essential to what they have become; and (5) Better lives: Better lives are what learners in community colleges are seeking and the way to what they want is through learning.     

THE HUMANITIES CURRICULUM IN THE COMMUNITY/JUNIOR COLLEGE

The purpose of this study was to examine the status of the humanities curriculum in the nation's community and junior colleges. Data on course offerings and enrollments in humanities’ courses (e.g., foreign languages, history, literature, philosophy) were obtained in spring 1975 and spring 1977 from a representative national sample of 178 two‐year colleges. Among the findings reported were: (1) during the same time period that two‐year colleges experienced a modest enrollment increase (7.4%), enrollments in 7 of the 12 humanities areas studied actually decreased; and (2) the humanities courses offered at most two‐year colleges were extremely limited both within and across subject areas. Recommendations on how humanities departments can increase their course enrollments are offered.