Community+colleges

====Use this page to post links and research logs related to the role of community colleges in training and preparing students for engaging futures. Should more people go to CC's to save money? Do people transfer credits more often than they did ten years ago?====

Cody Tappan [] This article I read was based on community colleges and how they compare to four year colleges. Many say four year colleges out perform community colleges but that is not entirely true. Community colleges succeed in many other ways, such as giving the financial reasonability of college. Not only this, the classes are equal and for many there is a convenience factor to going to four year colleges near home. I have many friends who were given the decision and chose to take community college over going to a four year school. This was usually so they could keep working with the job they already had while going to college. From my perspective, I don’t think you could receive the full college experience from going to a community college. This is because going to a four year gives you and puts you through many other experiences that community college does not. For one, living in the dorms as a freshman is definitely something I will never forget. If I had gone to community college I would not have gotten to understand and see how that was like. Another thing that I enjoy is living away from home. This could happen at a community college away from home but out of most my friends who are taking it, they still live at home. My parents have told me from day one that they wanted me to go through the college life and it is well worth it. I understand if financial reasons take place then community college is the safer bet. Overall, everything I have gone through has taught me a great deal about life and I know in the years to come I still have a lot of stuff to learn. I am looking forward to it.

//**Can Community Colleges Save the U.S. Economy?**//
 * http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail?vid=14&hid=5&sid=d0e52955-0bd6-4095-bbfd-cdb1ebd733de%40sessionmgr4&bdata=JnNpdGU9ZWhvc3QtbGl2ZQ%3d%3d#db=aph&AN=43148371

This article focuses on how the public currently views community colleges and how that view is holding the U.S. back economically. Community colleges today are viewed similarly to retirement homes for students. They are places to put people on the backburner of the education system. The kinds of people that we (the greater us public and 4-year college attendees) think attend CC’s are the high school burnouts, obsolete “middle-agers” and of course lowly poor people. This is where the problem begins, if we have this view of CC’s the amount of funding directed to them will begin to rapidly dwindle away. We will start to view them as unnecessary and start cutting more and more from them. What we need to realize though is that these trade schools are training a majority of our “everyday” workforce, nurses, chefs, media techs, and many more. These people are the gears in the machine of the U.S. driving it forward. This article encompasses many of the topics that we have discussed in the class so far. It applies to solutions for higher education, the “purpose” of higher education (H.E.), the future of H.E. and economic solutions. -Dylan Carroll

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After so much discussion about budget cuts and higher education in general, I started thinking if in this economy it would be more beneficial to attend a community college before a four-year university. I used to think that going to community college meant I wasn’t ready to attend a larger college, but today people resort to community college because it costs a lot less. Advantages to two year schools are the lower cost, open enrollment policy, and it is easier to be accepted into four-year schools after attending community college. Two year schools are a good option for students who are unsure about their academic abilities or long-term goals, students concerned with cost, and students who are interested in updating existing work skills. On the opposing side, four-year schools have a greater selection of majors and classes than at community colleges. They have also been considered more prestigious, and there is more access to faculty members. Four year schools offer bachelor degrees, masters degrees, doctoral degrees, and professional degrees. Four year schools are a good option for students who are confident in their academic abilities, and have pretty clear career goals. Four year schools are also more beneficial for “students wishing to enter professional fields or occupations in health sciences, law, education, engineering or business which require a more advanced degree”. I think I made the right decision in attending a four-year university, and know that this is what is right for me. I know some of my friends were probably ready to attend a four-year but opted to stay at a community college. I see why community college seems like a good option. -Jodie Bloom

How well do community colleges respond to the occupational training needs of local communities? This article presents a case study using the California community college system, and whether or not they supply occupational training that meets the skill demands of local employers. Through this study they examine the evidence through three different channels. The first channel was a set previously published studies in the late 90’s and early 2000’s. These studies showed positive correlation between community college programs and labor market earning prospects. The second involved individual community college campus visits. They gathered information from over 310 college campuses that spanned 10 different labor markets. The last channel was an examination of specific contract training. These contracts differ from regular CC in that they tailor specifically to the employer. This is a good article to examine because it pertains specifically to out topic of interest. In addition to that, it deals with //our// particular state. Though the study offers some interesting results the study is of course empirical; it offers an interesting perspective on the topic if interest. -Dylan Carroll
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