Opening the door to the Baccalaureate Degree

Community College Review, Fall, 2001 by Kenneth P. Walker

Community colleges have made their mark by providing high-quality, open access to higher education. This democratization of learning has resulted in the development of nearly 1,200 community and technical colleges across the United States. During the 100 years since the first public junior college was founded, the broader community college mission has expanded from a singular focus on university transfer to include technical and vocational education, adult education, workforce development, and remedial education. In the new century, the demand for even greater access to education has become critical. Once again, community colleges are being asked to step forward and provide the skilled workforce to keep the nation competitive in a global economy. Community colleges are uniquely qualified to meet this challenge of educating a wide population to the level required for entry into the skilled workforce. While the inate principles of the community college will remain intact, the mission should expand to offer the baccalaureate degree to more students, at convenient locations, in a more student-centered learning environment, and at a greatly reduced cost.

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During the last century, community colleges made their mark by providing open access to higher education. This democratization of learning resulted in the development of more than 1,200 community and technical colleges across the United States. Since the first public junior college was founded, the broader community college mission has expanded from a singular focus on university transfer to include technical and vocational education, adult education, workforce development, and remedial education. In the new century, the demand for even greater access to education has become critical. Once again, community colleges are being asked to step forward and provide the skilled workforce to keep the nation competitive in a global economy.

Availability, Affordability, and Convenience

Community colleges are uniquely qualified to meet the demand for training and educating a workforce to the level necessary to meet the needs of the twenty-first century. Moreover, the community college, because of its history of serving the socioeconomically disadvantaged populace, can open the door to even greater numbers of people. In this global economy, the baccalaureate degree is necessary for entry into many well-paying jobs of business and industry. Expanding the mission of the community college to offer the baccalaureate degree is a logical step since the community college can provide the degree to more learners, at convenient locations, in a more learner-centered environment, and at a greatly reduced cost to the learner and the state.

Edmund Gleazer, in his book on the community college, Values, Vision and Vitality (1980), points out that "the community college was sold on the basis, primarily, of providing college space and, secondarily, vocational-technical training. "`Mission,' as far as the public was concerned, was `college'" (p. 5). Gleazer notes that as community colleges expanded across the country, it became readily apparent that they would serve unique communities and needs. "Some observers say there are dangers in attempting to be specific with regard to mission," (p. 5) Gleazer points out. "Anytime we can describe the community college in definitive, specific terms, we will destroy it. It has to be different in different areas. The institution must be able to change as communities change with new conditions, demands, or circumstances" (p. 5).

Now community colleges find themselves in the midst of new challenges and changes, fueled by projections of unprecedented demands for higher education in the near future. "Projected increases in the number of college-age students threaten to overwhelm many state public higher education systems during the next decade" (Ehrenberg, 2000, p. 34).

A Compelling Purpose

Community colleges were designed to serve students who were not readily admissible to the university, students with limited financial means, poor academic records, language difficulties, and family concerns that made it hard for them to attend four-year institutions. Community colleges continue to serve those students well, and continue to adapt and adjust their programs to meet the changing needs of the community. As our institutions go about identifying community needs today, surveys and focus groups show that, in addition to the increasing need for basic skills and short-cycle training and certification, these same students want to earn baccalaureate degrees. Significantly, they are not always interested in, or capable of transferring, to traditional baccalaureate degree colleges or universities. Rather, they seek to earn the baccalaureate degree at their community college.

Much of the reason for this groundswell of support for community college baccalaureate degrees can be found in the students themselves. According to the latest census report, undergraduates are getting older. The percentage of college undergraduates age 24-34 has increased to 21%, compared to only 10% in 1970 (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1999). In addition to these returning students and first-time older college students, community colleges have traditionally attracted students with poor academic records, language difficulties, and limited resources. In fact, community colleges enroll more than one half of all minorities, women, and persons with disabilities who are engaged in higher education (Campbell, 2000).