COMMUNITY COLLEGE PERCEPTION PAPER

Community College Perception Paper

Vanessa Boyd
AET/555
Jennifer Churchill-Allen

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Understanding who community college learners are can help us understand how accurately
they are depicted in popular media. Leaders in the field have argued that two words sum up
(community college) students: number and variety. (Cohen & Brawer, 1996, p.39). I did not
have the opportunity to attend a community college. However because of the high school
students that I mentored and taught, I was able to receive some first-hand accounts of their
experiences at the community college. The community college provided my students with an
opportunity to receive an educational opportunity outside of high school. These students were
not able to attend a four-year college or university and so the community college was their
chance to compete with other learners in the workforce. The criterion by which I judge the
effectiveness of a community college are the content of the mission statement, the breadth and
variety of programs offered along with the quality of instructions delivered to the learners. I get
my answers of the effectiveness of a community college from the opinions of students and
community liaisons affiliated with the community college.
From my observations and experiences with learners I believe that there are several groups of
students who choose to attend a community college. Some of these students who attend
community college are students who do not have the financial ability to pay for a four year
college. These students parents or guardians do not have the ability to pay for a four year college
or do not have the credit ratings that allowed them to get a bank loan. Another type of student
who attends community college is one who is older and looking to start a new career. These
students are starting over because they ran into jobs that were not capable of financial supporting
their bills. There is another group of student who attend community college, these are the
students whose grade point average in high school was too low for acceptance into an accredited
four year colleges. These students at the last hour recognize the importance of higher education

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so their last resort is a community college. There is also an interesting group of students who
attend community college. These are the ones who have anxiety about going far away from
home, anxiety about narrowing in on a major of study and anxiety about being academically
ready for college.
I have not attended a community college, however I have my own perception of the
quality of instruction that community colleges provide to their students. I feel like the quality of
education varies from one community college to another. If the finances at a community are
limited I believe that there is a direct relationship with the quality of the instruction. It mirrors
what I see happening in the inner city schools in the United States of America. Limited finances
tend to attract the less qualified and less experienced educators. The resources are also limited at
community colleges that have limited dollars for the learners. Limited resources will affect the
quality of instruction. So the community colleges that are able to acquire more dollars to their
institutions will produce a better quality instruction.
Through my interaction with students who have attended community colleges I came to the
conclusion that the mission and purpose of community colleges is to prepare learners with other
options (vocational/technological/traditional) for advancement into the American workforce. The
mission and purpose also provides leadership skills that will enable the students to leave a
positive mark in society. I believe the general mission and purpose of community colleges is to
bridge the gap in higher education between the financially secure and the financially unsure.
Within the mission and purpose of the community college I hear a tone of opportunity, last
chance, start over, convenience, and choice. But, as Scholars have pointed out, the student

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experience extends far beyond the classroom. ( Kuh, Schuh, & Whitt, 1991: Komives &
woodward, 1996)
In order for community colleges to maintain their attraction to their target market they must
provide breadth and relevance in the program they offer their learners. The need of the
community college varies and so the programs must match that variation. Some students are look
for long-term skills while others are looks to acquire short-term skills. Students who I know who
have graduated from community college were satisfied with the breadth of the programs that
were offered to them. They were pleased that they were able to receive the instruction that they
needed. Some wanted to be coming nursing assistants other dental assistants while some wanted
to be certified auto mechanics and certified computer technicians. I do believe these students
when they say that the breadth of the community college satisfied them. However I sometimes
read a bit more into their commentary and I hear the words easy and not challenging missing
from their opinion. It just seems like these students breeze their programs. I personally know the
academic ability of these students while they were in high school so I often wonder if they are
receiving a high quality education. I even wonder if they are being challenged. Maybe I am just a
skeptic and they do receive quality programs from their community colleges.
If I was to establish my own community college my mission would say, we will equip you
with the necessary tools that will ensure that you can compete with others who are in the same
interest field as you. I strongly believe that a community college should ensure that the programs
they offer provide variety and breadth. The instruction that the students receive should be on the
same level as the top four-year college and university. The academic support system should be
strategic to meet the needs of the various learners. Community colleges should produce

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graduates that are qualified candidates for employment. A community college to me should be
like a strong village that wraps around the villagers to produce independent thinkers who can
take ownership of their lives.