This paper discusses the development of community colleges in the United States and Canada, outlines some of their key distinguishing characteristics and the main models that have developed with regard to student entry to higher education and student transfer between institutions, and attempts an evaluation of the community college idea, looking at both strengths and weaknesses. The paper then explores the possible relevance of the community college for Australian higher education today.
References
1.
PartridgeP. H.The future of higher education: problems and perspectives in HarmanG. S.SelbySmith C. (Eds.) Australian Higher Education: Problems of a Developing System. Sydney: Angus and Robertson, 1972, 169–185; Miller, A. H. The American Junior College and tertiary education in Australia. Australian Journal of Higher Education. 1968, 3, 149–154; and Fricker, L. P. Community Colleges in the U.S.A.: Report on a Study Tour Arranged by the U.S. Department of State, January-February 1975. Canberra: 1975, 42. See also Fricker, L. P. Models of community colleges. Paper presented to the Conference on The Community College in Australia, Darling Downs Institute of Advanced Education, November, 1976, 29.
2.
Commonwealth of Australia. Tertiary Education in Australia: Report of the Committee on the Future of Tertiary Education in Australia to the Australian Universities Commission. Melbourne: Government Printer, 1964, Vol. 1, ii.
3.
In this paper “higher education” is used to cover all post-secondary and post-school education. One current problem for discussions in Australia about this sector of education is that the terms “higher education”, “post-secondary educationnnn” and “tertiary education” are used to mean different things, and often the precise meaning in mind is not made clear.
4.
DennisonJohn. The concept of the community college in Australian Government Commission of Inquiry into Poverty. Lifelong Education and Poor People: Three Studies. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service, 1976, 51–71.
5.
On Darwin Community College, see AndersonD. S.BattK. J.RosenbergK. J.Communities and Colleges: Post-compulsory Education in Northern Australia. Canberra: Education Research Unit, Research School of Social Science, Australian National University, 1976, 283; and Giese, Nancy. The Darwin Community College. Paper presented to the Conference on The Community College in Australia, Darling Downs Institute of Advanced Education, November, 1976, 27.
6.
Technical and Further Education Commission. Report for the Triennium 1977–1979. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service, 1976, 89.
7.
Post-Secondary Education in Western Australia: Report of the Committee on Post-Secondary Education, Appointed by the Minister for Education in Western Australia under the Chairmanship of Professor P. H. Partridge. Perth: Government Printer, 1976, 110; and Report of the Committee on Post-Secondary Education in Tasmania. Canberra: Australian Government Publishing Service, 1976, 72–73.
8.
On planning for the first community college in New South Wales, see Community Colleges: Preliminary Report on the Development of Community Colleges in New South Wales with Special Reference to the New England and Orana Regions. Sydney: Ministry of Education, 1975, 40; and Community Colleges: Report of the Committee on the Application of the Community College Concept in the Orana and New England Regions. Sydney: Ministry of Education, 1977, 80.
9.
By far the best introductions to U.S. community colleges are MedskerLeland L.TilleryDale. Breaking the Access Barriers: A Profile of Two-Year Colleges. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1971, 183 pp.; Medsker, Leland L. The Junior College: Progress and Prospect. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1960, 367 pp.; and Clark, B. R. The Open Door College. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1960, 207 pp. On Canada there are no general introductions of the same kind. However, the most useful publications are Dennison, John D. et al. The Impact of Community Colleges: A Study of the College Concept in British Columbia. Vancouver: B.C. Research, 1975, 184 pp.; KonradAbram G. (Ed.) Clientele and Community: The Student in the Canadian Community College. Toronto: Association of Canadian Community Colleges, 1974, 158 pp.; Thiemann, Francis C. Environments and Paradigms: Factors Affecting the Establishment of a Canadian Association of Community Colleges and Patterns of Resolution. Toronto: Canadian Commission for the Community College, 1971, 183 pp.; and Watson, C. New College Systems in Canada. Paris: OECD, 1973, 136 pp.
10.
The Carnegie Commission on Higher Education. The Open Door Colleges: Policies for Community Colleges. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1970, 1.
11.
This section draws heavily on Dennison. The Community College Concept and its Application.
12.
MedskerTillery, op. cit., 58.
13.
MedskerTillery, op. cit., 68.
14.
A study in 1963 found that the unit cost per instructional hour for lower division students was $23.63 in the University of California and $18.51 in the State College system compared to $14.69 for community colleges.
15.
MedskerTillery, op. cit., 58–59.
16.
Progress report on Flow Study. Diablo Valley College Memorandum from the Director of Institutional Research to Administrators and Division heads. 1975.
