Even though the antecedents of American higher education can be traced to the ancient universities of England, the American system has moved beyond the original model. Community colleges, although a unique American invention, can still learn from what is happening in modem-day Britain. The conversion of the British polytechnics into universities is parallel to the move by some community colleges to offer a workforce bachelor's degree. Based on the British experience, community colleges would do well to remain within their well-defined, universally understood parameters, rather than becoming hybrid institutions.
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