Some Tough Questions About Community Colleges

Using a question-and-answer format, this booklet addresses eleven of the most frequently posed questions about community, technical, and junior colleges and attempts to allay misunderstandings about the nature and role of these institutions. The questions cover the distinctions between the different types of 2-year college; their history and missions; programs and degrees offered; instructional orientation; clientele; student goals; the extent of minority student participation; reasons for student attrition; sources of financial support; and the continued expansion of the colleges. The answers provided emphasize the variety of community college programs; the base of the colleges in the community; the expansion of the colleges since the late 1950s; the distinctive role of community colleges in contrast to 4-year institutions; their role in providing lifelong learning and accessible, low-cost education; the areas in which degrees and certificates are offered; the commitment of faculty to teaching rather than research; the variety of students attending the colleges and the diversity of their goals; the growth in minority enrollments; the significant impact of the colleges on the economy; and the important role of community colleges in providing occupational education to two-thirds of all postsecondary occupational education students and the significant position of vocational education within the college curriculum. (HB)