Community College Deserves More Respect!

It’s so much more than you think

Community College: the multifaceted, yet often overlooked gem of our society. The much maligned and disrespected cousin to the traditional four-year university.

I have noticed in my eleven years of teaching high school that seniors poised to attend four-year colleges, and recently graduated students currently attending four-year institutions, are very proud to announce their collegiate endeavors. Conversely, students planning to attend, or currently attending, community colleges are much more likely to downplay their college plans and even add a disclaimer such as, “well, it’s just for now” or “well, I’m ONLY going to community college”. There seems to be a shame and stigma attached to community college, with the perception that it exists for students who are “less than” or “not good enough”.

But is this a fair judgment?

I personally know of many professionals who got their start in local community colleges and went on to gain graduate degrees. For example, I have two cousins who each began their educational journeys in community colleges: one is currently a community college professor; the other is a medical doctor. They both hail community college as an invaluable and cost-saving institution in our society.

In episode six of the Education Today podcast, I spoke with Dr. Simone Jenkins, Dean of Associate of Science programs at Hillsborough Community College in Brandon, FL, about how the community college is actually an invaluable gem in our society with so much to offer. Here are some key takeaways from our conversation:

· High school students have access to dual enrollment classes at their local community college. Sometimes, these classes are available on the high school’s campus, but usually, students go to the community college to partake in these classes. This program allows students to gain college credit that will transfer over to whichever college they decide to attend. The best part is that, for most students, these classes are gratis, meaning students get to earn college credit for free, thus saving themselves, and their parents, tuition money in the future. My own sons took advantage of this program while in high school and were able to get a head start on college.

· Starting at a community college can provide huge savings for those seeking a four-year degree. Freshman and sophomore students in a community college AA program complete the same courses they would have taken at a four-year college but at a fraction of the cost. In the state of Florida, there is an agreement in place so students attaining an AA degree from a local community college can then transfer into any state university of their choosing to complete their bachelor’s degree.

· Community colleges provide much-needed workforce programs for those training to become EMTs, linemen, firefighters, electricians, mechanics, etc., and apparently, these fields are in great demand.

· The community colleges in the two counties adjacent to me even provide a four-year degree program for nursing, so students can earn a BSN at a fraction of the cost of a traditional four-year institution. Two years into the program, they have earned an RN degree and can, if they so choose, begin working with this credential while continuing to pursue their BSN at the community college.

· Community colleges also provide certification programs in evolving fields such as cybersecurity and IT for professionals wishing to improve their resumes or even change fields completely.

· Those who have non-education degrees but wish to become certified teachers, perhaps as a second career, can usually find teacher alternative certification programs at their local community colleges. I actually completed such a program many years ago on my own journey to becoming a classroom teacher.

The community college has been given a bad rap, but it clearly holds great value in terms of what it offers to high school students, degree-seeking students, career-changers, and those in various workforce and career sectors seeking trained and competent employees. It will be interesting to see whether the push, in many states, to make community college free will either help or hinder its reputation going forward. While the initiative is highly commendable, we know that when things become free, they can lose their value in the eyes of the people.

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You can hear the entire podcast episode here: https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/rTL8JAEjhyb