Non-Traditional Educational Institutions: The American Community College

Student affairs and higher education professionals are employed by a wide variety of institutions, yet most often, our coursework and research focuses on traditional, four-year, public institutions. However, in this course students will study the community college and its role in American higher education. The history, purpose, mission, functions, and critiques of community colleges make up the course’s first module. In module two, areas related to student life at community colleges will be examined; they include access, persistence, and culture. Administration, governance, and leadership together with consideration of community college faculty and staff are the subjects of the third module. The emphasis of module four is on instructional technology, internationalization, and enrollment management. Finally, module five encompasses policy and politics, institutional change and effectiveness, assessment and strategic planning, and concludes the course.Students in this hybrid course will be engaged in ongoing and lively online and face to face discussion, group work, critical thinking and reading, and collaborative learning activities. Further, each student will “adopt” a community college as a means to add real-world conversation about the history, current state, and future of the American community college. This will require students to engage in ongoing research, reflection and application. Course ObjectivesAs a result of this course, students will be able to:1. Trace the historical roots and evolution of the American community college.2. Describe the mission, goals and functions of the American community college.3. Explain the contribution of the community college to American higher education.4. Outline the multiple roles played by community college student affairs professionals, administrators, and faculty.5. Assess the needs and describe the composition of the diverse community college student body.6. Compare and contrast the governance, leadership, administration and institutional culture of the Americancommunity college with other colleges and universities.7. Critically assess literature on the American community college8. Formulate a position on issues related the function(s) and future of the American community college.9. Evaluate if a career in the community college system is of interest.10. Write more concisely, coherently, and analytically, using APA style guidelines.