The following Viewpoint appeared in the
Kalamazoo Gazette on Tuesday, 20 February 2007
NOTE: This Viewpoint appears to have ruffled the feathers of the KVCC
administration, as they have called me in for an "exploratory" meeting--whatever
that means--to ask me some questions about the Viewpoint.
Weigh Options Carefully When Choosing a College
Anecdotal evidence from my classes at Kalamazoo Valley Community College (KVCC) supports Judith Putnam’s article “More H.S. grads going to community colleges” (Kalamazoo Gazette, January 28, 2007): over the past twenty-one years students enrolling in my classes are younger and the number of female students has increased. As a community college graduate and teacher, I support and agree with many of the comments made in the article: community colleges are less expensive than four-year institutions; most (but certainly not all) classes tend to be smaller than freshmen and sophomore classes at large public universities; and in general a student can get a quality classroom education at a community college.
But I would also argue that in painting such a rosy picture of the community college the article fails to mention several other aspects of the community college that parents and students—particularly those students who desire to transfer to a four-year institution—need to know when considering enrolling in a community college.
Michael Kelly (Mott Community College) states in the article that “For the high school student bound for a bachelor’s degree, the community college is becoming such a cost-effective way of getting from here to there.” While Mr. Kelly is correct that community colleges are “cost effective,” he fails to mention that “although four-fifths of the students entering a community college say their goal is to earn a bachelor’s degree or higher, only 18 percent actually do that within eight years of their enrollment date” (Village Voice,” Jan. 9, ’07). In other words, it is not quite so easy for community college students to get from the community college to the university. The sobering fact is that high school graduates who meet the admission requirements for enrolling in a four-year institution but who enroll in a community college are less likely to earn a bachelor’s degree than students who enrolled directly in a four-year institution.
Mike Hansen (President, Michigan Community College Association) states that “When the economy goes bad, parents say, ‘Hey, look, not only can we not afford the four-year school, you’re going to have to work a little bit.’” On the face of it this comment seems reasonable and research shows that students who work while in college actually do as well or better than those who don’t work. However, more than half of community college students work full time (not “a little bit”) and, as my students will attest—almost all of whom work, some more than forty hours per week— the reality is that “the college experience is more difficult, more stressful, and longer for students who work” (Keeping America’s Promise: A Report on the Future of the Community College). In addition, it is highly likely that students being told this by parents are from low-income (or even middle-income) families. (Just like it is highly likely that students from high-income families are being told or encouraged by their parents to enroll in four-year institutions.)
Students from low-income families are at further risk of not earning a bachelor’s degree. The greatest indicator for a community college student to earn a bachelor’s degree is the student’s parents’ social economic status (SES); in other words, the higher the parents’ SES the greater chance the student will transfer and earn a bachelor’s degree (“It’s Not Enough to Get Through the Open Door”).
As more and more high school graduates enroll in a community college, and as tuition rates at four-year institutions continue to rise, the challenge facing community colleges becomes how to improve the success rate of these students, especially low-income and minority students (who also face greater risks) who plan to transfer to a four-year institution to earn a bachelor’s degree.
Students and parents considering a community college versus a four-year institution need to have a clear understanding of not only the positives of enrolling in a community college but also the risks. If a high school graduate’s goal is to earn a bachelor’s degree or more, his or her best option may be to enroll directly in a four-year institution.