Community College Reflection Paper
Brian Pierce
AET/ 555 Overview of the Community College
August 04, 2014
Dr. Luke Petriccione

Community College Reflection Paper
Who Attends a Community College? Students who attend a community college consist of a large range of backgrounds and learning styles. There are students who are young and students who are in their mid to late careers. Students attend a community college for varies reasons and have different needs when attending. A couple of the reasons to attend a community college are to receive vocational training or work towards a four year university. Over half the students who attend four year colleges to receive an undergraduate degree attend a community college first ("Students at Community Colleges ", 2014). Some of the needs required of students consist of those who seek to upgrade skills, those pursuing an associate degree and even those who wish to pursue a hobby ("Students at Community Colleges ", 2014). Whatever the reason these students attend a community college it is clear these institutions serve a very diverse student body. When reflecting on my original opinion regarding who attends a community college I now can see just how deep these institutions are striving to keep pace with a ever changing student body.
Quality of instruction When discussing the quality of education at a community college Mary Ferguson a community college examiner makes a valid point when she says Ferguson (2014), "Education is deemed legally as a citizen's right but quality is in the possession of the professor.” We can have all the funding and all the latest text, but without the professionals who teach at these institutions making every effort to give the high level of education now expected at a community college we would fall short of the mark. Community colleges in today’s fast pace and ever changing learning environment seek to fill faculty positions with individuals who are not just educated but also experienced in the field in which they are to teach. When I first analyzed this topic I felt quantity and quality must overlap to make a community college successful. I now see this goes further than just a college being in line with regulations and policies of its trustees, it must also depend largely on the skills and perseverance of its instructors.
Mission and purpose I originally used Spokane Community College (SCC) and some historical perspective when answering this section in week ones paper. Now that I have been able to see the mission and purpose of other community colleges other students have visited I can see the mission of SCC does not stand alone. I feel every successful community college seeks to better serve not only the local community but also better prepare their student body for the careers that are ahead of them.
Breadth and relevance of program offerings I had originally elected to break down the different tiered structures that SCC had regarding its program offerings to discuss this section. Now entering the last week of this course I see my understanding of the community colleges themselves is to offer more every year to their student bodies. These institutions strive to work with universities in their state to insure transferability of credits and also to provide more vocational programs to meet the markets demands.

Any personal experience with a community college My past experience attending the Community College of the Air Force gave me a good gage to judge SCC when making my visit. My experience during this visit was enlightening and productive in my learning about the vast range of change these colleges have made in the last ten years. I originally looked at my associate’s degree from my community college as a means to get my undergraduate degree only. Now I see there is value in this degree and the experience I receive while in the Air Force was vital in my long term success in completing my undergraduate degree. The understanding I now have of these institutions brings a large amount of respect from me and those students currently attending community colleges across the country.

References

Ferguson, M. (2014). Quality verses quantity in community college classroom instruction. Retrieved from http://www.examiner.com/article/quality-verses-quantity- community-college-classroom-instruction Students at Community Colleges. (2014). Retrieved from http://www.aacc.nche.edu/AboutCC/Trends/Pages/studentsatcommunitycolleges.aspx