Additional Reading Material to Unit 5

Read the text “Community Colleges”. Mark the sentences True (T) or False (F).

1. Community colleges are four-year higher educational institutions.

2. Community colleges are former junior colleges.

3. Community college graduates can transfer to a university to complete a bachelor’s degree.

4. Admission to community colleges is very competitive.

5. Community colleges grant an associate's degree.

6. Tuition at community colleges is as high as at universities.

7. Community college students are engaged in many extracurricular activities.

8. People with Associate's and Bachelor's degrees have equal career opportunities (равные возможности карьерного роста).

Community Colleges

In the United States, community colleges are two-year public institutions of higher education and were once called junior colleges. However, the term "junior college" has evolved to describe private two-year institutions. After graduating from a community college, some students transfer to a university or liberal arts college for two to three years to complete a bachelor's degree, while others enter the workforce.

In several California (like Los Angeles and San Francisco) and in other large cities (New York City and Chicago), community colleges are often called "city colleges," since they were municipally-funded and designed to serve the needs of the residents of the city in which they are situated.

Community colleges (former junior colleges) were created in the early 20^th century as an education response to urbanization, industrialization and economic development.

In North America, community colleges operate under a policy of "open admission." That is, anyone with a high school diploma may attend. Although students have to take assessment tests before enrolling at the college, because not all courses have open admission. Under certain circumstances, community colleges will also accept high school students or dropouts. The open admission policy results in a wide range of students attending community college classes. Students range in age from teenagers in high school to working adults taking classes at night to complete a degree or gain additional skills.

Community colleges grant certificates, diplomas and an associate's degree. An associate’s degree allows starting jobs requiring some level of college education but not a full four-year degree. The associate's degree program also allows students who wish to obtain a bachelor's degree at a four-year college.

Community colleges have some evident advantages. First of all, they are much cheaper than four-year colleges. Besides, students who cannot afford campus or off-site housing at a four-year college can attend courses while staying in their local community. Also, community colleges can work with local businesses to develop training which meets local needs, while a four-year institution generally focuses on state-wide or national needs.

Community college professors are dedicated to teaching. Classes are generally small, about the size of a standard high school class. In comparison, a four-year college course may be taught to 300+ students by a teaching assistant. In addition, community college professors can work more closely with their students, and offer them support, while at a four-year college, a professor's primary mission is to conduct academic research.

But these institutions also have some disadvantages. It is frequent for many courses to be taught by part-time lecturers holding a master's degree (or bachelor's degree) in the field. Many community colleges lack on-campus housing. This creates so-called “commuter campuses”, in which nearly all students commute to class only, with the campus completely deserted during off-hours. This makes participation in study groups difficult to coordinate, and extracurricular activities suffer as well. Research shows that individuals with Associate's degrees earn less than those with Bachelor's degrees.

Community colleges typically have smaller libraries than universities, which reduces the research opportunities of their students.

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