News & Views item - January 2011

 

 

Science Education and the US Community (2-year) College. (January 14, 2011)

In the September 3, 2010 issue of Science George Boggs, president and chief executive officer of the American Association of Community Colleges, wrote of the "Growing Roles for Science Education in Community Colleges". He summarised his argument:

 

In an increasingly global society and economy, education and training beyond compulsory primary and secondary education—especially in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)—is essential to a nation's competitiveness and its standard of living. Community colleges, originally developed at the turn of the 20th century as open-admissions junior colleges and offering the first two years of a baccalaureate education, help meet this need. These colleges have evolved into comprehensive institutions, preparing students to transfer to upper-division universities or to enter the workforce directly. Enrolling 43% of all U.S. undergraduates, community colleges play important roles in developing public scientific literacy, educating scientists and engineers, and addressing the nation's need for well-prepared technicians. But challenges remain.

 

Below we reprint from today's issue of Science a letter debating Dr Boggs' contention and Dr Boggs' response.

_________________________________________________________

 

Fostering Success at Community Colleges

In the Education Forum “Growing Roles for Science Education in community colleges” (3 September 2010, p. 1151), G. R. Boggs proposes that community college curriculums be revised to include science projects or research-based experiences.

Most community college students are not prepared to undertake such extracurricular research. In urban colleges, most students must work full or part time, and many of them have involved personal lives. Few would have the time or flexibility to take advantage of the kind of programs Boggs proposes.

Since when has a lack of science research experience been an impediment to community college students expecting to transfer to a 4-year college? For that matter, when has their ultimate goal been to enroll in a 4-year college? The goal of many community college students is to graduate with an associate's degree that might qualify them for professional jobs [often better compensated than those that require a bachelor's degree] such as dental and medical assistants, computer specialists, and engineering technicians.

What community college students do need is professional guidance to help them survive academically as they contend with personal and financial predicaments. Such support in community colleges is too often in short supply. According to the National Survey of Counseling Center Directors in 2009, 73% of directors describe their centers as primarily a mental health/psychological center rather than primarily a career development center. In colleges (including both 4-year and community programs), there are approximately 1500 students per a single counselor.

Boggs makes but a single reference to improving “student support services,” along with tutoring for unprepared students. Additional funding for both, rather than the costly, hardly essential addition of project and research programs, is what community colleges really need.

 Igor V. Zaitsev

Science Department, Borough of Manhattan Community College, CUNY

Fostering Success at Community Colleges—Response

 Zaitsev Raises a valid argument for increasing student support services. It is good to see faculty understanding of the obstacles that community college students face. I certainly agree that more resources should be devoted to student guidance, tutoring services, and financial aid, and I strongly advocate for the importance of these programs. However, that does not mean that attention should not also be placed on the quality of the academic program. The Committee of Undergraduate Science Education of the National Research Council states that “[i]nstitutions of higher education should provide diverse opportunities for all undergraduates to study science, mathematics, engineering, and technology as practiced by scientists and engineers, and as early in their academic careers as possible”. One way to accomplish this is to involve students in science projects or research experiences. There are many examples of undergraduate research projects at community colleges, including several good examples of student research at Zaitsev's institution.

Student transfer to upper-division universities is an important goal for many community college students. We need to continue to do what we can to remove the obstacles to their success.

 George R. Boggs