Book Review: Gateway to Opportunity: A History of the Community College in the United States

Abstract

J. M. Beach Gateway to Opportunity: A History of Community College in United States. Herndon, VA: Stylus Publishing, 201 1. 195 pp. $29.95 (paper). ISBN 978-1-57922-452-3J. M. Beach's Gateway to Opportunity? A History of Community College in United States explores formation and historical evolution of community college to better understand how this social institution has changed and how these changes will affect its future. Although substantial literature exists on history of American higher education, in general, relatively little attention has been given to institutional history of community college. Beach's focus on community college as an evolving social institution offers a perspective not found in earlier literature.More specifically, book addresses historical challenges institution experienced in attempting to realize its commitments to comprehensive mission, student access, institutional effectiveness, and greater financial security. Beach also examines community college's experience in addressing racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic issues. Beach considers these challenges and issues from perspectives of faculty members, administrators, state officials, local communities, and students. This broadbased approach is warranted given his belief that the ultimate effectiveness of any institution of education is enabled or constrained by social, economic, and political context in which it operates (p. 132). As Beach's primary focus is historical institutionalization of community college, he does not provide an extensive description of organization, as is found in other works such as Cohen and Brawer's The American Community College (2008).Gateway to Opportunity is divided into four chapters. In chapter 1, Beach explores creation and institutionalization of junior college and focuses on period from 1900 to 1980. He begins with a brief discussion of origins of U.S. higher education and social, political, and economic factors that led to establishment and development of junior college under leadership of political and educational progressives. Beach explains that nation's educational system was embedded with contradictions that resulted in institutions created not only to educate but also to sort students into predetermined social classes based on economic status, race, and gender (p. 8). From this point, author discusses differing historical opinions regarding purpose and mission of junior college and dilemma of institutionalizing a college designed to both prepare students for transfer to a 4-year university and deliver vocational training. Chapter 1 includes a discussion of issues of segregation and equality as junior college slowly evolved into a comprehensive community institution as centralized state higher education planning emerged in 1960s.In chapter 2, Beach reviews period from 1 980 to 2000, specifically New Left critics and their pointed assessment of community college. Beach provides concise and thoughtful reflections on research by Clark, Zwerling, London, Weis, Pincus, and Brint and Karabel. Beach then describes responses to New Left critics offered by several scholars including Dougherty, Levin, and Cohen and Brawer. This presentation of varying views on institutionalization of community college offers a unique contemporary account of how this debate unfolded in literature. Chapters 1 and 2 provide insight into major themes and debates concerning institutionalization of community college and related funding and faculty issues. However, for Beach, it appears that scholarship of institutionalization had relatively little to do with instruction, and his discussion offers only limited insight into instructional issues. …