Equal Educational Opportunity and the Community College

Abstract

Unquestionably, community colleges have experienced a boom in student population since the mid 1960s. There has also been a concomitant increase in the number of such public institutions, from 366 in 1962 to 901 in 1974. What is especially noteworthy are the following factors: (1) there continues to be a pronounced discrepancy between faculty background characteristics and the functions of the community college; and (2) the often-stated mission of the community college to provide equal educational opportunity (which was precipitated by the various social forces of the 1960s) is inextricably tied to the perceptual roles and functions of the faculty. This paper examines some selected-areas of conflict between faculty background characteristics and the function of the community college. Since fifty percent of Black college enrollment is concentrated in the community college, the question of the impact of these observations is critical in terms of the ramifications of access and opportunity. Opportunity beyond access seems to be the crux of the matter. For instance, how can attitudes be changed when a gap continues to exist between graduate education and the preparation of community college instructors and the real needs of the population being served? Karabell states that increased access does not automatically lead to a genuine expansion of educational opportunity. The critical question is not who gains access to higher education, but rather what happens to people once they get there. It seems