Special Preparation for Two-Year College Biologists?

Abstract

of two-year colleges is helpful in understanding the nature of these institutions. Basic to understanding the mission of the community college is the realization that these institutions are the community and for the community. Their genesis, support, and governance are largely local matters; their student body is almost entirely a commuting one; and their programs are geared to satisfy local educational needs, both academic and occupational. Examination of the programs of a large number of two-year colleges suggests the generalization that these institutions attempt to serve students who plan to transfer to a fouryear college to complete a baccalaureate degree, some who wish to pursue a two-year occupational program, and yet others who want to take general interest or continuing education courses. In short, the two-year college has something for nearly everyone and because of a nearly unrestricted entry policy, everyone can have something. This commitment has been noted by both dedicated supporters and strong critics of two-year colleges as attempting to be things to all people. Whether this is possible, in reality, needs some objective study away from the emotional espousement of the believer and the cursory repudiation of the nonbeliever. The comprehensive mission of the two-year college and the open door policy create apparent problems in teacher preparation which are compounded by a secondary educational attitude that pervades a majority of community colleges. This inclination is due in large measure to the historical development of community colleges. By and large, public two-year colleges have, in an historical sense, grown out of secondary school systems-in many cases their inception was as the 13th and 14th grades, tied both administratively and fiscally to local boards of education. This situation has led many critics to think of the two-year colleges as glorified high schools or truncated colleges. Unfortunately, some justification for questioning the collegiate nature of these institutions has existed because of the tendency to appoint secondary school administrators to positions of leadership in two-year colleges. The natural tendency of these administrators has been to look to the high schools in recruiting their staff. To support this contention, one has but to look at the biologists now teaching in two-year colleges to see that about 40% have moved directly from high school teaching into two-year colleges (Higgins and Creager, 1970). This is not to suggest that such administrators nor the teachers they recruited were incompetent, but rather to emphasize the setting of a tone quite different from that which prevailed in four-year institutions. Right or wrong, this tone still predominates in two-year colleges across the country and two-year colleges have administrators and teachers who are