By Tom Brown

One day during the fall term of my senior year in high school, a college admissions officer advised me, in so many words, that I was "not college material."

Six years later, I was an Assistant Dean of Students at that same college. The bridge from my past to my future? A community college.

Community colleges have long provided a "second chance" to students whose high school records were not very strong. Today, however, more students are making two-year institutions their first choice as they begin their higher education journeys.

Mariana Rodriquez, whose warm smile greets customers at Vasconi's, plans to pursue a pre-med program at a U.C. campus after completing her pre-requisites at Napa Valley College (NVC). Mariana cited costs as one reason for her decision to attend a two-year college.

It is reasonable to conclude that community colleges are the best value in U.S. higher education. With fees of $20 per semester unit, a full-time California community college student pays less than $1,000 per academic year, compared to annual fees approaching $8,000 in the U.C. system and tuitions exceeding $30,000 at many private institutions.

California's 109 community colleges comprise the largest system of higher education in the world. Campuses like NVC and Santa Rosa Junior College (SRJC) offer programs that lead graduates to jobs in their fields immediately after graduating. Two-year colleges also offer transfer programs to public and private four-year institutions — providing the most direct access to U.C. campuses for students who do not gain admission from high school.

Community college alumni include mayors, governors, and members of Congress. The first woman Space Shuttle Commander, Eileen Collins, was a community college graduate, as are any number of outstanding professional athletes. Oscar winners Clint Eastwood, Morgan Freeman, and Tom Hanks attended California community colleges. Other graduates include fashion designers Jhane Barnes, Norma Kamali and Calvin Klein, Fortune 500 CEOs, and a winner of a Nobel Prize in Chemistry.

Despite the success of their graduates, outstanding programs, and low costs, Bruce Frank, a longtime counselor at St. Helena High School, said many students "look down on community colleges."

Frank recalled once asking seniors about their greatest fears; many were afraid of telling friends that they were planning to attend two-year colleges.

"We try very hard to impress on students the values of two-year colleges," said Frank, "but many high powered parents have the opposite view."

He suggested that some parents might be concerned about telling their friends that their daughter or son is enrolling at a community college.

There is no question about the significant academic and social opportunities at four-year colleges. However, teaching often counts for less on those campuses where the emphasis is on scholarship and research. For example, a recent Harvard Task Force called for greater attention to teaching at that distinguished university. The New York Times quoted a Harvard student as saying, "You'd be stupid if you came to Harvard for the teaching." However, classroom teaching is the primary work for community college faculty members.

Students attending large four-year institutions can find themselves in classes of 200, 300, even 500 students, where they often learn from teaching assistants (TAs). The rare large classrooms at campuses like SRJC often hold fewer than 100 students, and their average class size is reportedly 22 students. Small classes, particularly in the crucial first-year, are what students (and parents) expect when paying private college tuitions — where a single course can cost more than two full years at a community college.

Frank shared success stories of students who "get motivated at community colleges and go on to great careers at major universities." For example, "Last week I spoke to two recent SHHS grads who had just transferred to Berkeley and UCLA." These students were in the middle of their graduating classes and had limited choices. "Choosing the community college route allowed them to acquire the skills that put them back on track."

Rene Lopez, an accomplished artist who works at the Cameo Cinema, attended NVC after graduating from St. Helena High in 2004. Rene recently received a significant Presidential Scholarship from the highly competitive San Francisco Art Institute, where he will continue his studies in September. Rene's dynamic co-worker, Antonio Botello, will follow his example and enroll at NVC this fall, where he plans to explore programs in viticulture, while completing transfer requirements.

Former President Bill Clinton called community colleges, "America at its best." President George W. Bush identified community colleges as a major American asset, adding, "Community colleges are a hopeful place; a place where people gain the skills necessary to make their dreams come true." My personal and professional experiences confirm that, "Community colleges make winners out of ordinary people." 

Continue reading Tom Brown's next column - Community Colleges - America's Best Education Value Part II.

(Tom Brown is a St. Helena resident who was a dean at St. Mary's College of California for 27 years. He currently serves as a consultant and speaker at colleges and universities seeking to graduate more of the students they enroll.)

This article is re-printed courtesy of Tom Brown and the St. Helena Star of St. Helena, California. http://www.sthelenastar.com/