If there ever was an idea that should be dumped, it is the one that will corrupt the concept of California's community colleges by expanding them to four-year colleges. Our community colleges were conceived as part of an excellent master plan, which also included the state colleges and universities. Its purpose was to serve a number of functions, which the major colleges would not be doing.
Some of these are:
-- To offer AA degrees for programs that require only two years of study;
-- To allow students to attend community college for two years and then transfer to a four-year college;
-- To offer specific classes for adults that would enhance their jobs;
-- To give students who did not meet the entry requirements of four-year colleges another chance to prove themselves capable of doing college work;
-- To provide poorer families an opportunity to attend college;
-- To provide studies in mechanical and industrial arts; and
-- To offer specific courses that would meet the needs of local businesses.
The main reason put forth to allow for this expansion is that our state colleges and universities are turning away masses of students ---- now here is where the reasoning starts turning fuzzy ---- because of lack of funds and/or lack of space and/or lack of teachers.
