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From Access to Equity: Community Colleges and the Social Justice Imperative

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Book cover Higher Education: Handbook of Theory and Research

Part of the book series: Higher Education: Handbook of Theory and Research ((HATR,volume 34))

Abstract

In the United States, community colleges continue to serve as a critical pathway for populations underserved by selective postsecondary systems. However, the role of community colleges as democratic institutions advancing equitable outcomes is being confronted by contemporary policies which stress private returns and market-based outcomes. In this chapter, authors challenge this trend, (re)casting the role of community colleges as equity-centered institutions for advancing enrollment, persistence, and completion for a diverse set of learners. We explore the foundational evolution of community colleges, including the historical tensions between business interests and democratic principles; summarize key policies that shape community engagement and individual participation; and explore the threat of neoliberal forces for advancing social and economic equity at community colleges. Implications for contemporary theory and recommendations for future research are also presented.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    A membership list was not available on the Rural Community College’s web site at the time of this publication.

  2. 2.

    Predominantly Black Institutions (PBIs) are institutions that are not historically black, but currently serve a student population that is at least 40 percent African American. Many community colleges and two-year colleges meet this eligibility. Predominantly Black Institutions Program - Formula Grants. (n.d.). In U.S. Department of Education. Retrieved July 7, 2018 from https://www2.ed.gov/programs/pbihea/eligibility.html

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Education, Iowa State University, Ames, IA, USA

    Lorenzo DuBois Baber

  2. University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, IL, USA

    Eboni M. Zamani-Gallaher

  3. Westminster College, New Wilmington, PA, USA

    Tamara N. Stevenson

  4. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA

    Jeff Porter

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  4. Jeff Porter
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  1. College of Education, University of Iowa, Iowa City, IA, USA

    Michael B. Paulsen

  2. Graduate School of Education, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA

    Laura W. Perna

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Baber, L.D., Zamani-Gallaher, E.M., Stevenson, T.N., Porter, J. (2019). From Access to Equity: Community Colleges and the Social Justice Imperative. In: Paulsen, M.B., Perna, L.W. (eds) Higher Education: Handbook of Theory and Research. Higher Education: Handbook of Theory and Research, vol 34. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-03457-3_5

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