美国社区学院的利弊分析

An Analysis of Pros&Cons of Community Colleges in USA

美国社区学院是经常被忽略的存在,而这些社区学院恰恰是美国高等教育最成功的组成部分。新冠肺炎疫情带来了许多新的挑战,仔细研究探讨社区学院可能会给世界各地特别是中国教育界的同人们带来新的思路。本文的理念框架由以下四个部分组成:(1)水桶短板原理;(2)有教无类的哲学理念;(3)活到老学到老的行为方式;(4)水库的特殊功能。本文将围绕着这个理念框架着重探讨社区学院的发展过程,通过焦点小组访谈和个别采访,对美国社区学院的特点进行归纳和探讨,同时将社区学院面临的挑战以及可能的应对提出建议。用水库的特殊功能来展示社区学院的与众不同之处是本文的独特贡献,因为水库的排涝(解决失业带来的巨大社会压力)抗旱(为就业市场提供各种各样的人才,特别是技工类型的短缺人才)功能唯有美国的社区学院具备。除此之外,社区学院还是各种娱乐休闲活动中心,同时还具备源源不断向四年制的本科院校输送毕业生的重要作用,课程设置方面的无缝连接更值得称道,博雅教育与四年制院校几乎一样,但是美国社区学院在重视博雅教育的同时更注重工匠教育,从制度上保证了活到老学到老和终身学习的教育理念能够得到实施。

Very few scholars or lay persons have paid much attention to community colleges in the USA.However,community colleges in the USA are the most successful component of US higher education.The COVID-19 Pandemic has brought many new challenges to the higher education community,the best practices of American community colleges may shed light on the future of higher education in the global village and higher educational leaders in China,This paper is guided by the following conceptual framework:1)the shortest piece of board decides how much water a bucket can contain;2)everyone and anyone can benefit from a good education;3)Live&learn concept;and 4)the metaphor of reservoir representing community colleges in terms of functions.This paper studies the history of community colleges’development,and special contributions community colleges’have made to the economic development of the USA,and the lessons that Chinese educators could learn from their American colleagues when they deal with new challenges.This paper uses reservoir as a metaphor to highlight the unique features and functions of community colleges in the USA in that:1)When unemployment is high,those who lost jobs can go to community colleges to learn new skills or new trades;2)When job markets are favorable,community college students and/or graduates can fill the job vacancies immediately;3)The college campus is a center for recreation and leisure events and activities;and4)About 1/3 of community college graduates will continue their education in public and private4-year institution with most credits being transferred into their 4-year bachelor programs.General education is almost identical between community colleges and 4-year institutions of higher education.While community colleges pay great attention to liberal arts education,they do a much better job in providing high quality vocational education.The paper finally discusses the challenges and potential solutions.