ERIC Review: Scholarship in the Community College System

The author reviews the literature on scholarship in community colleges, discusses the notable contributions that community college scholars make through research efforts such as action research, and recommends institutional changes that can foster increased scholarship by community college practitioners. Because of their open-policy admissions, low cost, teaching emphasis, and wide-ranging course and program offerings, community colleges enjoy a singular status among educational institutions. These distinguishing characteristics reflect their mission to respond to the needs of the community. The four-year universities have a somewhat different role, which sometimes overlaps, but most often complements, that of community colleges. Efforts to maintain excellence in the delivery of instruction need not and should not eliminate the differences among these institutions. If community colleges are to continue to fulfill their mission successfully, their leaders must continually assess their institutions' roles within the educational system. Economists often invoke the principle of comparative advantage, urging countries to use their unique endowments to specialize and trade with one another to achieve greater world prosperity. That concept can also be applied to educational institutions: Strong productivity and efficiency gains can be derived from specialization and mutual cooperation. The commitment of the community college faculty to excellent teaching, however, does not necessarily prohibit them from engaging in scholarship. Indeed, the institutionalization of scholarship is essential to the future of community colleges. Although some writers contend that community college faculty are reluctant to intrude on the research territory of university professors (Williams, 1991), different kinds of research may be appropriate for community college faculty. Furthermore, only through undertaking some form of research will two-year colleges be able to thrive and excel in a fast-changing world. Cohen and Brawer (1996) make the point that community college teachers are limited in the variety of courses that they are allowed to teach because they are restricted to freshman and sophomore levels. To offset that limitation and to avoid burn-out, it is imperative that educators have a creative outlet. Scholarship provides that outlet. The excitement of research can keep teachers invigorated as well as up-to-date and in touch with new developments in their fields of study. Developing a new course, devising a novel approach to a syllabus, giving a presentation, or engaging in some other creative activity can combat boredom and invigorate teaching. This paper presents an overview of the literature on scholarship in community colleges. The need to expand the definition of research will be discussed, along with a description of the notable contributions that community colleges make through, for example, action research. The discussion will also include recommendations for institutional changes that can foster more scholarship at community colleges. Finally, to aid those who wish to engage in research at the community college level, some resources will be listed in the appendices to this review. The State of Scholarship in the Community College System Using traditional definitions of scholarship, it is commonly accepted that community college faculty do not conduct as much research as do four-year university professionals. A survey conducted by the National Center for Education Statistics in 1994 found that of the over 880,000 faculty employed in America's colleges and universities, 12% were primarily engaged in research and that in two-year colleges, almost no full-time faculty were primarily engaged in research (Hagan, 1995). Padovan and Whittington (1998), however, found that community college teachers and administrators responding to their survey "indicated that they valued scholarly activity and believed faculty should participate in such activity" (p. …