This is a presentation about the development of community and technical college education from the 1940's to present day.

1. Community Colleges and the Promise of Educational Opportunity
THE DIVERTED DREAM

2. OBJECTIVES
 To explore the changes of community college
over five decades.
 To relate the development of community
college growth with economical, business
and environmental changes taking place in
higher education.
 Examine college programs to the needs of
society and the community.

3. THE TAKEOFF PERIOD
 G. I. Bill of 1944
 Higher Education for American Democracy
1946
 Truman Commission
 “Commission does not subscribe to the belief
that higher education should be confined to an
intellectual elite …” (U.S. President’s Commission 1948)
 “…free and universal access to education, in
terms of the interest, ability, and need of the
student, must be a major goal in American
education” (U.S. President’s Commission 1948)

4. THE TAKEOFF PERIOD
 Truman Commission
 Change the name to Community College
 Make the college part of the community
 Extending educational opportunities more vocational
 Growth – supported expansion of facilities
 Between 1938-1953 increased from 258-388 (Fields 1962, p.42)
 New York – leader of all of the states
 Wisconsin was leader in the Midwest, one of the three
states which was an extension of the state universities
 Minnesota – coordinated systems to match student
demand to labor market

5. THE TAKEOFF PERIOD
 Cold War – fear of loosing pace with Soviet Union
This slowed the pace for vocational education in
community colleges – wanted to protect American
Education
 1950 - mid 1960 expansion of job opportunities
outpaced the increase in college graduates – “golden
age” for college graduates
 Studies indicated that transfer students did as well at
the universities as those who entered as freshman
but now community colleges were predominately
lower middle-class and working-class

6. COMPARISON OF FOUR COLLEGES BY
OCCUPATION OF STUDENT’S FATHER 1958

7.  Sputnik – 1957 growing concerns about U.S.
strength in competition “…made the concept
of [technical] training acceptable (Brick 1964, p. 130)
 Rapid Growth
 VocationalEducation Act of 1963
 Was it democratization effect or diversion effect

8. ENROLLMENT IN TWO YEAR INSTITUTIONS
1950-1970

9. 1960’S
 What was going on at the universities?
 Discrepancy between minorities and class

10. DEVELOPMENT OF VOCATIONAL STUDIES
 Support
 Federal government – financial aid
 Higher Education Act of 1965 – develop cooperative arrangement
with business and pubic employers
 Vocational Education Act – amendment 1968
 Adult Basic Education Program of 1966
 Allied Health Professions Act of 1966
 Federal funding increased from $7.4 million to $31.4 million
 Kellogg Foundation $29 million from 1958-1978
 Sloan Foundation, Aerospace Foundation, Robert Wood
Johnson Foundation, National Science
Foundation, Carnegie Commission
 1969-1973 thirty-seven major corporations joined
advertising "upgrade your image”

11. EARLY 1970’S
 Over supply of college graduates for the
workforce
 Recession 1969-1971
 Vietnam war was ending
 “Higher Education: Who Needs It” – media 1972
 Decrease in wages – underemployment in labor
market – who wasn’t getting the jobs
 Technical education was the way to go - media

12. SOCIAL CLASS PRESSURES
 Nixon comments of terminal degrees for
Blacks – vocational education
 Non-traditional students were attending –
part time students increase due to
economics
 “Secure well-paid, if sometimes
unglamorous, jobs” – close to socioeconomic
background
 Classification in community colleges – if too
intellectual were “uppity”, “brown nosing” if
planning on transferring

13. SEPARATION OF CLASS

14. 1978 – COLLEGE STUDENTS ENROLLED

15. THE VOCATIONAL EDUCATION DREAM
 Change of the student composition
 Late 1970’s the dream of vocational
education is present
 Increased enrollment
 Does vocational education really meet the
needs of the community?

16. http://money.usnews.com/money/careers/articl
es/2010/12/06/the-50-best-careers-of-2011
TOP CAREERS IN 2011
 Accountant  Dental hygienist
 Sales manager  Clinical lab technician
 Commercial Pilot  Massage therapist
 Film and video editor  Physical therapy
 Heating, air conditioning assistant
and refrigeration  Radiologic technologist
 Interpreter/translator  Nurse
 Computer support  Court reporter
specialist  Environmental science
 Gaming manager technician
 Police 16

17. SPECIALTIES AT COLLEGES
 Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College
http://www.witc.edu/
 Energy Efficiency Technician
 Architectural Commercial Design
 Automated Packaging Systems Technician
 Marine Repair Technician
 Telecommunication Technologie

18. SPECIALTIES AT COLLEGES
 Chippewa Valley Technical College
http://www.cvtc.edu/
 Agriscience Technician
 Electrical Power Distribution
 Renal Dialysis Technician
 Farm Business & Production Management

19. SPECIALTIES AT COLLEGES
 Western Technical College
http://www.westerntc.edu/
 Air Conditioning, Heat, & Refrigeration
Technology
 Farm Business & Production Management
 Bio-Medical Electronics
 Respiratory Therapist

20. SPECIALTIES AT COLLEGES
 Southeast Technical College
http://www.southeastmn.edu/
 Computerized (CNC) Precision Machining
Technology
 Nanotechnology
 Violin Repair Program
 Jewelry Manufacturing and Repair

21. SPECIALTIES AT COLLEGES
 Northeast Iowa Community College
http://www.nicc.edu/
 Animal Science
 Wind Turbine Repair Technician
 Viticulture Technology
 Gas Utility Construction and Service
 John Deer Ag Tech

22. COMMUNITY COLLEGES 1946-1985
 Five basic changes:
 Name change from Junior College to Community
College with a predominately vocational
emphasis
 Increase of popularity due to low cost and
convenience
 Outside sponsorship to make vocational
education a success
 Changing market for college student
 Changing perception of community or vocational
education

23. CONCLUSION
 The diverted dream of community colleges
allows individuals an avenue to create
an occupation,
a dream,
a skill,
a life.
So I ask, is it really a diverted dream
or is it part of the American Dream.

24. REFERENCES
American Council on Education (1967). The American freshman: National norms. Washington, D.
C.: American Council on Education , Annual Report. In S. Brint & J. Karabel(1989). The
diverted dream: community colleges and the promise of educational opportunity in America,
1900-1985 (p. 90). NY: Oxford University Press.
Austin, A.W. (1983). Strengthening transfer programs. In S. Brint & J. Karabel (1989). The diverted
dream: community colleges and the promise of educational opportunity in America, 1900-1985
(p. 128). NY: Oxford University Press. (Reprinted from G. B. Vaughan and Associate, Issues for
community college leaders in a new era (pp. 122-138). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass)
Brick, M. (1964) Forum and focus for the community college movement. NY: Bureau of Publication,
Teachers College, Columbia University.
Brint, S. & Karabel, J. (1989). The diverted dream: community colleges and the promise of
educational opportunity in America, 1900-1985. NY: Oxford University Press
Clark, B. (1960). The open door college: A case study. New York: McGraw-Hill. In S. Brint & J.
Karabel (1989). The diverted dream: community colleges and the promise of educational
opportunity in America, 1900-1985 (p. 74). NY: Oxford University Press.
Chippewa Valley Technical College (2011, March 28). Re: Program information. Retrieved from
http://www.cvtc.edu/
Fields, R. (1962). The community college movement. NY: McGraw-Hill
Higher Education Act of 1965. In S. Brint & J. Karabel(1989). The diverted dream: community
colleges and the promise of educational opportunity in America, 1900-1985. NY: Oxford
University Press.

25. REFERENCES CONTINUED
Monk-Turner, E. (1983). Sex differences in type of first college entered and occupational status
changes over time. Social Science Journal, 22 ,89-97. In S. Brint & J. Karabel(1989). The
diverted dream: community colleges and the promise of educational opportunity in
America, 1900-1985 (p. 123). NY: Oxford University Press.
Northeast Iowa Community College (2011, March 28). Re: Program information. Retrieved from
http://www.nicc.edu/
Southeast Technical College (2011, March 28). Re: Program information. Retrieved from
http://www.southeastmn.edu/
Western Technical College (2011, March 28). Re: Program information. Retrieved from
http://www.westerntc.edu/
Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College (2011, March 28). Re: Program information. Retrieved
from http://www.witc.edu/
United States Bureau of the Census (1975). Histroical statistics of the United States: Colonial times
to 1970. Wahington, D. C.: U.S. Government Pronting Office, Bicentennial ed., parts 1 and 2. In
S. Brint & J. Karabel(1989). The diverted dream: community colleges and the promise of
educational opportunity in America, 1900-1985 (p. 84). NY: Oxford University Press.
United States President’s Commission on Higher Education (1948). Higher education for American
democracy. NY: Harper Brothers.
U.S. News (2010, December 6). The 50 best careers of 2011. Retrieved from
http://money.usnews.com/money/careers/articles/2010/12/06/the-50-best-careers-of-2011