A community college is a two-year college operated by a city, county or state which offers diplomas, certificates, and/or associate level degrees. Community colleges often offer in excess of 50 different degree programs, some designed to facilitate transfer to four-year programs and others leading to careers immediately after completion.

In general, community colleges automatically admit all high school graduates and tend to be more career-oriented than four year colleges. Beyond that, community colleges have several other things in common that make them a great educational option.

1. Community colleges enroll an interesting cultural, religious, socioeconomic, and racial mix of students. Thus, community college students will learn to appreciate other cultures and be prepared for the diversity they will encounter in the workplace.

2. Community colleges are far less expensive than four-year colleges and universities. And they are far cheaper than private career schools offering comparable programs of study.

3. Community colleges seldom have classes larger than 25-30 students. As a result, there is more opportunity for class discussion and more contact with instructors than in larger institutions.

4. Community colleges are known for strong student support services such as personal academic advising and free tutoring.

5. Community colleges try very hard to accomodate their students by offering classes at times that will not conflict with the demands of their jobs and families. In addition to classes offered between 8:00 and 4:00, most community colleges offer extensive classes at night. Some even offer evening and online classes.

In summary, community colleges offer everything a student could want; low tuition, small classes, academic support, and conveniently scheduled classes. What else can you ask for?

A small group of students recently asked me about establishing a Management Consulting Learning Community at the university where I teach as an adjunct.  At the time, I wasn’t sure what a Learning Community was and had to conduct some online research.  I found several instances of large, traditional universities offering a wide variety of Learning Communities.  Several universities even offer special housing arrangements so students in the same Learning Community can live close to each other.  I’m wondering if these Learning Communities have caught on yet at any online universities.