Book Description

In September 1989, letters were sent to the presidents and public information officers of each member college of the American Association of Community and Junior Colleges (Washington, D.C.) asking them to identify outstanding graduates who might be interested in composing short essays describing their community college experience. More than 190 colleges in 39 states responded. The essays presented in this collection were selected from a total of over 500 submissions because they represented quality writing, a broad geographic distribution, and the diverse populations served by community colleges. Following a preface by Edmund J. Gleazer on the power of the personal narratives to convey the effectiveness of the colleges, an introductory chapter, "What This Book Is About," reviews the development of the idea for the collection, and the organization of the essays. The next chapter, "Community Colleges: An Introduction for the Uninitiated," provides a brief historical overview, describes the services and enrollments of two-year colleges, and addresses common concerns about the institutions (i.e., that the quality of students is low; that transfer rates are low; and that community colleges perpetuate class stratification). Next, one-page profiles of the graduates, which include a photograph and biographical sketch in addition to the essay, are provided in eight chapters corresponding to the alumni's career fields: Law; Science, Technology, and Agriculture; Entertainment, Media, and Sports; Health and Medicine; Social Services; Business; Public Service; and Education. Indexes of profilees, and the colleges they attended are included. (MAB)