The primary focus of community colleges is (and always has been) to provide access to individuals who would ordinarily be denied the right of entry into postsecondary education and/or training. Many of the students who take advantage of community college education tend to come with academic and economic disadvantages. Consequently, many of these students are underprepared for college level work and this, in many cases, leads to poor persistence rates.
The manner in which community college faculty are awarded tenure varies from state to state. In some states tenure is awarded as a matter of state law, while in others it is negotiated between individual faculty members and administration during contract negotiations.
The community college culture has always been centered around the needs of the local community they serve. Colleges support economic development in their service areas by partnering with the business community to provide programs that help sustain their interests and supply their workforce needs. In more recent years, the culture and focus of community colleges has shifted from placing high emphasis on providing access to one that is more focused on improving completion rates. This is evidenced by more and more colleges working to provide interventions, innovations and best practice strategies to support student learning and success among students who are the most difficult to serve.
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