VOA教育报道2022--社区学院以低成本提供更多课程

Community Colleges Offer More Programs at Low Cost

When international students think of college in the United States, they may think of top universities like Harvard, Stanford, and Yale. Or they may have heard of large state schools such as the University of Michigan.

But there are many smaller schools, called community colleges, where students can start their education.

Community colleges offer two-year degrees, called associate degrees. In addition to traditional educational subjects, they also provide education in areas such as nursing, automotive technology, plumbing¹, information technology, and electrical repair.

Why choose a community college?

The American Association of Community Colleges, or AACC, says that in 2022, more than 10 million students are taking classes at 1,043 community colleges across the U.S.

Many American students choose community colleges because they cost much less than four-year universities. Last year, average yearly tuition and other costs were $3,800 at community colleges, compared to $10,740 at four-year state universities. As for private four-year colleges, tuition cost about $35,000, on average. And it goes up to $76,000 for an Ivy² League school.

Many four-year degree programs require students to complete classes called prerequisites⁴ before they can take more advanced classes in their field of study. For example, before taking more advanced mathematics, students must complete beginning calculus⁵ and statistics.

Because students can take these prerequisites at community colleges, many choose to complete their first two years there. Then, they can study the last two years at a four-year college to complete their degree. This is cheaper than studying all four years at a more costly⁶ college.

Over half of all community colleges serve rural areas in the U.S. Some offer training related to the economies of the areas they serve. For example, northern California is the largest wine-producing area in the U.S., and students can study winemaking at Napa Valley College, a community college in the area.

In a discussion on the Community College Voice Podcast, Dr. Joe Schaffer of Laramie County Community College in Wyoming notes that, for rural communities, these schools are especially important centers of activity.

Martha Parham works for the AACC. She said that community colleges are becoming known as a place to receive a quality education.

"You know I think in the past, community colleges have been known to be for people that maybe, you know, aren't serious about education, or, you know, don't know what they want to do, ...and that's just not the case anymore. In many cases they offer programs, they're the only ones who offer programs."

A small but increasing number of community colleges are now offering bachelor's degrees, which take four years to complete.

Compared with four-year colleges, the student population at community colleges tends to be older. The average age is 27. And 36 percent of students are between 22 and 39 years old.

Innovation and new programs

At large research universities, graduate assistants often teach lower-level classes while professors center on research. But at community colleges, professors themselves teach the classes.

While teaching is the main job of professors at community colleges, professors sometimes work with students on research projects. This year, a team at Front Range Community College in Colorado developed the first model of a machine that uses a new method of cleaning oil spills in water. And Bergen Community College in New Jersey⁷ developed a recycling container that can identify, accept, or reject objects to make sure they can be recycled.

Some schools are known for special programs that deliver advanced technical training. Two community colleges in South Carolina offer the BMW Scholars Program, where students can study advanced automotive training on BMW automobiles⁸ and work 20 hours per week at a local BMW factory.

Martha Parham says large technology firms such as Google, Amazon, and Dell are also partnering with community colleges to develop programs that train students to work in information technology.

"....and so, you're looking at these giants in the tech world, are turning to community colleges to provide curriculum, and to really help students that are looking to join that tech community to develop those programs that lead to jobs that they can do from anywhere in the world."

International students and English language programs

On average, more than 80,000 international students have attended community college each year during the last 10 years in the U.S. The number of students decreased by almost 25 percent during the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the 2020/2021 academic year, the five countries with the most international students at community colleges were China, Vietnam, South Korea, Japan, and Brazil.

Many important English teaching methods are also developed and tested at community colleges. Students in these programs can improve their English enough to start at community colleges before moving to four-year colleges or graduate studies.

Words in This Story

degree -n. a rank or title given to someone who has completed a required course of study

plumbing -n. the work of building, maintaining, and repairing systems of pipes for water and drainage for buildings

tuition -n. the cost per academic term students pay to attend classes

prerequisite³ -n. a class, course of study, or some other requirement that must be completed before beginning another class or course of study

graduate -adj. referring to advanced study for master's or doctorate⁹ degrees

recycle -v. to take used material and process it to use again

curriculum -n. the classes and type of instruction a school offers for its fields of study

1 plumbing   

n.水管装置；水暖工的工作；管道工程v.用铅锤测量（plumb的现在分词）；探究

参考例句：

• She spent her life plumbing the mysteries of the human psyche. 她毕生探索人类心灵的奥秘。
• They're going to have to put in new plumbing. 他们将需要安装新的水管。 来自《简明英汉词典》

2 ivy   

n.常青藤，常春藤

参考例句：

• Her wedding bouquet consisted of roses and ivy.她的婚礼花篮包括玫瑰和长春藤。
• The wall is covered all over with ivy.墙上爬满了常春藤。

3 prerequisite   

n.先决条件；adj.作为前提的，必备的

参考例句：

• Stability and unity are a prerequisite to the four modernizations.安定团结是实现四个现代化的前提。
• It is a prerequisite of entry to the profession that you pass the exams.做这一行的先决条件是要通过了有关的考试。

4 prerequisites   

先决条件，前提( prerequisite的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Good muscles are one of the prerequisites of physical fitness. 肌肉发达是身体健康的一个必备条件。
• One of the outstanding prerequisites of any city is a local transportation system. 本地运输系统是任何城市的突出前提条件之一。

5 calculus   

n.微积分；结石

参考例句：

• This is a problem where calculus won't help at all.对于这一题，微积分一点也用不上。
• After studying differential calculus you will be able to solve these mathematical problems.学了微积分之后，你们就能够解这些数学题了。

6 costly   

adj.昂贵的，价值高的，豪华的

参考例句：

• It must be very costly to keep up a house like this.维修这么一幢房子一定很昂贵。
• This dictionary is very useful,only it is a bit costly.这本词典很有用，左不过贵了些。

7 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

8 automobiles   

n.汽车( automobile的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• When automobiles become popular,the use of the horse and buggy passed away. 汽车普及后，就不再使用马和马车了。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Automobiles speed in an endless stream along the boulevard. 宽阔的林荫道上，汽车川流不息。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

9 doctorate   

n.(大学授予的)博士学位

参考例句：

• He hasn't enough credits to get his doctorate.他的学分不够取得博士学位。
• Where did she do her doctorate?她在哪里攻读博士？