Issue 26(2)
The
Community College Experience. (2005).
Baldwin, Amy. Columbus , OH : Prentice Hall. 240 pp, Price: $26.67.
ISBN #
0-13-117297-2.
Review
by: Barbara A. Miller,
Academic Adviser
Student
Advising Center
Kent
State
University
The Community
College Experience serves as a foundational tool for helping
community college students navigate their academic environments.
Although many of the subjects and information covered in the text
can easily be adapted for freshman orientation courses at four-year
institutions, it is keenly suited to the unique needs and attributes
of the community college student. The chapters cover a wide variety
of issues from study strategies to adjustment issues.
Chapter one,
"Who Are You and What Do You Know?" helps students define themselves
within the context of their community college as well as goal
setting. One of the unique aspects of this chapter is that it
directs students to the institution's mission statement to discern
what the school values. In doing so, students may find guideposts
to help them define and develop their personal values. This chapter
also includes information concerning learning styles. It spotlights
Multiple Intelligences, Myers Briggs, and Visual, Auditory, Read/Write,
and Kinesthetic (VARK). An appendix includes a VARK questionnaire
for student completion. However, it is devoid of adequate information
to help students interpret or apply the results.
Community
college culture and student attitudes are discussed most succinctly
in chapter two, "Understanding College Culture and Your Campus."
These themes are revisited throughout the text in discussions
dedicated to academic integrity and classroom etiquette. These
subjects, generally speaking, are usually not covered in college
survival handbooks. Instruction regarding the importance of treating
faculty with respect and what constitutes acceptable behavior
may seem, at first blush, somewhat misplaced. But, given the wide
variety of student backgrounds within the community college, proper
behavior within a classroom is a subject many community college
students never have addressed.
Chapter
five, "Forging Relationships," offers a relatively broad perspective
on diversity. While higher education tends to focus on race, gender,
religion and sexual orientation, the author invites students to
consider diversity in terms of socio-economic status, educational
background, and home environments. This reframing of diversity
is in keeping with the community college culture as they historically
draw a large percentage of students that may be considered non
traditional or underrepresented at four-year institutions.
The final chapters, "Setting New
Educational and Financial Goals" and "Preparing for Life After
Community College" give useful guidelines that will help students
transition to the next phase whether that be entering the world
of work or continuing their education. Although the chapter mentions
the resources most likely available at their current institutions,
national and online references would have been a nice addition.
Appendix
B discusses on-line courses. Given that students should be computer
literate and good at managing their time, assessing readiness
and the utility of on-line coursework is very important. This
appendix outlines what students should know prior to registering
for web courses and provides some tips for being successful. It
does not, however, provide an assessment or any resources that
can help students make the decision to enroll in distance and
on-line learning.
Although this
handbook provides solid information and strategies for success,
it does not provide many resources or worksheets where students
will be able to access concrete information or apply the techniques
to their individual needs. I do recommend this book for community
college professionals teaching an orientation or academic success
course. It may need to be supplemented with other resources, but
it will provide a solid framework for helping community college
students identify and develop the skills they need to be successful.
