Taking on the cherished principle that community colleges should be open to all students with a high school education, Scherer and Anson argue that open access policies and lenient federal financial aid laws harm students and present the case for raising the minimum requirements for community college entry.

"Every reader will find this book provocative, many disturbing, and some heretical - all good reasons that every educator should read it. Scherer and Anson have opened to public discussion the most-talked-about, closed-door debate that is now occurring on community college campuses: who can legitimately benefit from higher education, how can colleges best use their resources to maximize educational achievement, and how can we better serve those for whom a college degree or certificate is not the best option? It is past time that these questions received open review, and Community Colleges and the Access Effect can serve as the perfect catalyst for this critical discussion." - Kent Farnsworth, President Emeritus, Crowder College, USA, and author of Grassroots School Reform

'A provocative and productive read in which the authors challenge the traditions and current conventions of open-access colleges, and sow the seeds of discourse and reform. Community Colleges and the Access Effect is well-researched and an invaluable resource for practitioners, leaders, and policymakers in developing a 'big picture' course for developmental education and community college improvement.' - D. Patrick Saxon, Associate Professor and Director, Developmental Education Administration Doctoral Program, Sam Houston State University, USA, and coauthor of Attaining Excellence in Developmental Education: Research-Based Recommendations for Administrators

Autorentext
Author Juliet Lilledahl Scherer: Juliet Scherer is Professor of English at St. Louis Community College, USA. Author Mirra Leigh Anson: Mirra Anson is the Director of Upward Bound at the Center for Diversity and Enrichment, University of Iowa, USA.

Inhalt
Introduction 1. Open Access in Higher Education 2. The Trouble in Tucson 3. The Price of Completion at Any Cost 4. The Perils of Paying for Performance 5. The Revenue Reality 6. Honoring the Letter and Spirit of Federal Student Aid 7. The Disabilities Dilemma 8. The Access Effect 9. Creating a New Admission Standard 10. Providing Meaningful Postsecondary Options 11. The Equity/Excellence Enrosque 12. The Impact of Global Competition 13. Restoring America's Culture of Learning