Discusses the Canadian community colleges' quest for a status level reflecting their individual identities, objectives, aspirations, and quality measures distinct from universities. Looks at trends in public attitudes toward the community colleges, the organizational structures adopted, and ways community colleges can demonstrate their quality and…

The history, successes, and future of public community colleges in Canada are examined in this paper. After explaining the conditions that precipitated the conception, birth, and rapid growth to maturity of Canadian community colleges between 1965 and 1975, the paper describes their essential characteristics, e.g., a comprehensive curriculum,…

This report contains a brief description of data collected on the socio-economic background of post-secondary students in British Columbia. A survey of over 11,000 first year college and university students was completed in the fall of 1971. The survey included three parts: a socio-economic survey, an opinion survey, and an achievement test of…

Traditional assumptions about the educational goals and future plans of students who transfer from community colleges to universities are explored. The roles of the academic programs of community colleges in British Columbia and empirical data on transfer rates and enrollment in transfer programs are described. (SW)

Describes a study of variance in the innovative activities of 15 Canadian community colleges and the correlation between organizational characteristics and institutional innovativeness. Innovativeness varied among institutions, and an inverse relationship existed between centralized authority and innovation. Findings regarding innovation in the…

A study of Canadian community college goals as perceived by their chief executive officers and the provincial personnel responsible for college development shows continued emphasis on early development goals and goals reflecting provincial differences in priorities. In general, the results show diversity in community college role and contribution.…

British Columbia's community colleges' university transfer programs provide the opportunity for students to earn credits toward a university degree, but only a small percentage of these students actually transfer to a university. A study of students who complete transfer courses, but do not continue their study, is discussed. (Author/MLW)

This paper documents the development of a unique institution in Canadian higher education, the university college in British Columbia. From its roots as a comprehensive community college, the university college was confronted with numerous legislative and policy changes which culminated in its current claim to be called a regional university. In…

The community college as it has developed in Britsh Columbia is examined with special attention to the social and historical context, the forces which lead to its establishment, and the particular form of institution which emerged. How the college attains its objectives and major problems and issues for the future are discussed. (JMF)

A study examined the extent to which Canada's community colleges have retained their 1960s founding principles in adapting to economic and socio-political change of the 1980s. It found much of the original idealism and innovation, but also several diverse ways of adjusting and a variety of techniques for managing those changes. (MSE)

The financial restraint of the last 3 years and the related rhetoric of accountability, productivity, cost effectiveness, and retrenchment have introduced new levels of trauma into the educational scene in British Columbia, exercising a particularly powerful impact on the community college sector. In a financial context that requires governments…

As socio-cultural imperatives change, as political agencies reassess their priorities, and as the demographic pattern of society fluctuates, Canadian community colleges must redefine their roles in the context of their history. Most provincial college systems have enjoyed less than 20 years of evolution. However, it is not simply a lack of…

This report reviews research and related projects commissioned by the British Columbia (BC) Council on Admissions and Transfer, summarizes and integrates the results, and provides a critical analysis of those results and their implications for public policy respecting admission and transfer of students within the BC system of postsecondary…

Describes the development of Canada's five basic community college organizational systems: colleges of applied arts and technology, comprehensive community colleges, postsecondary vocational-technical colleges, rural community colleges, and public multicampus universities. Reviews common elements and differences and discusses the influence of the…

The realization that a substantial segment of Canadian society could participate in a college education only if barriers of time and distance were removed led to an emphasis upon the concept of distance education as a necessary and desirable component of the programming of a community college. Recently, however, critics have argued that the…