A PARADIGM OF COMMUNITY BASED EDUCATION: CASE STUDY OF THE HAVERSTRAW LEARNING CENTER OF ROCKLAND COMMUNITY COLLEGE (NEW YORK)
Abstract
The focus of this study was the evolution of learning centers of community colleges that provide academic, language, and vocational education to disadvantaged communities. A synthesis of the literature identified trends in public policy that could help educational planners design programs and legislators formulate policy. As part of the State University of New York, Rockland Community College is a comprehensive two-year college open to high school graduates with consideration given to those with special needs. The Haverstraw Learning Center resulted from efforts to involve the College in the neighborhood. Subsequently, the College petitioned local representatives of the religious, social, and community agencies for input to the project. Case study techniques analyzed programs of the Center and documented the impact of public policy making on the education of the nontraditional, high risk student. The results have been traced to delivery level of services in Haverstraw. A descriptive history and chronology of the Center from its inception in Fall 1978 to Spring 1986 is given. Data from 466 students, sixty-two percent of the English as a Second Language population (ESL) served at the center, have shown the need for intervention by the college. The profile depicts an impoverished community in need of academic and vocational training. This study corroborates the belief that what operates on a national scale can be demonstrated on a much smaller one. Political thought and economic theory do affect educational policy, and can override the needs of constituents as indicated through demographic data. The Center has made a difference in the lives of its students. The importance of placing emphasis on standards is not unique; the present focus is on the methodology, time schedule, and feasibility of accomplishing "quality" over "quantity." Despite changes in social policy, community colleges are expected to meet the needs of our pluralistic society, and to adapt to any prevailing situation. Education for the nontraditional must include substantive offerings that will equip them with the skills to be self-sufficient. Education is more than the acquisition of basics but also a preparation for leisure and personal development.
Subject Area
Community colleges
Recommended Citation
DRINANE, STEPHEN MICHAEL, "A PARADIGM OF COMMUNITY BASED EDUCATION: CASE STUDY OF THE HAVERSTRAW LEARNING CENTER OF ROCKLAND COMMUNITY COLLEGE (NEW YORK)" (1987). ETD Collection for Fordham University. AAI8725674.
https://research.library.fordham.edu/dissertations/AAI8725674
