美國社區學院之組織、功能與挑戰

Abstract

美國社區學院配合產業與民眾需求，培育優質實務技術人力，提供實惠之民主化高等教育，以促進社會階層之流動，引為各國所探討、仿效。然而，先進國家無不致力於培育高端人力，以因應全球化產業競爭之衝擊。當美國處於經濟嚴峻和產業科技變革之際，社區學院在經費萎縮下，其功能與挑戰成為本文關注的主軸。爰此，本文藉由各學院網站資料，分析、探討與比對，發現各大學或社區學院間之運作，賦有資源共享，及幫助學生有效學習的機制。相對地，其功能也由職場人力培育，發展具全方位之功能，提供無場域限制的學程，服務後中等教育之學子及滿足民眾之學習需求。最後，本文綜理出美國社區學院面臨之五大挑戰，包括：1.當產業經濟朝向高層次服務與高端人才發展，對社區學院之培育中階實務人才之挑戰。2.當民眾將社區學院取向轉銜學程以接軌大學的中繼站，落實實惠、民主化高等教育面臨績效責任之嚴重考驗。3.對準職場需求之取向多元、嶄新，師資與資源嚴重不足。4.落實全方位辦學，提供多元之學程與新課程，行政規劃與監督之壓力重。5.落實終身學習，學院間之競合夥伴關係成關鍵。綜上，了解社區學院之組織、規模、功能與挑戰，期能提供我國技專校院在行政組織、功能、課程發展有若干參酌之處。

American community colleges cultivated the high-quality workforce and to provide the affordable democratic higher education for democracy and to promotesocial status of learners to coordinate with the need of industry and the public. Thus, they have the honor as a benchmark of higher education to be researched in the world. However, the advanced countries are all committed to nurture high quality workforce to cope with the impact of technological innovation. When the US economy is in austerity era and the changing of industrial technology, and when the community college is facing the serious fund-decline, the functions and challenges have becomeour concern and discussion. Therefore, this study has analyzed, investigated, and compared the data through the college websites. It is discovered that the functions ofcolleges and community colleges have inherited resources sharing, and the mechanism of helping the students learn effectively. In contrast, the functions have turned from the manpower cultivation of the workforce to the multi-functional development, and provide locations without limitation programs, and to serve thelearning needs of the post-secondary public. Finally, this study sorts out five challenges of American Community College including: 1.When the industrial economy develops toward high-level service and high-end workforce, and the challenges through the cultivation of middle level practical talents of community colleges. 2. When the public enter community colleges as convergence programs to connect to the colleges, to carry out affordable, democratic, higher education challenges in performance responsibility 3. The demand of the workplaces is getting diverse and innovative; there is a serious shortage of teachers and resources. 4. To implement the omnidirectional education, to provide diverse and flexible curriculum and programs, which gives pressure to administrative planning and monitoring. 5. To implement lifelong learning, co-competitive partnershi