Concerts to Commuters: Making the Professional Transition to a Community College

During the fall semester of 2013, nearly 38 percent of all undergraduate students were enrolled at a community college (National Center for Education Statistics, 2014).  Recently, community colleges have received much of the higher education spotlight.  States, such as Tennessee and Oregon, implemented free community college policies for their residents and other states are following suit with proposed legislation.  Additionally, President Obama has put forth a free community college proposal called America’s College Promise.

With all of the attention on community colleges, many higher education professionals might consider making the switch from a 4-year institution to a 2-year institution.  As someone who has made the transition, I can attest to the fact that the transition can come with many challenges, but is also incredibly gratifying.  I offer 5 tips for those who hope to do the same. 

1.     Understand the importance of the skills that you bring to the position. – Depending on the type of 4-year institution that you previously worked at, the population of the 2-year college may be drastically different.  Most community colleges are commuter campuses with students most likely having other obligations, such as jobs or children.  Options for engaging students in campus activities or services may be limited, however, do not be afraid to use your expertise to suggest new ideas.  Your ideas could be very effective at your new institution.  There have been many occasions where the process for how something was done at my 4-year institution was very applicable and implementable at my 2-year institution.  Once you’ve learned the culture and context of your new environment, reinventing the wheel is not always necessary.    

2.     Get to know the landscape of your institution. – Many community college campuses are lovely but landscape, in this context, does not mean exploring the scenery.  Landscape, in this instance, means understanding why things are done a certain way, how the institution is structured, and a multitude of other things.  For example, one professional may oversee several different areas, even if their job title does not indicate all of their roles.  Meeting with various individuals to learn more about the institution is a great way to set yourself up for success.

3.     The same rules apply. – There are many misconceptions about community colleges.  One example is that there are not many resources available.  While this may be true for some community colleges, this can also be said for some 4-year institutions.  Do not forget that higher education is still higher education.  Assessment, student services, and professional development are still important no matter what type of institution.  Remember to engage in some of the same professional activities that you did at your previous institution, if available.   

4.     Work with others on your campus and neighboring colleges. – One of the benefits of working at a community college is that professionals at other campuses are likely experiencing the same issues that you are and are happy to talk about their experiences.  The value of reaching out to other community college professionals or colleges is priceless.  Collaboration can help solve an issue that makes your job simpler while building your professional network. NASPA’s Community Colleges Division is a great resource for building relationships.             

5.     Share your experiences and best practices. – Many times the literature related to the community college can be limited.  For example, Title IX was a huge topic for our colleges in 2015.  When reviewing the literature and best practices, there was not much that applied to the two-year sector.  Using your experiences to expand the scope of resources and translate items intended for 4-year institutions to the 2-year context helps those who may be looking for best practices or research.  Seek out venues for submitting articles or complete research on an area of interest to add to the body of literature that does exist.

Helpful Hint: NASPA is pleased to offer a member benefit that will be of particular interest to our community college members. As part of our new publishing partnership with Routledge, an imprint of Taylor and Francis Group, in addition to NASPA’s three scholarly journals members now have FREE online access to the Community College Journal of Research and Practice.

Working at a community college can be a very rewarding experience.  There may be some aspects of the 4-year institution that you will miss, such as college athletics and fraternity and sorority life; however, the experiences gained from working at a community college will help you better appreciate the value of higher education and the students that we serve.