Friday, November 20, 2009
Greendale Community College
Check out this link to THE community college, Greendale Community College, where, "You're already accepted."
Dan Harmon is the man behind the great NBC series, Community. In the video above, he's hamming it up (as the college president) promoting Greendale, the setting for the series. Watching these promotional videos of the 5 "A's" really cracks me up, for these little clips are so much like promotional stuff I've seen for real colleges, even some I've worked for!
Even though the clips are satirical, they do still have a charm about them that makes me happy I'm working at this level. I really like community college instruction, the atmosphere, the student body. The emphasis is on students and teaching, not research or being all high and mighty. I know there's a lot of ribbing about Juco's being pud, but I can deal with it. Underneath it all, I like it here for I can measure the impact I might be having. At 4yr schools, it seems ever-so-much-more like a paper mill, for students are herded through with even less regard to them being engaged, learning anything.
I'll have to write more on this, sometime when I have time. The downside of working at this level is the LOAD, for I'm teaching more than twice what my peers at the 4yr do. Alas.
For now, I'll just confess that though I do not like TV, do not like sitcoms, and thought I'd be offended by a spoof of the community college--I really like this little show! I'll write a full review of it, sometime after I've watched more of it.
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It's interesting being up here. The jucos are pretty different. First there are the "city colleges" which have very little besides classes (i.e. no extra-curriculars) and things are much more vocationally geared. Then you have the suburban jucos - they actually have sports teams and other broader programs of study but still no dorms and not much campus life.
Going to Cowley really felt like going to a "regular" college, just for 2 years. When I went to KSU I was pretty overwhelmed with the size, not knowing anyone, and I definitely experienced that paper-mill feel. In that respect I wish I'd made a different choice, but it's also where I met my husband, so . . . Now it's strange to be in a "returning adults" cohort/program on a very traditional campus, with 18 year old kids!
I don't regret going to college right after high school, but it certainly didn't prepare me for any sort of career. I was pretty jealous of my friends who knew they wanted to be nurses/teachers/etc. I just knew I wanted to "help people" or maybe find some way to be a professional dance team member. :) I do think I grew and was able to experience some great things that still shape me today. It was worth it.
Also - I'll say it is . . . interesting to work at a grad school, where I'm 5-10 years older than many of the students, and not to have a bachelor's degree yet. Not even an associate's! I don't *feel* like I'm just a high school graduate. After all, I went to 3 years of college! I had the whole college experience, or most of it.
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