Australia Wants to Emulate California
University of Melbourne vice-chancellor Glyn Davis has called for the creation of a
community college network modeled on the California university system, in a radical
move that would restore the binary divide between teaching and research institutions.

Vice chancellor Davis said community colleges would combine associate and full degrees
with vocational training opportunities, and could be created from the amalgamation of
universities and vocational education providers, particularly in rural and regional areas.

But they would not offer research degrees, nor would they compete for competitive
research grants. "I see the Californian community colleges model as an important way
to address the important and legitimate needs for higher education provision outside
metropolitan Australia," he said.

"They would also address the need for equity." Professor Davis, completed his
postgraduate work at the University of California, Berkeley as a Harkness fellow.

California's 110 community college campuses serve 2.7 million students and enrollments
are reported to be spiking as the economy slides into recession. The popularity of
community colleges is attributed to open enrollment policies, low tuition fees and
courses with an employment focus. They also offer pathways into other institutions.
A two-year associate degree in a local community college can become the foundation
for completing a full degree in the same, or another, university.

Australia provides such pathways through privately owned foundation colleges in some
locations, but they are not built into the public system. Professor Davis said there was
a large cohort of young people with lower socioeconomic status that did not get to university
because they had not completed Year 12.

"Thus a network of community colleges like California’s may broaden access and opportunity."
Professor Davis said by creating a network of Australian community colleges, the federal
government would be "consciously creating institutions (that) are not attempting to be
research-based doctoral universities".

Community colleges would provide skills and jobs, he said. "But you wouldn't have to put
major research infrastructure into communities that don't have the skills base to make the
most of it."