By Dr. Sharry Kimmel and Lynne A. Haberstroh

With ongoing tuition increases at most four-year institutions, many students are choosing to begin the postsecondary experience at a community college. Nearby two-year colleges allow them to save money, experience smaller class sizes, and stay closer to home. Mindful of this shift in higher education, Kappa Delta Pi has begun to form community college chapters. Important to this initiative is an understanding of characteristics specific to students attending these two-year institutions.

Recognizing the important role they can play, two-year institutions are responding to this influx of students. For example, many teacher education programs now offer early field experiences for students who will transfer to a four-year campus. During those field experiences, students are introduced to practices such as monitoring student development through record-keeping, individual school policies and procedures, and other “real” classroom requirements. Through early exposure to those experiences and other education-related expectations, community college teacher-education students can better determine whether or not teaching is the field they wish to pursue.

Additionally, four-year colleges now offer reciprocity agreements that ease transition from one campus to another. With the goal of a seamless transition, many community colleges have reciprocal agreements with universities that tailor teacher-education requirements.

In an ever-increasing number, community colleges present teacher-education programs and practices rivaling the education experiences at four-year institutions. Some two-year schools are exploring the option of a complete teacher-certification program on their campuses. This movement lends itself to a natural collaboration with Kappa Delta Pi—one in which community college chapters can give students professional opportunities beyond their course work. The Society has discovered that students who participate in a chapter at their community colleges, and then become involved in a four-year collegiate chapter, have a well-rounded and rewarding membership experience.

Kappa Delta Pi continues to grow and expand as the culture of higher education changes. Its initiative and collaboration efforts with community colleges continue to keep the Society on the cutting edge of the education profession. From student to retiree, this organization impacts educators throughout their career.

If you or a colleague would like to start a chapter of Kappa Delta Pi at a two-year institution, please contact Headquarters at 800-284-3167 or mcs@kdp.org.