Gerald W. Smith Memoir - Brookens Library

Gerald W. Smith 230discussing the vocational role of the c m t y college n'y interviewerwould almost be certain to say, "But this is what the c o ~ t yare all about, you know vocational, I' and T always RxmI wself.that and saying, "No, if you read the Illinois Correnunjtg Collegeis the comprehensive character of the community college that isthe vacatlonal role is very important, too, but only aa a partprogPam. "Q. Perhaps we can take just a ment to elaborate that a little bit filmthey or to broaden the context of this discussion to hear what you aresaying now. In some states the comrraznity college system is for more lwited,more nearly lirriited to the vocational and to the technical kinds of training,in Ohio, for example. Now, among the existing junior colleges or comdtycolleges in the State of Illinois, at the tine that these deliberationswere being carried on, were there some who were prirrmily vocational Intheir emphasis and in their focus, that might have been considered kind ofmodels for this other kind of philosophy?A. The only two year institution in Illinois that existed was a vocationaltechnicalinstitute at Southern Illinois University which had been operatinga number of years and was a two yexr institution drawing its enrollmentstatewide, and doing a splendid job. The public junior colleges in Illinoisassociated with the school districts at the the the act was passed wereall of them basically comprehensive in nature, in theory at least. And Iwould like to add here as did Dr. Glermy and Dr. Browne in their comntsIn the master plan, that whereas they charged that the junior colleges asa whole in Illinois were weak in the vocational field they also obsemedthat some of them had done an excellent job of developing that and this istrue. We had some cornunity colleges in Illinois that were really excellentexarrrples of the comprehensive concept.Q. Can you mention one or two that might?A. Yes, I think that Joliet would have to be given credit in that role.The Chicago City Colleges were a good example of that. In Chicago becausethey were a multiple canrpus, they were able to accomplish that; by havw,for example, Wright Junior College an outstanding college in liberal sand the Southeast College an outstanding college in the vocationaland so forth.Q. Specialization of the institution?A. Yes, of campus, but as a state institution, I think Belleville _hag madeexcellent progress in that direction.Q. No, I dadn't mean to make this a comprehensive examination but simplyto examine a limited nwnber,A. Well, at any rate I think that I have spoken sufficiently to the pointthat an emphasis in this act addressed itself to the comrehensiveness ofthe comprehensive program in the ccanmunity college.A second topic that I wanted to discuss is a matter of tuition. 1'11