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'Wayne Rodehorst I964 AN ANALYSIS OF THE INTRODUCTION OF VOCATIONAL-TECHNICAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS {N MICHIGAN COMMUNITY COLLEGES ESTABLISHED BEFORE 1930 Thesis Ior the Degree of Ph. D. MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY ‘Wayne Rodehorst I964 IH E815 This is to certify that the thesis entitled AN ANALYSIS OF THE INTRODUCTION OF VOCATIONAL-TECHNICAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS IN MICHIGAN COMMUNITY COLLEGES ESTABLISHED BEFORE 1930 presented by Wayne Rodehorst has been accepted towards fulfillment of the requirements for ELD— degree in__th.e__ I College of Education . 572 C c 7/ IMajor professor [hm May 19. 1964 0-169 LIBRARY Michigan State University AN ANALYSIS OF THE INTRODUCTION OF VOCATIONAL-TECHNICAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS IN MICHIGAN COMMUNITY COLLEGES ESTABLISHED BEFORE 1930 by Wayne Rodehorst The Annual Descriptive Report of 1963 of the Board of Vocational Education stated that Michigan community colleges are increasingly providing high quality vocational- technical programs. An examination of the current catalogs of the Michigan community colleges indicated that a great number of vocational—technical programs do in fact exist. However, an examination of early catalogs indicated the colleges included in this study provided only the first two years of the traditional liberal arts, baccalaureate curriculum when they were established. Nothing about the inception and growth of these expanded programs in Michigan two—year colleges had been made public. Since a need for this information had been encountered and before further study and comparisons could be made, a problem requiring systematic study had emerged. It was necessary to find how the present concept of vocational~technical education was originated in the colleges included in this study. It was thought important Wayne Rodehorst to know who the people were who advocated establishment of such programs. Were they educators or businessmen and industrialists? If it should be determined that such curricula had been proposed in a given college but never established, it was thought it would be important to know the reasons. In addition, it would be deemed important if these persons or their successors had remained active in their support or opposition to this phase of community college study. It was assumed that many variables have some relation to the overall program of a given college, but only a historical study could reveal the facts and their relationship to each other. As a result it was a purpose of this study to reveal the major causes that produced the vocational- technical programs that are found today in the colleges included in the study and to arrive at some conclusions that may be helpful to those who engage in similar curricular planning. Each of the administrative heads of the colleges established before 1930 in Michigan were contacted to obtain permission to conduct the study. Each of these men, or a person he indicated would have more information than he about the background of the vocational-technical programs was interviewed. These people in turn indicated others who had knowledge of special aspects of the problem. Wayne Rodehorst The reliability of all the informants was checked where possible with entries in the minutes of board proceedings, minutes of faculty meetings, president's or dean's reports, catalogs, accreditation reports, brochures, correspondence files, copies of addresses, and pamphlets. Files of community newspapers and trade journals were examined to determine community attitude toward programs in the college, as well as to confirm dates and descriptions of programs offered. The one most important factor causing the establish- ment of vocational-technical education in the community colleges included in this study was found to be the influence of persons in the colleges interested in this kind of educational opportunity. Other factors causing the establishment of these kinds of curricula were the study of terminal education by the American Association of Junior Colleges from 1939 through 1945, world War II and the resulting effects on technology, increasing awareness of the potential of the community college, shortages of professionals, and expediency. Attitudes toward vocational-technical education, university influence, and apathy were found to deter the development of such programs. While adequate finance is an important factor in the establishment of any program it was concluded that it would be incorrect to list the availability of such support as a cause producing vocational—technical education programs. AN ANALYSIS OF THE INTRODUCTION OF VOCATIONAL-TECHNICAL EDUCATION PROGRAMS IN MICHIGAN COMMUNITY COLLEGES ESTABLISHED BEFORE 1930 BY "I WayneKRodehorst A THESIS Submitted to Michigan State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY College of Education 1964 I \ A r +0 H (x I) ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Many individuals have contributed in one way or another in the preparation of this study. In particular the comments and suggestions of Dr. Max S. Smith, Chairman, Dr. Edward B. Blackman, Dr. William H. Roe, and Dr. Sheldon G. Lowry, members of the Guidance Committee, were most helpful in formulating the study. In addition Dr. Smith and Dr. Blackman worked closely with the author in conducting the study and writing the report. The personnel in the various colleges included in the study were most interested in the study and very help- ful in locating data and in providing primary information in many instances. Mr. John M. Eaton not only uncovered the need for this study in some work he did in a related field, but also assisted in its preparation by critically reading much of the manuscript. The author of this study is most indebted to his wife, Mary Lou. Her sacrifice and support have made it possible. In addition he is grateful to his three sons who have patiently done without many of the normal pleasures of a boy's life and the normal associations of father and son during the preparation of this study. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS . ii INTRODUCTION . 1 Chapter I. METHOD OF ANALYSIS AND REVIEW OF RELATED INFORMTION O O O O O O O O O O C O O O O O 5 Methodology 5 Population of the Study 9 Critical Terms 9 Review of Related Information 10 Summary 26 II. GRAND RAPIDS JUNIOR COLLEGE . 28 Early History 33 Change in Administration 41 Current Programs in Vocational- Technical Education 45 Summary 53 III. HIGHLAND PARK JUNIOR COLLEGE . 55 Early History 57 First Vocational-Technical Programs 59 Current Programs in Vocational- Technical Education 67 Summary 74 IV. FLINT COMMUNITY JUNIOR COLLEGE . 77 Early History 77 Current Programs in Vocational— Technical Education 83 Summary 91 V. PORT HURON JUNIOR COLLEGE . 94 Early History 95 Current Programs in Vocational- Technical Education 98 Summary 108 iii Chapter Page VI. MUSKEGON COMMUNITY COLLEGE . 109 Early History 110 Current Programs in Vocational- Technical Education 115 Summary 125 VII. JACKSON JUNIOR COLLEGE . 128 Early History 128 Current Programs in Vocational- Technical Education 132 Summary 138 VIII. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS . 141 Adequate Financial Support 141 Influence of Interested Persons 143 1940 Study of Terminal Education 147 World War II 148 Awareness of Potential of Community Colleges 149 Shortage of Professionals 150 Expediency 151 Factors Preventing Establishment of Vocational—Technical Programs 151 Student's Attitudes Toward Vocational-Technical Education 152 University Influence 153 Apathy 153 SELECTED REFERENCES . 155 iv INTRODUCTION Histories of two-year colleges established in the early 1900's reveal that vocational-technical education was among the stated functions of these institutions which were to become the pattern for the present community colleges. The proceedings of the annual meetings of the American Association of Junior Colleges, since its organi- zation in 1920, reveal that the personnel associated with these colleges recognized the importance of this function. On the other hand, examination of the catalogs of the two- year colleges of the period from 1900 to 1930 reveals that, while vocational-technical programs were being discussed and their virtues extolled, they were not being included in the curriculum. In 1930 Campbell1 analyzed 343 junior college catalogs and 349 titles of available literature. He found the literature revealed greater stress on the terminal and occupational functions than did the catalogs. This led innito the obvious conclusion that in practice the junior college was performing the preparatory functions for university transfer only. lDoak S. Campbell, A Critical Study of the Stated Purposes of the Junior College (Nashville: George Peabody College for Teachers, 1930), At the present time there is a renewed interest in vocational-technical education in the community colleges as evidenced by the recent Higher Education Facilities Act of 1963 and the Vocational Education Act of 1963.2 An examination of the catalogs of the Michigan community colleges indicates that a number of vocational- technical programs already exist. Sherman3 found there was a wide range of "vocational-terminal" programs in those colleges. Comparison of Sherman's study, which was done in 1956, to the Annual Descriptive Report4 of the Michigan State Board of Control for Vocational Education for the fiscal year ended June 30, 1963, indicates several more vocational-technical programs have been added since the earlier study. It will be the purpose of this study to attempt to locate the major causes that produced the inclusion of vocationaletechnical programs
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