A Study On The Conceptions Of The Programs As Winners Of Bellwether Awards Of American Community Colleges

During the last century, community college played a unique role in American higher education system with its own characteristics and diversified functions on education, becoming the worldwide model for the development of higher vocational education. In addition to its clear educational goals, wide recognition from people and strong support of government, the positive innovation is also the indispensable factor for the development of community college. Analyzing the innovative development of American community college can provide much valuable experience for the further development of higher vocational colleges in China.In view of this, the methods of literature review, case, history, and comparison are used in the paper to make an detailed introduction and analysis of the Bellwether Award of American community college, enabling readers to have a general understanding on the innovation conceptions of the programs as winners of bellwether awards of American community colleges in "Instruction, Service"(IS), "Planning, Governance, Finance"(PGF) and "Workforce Development"(WD). The innovation conceptions are as follows, in IS, it behaves a student-centered, enhancement of teachers'professional ability, evaluation of the teaching effectiveness, usage of network technology platform, concerned about the cooperation and community service; in PGF, it represents the support of the disadvantaged students, emphasis on recruitment, seeking extensive support, attention to energy and environment and attention to cooperation; in WD, it shows attention to the vulnerable groups, concerned about the development of the local industry, improvement of the backward industry, concerned about the energy issues, focusing on rational planning and emphasis on cooperation. Overall, facing new problems and challenges, American community colleges can forge ahead and open out lots of innovative programs according to the actual situation of community college and community. In these programs, they have demonstrated some common vision:focusing on services for students and the effectiveness of teaching; concerning about the development of rational planning and multi-party financing; concerning with community development with community-based service conception; workforce training for community development; concerning about the use of information technology, etc.Based on the above, combining with the China's current situation of vocational education, this thesis makes a deep analysis and absorbs its successful experience so as to promote the continuous development of our higher vocational education. This paper argues that, to develop our higher vocational education, the government departments, non-governmental sectors and the higher vocational institutions should strive to deal with related issues well. Laws and regulations should be issued by government departments to consolidate the higher vocational education status for creating a situation of full support of the higher vocational education. Non-governmental organizations play their active role. Both of them should work together to create the positive competitive atmosphere in the higher vocational education. Conforming to the current trends, the higher vocational institutions should adapt to the developments of the higher vocational education, implement the long-term planning, link up with the university courses, put emphasis on development of students, strength the cooperation with the community, seek cooperation opportunities and complete all kinds of work.