A legislative history of the comprehensive community college system in Nebraska 1926-1986: from junior college to technical community college

Abstract

<p>The purpose of this study was to examine and analyze the legislative evolution of the technical community college system in Nebraska. Historical inquiry was combined with Campbell et al.'s conceptual framework of the public policy-making process (social forces, antecedents, legislative action, and formal enactment). Primary sources included newspaper articles, legislative enactments, government documents, and minutes of legislative committee meetings. Secondary sources included reports, dissertations, and books;Four bills were found to be fundamental to the creation on the technical community college system. They were: Senate File 1 (1931) which legalized public junior colleges, Legislative Bill 148 (1941) which established a state trade school, Legislative Bill 581 (1965) which authorized area vocational technical schools, and Legislative Bill 759 (1971) which combined the three types of schools into a single system;Based on this historical examination, the following conclusions were reached: (1) the Nebraska community colleges arose from local interest and need; (2) the system evolved in response to the need for geographical and financial accessibility to postsecondary education; (3) Nebraska educators did not provide the leadership in the creation of the system; (4) leadership for the development of the system came from business, community, and civic leaders; (5) economic, social, and political forces influenced the community colleges' development; (6) the legislative development of community colleges in Nebraska parallelled that of other states; (7) the system began as an extension of secondary education, but developed into a comprehensive system separate from the secondary system; (8) opposition to the establishment of the community college system came from existing educational institutions, both public and private, and from rural areas; and (9) the state legislature played a dominant role in the creation of the system;Reference. Campbell, Roald F., Cunningham, Luvern L., McPhee, Roderick F., and Nystrand, Raphael O. The Organization and Control of American Schools. Columbus, Ohio: Charles E. Merrill Publishing Company, 1970.</p>