Most community colleges have "open enrollment policies," meaning that students who may have poor high-school academic records or who are pursuing education later in life will not find their circumstances to be barriers to entry. While this arrangement is a benefit for those students who need such an opportunity, it also means that many students entering the programs will be unprepared for the challenges of post-secondary academics. According to the "New York Times" article A Harsh Reality by John Merrow, data compiled in 2004 for the U.S. Department of Education revealed that up to 42 percent of community college freshmen take remedial courses.
Unfortunately, many community colleges are not prepared to meet the remedial academic needs of students entering under open enrollment. A 2007 study in "Research in Developmental Education," published by Appalachian State University, found that 79 percent of community college remedial classes were taught by part-time faculty, many of whom did not have specific training to deal with at-risk students. Remedial programs are often underfunded, and in many cases there is little financial incentive to direct special attention toward students who are unprepared for post-secondary education.
While part-time and adjunct faculty are often as qualified and dedicated as any other faculty, a 2006 study by Dan Jacoby of the University of Washington reveals that heavy reliance on part-time faculty is associated with lower rates of student program completion. Part-time faculty are not paid for their non-classroom time, do not have offices and so do not stay on campus when they are not teaching, meaning they are not available to help students with questions after hours. Students, therefore, miss out on critical opportunities for guidance.
Many community colleges have smaller libraries, fewer sections for students to enroll in, and less guidance and academic counseling than four-year colleges or universities. As a result, students entering school without a defined plan and an understanding of the principles of research may find themselves lost, not knowing where else to look for information. Some community colleges, such as Pittsburgh-area Community College of Beaver County, have begun to develop "Achieving the Dream" programs to address high failure rates stemming from this lack of guidance, in the hopes of offering at-risk students options they would not otherwise know about.