Consolidation as Structural Violence in Connecticut Community Colleges

• In Event: Community Colleges and English Learners: Perspectives on Transfer, Structure, and Equity

Abstract

Many researchers have written about the growing use of neoliberal, corporate business models in education (Apple, 2006; Haymes et al., 2015; Keisch & Scott, 2015; Lawrence & Sharma, 2002; Newfield, 2016; Saltman, 2010; Scott, 2011). Consolidating school systems is one business practice that is gaining popularity with administrators. Starting in 2016, 38 public colleges have already consolidated at least one of their campuses (Busta, 2018), and since the 1999-2000 school year, 113 public, postsecondary Title IV institutions have closed or consolidated (NCES, 2018). Governing bodies, such as state legislatures and boards of regents, have exerted pressure on college administrators to cut budgets, and the college administrators are now looking to the business world for solutions. On April 3, 2017, the president of the Connecticut State Colleges and Universities announced that, due to financial shortfalls, all 12 of Connecticut’s community colleges (CCC) would merge into one school, calling the initiative “Students First” (Connecticut Board of Regents for Higher Education, 2017).
The purpose of this instrumental case study (Stake, 1995) is to examine and understand the single case of the implementation of consolidation in the CCC system and the experiences of CCELs through the lens of Galtung’s (1969) theory of structural violence. This framework was put forward by Galtung (1969) who stated that violence is when “human beings are effectively prevented from realizing their potentialities” (p. 170). This research uses a transformative/postmodern approach to examine the realities that the administration, faculty and communities have created. Data collected from the state and local level are analyzed using holistic analysis (Yin, 2014) to give a more nuanced understanding of how consolidation affects CCELs as well as the faculty and staff that support them at both the local and state levels.
This paper shows that the change in CCCs educational model from a realization of self-potential to a fungible asset is a manifestation of institutional violence. More education is linked to a better quality of life, including a higher income (Abdullah et al., 2013; Tamborini et al., 2015; Torpey, 2018), better health (Eide & Showalter, 2011; Zajacova & Lawrence, 2018) and greater happiness (Nikolaev, 2016; Steptoe et al., 2015). Therefore, it is clear that these policies that deny access to, or denigrate the quality of, education will also decrease income, health and happiness, and are, therefore, examples of structural violence.
This research indicates that the consolidation of CCCs is an example of structural violence against CCELs by denying them opportunities to achieve their potential and calls for action and change in three areas. The first area is the separation of ESL and developmental courses and the difference between native and non-native speakers’ academic needs. The second area is the length of ESL course sequences and finally, placement procedures at CCC must use multiple measures to ensure proper placement of CCELs. This study encourages political participation, and highlights the issues surrounding the consolidation of the community college system in Connecticut.

Author

• William Key, Southern Connecticut State University