Fostering Success or Stratification? A Macroapproach to Understanding 'Success' in the Community College Context

The topic of student success is a central focus for community college educators and researchers, yet little consideration is given to the long-term success that community college students may or may not be attaining. What role (if any) do concerns about social stratification have in the debate over student success? Exploring the ways in which community colleges may be perpetuating long-term, systemic inequality among students, despite their ability to graduate with a certificate or degree, is an important consideration as community colleges work to define and measure student success and strategically plan for the future. Drawing from sociology and critical education literature, this paper makes the case that educators and administrators need to develop a macroapproach to understanding student success as a result of three contextual factors: labor market changes, shifts toward neoliberal ideology, and the role of habitus.