Cooling Out vs. Warming Up: History of the Debate

A cursory review of scholarly articles concerning community colleges will undoubtedly result in references to the ''cooling out'' function of academic advising. This theory remains among one of the most cited critiques of these institutions to date. Many scholars have debated the accuracy of the assertion, arguing that community college advisors warmed up rather than cooled out their student aspirations. Interestingly, despite the prevalence of references in community college literature, few studies have considered the roots of this debate. This study explores the historical origins of this dichotomy by examining two foundational discourses that inspired the controversy (Provost, 2023).