Director's Note

Across the country, including Illinois, there is an urgent need for a paradigm shift in how we view and support community colleges. As the original concept of “paradigm shift” tends to be hidden by its expansive use, let me briefly summarize. The term originates from a 1940s psychological experiment in which participants were shown a deck of cards that included a few altered ones—think a red club or a black diamond. Initially, participants misidentified these anomalies, referring only to standard suite/color combinations in their card descriptions. Over time, with repeated exposure to the playing deck, they sensed the discrepancies but struggled to articulate the variance. Eventually, after repeated exposure to the deck, participants recognized the irregular cards correctly, altering their expectations to fit the new information presented—thus experiencing a paradigm shift.

Philosopher Thomas Kuhn popularized the term paradigm shift to illustrate how existing constructs often keep us from recognizing new evidence right before us. As participants initially failed to notice the altered cards, we often work within an accepted frame and struggle to understand anomalies that do not fit our normed prescriptions. We rethink our assumptions only after repeated exposure, leading to a paradigm shift in knowledge and understanding that recalibrates policy and practice.

As we transition into the second quarter of the 21st century, a sustained paradigm shift for community colleges remains elusive. We struggle to connect our deep appreciation for these institutions as distinct pillars supporting individual and community transformation with a need to reframe traditional practices—antiquated funding models, apathetic approaches to developmental education, detached curriculum across postsecondary sectors, check-the-box approaches to program review and monotonous methods toward faculty recruitment and development. This issue of the UPDATE on Research and Leadership adds to the overwhelming evidence that, with a paradigm shift among policymakers and campus leaders, community colleges can draw closer to their potential. They are the locally focused, student-centered and resource-creative institutions with unique expertise in meeting the needs of individuals and communities in an emerging era of post-traditional higher education.

Thank you for reading, reflecting and supporting a paradigm shift for community colleges.

Lorenzo Baber, OCCRL Director