The idea to end open admissions and scale back remedial courses at Chicago City Colleges is under fire.

Margaret Lee is the president of north suburban Oakton Community College. She says if Chicago City College leaders are serious about this idea, they don’t understand the purpose of community colleges.

LEE: They’re applying a corporate model to it and saying, “Well, you know, remedial education, that’s not college education.” But, in my view, it’s a failure to understand the role of community colleges in bridging that gap.

Lee says she wouldn’t be surprised if more Chicago students apply to schools like Oakton if Chicago pulls back on open admissions.

In 2008, the city’s Wright college was the top college choice for Chicago Public School graduates. The city’s open admissions policy currently admits any student who has a General Education Development certificate or a high school diploma.