Community colleges offer access to higher education for many who otherwise would not be able to attend college, including academically underprepared students, students from low-income backgrounds, and place-bound adults. Recently, some community colleges have diverged from this historical mission and embraced "mission expansion."…

In this final chapter, we reflected on the collective works presented in this volume by a diverse group of community college scholars and leaders. Through this reflection, we share how this scholarship sought to operationalize and enhance the definitions of equity-driven and social justice-oriented leadership in community colleges. After…

As demand for more highly educated workers rises, a growing number of community colleges have expanded their services beyond two-year degree programs and begun conferring baccalaureate degrees. These programs, referred to as Community College Baccalaureate (CCB) programs, have become increasingly prevalent: Prior to 2000, only four states offered…

Objective: Community college baccalaureate (CCB) programs are expanding across the nation, particularly in California--home of the largest and most ethnically/racially diverse community college system in the nation. CCB programs provide many benefits, two of which include providing an accessible and affordable pathway towards baccalaureate…

This document provides an overview of historic policy reforms that have improved student success and close racial equity gaps in completion at California Community Colleges.

In response to policy and accountability mandates requiring California community colleges (CCCs) to address disparities in student outcomes, CCCs must adapt to evolving frameworks, funding structures, and parameters (e.g., definitions, equity populations, and metrics). Recent guidance has focused on race-conscious and equity-minded approaches.…

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the significance of incorporating diverse lived experiences and identities through culturally relevant pedagogy (CRP) in promoting sustainability, cultural diversity and the integration of various perspectives and worldviews rooted in identity and lived experience in sustainability education at…

Program directors at community colleges must navigate institutional rhetoric to effectively support Men of Color. This study considers how administrators often exhibit a non-performative commitment to diversity, in that stated commitment might not equate to action. Utilizing a framework grounded in critical race theory and cognitive frames…

This study aimed to provide a quantitative analysis of industry's perception of the effectiveness of community colleges, specifically from industries in the advanced manufacturing sector, within the state of Michigan. This study investigated interactions, awareness, and perception of effectiveness by industry leaders with community college CTE…

Community colleges navigate a policy landscape or "policyscape" that was not created for them but that affects them in numerous ways. The concluding article introduces the idea of the "policyscape" in the community college context, and provides examples from the volume of when and how policies can be updated (what Mettler calls…

Today, half of all states authorize at least one community college to offer bachelor's degree programs. In the past five years alone, eight states have authorized community colleges to offer baccalaureate programs. Given the momentum behind this movement, we sought to qualitatively explore higher education leaders' perceptions of the role of…

This paper addresses the problem of the development of postgraduate education in Poland. It aims to analyse how the different types of higher education institutions (HEIs), such as public universities, public universities of applied sciences (UAS) and private sector organisations, engage in postgraduate learning. It draws data from 11 case studies…

Beginning with the revision of the existing Comprehensive Articulation Agreement (CAA) in 2014, North Carolina policymakers have implemented several articulation agreements that create structured pathways between two- and four-year colleges. The purpose of this article is to detail the demographic makeup and post-transfer outcomes of transfer…

While there is no shortage of scholarship on "equity" in higher education, researchers typically examine whether a policy or practice is (in)equitable rather than how those responsible for designing and enacting a policy or practice make meaning of equity. Using a sensemaking framework and case study approach, I explored the collective…

This study represents North Carolina community college student experience with food insecurity. Two-year students have a wide variety of challenges as they make their way to finishing a credential. One such challenge, hunger, has always been a component; awareness and discourse have not. The purpose of the research is to understand the narratives…