For decades, the O'odham language has been in decline. But like many tribal nations, the Tohono O'odham are working to reclaim their language. Located on the campus of Tohono O'odham Community College (TOCC), the center was founded in 2020 and is for all O'odham, including those from other O'odham speaking nations. Creating opportunities where the…

Community colleges traditionally have provided a combination of liberal arts education and/or career training, depending on a student's goals and outlook. But increasingly, two-year colleges are adding a third leg to their stools aimed at building more socially aware citizens through civic engagement programs that combine elements of community…

This is the executive summary for the full report, "The Economic Value of the Maricopa County Community College District. Main Report." The Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) creates value in many ways. The colleges play a key role in helping students increase their employability and achieve their individual potential.…

Preserving the Navajo language, or "Diné bizaad," is of profound importance for all Indigenous people in the United States, as Navajo is one of the more widely spoken Native languages yet is still facing the early stages of endangerment. Currently, the Navajo Nation, like other tribes, lacks a significant presence of community-based…

The Association of Governing Boards of Universities and Colleges (AGB) is pleased to share this fifth publication in a series of informational briefings developed as part of The Guardians Initiative: Reclaiming the Public Trust, an effort to educate and engage trustees as advocates on key issues in higher education. The U.S. higher education…

A few years ago you could not attend a higher education conference without a session on green technology, and the sustainability movement. Emerging job training programs in wind and solar were equipping a new generation of energy workers with skills needed to secure high income jobs in clean energy markets. Campuses were doing their part to become…

In 2011, Arizona Cooperative Extension implemented Externships in Sustainability, a program in which undergraduate students conduct community-based sustainability projects. In contrast to internships, in which students shadow a professional, externship students apply their skills to community outreach. Extension faculty proposed projects and…

Across the country, the question of what to do about illegal immigrants is fodder for fierce debate. While officials in some states argue for tougher policies and, in many cases, deportation, more sympathetic voices urge compassion and amnesty. As a leading source of education for minority students, the nation's community colleges are at the…

Arizona State University (ASU) has become a foundational model for the New American University; committed to excellence, access and impact in everything it does. ASU's faculty and staff members measure themselves by those they include, not by those they exclude; pursue research that contributes to the public good; and assume major responsibility…

A county with insufficient population and/or assessed valuation to qualify for a community college district may establish a provisional community college district. This proposal, prepared by the State Board of Directors for Community Colleges of Arizona, intends to demonstrate how the provisional community college district is a logical and useful…

A study was undertaken to define the missions of Arizona's community colleges in specific operational terms and to assess the support provided for these missions by the various constituencies of the community colleges. A survey instrument, consisting of 60 activity statements, was developed and administered to 4,000 individuals including all state…

A study was conducted in 1981 by the State Board of Directors for Arizona Community Colleges to define the missions of the colleges in specific operational terms and to assess the support for these missions by the colleges' constituencies. Specifically, the study sought to determine the services, clientele, and purposes of specific college…

Institutional effectiveness can be defined as the extent to which internal priorities coincide with the priorities of the external groups that provide funding and support for the institution. If a lack of congruence exists between these priorities, a college administrator has the options of attempting to change the values of the external groups or…

Discusses results of a study of economic development programs within community colleges in Illinois and Arizona. Finds agreement that colleges' responsibilities include initial contact with business and industry, developing training programs specifically for companies, and marketing programs and services to business. Briefly describes cooperative…

A survey aimed at defining goals to guide decision making about program priorities and resource allocations is described. A study of Arizona's community colleges indicates that the new approach can be very useful. (Author/MLW)