For more than three decades, educational professionals and researchers have warned about the impending teacher shortage in America's public school system. As we are currently in the midst of the shortage, school districts are facing the reality of fewer qualified teachers and filling the teaching gaps. This is especially evident in high-poverty…

Over 200 municipalities from 48 countries belong to a global network of localities working independently and collectively to realize a robust concept of cities, towns and regions as ecosystems of lifelong learning for the well-being of individuals, communities, nations and the planet. What is the number of U.S. localities participating? Zero. This…

With the growing number of online students, universities must provide support for students in developmental education to engage, collaborate, and co-construct their learning in socially dynamic ways. Online learning communities provide spaces for students to identify with others, communicate openly and candidly, and develop professional…

Living-learning communities combine curricular, co-curricular, and residential components of college life. They are a relatively new variation on the residential education that has been part of the undergraduate experience at America's independent colleges and universities for centuries. Research suggests that living-learning communities have a…

Recent media reporting and research suggest that regional comprehensive universities (RCUs) and other postsecondary institutions may play an integral role in the welfare of rural regions, yet empirical research on the regional service of rural postsecondary institutions is limited. The purpose of this study was to examine how a single RCU serves…

The responsibility for college success has historically rested with the student, but since the 1980s, educators have taken increasing ownership of this, designing structures that increase the likelihood of learning, success, and retention. These efforts have included a variety of initiatives--first year seminars, learning communities,…

Community-based interventions to promote healthy weights by making environmental and policy changes in communities may be an important strategy in reversing the obesity epidemic. However, challenges faced by local public health professionals in facilitating effective environmental and policy change need to be better understood and addressed. To…

This is a summary of a presentation to the Assembly Higher Education Committee on college fee and total cost comparisons of California public universities with comparator universities in other states. This summary also includes grant award estimates and net cost of college by family income.

The purpose of this study was to explore the negative thinking patterns of incoming community college freshmen who were undecided about choosing a major and to suggest an approach for addressing these issues on a community college campus. Sixty community college freshmen attending their freshman orientation (FO) were surveyed using the Career…

Although much has been written about remedial education, little has actually been published on the "nuts and bolts" of its campus operation. This study helps fill in that information gap. Its main purpose is to provide a descriptive inventory of the policies and procedures found in one of the largest community college systems in the…

Human service organizations are uniquely positioned, given their scope of practice and access to consumers with the widest range of needs to significantly increase the national capacity for research if they were effectively equipped with the knowledge, skills, and funding to integrate research and development into their ongoing organizational…

Participation in after-school programs (ASPs) "can" positively affect the development of young people. However, "whether" ASPs are beneficial depends on program quality. Although many factors influence the quality of a program, the competencies of adult staff who lead ASPs are a critical determinant. Unfortunately, ASP staff…

Situated in the broader context of academic administration and senior executive university leadership, this study examined variables correlated with self-reported satisfaction and performance among community college and four-year university presidents in four densely populated north American states. The results of our analysis suggest that…

One might think that a global financial crisis would be no time for college and university presidents to think expansively. Hunkering down is the more natural reaction to a threat of the magnitude that the economy continues to present. But expansive thought is exactly what higher education leaders need right now--not necessarily the kind that…

Describes an initiative by Union College in Schenectady, New York, to invest $10 million in the local community. The initiative includes acquiring property, encouraging home ownership, scholarships for local students, community outreach, and formation of alliances with local community organizations and agencies. The necessary use of endowment…