Developing and sustaining comprehensive school mental health systems should be a shared endeavor between schools and community partners; the task should not rest solely on the shoulders of the K-12 education sector. Community partners, including health and behavioral health providers, can augment the continuum of services available to students and…

Apprenticeships are often considered the "gold standard" of workforce education. They are formal training programs during which successful applicants are paid while being trained on the job by experienced workers or mentors. Acquiring new skills in the workplace is accompanied by related training, typically provided by an educational…

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…

Since 2012, community colleges have made a considerable effort to increase student success and completion. Today, as much greater attention is being paid to drawing stronger linkages between education and workforce needs, institutions are becoming more strategic and deliberate in this work. In particular, many institutions are building stronger…

The data contained in this report provide new connective tissue and insight into students' lives and the ways in which their financial concerns coincide with their academic work and their ability to succeed. The report focuses on the financial health of community college students, including their perceptions of their current financial…

This article asks land grant university leaders and faculty to think of their role in community engagement not simply as the provision of technical assistance or of research and development prowess, but as an opportunity for social leadership. It explores the case of Virginia Tech's effort to develop a regionally based model to secure long-term…

The purpose of this study was to build on the previous work of articulation practices of Virginia's public school divisions and community colleges participating in dual enrollment partnerships, and to understand the role of the community college in initiating, developing, and implementing dual enrollment programs. The primary focus involved…

Proposes creating an entrepreneurial college within the community college that will offer non-credit courses to the community and workforce. States that the courses would focus on the training needs of community industry, with the employer as the customer, rather than the student. Adds that the proposed college would also focus on community…

This is a report of a conference devoted to the establishment of short- and long-range goals to assert the rights of the college in its community and to determine corresponding responsibilities. Two basic concerns prompting the conference were: (1) the rapid change in the composition of the student body accompanied by changing needs; and (2) the…

Reviews the potential contributions of Virginia's community colleges to the state's economic development, focusing on flexible delivery of services, knowledge of and responsiveness to community needs, services to assist and attract businesses, and leadership in community problem solving. (DMM)

This dissertation discusses the results of two surveys--one of community college presidents and one of community college students--conducted to determine the existing and planned entrepreneurship credit and noncredit programs within the Virginia Community College System (VCCS) and the interest in these programs from students enrolled in business…

Although junior colleges were originally established to provide the first two years of collegiate instruction, the mission of today's community college includes providing not only transfer education, but also certificate or associate degree vocational programs, adult continuing education, and community services. Therefore, the community college…

This master plan is divided into three sections. The first consists of an historical profile of Thomas Nelson Community College (TNCC), a statement of the college's mission, and descriptions of the college's organizational structure, student characteristics, educational programs, and financial, personnel, and facility resources. The second section…

Developed for consideration by the Chancellor and Virginia State Board of Community Colleges, other public officials, and all citizens of the Commonwealth, this task force report examines the future of Virginia's community colleges in economic development and workplace literacy. The report sets forth ten challenges which stand as obstacles to the…

UNDER THE GENERAL DIRECTION AND CONTROL OF A STATE BOARD FOR COMMUNITY COLLEGES, THE COMMUNITY COLLEGES IN VIRGINIA ARE COMPREHENSIVE INSTITUTIONS OFFERING POST-HIGH SCHOOL PROGRAMS OF NOT MORE THAN TWO YEARS, TO INCLUDE OCCUPATIONAL AND TECHNICAL FIELDS, LIBERAL ARTS AND SCIENCES, GENERAL EDUCATION, ADULT EDUCATION, PRECOLLEGE OR PRETECHNICAL…