Many things have not changed since Esther Hugo's 2006 article on community colleges. For the most part, "open-door" means just that: "apply and you're in." The lenses community colleges use to see students are still complex; the purposes of community colleges are still many. Students of all ages come for transfer, career and vocational training,…

Frequently overlooked in the discussion of whether there is or is not a higher education bubble are community colleges--despite the fact that this sector within public higher education represents 43 percent of first-time freshman and 44 percent of all undergraduates. For the most part, the "bubble" discussion has focused on whether the…

As the market for online communications evolves, it's hard to blame college administrators for feeling a bit deluged. Gone are the days of traditional media, where communications professionals relied on newspapers and print and radio advertising to recruit students and tell their stories. With more students embracing technology today--particularly…

The arts disciplines (visual arts, music, theatre, and dance) merit and require formal study. Policy makers should support studies in the arts as core disciplines, as specified in the "Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA)," the federal legislation that sets policy and appropriations for public education. The arts merit and…

They say necessity is the mother of invention. In the author's 42 years with community colleges, it has never been more necessary to become proactive at raising revenue. The economic recession has adversely affected the colleges as never before. Across the U.S., enrollment growth is unprecedented, as are budget cuts. Such imbalance presents a…

When Americans talk about access to a college education, they tend to narrow the acceptable boundaries of the conversation. They ask why the cost of college has gotten so out of control compared to the costs of other goods and services, and they sometimes talk about the closely related subject of financial aid. But very rarely do Americans discuss…

For nearly 50 years, California's higher education system has been shaped by the tripartite division of the vaunted Master Plan. The 1960 document's bold vision of access and quality safeguarded a system of selective research universities (the University of California) and provided baccalaureate education through less-selective campuses (the…

New Englanders have been well-served by the region's higher education legacy. They tend to be better-educated and more prosperous than the rest of the nation, and the cultural life in their cities and towns is exceptionally rich. But New England dares not rest on its laurels. The growing demand for even greater levels of educational attainment in…

When representatives from community colleges and selective four-year institutions gather, there is no greater flashpoint than the topic of part-time enrollment. This issue--that students coming from an institution comprising mostly part-time students should be enabled to transfer to selective four-year institutions in which full-time enrollment is…

A presentation by Walter Gilliam (2007) at the First Annual Leadership Symposium on pre-kindergarten education in the United States outlined the explosion across the 50 states in enrollment and public spending for pre-kindergarten programs (including Head Start). Although the majority of these programs are in public schools, most states rely on a…

On March 1, 2009 from 2 pm to 5 pm at the Madison Hotel in Washington, DC, the National Science Foundation hosted a listening session, requesting input on Section 7033 of the America COMPETES (Creating Opportunities to Meaningfully Promote Excellence in Technology, Education, and Science) Act regarding Hispanic-serving institutions and science,…

Traces the evolution of community services in higher education. Cites factors working against the clarification of the community service role within the community college's mission: preoccupation with definitions, burgeoning enrollments, lack of a financial base, and contrasting messages from educational leaders. Offers suggestions for…

Traces the evolution of community services in higher education. Cites factors working against the clarification of the community service role within the community college's mission: preoccupation with definitions, burgeoning enrollments, lack of a financial base, and contrasting messages from educational leaders. Offers suggestions for…

Responds to David Riesman's article, "Community Colleges: Some Tentative Hypotheses" (JC 502 056). Asserts that Riesman views community colleges as "lesser" institutions, exhibits a liberal arts college bias, and overemphasizes the transfer function. Points to the expanded community-college mission, community college/university…

Notes the decline of humanities curricula due to the association of humanities instruction with transfer education. Outlines five corrective measures related to the utilization of interdisciplinary courses, increased liaison between humanities and community services staff, utilization of nontraditional instructional techniques, and the development…