In the wake of President Obama's challenge to again make the United States the world's No. 1 producer of college graduates and degree and certificate holders, the nation's community college leaders are shifting their focus from access to success. Fueled by the president's goals, and six months of conversation and deliberation within the college…

The emerging green economy will create not just jobs, but--if done right--career opportunities across the United States as green manufacturing, green products, and green services fuel demand for workers at all skill levels. Sixty-one percent of the members of the Association of Energy Engineers report a growing shortage of qualified professionals…

While most college presidents have mastered many basic tools of the digital environment, such as e-mail, Internet browsing, text messaging, most of them have yet to figure out social media--a glaring omission that remains one of the clearest dividing lines between generations young and old. Though most of them have yet to fully embrace social…

This article describes several community colleges that are taking a more business-like approach, trimming costs, improving efficiencies, and pursuing next-generation innovation--all while keeping the focus squarely where it should be: on learning. At Florida Keys Community College (FKCC), John Keho says his college is taking some strong--though…

Sustainability is a lens through which increasing numbers of community colleges and other higher education institutions are collectively examining and acting upon the shared ecological, social, and economic world systems. In the United States, the national sustainability education trend is evident. In this article, the author discusses how…

The economic downturn hit working America particularly hard, as agricultural, automotive, manufacturing, and retail jobs in many corners of the country all but evaporated. Consumers continue to cut back, and jobless rates in many states have eclipsed levels not seen in decades. Out of work and under pressure, many Americans are turning to the…

Public health education is not just for graduate students anymore. The movement toward integrating public health into the education of undergraduates is rapidly evolving. Healthy People, a public-private consortium of more than 400 health-related organizations, has proposed an objective for 2020 that could dramatically increase public health…

President Barack Obama has touted the development of a new green economy as a tool to rebuild the American economy while creating new jobs. This new economy requires entrepreneurs and innovators to create new businesses and invent new technologies. It also requires technicians with specialized skills to build wind farms, operate renewable fuels…

By 2020, 65 percent of all jobs in the economy will require postsecondary education and training beyond high school. That's a pretty strong statement in defense of the value of higher education in this country. But it will mean little unless the nation's colleges and universities--and, specifically, community colleges--can produce more workers…

Across the country, mayors, business owners, government workers, and labor leaders are saying it's time to push for a greener world. Community colleges are advancing the jobs of the future at a much faster rate than anyone else. To truly embrace sustainability, it must be integrated into all facets of the college: mission and planning, curricula,…

Increased competition from Internet merchants, coupled with the swelling popularity of electronic books and skyrocketing textbook prices, is forcing the nation's college stores to get creative, find new ways to boost revenues, and drive sales of books and other merchandise to students and faculty. To make up for lost revenue as a result of…

This article discusses the enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. Deploying an ERP system is one of the most extensive--and expensive--IT projects a college or university can undertake. The potential benefits of ERP are significant: a more smoothly running operation with efficiencies in virtually every area of administration, from automated…

There's an urban legend which holds that community college graduates who go on to earn degrees at other institutions develop a stronger loyalty to the college that granted their highest degree. Perpetuating this legend is a limiting belief that keeps fundraising professionals from taking necessary steps to fully develop the potential that exists…

As states slash funding for education and other services in the face of shrinking budgets, the question is not how to find students, but how to help them once enrolled. Linda Hagedorn, director of the Research Institute for Studies in Higher Education at Iowa State University, states that instead of being concerned about where community colleges…

Community colleges are pulling back the covers of student performance in favor of a new "culture of evidence." One hundred two community colleges in 22 states have joined Achieving the Dream: Community Colleges Count. Backed by a partnership of foundations and research organizations, the effort provides funding, coaching, and data-driven…