This article examines how states and community colleges can streamline the transfer process through an innovative national program known as Interstate Passport. The program enables block transfer of lower-division general education attainment based on a set of learning outcomes rather than on individual courses and credits. The article shows how…

This article unpacks the challenge of culturally responsive teaching in rural community colleges, based on emerging insights from a study of two community colleges in North Carolina. Culturally responsive strategies ask, how do our classrooms welcome the perspectives, voices, and distinctive cultural resources of people of color and other…

This chapter discusses the forces creating a strong demand for innovation, highlights innovative practices at various community colleges, and concludes with recommendations for igniting and sustaining innovation across the rural community college sector.

This chapter presents the results of a study focused on rural community college faculty experiences. Through their own stories, it becomes clear that rural faculty do not have a single role, but instead fulfill many roles that ensure the success of their students.

A new wave of federal legislation is drastically affecting how community colleges create and deliver programs in career and technical education (CTE). A key focus area shared by these federal policy changes is program-to-labor market alignment in which community colleges must utilize local labor market data to tailor their CTE programs to meet the…

Rural community colleges, often located in communities with fewer resources than urban or suburban institutions, face unique challenges in serving LGBTQIA+ students. This chapter showcases the challenges in one district and strategies that college community members have employed in working for LGBTQIA+ student success.

This chapter presents results from a study exploring the experiences of rural high school graduates and the influences on their reasons for attending postsecondary education. In particular, the results presented here are a compilation of several rural students who intentionally chose to attend a local community college.

This chapter offers strategies for creating support resources for students who face nonacademic barriers such as housing insecurity, food insecurity, lack of transportation and dependable childcare, and the need for mental health care and illness. These strategies should be viewed as ideas to help retain students and create lasting partnerships…

This chapter describes the cocurricular activities offered through The Democracy Commitment at Allegany College of Maryland and the impact of these civic experiences on its students.

The delivery of courses and even complete degree programs online has become commonplace in higher education. As institutions seek to extend their reach and students demand more convenient access to the college curriculum, online offerings have increased at an accelerating rate. What has not kept pace with this expansion of online offerings is the…

During the 1990s it became evident that technology was changing instructional delivery and many student and academic support services in a major way. These changes, coupled with increasing interest in and demand for more flexible scheduling for courses and programs, paved the way for colleges and universities to develop online (Web-based) courses.…

Evidence clearly points to the presence of intercollegiate athletics at the early junior colleges established prior to World War I. Moving into more current times, the authors find among prominent reasons for institutional involvement with athletics giving students a "true college experience," expanding access, recruiting a more diverse student…

Although most community colleges do not have on-campus housing, many rural two-year colleges do. Relying on federal institutional survey data, this chapter discusses issues related to the operation of residence halls and implications for both students and rural community college leaders. The chapter concludes with recommendations for policy and…

This chapter reviews the literature on the status of distance education in rural community colleges, and addresses issues rural community colleges face in implementing distance education. (Contains 1 table.)

As community colleges become dependent on a contingent workforce, the recruitment, retention, and motivation of quality part-time faculty become an institutional priority. This chapter presents an overview of the practices of three exemplary colleges in providing innovative professional development for part-time faculty.