The growing chasm between society's complex problems and what the systems can do to help is driving reform in all sectors. Just as schools alone cannot compensate for the disadvantage created by troubled homes and communities, welfare and social agencies cannot hold out a hopeful future to clients lacking employment abilities. Comprehensive…

The first of 11 annotated publications on schools' growing social responsibilities examines ways for schools to help with students' changing family situations (mainly through divorce) and increase educators' sensitivity to the stigma attached to nontraditional families. The second takes issue with those using the schools "as a catchall for problem…

This digest offers community college professionals insight into the culture and language driving the news media, with an emphasis on newspapers. In an era of increased accountability for resource expenditures, educators may stretch budgets by engaging the mass media as willing and helpful partners in promoting the institutions' identity, programs,…

Tech prep is an articulation partnership between secondary vocational-technical schools and postsecondary institutions. It can be described as an "advanced skills" articulation model because it enables students to use the time saved through coordinated course work to acquire the more advanced occupational knowledge and skill required by…

Chapter 12 of a revised volume on school leadership, this chapter discusses ways for administrators to enlist community support through coalition-building. To counter insufficient tax revenues and citizen apathy, today's administrator must be a political strategist adept at identifying and recruiting potential school allies and helping divergent…

Corporate education is an extensive, multifaceted endeavor, costing billions of dollars, educating millions of people, and absorbing many working hours annually. Offerings range from remedial to postgraduate level management and technical courses. Corporate educators are fulfilling educational needs of nontraditional students, often before…

Using Bronx Community College's (New York) National Center for Urban Partnerships as an example, the article describes the role a managing partner plays in facilitating collaborations that include multiple partners, sixteen in this case. Duties include convening meetings, offering services, assessing partnership progress, providing feedback to the…

For the purposes of this digest, productivity is defined as ways in which library and information services can assist agencies, industries, and individuals in producing goods and services effectively and profitably. Two fundamental issues that affect productivity are access and control; two major strategies for improving productivity are…

This digest is drawn from "The Role of the Community College in Teacher Education" (New Directions for Community Colleges, Spring 2003). It examines trends in teacher education in the community colleges, including building partnerships and articulation agreements with baccalaureate-granting institutions, designing new associate degree…

Describes Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) publications that pertain to collaborative activities undertaken by community colleges and their partners, the types of agencies that fund such programs, and the strategies that guide effective partnerships. Groups publications into three categories: (1) existing partnerships; (2) funding…

Interfering with the ability of community colleges to face the challenges involved in fulfilling their multiple missions is the fact that the colleges are often regarded as "inferior" when compared to four-year baccalaureate institutions. Ironically, many of the concessions that community colleges have made to gain stature have hurt,…

Current issues are complex and funding is difficult to obtain as adult education providers try to meet the needs of the community, business, and industry; therefore, collaboration can be very advantageous. Information, ideas, and resources can be pooled, and duplication and harmful competition can be avoided. Four factors that are important for…

Uses the Los Angeles Partners Advocating Student Success, an interinstitutional educational reform effort, as a case study in collaboration. Discusses the role of the president, and contends that collaboration provides community colleges with new opportunities to promote access and enhance the educational success of underserved students by…

The predicted declines in higher education enrollment coupled with continuing increases in costs have caused administrators to rethink the tradeoffs resulting from interinstitutional cooperation and competition. In considering alternate courses, five basic questions are addressed: (1) To what extent do institutions nationally engage in cooperative…

This edition of New Directions for Community Colleges describes current relationships between two-year colleges and the media across the country. The issue addresses three themes: the history of community colleges' relationships with press members; media's relationships with community college practitioners; and strategic college marketing through…