The graying of community college leadership is an issue across the country. More than half of all community college presidents expect to retire in five years, according to data from the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC). Succession planning is yet another opportunity for colleges already navigating a variety of reforms to innovate.…

Nearly a decade ago officials at New Jersey's 19 community colleges sought a way for the state's two-year career and technical college system to work together to more efficiently serve the workforce development needs of the state. The goal was to say to businesses, "If you have a training need, we can help by delivering the…

This is the second article in a three-part series on reimagining the community college student experience, describing a new model for academic pathways, key design principles, examples from colleges leading the way, and implementation challenges. Community colleges are beginning to embrace the task of reimagining students' educational experiences.…

Enrollments are up across the board--a good sign for any college, particularly one that's only recently opened its doors--but enthusiasm is tempered by the reality of an impending budget crisis. Like most colleges, the situation is compounded by political pressure to increase the nation's graduation rate. Not that graduating students hasn't always…

Sierra Leone, a country the size of South Carolina on the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, was once known as the "Athens of West Africa." Today, the Republic is recovering from a 10-year war that ended in 2002. When the author, Alusine Kanu, who holds a doctorate of arts in community college education from Virginia's George Mason University…

For over 100 years, community colleges have been rightly seen as institutions designed to have an intimate relation to the community they serve. In order to know about the educational needs of the local communities, they were mandated to conduct frequent surveys and subsequently adapt the programs of study. Since its founding in 1959,…

Commitment to community is the cornerstone of the community college mission. Community colleges were created to serve the needs of their local communities, and that commitment to community continues to be a very good thing at community colleges throughout the country. But when commitment to community is so strong that colleges become too…

There are close to 1,200 community colleges in the United States, and their level of crisis preparation ranges from very thorough to not prepared at all. A survey of American Association of Community Colleges membership found a number of community colleges that not only had good crisis plans but were proud of the work that had gone into them and…

Argues that current changes in the educational climate require transformations in community college organization. Discusses operational, linear, and frame-breaking approaches to change, arguing that all are important in making the transformation to high-performing institutions, or institutions that can manage both incremental and revolutionary…

Describes a new concept for business education at Mercer County Community College called the International Business Practice Firm (IBPF), developed in response to employer calls for a more global approach in teaching American business students. Outlines the IBPF learning process, which teaches students business, technology, and "soft"…

Proposes a standard research methodology to help community colleges better measure effectiveness. Recommends gathering demographic, academic, and personal goal data when students enter and exit the college and correlating the data to student performance. Proposes that accrediting agencies adopt the model, citing the advantages of a consistent body…

With its global vision, community partners and cutting edge curriculum, Kirkwood Community College has become a leader in emergency preparedness and response training. The college is integrally involved with a variety of training consortia and entities including HMTRI (Hazardous Materials Training Research Institute), PETE (Partnership for…

Sets forth eight rules for using assessment to allow community colleges to create a distinctive image: create a "brand identity," differentiate the institution from competitors, big picture goals, total institution performance, priority assigned to stakeholders, measuring intangible benefits, continuous customer touch, and urgency for action.…

There is a growing population of young adults who are underserved by community colleges in the United States, students who are poorly prepared for college work and are at risk of poverty, social problems and failure to realize their full potential. Educational programs offered by community colleges represent this group's best hope of overcoming…

Discusses shortage of African-American teachers to serve as educational role models and describes New York State's program allowing minority students to enter teacher education programs jointly at two- and four-year institutions. Reviews advantages of joint-enrollment efforts and program characteristics from top proposals submitted to the State…