Community colleges play a fundamental role in higher education. They are open-access institutions, providing higher education services to individuals from a variety of backgrounds. Community colleges also provide important workforce development and training opportunities to help develop the local economy. Today, states and the federal government…

The role of the community college in the educational growth and development of rural America can be enhanced by (1) strengthening the bond with rural public school districts; (2) developing a rural studies curriculum; and (3) becoming a major factor in the rural development process. (MB)

Essays by Marv Weiss and Bruce Bryden; Jerry Young; D. Kent Sharples; and Kermit Lidstrom and Jordis Conrad identify issues and problems of particular concern to small, rural colleges, including student retention, faculty recruitment, image building, and the colleges' role in economic development. (DMM)

Reports on the economic development activities of 237 small rural southeastern colleges. Reveals that most of the colleges provided basic skills training, career/vocational counseling, job placement services, short courses for company employees, and skills upgrading. Highlights the activities of colleges highly involved with rural economic…

Presents methods and findings of a study of finances, programs, costs, curriculum, and innovative practices at 160 small rural colleges, including comparative data on a small sample of nonrural and large community colleges. Finds small colleges receiving special consideration from funding sources and program diversity related to enrollment size.…

In developing this compendium of exemplary economic development practices among small and/or rural two-year colleges, the American Association of Community Colleges Commission on Small/Rural Community Colleges (CSMCC) sent out a call for program descriptions to all community colleges with less than 3,000 full-time employees or that were…