Community colleges occupy a growing role in the American education system. Their unique cross-section of students poses a challenge for teachers of political science. This paper uses information from a survey completed by over 2,000 students at 20 colleges and universities across the United States to shed light on some of the most significant…

Tallahassee Community College (Florida) can serve as an example of how a student government failed and was successfully resurrected. The initial problem was in adopting rather than adapting the traditional pattern of student government practiced in 4-year institutions. The failure symptoms were: no real authority for student government;…

This paper explores the roles and responsibilities of student trustees in California Community Colleges from two perspectives, that of a student representative and that of a trustee member of the governing board. The different views reflect different assumptions about the student trustee position. The concerns expressed include frustration about…

Designed to help develop informed and capable student leadership in student affairs at Evergreen Valley College (EVC), this student government guide and text for Government 91 focuses on the major leadership needs and objectives of student government within a participatory framework. After an explanation of course objectives and requirements,…

Introduces ad hocracy, an emerging alternative system of junior college government, which encourages informal student involvement, allowing students to participate in activities of special interest without demanding lengthy commitments. (TP)

Describes the judicial body at Porterville College, California, which takes action on student grievances. (DS)

Questions the value of traditional student government at community colleges and suggests several alternatives. Student government, as now conceived, is largely irrelevant to older students, part-time students, married students, and working students. Also, it has no power and is financially and legally dependent upon the administration, which…

Executive summary of a study that explored the role of student board members at two- and four-year institutions. The researcher mailed a survey to 590 randomly chosen student and non-student board members and received responses from 266 (45% return rate). Research insights, policy implications, and recommendations for the future were organized…

A 10-month study by a select committee of students, faculty, and staff in 1973 resulted in a new form of student government at El Camino College (California). The new governmental format features five to seven member student councils in each of the 12 academic divisions of the College. Each of these 12 councils sends two representatives to an…

A survey of 50 randomly selected, full-time, day students at Herkimer County Community College, New York, was conducted to identify those areas of college governance that students felt they should be involved in and to determine the percentage of students who actually participated in student government. The students were asked to indicate: (1)…

When compared with students at four-year campuses, community college students show lower levels of participation in campus organizations and attendance at campus-sponsored events. According to a study, 80% of the student body almost never attended a meeting of a club, organization, or student government group. Yet, research has shown that student…

Wenatchee Valley College's (WVC's) student leadership development program has been successful in identifying and developing people to perform leadership roles within the campus community. Rather than waiting for student leaders to emerge on their own, the program actively recruits high caliber people into WVC's student activity program. At campus…

As a follow-up to a 1975 study of Waubonsee Community College (WCC), a survey was undertaken in spring 1977 to determine the strong and weak points of WCC, to gain an overall view of student attitudes, and to provide data for later comparison. The survey instrument, Student Reactions to College, was administered to a random sample of 555 WCC…

In order to suggest a method of including evening and part-time students in the governance system of Delaware County Community College, the author sent a questionnaire to the Dean of Students or related official at 32 community colleges in Pannsylvania and New Jersey to determine the involvement of such students at other institutions. Twenty-two…