Re-visioning Community Colleges has the foresight into the shape that community colleges will likely take in the future. Their predictions are based on an analysis of the growth and innovation trajectory in community colleges as they respond to the dramatic changes in the field.

America’s community colleges are experiencing the most creative and substantive period of transformation in their 118-year history. There has never been so much research, so much support from foundations, and so much commitment from national leaders to reimagine community colleges for today and for the future. 13 Ideas that Are Transforming the Community College World, edited by Terry U. O’Banion, is the seminal work that captures the major ideas faced by community college leaders in this period of transformation. The book includes 23 authors representing 12 national organizations, perhaps the most significant and substantive list of individuals ever to participate in an edited book on the community college. Each author is a nationally-recognized authority on his or her chapter, and all have played major roles as leaders of national organizations.

Co-published with For new professionals in multicultural student services (MSS), this book constitutes a thorough introduction to the structure, organization, and scope of the services and educational mission of these units. For senior practitioners it offers insights for re-evaluating their strategies, and inspiration to explore new possibilities.The book discusses the history and philosophy of MSS units; describes their operation; asserts the need for integration and coherence across the multiple facets of their work and how their role is influenced by the character and type of their institutions; and considers the challenges and opportunities ahead. The theme Building Bridges, Re-Visioning Community reflects the dual role of MSS. They “build bridges” between underrepresented student populations and the broader institutional environment, between different groups of student populations, and across differences in cultural values and traditions. At a time of increasing diversity on campus, their role is also to champion the “re-visioning” or redefinition of what constitutes community in higher education – in other words to reach beyond serving their traditional constituencies to educate for multicultural competence, and advocate for social justice across the campus commons.This book is organized in four sections moving the reader from the past to the present to the future, and from a service mission to an educational one. Part One reviews the purposes for which MSS were created, and the evolution of their vision, concluding an overview of how units perceive their needs and challenges today.Part Two addresses a range of issues – such as race/ethnicity, sexual orientation / gender identity, and religion/faith diversity – commonly addressed by MSS, and, in recognizing the tensions inherent in serving such disparate constituencies, advances ideas for bringing greater integration and coherence to their work.Part Three considers how institutional context influences the structure and organization of MSS, and addresses such questions as: Who are they serving? What kind of support services and educational programming can they provide? How broadly or narrowly should they define their role, and can they extend their influence through alliances with other campus units?The book concludes by looking at how MSS can re-vision community to ensure their continued relevance to the college or university community.An ACPA Publication

Based on a study of 256 exemplary community college presidents, this book examines the attributes of outstanding leaders and their ability to orchestrate organizational change. Chapter 1 provides the background for the study, emphasizes the importance of leadership, and identifies attributes common to transformational leaders; that is, leaders who work with their followers so that each raises the other to higher levels of motivation and morality. Chapter 2 summarizes leadership theory and offers a discussion of transformational leadership and its place in a rapidly changing society. After chapter 3 reviews the study methodology, chapters 4 and 5 present findings on the demographic and leadership characteristics of the presidents selected for in-depth study. Chapters 6 through 10 discuss key elements of transformational leadership, including shared vision, teamwork and collaborative decision making, institutional climate and the relationship between the institution and the individuals within it, motivation as a means of achieving followers' acceptance of the shared vision, and personal values, integrity, and commitment to learning. Chapter 11 examines women in community college leadership roles. Finally, chapter 12 presents a summary of the research, a discussion of the problems faced by minority leaders, and a review of study implications. The survey instruments and an eighty-five-item bibliography are appended.

Jennifer M. Silva tellas a deep, multi-generational story of pain and politics that will endure long after the Trump administration. Drawing on over 100 interviews with black, white, and Latino working-class residents of a declining coal town in Pennsylvania, Silva reveals how the erosion of the American Dream is lived and felt.

Co-published with This timely volume addresses the urgent need for new strategies and better ways to serve community colleges’ present and future students at a time of rapid diversification, not just racially and ethnically, but including such groups as the undocumented, international students, older adult learners and veterans, all of whom come with varied levels of academic and technical skillsThe contributing researchers, higher education faculty, college presidents, and community college administrators provide thorough understanding of student groups who have received scant attention in the higher education literature. They address the often unconscious barriers to access our institutions have erected and describe emerging strategies, frameworks, and pilot projects that can ease students’ transition into college and through the maze of the college experience to completion. They offer advice on organizational culture, on defining institutional outcomes, on aligning shifting demographics with the multiple missions of the community college, on strengthening the collaboration of student and academic affairs to leverage their respective roles and resources, and on engaging with the opportunities afforded by technology.Divided into three parts – understanding today’s community college campuses; supporting today’s community college learners; and specialized populations and communities – this book offers a vision and solutions that should inform the work of faculty, administrators, presidents, and board members.

Over the past 19 years, Economic Modeling Specialists International (Emsi) has responded to the demand for credible and affordable economic impact studies by completing over 2000 such studies for colleges in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia. The book chronicles the lessons learned over this time period and highlights what an economic impact study is, is not, what the results mean, and why they are important. It also discusses how presidents and governing boards can leverage the impact results to address other issues they deal with on a daily basis. Few college presidents are fully aware of this opportunity, however, and thus do not fully exploit the richness of the study. A strong case is also made that the college leadership should play a much stronger leadership roles in regional economic development of their region in addition to their roles as advocates for their colleges only.

This practical resource helps aspiring leaders demystify the challenges associated with becoming a community college president. Building on existing scholarship and research related to historical origins of the community college, this book explores the role and function of the presidency, discusses existing demographics and the importance of meeting the needs of a diverse student population, and unpacks the required competencies and leadership challenges related to becoming a community college president. Including real voices from award-winning and current presidents as well as a step-by-step approach to attaining the position, this is an important resource that speaks to the needs of today and tomorrows’ community college leaders.

Grounded in an economic perspective, Financing Community Colleges: Where We Are, Where We're Going helps college leaders make sense of the challenges they face in securing and managing the resources needed to carry out the community college mission. Finance has perpetually been an Achilles heel for leaders at all levels of management. With the premise that leaders are better at winning battles they know something about, this book equips leaders with an understanding of the fundamentals and the complexities of community college finance. It tackles current and emerging issues with insight that is analytic and prophetic—a must read for current and prospective leaders.