Our challenge is to find ways of sharing authority and responsibility for the functions our colleges perform. We must avoid confusing structure with process and rid ourselves of overly complex governance arrangements where the costs of maintenance exceed the benefits to be derived. (Author/LH)

Reviews forces that influence leadership in community colleges (e.g., demographics, resource constraints, mission definition and quality assurance, and technological change and aging staff). Suggests directions that will help community college administrators respond to new challenges. (DMM)

Author offers suggestions for improving sagging enrollment at community colleges. (RK)

Stresses that shared responsibility between administrators and faculty is necessary to enhance the educational process in the two-year college. Argues that collective bargaining is not a panacea, and that faculty must play a major role in assessing the quality of education. (JG)

Based on a 3-year case study of an open-access community college, this monograph examines the background, causes, and possible resolutions for the decline of literacy in open-access colleges. Chapter 1 presents a working definition of literacy, considers the nature of literacy in a community college setting, and raises issues concerning the impact…

The decisions that administrators make touch every facet of the institutional experience and fundamentally affect teaching and learning. Research shows, however, that administrators do not always recognize their influence nor their responsibility for the quality of instruction. A study of one urban community college district revealed an unforeseen…

This book combines theory and practice to suggest a viable alternative to traditional practices of college administration and governance--the participative model which aims at developing cooperative relationships among the members of the college community as opposed to confrontation. The structural components of this model include an all-college…

This 4-year study of 12 community colleges examined the institutional policies and administrative practices that encouraged or discouraged effective faculty behaviors. The study focused on faculty and administrative subcultures and the learning environment that they help to create in these open-door institutions. The study found that different…

Development of the concept of quality within higher education, at both government and institutional levels, is traced, focusing on differences in state and institutional approaches and concerns in the pursuit of quality. Miami-Dade Community College (Florida) illustrates one approach. Relative impact of different approaches on the public interest…

Evolution of "quality" in higher education as an institutional concept is traced, and differences between approaches at the institutional and state levels are explored. Contrasting approaches in Florida and Illinois are examined, particularly in the case of Miami-Dade Community College (Florida). Contribution of the different approaches…

This case study, part of the State Structures for the Governance of Higher Education study, focuses on governance and related issues in Illinois' higher education system. The study's overall purpose was to examine differences among states in their governance structures, and to determine if differences in performance were related to governing…

Based on a 3-year case study of an open-access community college, this monograph examines the background to, causes of, and possible resolutions for the decline of literacy in open-access colleges. Chapter 1 presents a working definition of literacy; considers the nature of literacy in a community college setting; and raises issues concerning the…

Through an understanding of the historical forces that raised the community college to prominence during the past decades and that are now threatening this position, the community college trustee can contribute to the process of securing a base for future progress. The period from 1961 to 1980 saw a tripling of the number of two-year colleges and…