Objective: The purpose of this study was to describe the relationship between community college department chairs and their adjunct faculty. Methods: This was a descriptive phenomenological qualitative study that used individual semi-structured interviews of 14 department chairs from a purposive sample drawn from a midwestern community college.…

Dual enrollment--in which students take college credit-bearing courses when still in high school--is becoming increasingly popular. Community college programs account for about 70% of the dual enrollment that more than one million high school students participate in each year nationwide. Yet dual enrollment can be a big financial burden for…

Online courses are popular in community colleges among students of different backgrounds. However, compared to community college students who take face-to-face courses, those who take online courses earn lower grades and are less likely to receive a diploma or transfer to a four-year institution. Designing courses to facilitate social presence, as…

Community colleges, who are dependent on state and federal funding directly and through need-based student grants, have limited power in higher education. Similarly, public universities continue to lose decision-making authority as the neo-liberal philosophy permeates higher education broadly. This is an opportune time for public community…

This brief describes the participatory action research by the Office of Community College Research and Leadership (OCCRL)--built on the findings of an initial evaluation study of the Illinois Community College Board (ICCB) program review process--toward the development of an equity-centered rubric to advance learning and support for the state's…

Maine's public universities and community colleges have a long tradition of working together. They are doing so now more closely than ever before given the needs of Maine students and employers and the institutions' imperative to achieve efficiencies and savings through partnership. As required by Public Law 2015, Chapter 261, the leaders of both…

Apart from awarding associate degrees, two-year colleges (also referred to as associate colleges and community colleges) may vary distinctly in their disciplinary focus. Certain institutions offer more courses geared toward specific career fields, while other two-year institutions offer courses to prepare students to transfer to four-year…

The California Community Colleges (CCC) is the largest system of higher education in the United States. In the past two decades, CCC has effectively shut hundreds of thousands of students out of higher education by increasing the cost of tuition. The drop in student enrollment resulted in fewer students meeting their educational goals within a…

Over the past 10 years, Turtle Mountain Community College (TMCC) in Belcourt, North Dakota, has developed a formula for sustainable infrastructure development. The college does not take natural resources, use them, and then dump chemicals, carbon monoxide, or other toxic waste back into the ecosystem. Instead, the college has invested in…

Also known as "free tuition," college promise programs are emerging across the United States as a potential mechanism for improving college access and affordability, Whether these initiatives are an effective use of resources depends on whether programs advance societal goals for equity and efficiency. Although some emerging research…

Community colleges are the linchpin of the nation's current efforts to increase the proportion of adults with postsecondary education. Yet, despite the significant historical role community colleges have played in expanding access to higher education, there are reasons to question whether community colleges are equipped to supply these additional…

The purpose of this study was to add to the literature on community colleges and organizational change. This study explored how interested parties, internal and external, understood the organizational change called the Reinvention Initiative occurring at the City Colleges of Chicago and how this organizational change influenced constituencies'…

Community colleges are unique in the higher education realm. Open access, the demographics of students, communities served, locations, and funding sources all present distinct circumstances. A strategic plan supported by leadership, faculty, staff and the external environment is needed to steer students on pathways to success. The focus on…

Objective: Community colleges have long made higher education more accessible to students from diverse academic backgrounds, particularly those who are academically underprepared and require remediation. In light of developmental education (DE) reform, our article answers the following questions: How do campus personnel articulate the unique…

Objective: Community colleges have long made higher education more accessible to students from diverse academic backgrounds, particularly those who are academically underprepared and require remediation. In light of developmental education (DE) reform, our article answers the following questions: How do campus personnel articulate the unique…