Due to shifting funding polices for community colleges, the role of the community college foundation has changed greatly from passive fund managers for the institution into active fundraisers. With over 15,000 individuals nationally serving in the volunteer role of community college foundation board member, and managing nearly one billion dollars…

This report examines the results of the Senior Exit Survey, which is administered annually to all graduating high school students. The fivefold purpose of the survey is to examine: (1) seniors' post-secondary plans; (2) the credentials they plan to acquire; (3) the institutions they plan to attend; (4) the fields of study they choose to pursue;…

The applied project sought to gain insight into student perceptions of required volunteerism in the context of coursework. The study included classes at a mid-sized southeastern community college and occurred in a single semester. The study was qualitative in nature and utilized focus groups and the analysis of reflective assignments to gather…

This research study investigated the relationship between receiving an undergraduate scholarship and students' intended future contributions of volunteer time, professional talents, and financial treasure to a suburban community college after graduation. Kopecek and Kubik (1982) explained that "all colleges have alumni, but few community…

While experiential learning experiences provide important professional development opportunities for all college students, successful real-world experience is even more important for students with disabilities, who experience decreased success within the professional setting. This study investigated what information disability resource office…

Social interaction, and the attendant negotiation of meaning, is of prime importance for developing second language (L2) skills. Yet how learners go about building L2 social networks -- and why some have more success than others in doing so -- remains underexplored. This article explores this phenomenon via a 12-month longitudinal case study of…

The time has come for community colleges to realize the potential of alumni private funding gifts. While some community colleges have developed alumni associations with success as a source for private fundraising, there are many that have not been successful. Today leaders are still perplexed as to the strategies and factors that contribute to the…

Since Delaware Technical Community College opened its doors over five decades ago, over 50,000 people have graduated from the institution. There are currently 15,000 students enrolled at campuses statewide, and since 97% of those students are Delawareans, there is an extremely large untapped group of individuals who could be engaged to become…

Three authors describe a collaboration between a Massachusetts college and a nearby prison, which leveraged the volunteer efforts of a college professor by including incarcerated men who assisted in Spanish language teaching inside and outside the classroom.

Community Days, an innovative initiative to foster community service and civic engagement at the City University of New York's new Guttman Community College, encourages students to perform volunteer work around the city. What makes the program unique are opportunities for students to take self-directed excursions and enjoy free resources in the…

A growing list of community colleges of all sizes is seeking--and raising--previously unheard-of sums through major campaigns, despite having significantly fewer staff members than their four-year counterparts. According to a recent CASE study of community college foundations, more than half of the respondents said they were planning, conducting,…

A level of consistency between community college leaders and community leaders is necessary to demonstrate behaviors, actions, and beliefs that shape, represent, and support expected community values. Likewise, communities, which are collectives of suborganizations, play an important role in aiding individual development, especially related to…

This article features several community college alumni who share how community colleges contributed to their success later in their lives and how they are inspired to give back. These outstanding alumni stress the importance of community and public service. They include: (1) Dr. Richard Carmona, U.S. Surgeon General from 2002 to 2006; (2) Colonel…

The case study engaged selected stakeholders who explored their perceptions and understanding of why they made significant commitments of volunteerism and philanthropy to a capital campaign at one public community college, and the particular factors that influenced their decisions. A paucity of inquiries examines this topic from the volunteer or…

Most economic impact studies are prepared by external consultants at significant cost to an individual college, a higher education state system, or a set of institutions with similar Carnegie Classifications. This case study provides a detailed framework that academic institutions may use to derive economic impact estimates without hiring external…