Academic and public libraries are facing the challenge of finding new avenues of service and of creating value for their constituencies. This value is in the form of outcomes that result in bettering the people who use libraries and the community at large. The authors feel that librarians must find creative ways to make their communities better…

"The Road to Recovery: Projecting U.S. Job Growth and Higher Education Demand through 2020" (this issue, p26-29) presented six key indicators that highlighted the latest in education and employment needs for the success of the future jobs market. While the U.S. economy is growing, questions still remain: What skills do employers value…

Reviews some of the efforts undertaken by Phillips County Community College (PCCC) as part of a major industrial and community development planning process in Phillips County, Arkansas. Describes a countywide housing survey, expansion of PCCC's occupational education facilities, and effects on the area's economy. (DMM)

Cites literature published in the 1970s illustrating the long-held goal of integrating community services and continuing education into the mission of the community college. Argues that the goal has been realized. Urges community service educators to become leaders of the movement to help communities become self-renewing through outreach and…

This report to the Santa Monica College (SMC) Board of Trustees focuses on the college's programs and achievements, especially as they relate to community development, and proposes a new city government and school relationship with respect to educational finance. The report proposes creation of the Santa Monica Educational Authority (SMEA), a…

Explores the Community Resource Center (CRC), a model for community college leadership in community development. Describes the community projects and activities of six community colleges which have established CRCs. Emphasizes that the CRC's main purposes are to facilitate citizen involvement in community decision making and to improve community…

Rural areas of the world share many common problems, such as a lack of diverse educational and economic development opportunities. This paper argues that only when rural areas develop strong partnerships among organizations with diverse strengths, and these organizations bring some measure of power to these partnerships, will these rural areas be…

Advocates a leadership role for community college presidents in regional, nonprofit economic development organizations. Reviews the types of economic development, ways of becoming involved, and elements of community economic growth and development. (DMM)

Designed to provide basic guidelines and examples that can be used by community colleges for organizing and conducting community impact studies, this booklet describes the experiences of Kalamazoo Valley Community College (KVCC), Eastfield College (EC), and Valencia Community College (VCC) in conducting their impact studies. Introductory material…

Perceives the community college's image as distorted by the provision of hobby and recreation courses. Advocates linkages with other community organizations offering adult and community service programs. Calls for college involvement community development and the solution of urban and suburban problems. (DMM)

Examines the Maricopa Community College District's response to the technical training requirements of local high technology firms. Discusses changes in the technical curriculum, business-industry ties, and the activities and achievements of the district's advisory council of high technology and aerospace firms. Offers a checklist for creating an…

Describes national initiatives providing community colleges with grants and technical assistance to develop community building and service learning programs. Suggests that the objectives of service learning (that is, integrating community service with academic instruction, emphasizing critical reflection and civic responsibility) matches the…

Describes Vancouver Community College's development of a community education program in the district's multiethnic, low-income, urban North East Sector. Explains how the project changed its goals and emphases, how it spawned new projects, and how it declined. Sees a new cycle of community development and social reform taking shape. (AYC)

Recounts the history of some of the earliest tribal colleges and poses questions regarding the current state of American Indian higher education institutions. Argues that, though the colleges are expanding, the larger goals of nurturing sustainable communities remain unfulfilled. Compares tribal colleges to Maori schools in New Zealand. (NB)

Describes Wenatchee Valley Community College's Community Resource Center (CRC), created to promote information exchange, community dialogue, and alliance building to help solve community problems. Reviews the role of the CRC's advisory board and the ways in which the CRC has served the community. (DMM)