In this article, Bob Woods reports that "Big data" is all the rage on college campuses, and it makes sense that administrators would use what they know to boost student outcomes. Woods points out that community colleges around the country are using the data: (1) to guide the systematic expansion of its curriculum, providing targeted…

When Martin Lancaster took over as president of the North Carolina Community College System more than a decade ago, the state, not unlike much of the nation, stood at the precipice of a massive economic shift. As traditional manufacturing and farming jobs--from tobacco to furniture to textiles--began to disappear, demand for a new breed of worker…

Argues that the constantly changing workplace and the need for workers to be adaptable requires changes in postsecondary curricula. Suggests that jobs created by the new economy will require higher skills. Argues that the new economy will blur demarcations that exist between community colleges, proprietary schools, and other postsecondary…