Accreditation is being transformed from a valued private-sector process--over which the federal government historically has exercised limited control--to a process that is subject to more and more federal involvement. The implications of this shift, profound for faculty members, can include the erosion of academic freedom and the loss of…

Identifies challenges and options facing community colleges wishing to promote general education. Focuses on challenges related to institutional goals, students, faculty, curriculum and instruction, academic standards, management and leadership, and external influences. Suggests ways of addressing these challenges to ensure the survival of general…

Warns that sound management theory and practice are in danger of becoming isolated from the academic process and care must be taken to include an informed and flexible concept of academic process with managerial skills. Relates management to the meaning of general education, commitment to academic standards, and delineation of institutional…

Reviews perceptions of community colleges that have appeared in recent literature. Suggests alternative criteria for judging the effectiveness of community colleges. Proposes a revised community college mission and offers alternative strategies for general and vocational education. Considers changes that will be required to fulfill the revised…

This paper discusses regional accreditation, a common form of institutional quality assurance, noting its application to distance education. Six core academic values sustain regional accreditation: institutional autonomy; collegiality and shared governance; faculty intellectual and academic authority; the degree; general education; and site-based…

Suggests that general education programs should recognize the demographics and goals of community college students, rather than strictly targeting degree-seeking students. Underscores the need to move away from the mere learning of information toward the development of analytical and synthetic reasoning skills. (PAA)