This paper is the fourth revision of the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges (ASCCC) paper on equivalency adopted by the delegates to the plenary session in Fall 1989. Previous revisions were adopted in 1999, 2006, and 2016. The original paper was intended to help local academic senates develop policies and procedures in response to…

This chapter explores the leadership qualities participants identified as pivotal to the development of civic engagement at a large, suburban community college.

Community colleges have a strong history of providing vocational education and occupational training to meet changing workforce demands of local industries. In the Midwest, agricultural industries have expressed an expanding need for middle-skilled workers with postsecondary, pre-baccalaureate credentials. The 21st century agricultural landscape…

This paper is the third revision of the Academic Senate for California Community Colleges' (ASCCC) paper on equivalency adopted by the delegates to the plenary session in 1989. The original paper was intended to help local academic senates develop policies and procedures in response to Education Code §87359, which requires that each district's…

The anticipated increase in chief executive officer retirements along with an identified shortage of qualified candidates to fill these vacancies has created a high level of concern throughout the community college system. To address this situation, the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) board of directors approved the "Competencies…

To better understand the influence of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) competencies on practice since their formation, six community college chief executive officers (five presidents and one chancellor) were asked to reflect upon the enduring relevance of the competencies. They were also asked specifically how they acquired…

This chapter explores the relationship between leadership style, ethical orientation, and the AACC competencies. A glimpse of the competencies in practices is provided through the results of interviews with thirteen community college presidents. The findings presented here are culled from a larger study of presidential decision making during…

Community colleges in the United States are facing a shortage of leaders because many current leaders will retire within the next 10 years (Weisman & Vaughn, 2007). Student diversity, technological advancement, and increased accountability have expanded the required skill-set of community college leaders. To aid the next generation of leaders…

In summer 2003, the W. K. Kellogg Foundation awarded a grant to the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) to address the national need for community college leaders. An extensive data-gathering process, part of the AACC Leading Forward project, resulted in the creation of the AACC competencies for community college leaders. This…

The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) has been a constant advocate for greater diversity in community college leadership. Along with other work to encourage diversity in leadership, the AACC brought together community college practitioners and scholars to develop a competency framework for community college leadership,…

The Leading Forward Initiative of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) outlined a set of essential competencies for effective leadership in community colleges. Research has confirmed that community college leaders agree the competencies are important to effective leadership. Few studies, however, have examined how these leadership…

The overall mission of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) is "Building a Nation of Learners by Advancing America's Community Colleges." A significant component of this mission statement involves the development of leadership. The AACC believes that leadership can be learned and is committed to supporting and growing leaders. In…

Leadership, as it is practiced today in community colleges, has taken three brilliant ideas to excess and made them into guiding ideologies. The first is "growth," a means for gauging organizational legitimacy and success that has eclipsed other means. The second is "complexity," which has gained acceptance as a structural necessity for managing…

Although many of the issues facing community colleges are similar, rural community colleges face additional leadership challenges due to limited resources, geographic isolation, and static economies. This chapter focuses on the impact of location on the interpretation and development of the leadership competencies. The chapter concludes with…

Although much has been written about preparing community college leaders, little is known about how presidents believe they might have better prepared for the role. Using presidential narratives from a national study, this article describes how presidents perceive gaps in prior preparation and offers recommendations to support the professional…