This study aimed to investigate and improve the experience for mid-level female leaders moving into leadership positions at a comprehensive community college in a medium size city in the Northwest of the United States. The retirements of the baby boomer generation have created labor shortages across all industry sectors. Higher education is not…

To increase student completion, community college leaders have focused on the implementation and sustainability of organizational change efforts, particularly guided pathways, since 2015. Although researchers have studied many different change efforts and types of change in higher education, the focus of this research was on describing guided…

This qualitative study will investigate the unintended consequences of implementing structural change in a rural community college in the mid-South region of the United States. Specifically, this study will examine the unanticipated outcomes of merging student affairs and academic affairs into one division. Scant empirical evidence exists about…

Trans community college students are facing increasingly hostile campus environments across the United States in the form of Transphobic language, gendered administrative forms and processes, and inaccessible restrooms (Lange et al., 2021; Rankin, 2003). Using an Appreciative Inquiry (AI) framework, the goal in this qualitative study was to engage…

Many colleges use strategic planning as a tool to guide institutional, equity-centered change. However, all too often, thoughtfully crafted strategic plans end up sitting on a shelf. The purpose of this action research study was to explore how communication can support equity-centered strategic plan implementation and organizational culture change…

This chapter summarizes major findings from the national evaluation of TAACCCT pertaining to systems and organizational changes made by community colleges. These results are integrated with other findings presented in this volume to highlight lessons learned about the implementation of TAACCCT and its legacy for long-term changes in the community…

The Student Success Center Network (SSCN) Coaching Program engages community colleges in institutional transformation through institutional coaching. In the most recent phase of work, supported by Ascendium Education Group, Jobs for the Future (JFF) and Community College Research Initiatives (CCRI) engaged with grantee Centers in four…

Historically underserved and minoritized students are more likely to thrive when they are supported and led by diverse faculty and staff. In 2019, leaders of the country's largest higher education system, California Community Colleges, recognized wide gaps in representation: 52% of 2.1 million students identified as underrepresented minorities,…

The article presents a case study on institutional change within the context of an online improvement initiative. As part of its quality enhancement plan (QEP) improvement process in support of accreditation reaffirmation, Wake Technical Community College (Raleigh, NC) implemented a multistage change process to engage the college in data-driven…

In this study, the organizational intelligence model (OI model) was used as a theoretical framework to explore strategic factors (leadership, strategy, and culture) and several hypothesized variables that influence employee engagement as a proxy for improving individual and institutional effectiveness (Falletta & Combs, 2018). A single case…

Highlighting the work of the Texas Success Center, Dr. Luis Ponjuán discusses how he has collaboratively engaged with boards of trustees to develop equity-minded agendas to create spaces for brave conversations and help them use an equity-minded leadership approach toward student data for organization planning and change.

This dissertation describes a study that examined the experiences of community college leaders engaged in leading institutional change to improve student success. The study was conducted at a mid-size, public, 2-year institution in Southern California. Eight participants were chosen through purposeful snowball sampling of leaders from across the…

In this paper we present the Advancing Racial Equity in Community College Model which maps out the organizational conditions shaping institutional transformation. Focused on two dimensions, the level of "organizational support" and "shared responsibility" to enact equity, we describe four quadrants with distinct organizational…

We highlight how community colleges implement equity-oriented reform to address inequities facing Latinx students. Through counterstorytelling, we provide lessons learned on the implementation and impact of equity-oriented reform in community college. Key findings revealed that the reform is necessary, but not sufficient to improve racial equity…

Community colleges have experienced many challenges since their establishment in 1902; however, the 21st century has brought new obstacles and opportunities. In turn, community college leaders have been called upon to address challenges such as the COVID-19 global pandemic, the demand from students for virtual course offerings, and financial…