In this period of limited financial resources and educational manpower, community colleges can benefit from the application of strategic management techniques to determine how to use their resources most effectively while addressing community needs. At Delta College, this approach was adopted to assess community needs for agricultural programs and…

Market analysis can provide a mechanism for making needs assessment functional and for focusing program development on constituencies in the community that need to be served. The main goals of market analysis are to generate usable information, document needs, assign priorities, locate resources, and respond to identified needs in a systematic…

This document proposes specific changes in the California Education Code which would prescribe minimum standards for the formation of public community colleges. The Code regulations would define "college", require the assessment of local needs and preferences before the establishment of a new college, provide objectives for the formation…

A study was conducted at William Rainey Harper College (WRHC) to determine the feasibility of establishing a new human services program at the college by assessing the employment opportunities for graduates of the proposed program and the educational needs of persons already employed in the human services field. In 1981, questionnaires were mailed…

Colleges and their surrounding communities have a supplier/consumer relationship--in exchange for the use of tax-exempt land and tax-supported services, the college acts as a cultural and educational center that provides the community with social and economic benefits. However, in times of a declining economy, this symbiotic relationship is not…

This literature review examines the utilization of community needs assessment data in program planning and evaluation efforts at community colleges. The review first defines and looks at the purposes of community needs assessments, noting that while such studies are purported to facilitate the planning and evaluation of credit and non-credit…

An occupational/technical program needs assessment model is described by which colleges can alter existing programs or develop new ones in anticipation of job market requirements. The report first discusses the two-part (existing and potential programs), tri-level (initial evaluation, individual program screening, and individual program planning),…

In 1990, a study was conducted at William Rainey Harper College (WRHC) to determine the feasibility of establishing an insurance program at the college and to assess local employment demand for insurance personnel. The survey instrument and a proposed curriculum for an associate degree program were mailed to 144 area insurance companies and…