The goal of this article is to enhance understanding and appreciation of the current and potential role of trustees in urban community colleges. In working to make sure students are successful, trustees face numerous challenges in implementing high-impact policies and practices that center student success. This article establishes a node…

African American women are not retained or advanced in the community college system, resulting in an underrepresentation of African American women in administrative decision-making roles. The purpose of this basic qualitative study was to examine the experiences of African American female leaders in the community college setting and to explore the…

Background/Context: There is a misalignment in contemporary society between the assumption that all high school graduates can and should attend college and the lack of funding and support to make that happen. This is especially apparent at community colleges that enroll disproportionally low-income students, who deal with a variety of obstacles…

U.S. educational institutions are rooted in classist, privileged, and sexist ideologies, leaving women, especially women of color, inadequately supported in their pursuit of higher education. Higher education has been influenced heavily by and primarily created for Anglo males, creating systemic barriers for women and people of color. The purpose…

For the past 20 years, community colleges have struggled with employee retention and with finding qualified individuals for senior administrative roles. As the crisis continues, many community college employees are returning to the classroom to receive university-based education in order to move into those vacant roles. As they re-enter higher…

Collaborative decision-making and shared responsibility across departments can be messy and time consuming. However, working collaboratively in a well-constructed cross-functional team (CFT) can create a culture of self-responsibility and accountability and improve institutional practices. The following paper will describe a successful model for…

Due to shifting funding polices for community colleges, the role of the community college foundation has changed greatly from passive fund managers for the institution into active fundraisers. With over 15,000 individuals nationally serving in the volunteer role of community college foundation board member, and managing nearly one billion dollars…

The antiblack past and present of institutions of higher education, more specifically community colleges, coupled with the resistance and perseverance of Black communities, has not only had a direct impact on Black student success, but also currently impacts the lived experiences of Black employees. To that end, the goal of this study was to…

The purpose of this qualitative phenomenological study was to explore how community college adjunct faculty in the Southwest United States described the role of resilience in their lived experience as faculty while teaching during COVID-19. Phenomenological studies extract human perceptions of roles and are based on lived experiences told from the…

There are growing demands to proactively support students with disabilities in postsecondary education. This article examines a mixed-methods study with accessibility consultants and other faculty in a community college pilot program focussed on redesigning courses to increase inclusiveness. Findings highlight the successful and well-received role…

Presidential assistants are important and trusted staff members to the president and the campus community at large. Despite their importance, little is known about the day-to-day of their jobs and how they may help advance equity and social justice goals and priorities at the community college level. This chapter attempts to rectify this gap…

This study focused on exploring the perceptions of front-line staff in supporting student success at a mid-western community college. These staff are generally the employees who are not generally involved with teaching or administration, but work in offices like the business, financial aid, enrollment services, or are administrative assistants to…

Disciplinary societies have a role to play in supporting the needs of community college adjunct faculty. The potential exists to improve the professional lives of these faculty members, an underappreciated segment of the higher education workforce, and to positively influence outcomes for students enrolled in community colleges.

Community colleges serve the most racially and ethnically diverse student population across higher education institutions, yet the highest level of leadership does not reflect the racial diversity, as community college presidents are most likely to be White (American Council on Education, 2017; Campaign for College Opportunity, 2018). Student…

This chapter provides a portrait of midlevel Latina leadership in community colleges, focusing on the intersections of gender and race. The chapter will also examine the challenges and barriers Latinas face as midlevel leaders, the role of mentors, as well as provide recommendations for community colleges to help increase the numbers of Latina…