The rural community college has a unique opportunity to bring about social change in rural areas. This paper summarizes the needs and resources of the rural community and discusses the change techniques useful to the college administrator. The most valuable resource is the college staff who offer technical expertise and leadership not available…

Of the many roles colleges are called upon to play, the role of partner in community development is a significant one. The visibility and importance of this function is particularly evident in rural and remote communities. These locations provide excellent opportunities to examine the dynamics of this interaction, and gain an understanding that…

West Virginia University's Recruitable Community Project provides rural communities with community education on recruiting physicians and health personnel, as well as planning assistance, assessments, and recommendations on broad-based community development to enhance recruitment potential. This model of community training and development has…

Increased migration to rural communities by urbanites has focused greater attention on the role of the rural community college as the focal point of community activity and the major source of significant leadership and direction in community development efforts. Through its community service programs, the community college can contribute to…

Virginia's Southeastern Community College (SCC) examined its service area and performance in the late 1980s and found that its enrollments had dropped while area unemployment rates were rising. Local officials estimated that nearly 2,000 manufacturing jobs had been lost in the service area--Columbus County--since the passage of the North American…

Community colleges in Appalachia are helping boost local economies and expand educational opportunities through the national Rural Community College Initiative (RCCI). At the heart of RCCI is a nine-step strategic planning process in which a community group moves from vision to action. Kentucky's Southeast Community College has promoted…

Madisonville Community College (MCC) is in Madisonville, Kentucky, a small town with a strong coal industry presence. Mine closings and layoffs in the 1980s prompted the region to reorient itself toward light industry and manufacturing, but the recession of the early 1990s and globalization led to closings of several of the largest employers. In…

Examines the multiple roles of community colleges in Appalachia: providing education and training to local students who are economically or culturally place-bound, promoting economic development and entrepreneurship through training in advanced technology and business skills, and meeting local community needs for specific academic or vocational…

This book documents the story of Alice Lloyd, a Massachusetts woman who founded Caney Creek Community Center and Caney Junior College (now Alice Lloyd College) in eastern Kentucky during the early 20th century. For the past 70 years, the college has enabled thousands of students from Appalachia to obtain a college education at little or no cost.…

The Rural Community College Initiative (RCCI) collaborates with community colleges in rural communities that are racially, ethnically, culturally, and economically diverse by challenging them to think broadly about their potential as catalysts for regional development. RCCI is a national demonstration program that combines the goals of rural…