Argues against community colleges opting for a quick fix in difficult times, a tactic designed for continuity rather than change. Adds that financial restrictions confronting community colleges call for drastic change in order to spur sustainable growth. Recommends five paths for strategic resource management and future advantage in the market,…

Discusses six elements necessary to effect change in a community college: the motivation to change, a vision of the future, knowledge of the institution's present status, a planning framework and process, adequate personnel and financial resources, and an evaluation/assessment mechanism. (DMM)

Describes the ways in which two community college presidents used framing to aid campus sense-making. Defines framing as the choice of one set of meanings over another, and sense-making as the process by which individuals interpret changes around them. Reports that the presidents chose frames that drove campus goals and subsequent strategies to…

This document describes the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), its new mission and vision statements, and a recommended set of strategic action areas deemed essential to creating the future described in the mission and vision statements. The proposed AACC mission statement reads: "building a nation of learners by advancing…

Argues that current changes in the educational climate require transformations in community college organization. Discusses operational, linear, and frame-breaking approaches to change, arguing that all are important in making the transformation to high-performing institutions, or institutions that can manage both incremental and revolutionary…

This document presents Cabrillo College's (California) master plan for 2001 to 2004. Major steps in compiling the master plan included: conducting environmental scanning, making planning assumptions, establishing goals, identifying objectives, developing strategies, and evaluating the plan. The plan is based on six broad goals: (1) to enable…

Community colleges face significant challenges posed by a period of financial austerity, educational cutbacks, and a questioning of the fundamental missions of the colleges. To deal with these challenges, the colleges should identify their target student populations, specify the colleges' goals, and tie the concept of open admissions into a…

This document summarizes the Santa Barbara City College 2002-2005 College Plan. The plan's goals are: (1) to develop and implement strategies to increase assistance to students in identifying learning needs and defining educational, career, and life goals; (2) to increase the percentage of students attaining educational goals; (3) to increase…

This 5-year strategic plan (prepared in 1994) from Pellissippi State Technical Community College in Tennessee examines macro environmental factors (including social, government, economic and technological trends); internal and external market share trends and opportunities; micro environmental factors (including organizational structure, financial…

This monograph was designed to provide a comprehensive and enlightened view of the community college as it faces complicated new demands. It offers articles written by community college professionals, including the following: (1) "A Journey of Discovery" by Albert L. Lorenzo; (2) "Organizational Readiness: Middle Age and the Middle Way" by Cindy…

This monograph suggests that many of the fundamental aspects of the design and delivery of education are changing radically. At the same time, three forces are converging to destabilize educational institutions: a new generation of learners is rewriting the rules of service, technology is opening new frontiers, and a new breed of competitors is…

This report describes repositioning strategies undertaken by Sir Sandford Fleming College, in Ontario, to respond to changing student demographics, educational demands, and reduced funding. Following opening remarks by the college president providing an overview of the strategies and the use of all-staff meetings to generate responses from the…

Recommending organizational structures and strategies to achieve growth in contract training services (CTS) at Ontario's (Canada) Fleming College, this report reviews external conditions and proposes effective college responses. Following an overview of results and a recommended organizational chart, the planning process is reviewed and a…

Community colleges are democracy's colleges in the sense that the humanistic, inclusive, and flexible ideas at their core are democratic in tone and substance. Although these core ideas have not changed over time, the external pressures that shape program emphases, organizational structures, and community relations have. These forces include the…

In this book, the Consortium for Community College Development's Think Tank (Michigan) identifies four critical and enduring issues for change in community colleges: (1) attracting and recruiting students in an increasingly competitive market; (2) improving student success through innovative approaches to teaching and learning; (3) encouraging…