The Rural Community College Initiative (RCCI) is a national program that supports the efforts of community colleges in distressed rural areas to move their people and communities toward prosperity. RCCI's goals are increasing access to education and developing regional economies. RCCI demonstration sites have produced a wealth of information about…

School libraries are changing due to developments in information technology, teaching and learning methods, and society. A meeting of 28 experts from 16 countries was convened to better understand current trends in tertiary libraries and the effect of these trends on the demand, organization, and design of libraries. Participants agreed that the…

This document explores the changes the 21st century will impose on community colleges and discusses the need for colleges to alter their objectives. It offers five points that colleges should consider in redesigning their organization: (1) change must be mission-driven, containing the element of accountability; (2) the new process must be owned by…

This report presents the results of a June 1996 conference held in Washington, DC to discuss the condition of science, mathematics, engineering and technology education (SMET). The meeting was conducted by the American Association of Community Colleges through a grant from the National Science Foundation. The goals of the meeting were to: (1)…

This document is the strategic plan for the Foothill-De Anza Community College District, which consists of two community colleges: Foothill College and De Anza College. The report begins with a summary of the district's past successes and a statement of the desire to evolve according to social demands. Major issues are identified as follows: the…

In this speech, Chancellor Thomas J. Nussbaum defends the existence of local governing boards for community colleges and offers suggestions for improving the current weak governance structure. He argues that doing away with local governing boards would: (1) create a greater inconsistency between the mission and the governance of the colleges; (2)…

This paper examines quality in preservice teacher education, discussing challenges faced and the need for change, noting what change must look like, and describing one university's and community's efforts. It begins with a dean's perspective, discussing the attack on colleges of education and the need to change higher education (student…

This guide was developed to share successful Community Service Learning (CSL) instructional practices. It presents units that can be replicated and adapted for varying grade levels and curricular goals. The guide notes that as students use newly acquired academic knowledge and skills to address real issues in their communities, they often gain…

Community and Problem Oriented Policing (CPOP) is a multidimensional strategy used by police departments to control crime and improve the quality of life in targeted areas. This monograph presents CPOP as a possible solution to the problem of school violence. It identifies design components and process dimensions that can contribute to successful…

This paper discusses New Jersey's unprecedented $12.3 billion school construction and reconstruction project, launched in 2000, as an opportunity to reconstruct the state's communities, enhancing quality of life and reducing sprawl. It aims to stimulate a statewide conversation about the opportunity to integrate the design of the next generation…

This paper reports on a multijurisdictional study of the influence of school district long-term guaranteed debt liabilities on housing values. The empirical setting for the study was the Columbus, Ohio, metropolitan area. The objective of the research was to empirically test the debt-illusion hypothesis by examining the extent to which long-term…

This paper aims to present a methodology for assessing within-state regional needs for community college services, and describe the policy tools and strategies available to policymakers who intend to address these needs. The paper builds on work that the National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS) prepared for the National…

This book highlights the community building experience at Maricopa Community College District (MCCD) in Arizona. Sixty-five percent of upper division transfers at Arizona State University come from MCCD, and 80% of The University of Phoenix's graduates have done a major portion of their lower division work at MCCD. At any given time, 50 to 60…

This study examined the role of the SNDT (formerly Shreemati Nathibai Damodar Thackersey) University in reducing poverty in the Gilbert Hill-Gamdevi Dongri area of Mumbai, India. The Gilbert Hill area accommodates around 1 million people, most of whom are migrants form other parts of India. The Department of Post-Graduate Studies and Research in…

This document describes three different programs at three California Community Colleges, each of which has as its aim to improve their ability to serve an expanding and increasingly diverse student population. The programs are: (1) Project MATCH (Mentors Act To Change History) at the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD); (2) The Disabled…