Since the initiation of performance funding in Tennessee in the late 1970s, approximately 30 states have, at some point, attempted a funding model that includes performance on a set of indicators. The purpose of the present study was to capture the current status of performance funding in public statewide community college systems and to assess…

The survey on hot topics was added in 2007 to the annual survey of state directors of community colleges conducted by the University of Alabama Education Policy Center. The survey data provided an opportunity for examining the personal attitudes toward the hot topics and the associations between these attitudes and state contexts. This study finds…

Since the beginning of the Great Recession, many community colleges have experienced significant declines in state revenue, increases in enrollment, higher tuition, and flat or declining state student aid. These conditions have also occurred in an environment of heightened accountability with pressure to advance a student success agenda and to…

The $17.2 million Rural Community College Initiative (RCCI) demonstration grant program funded by the Ford Foundation which ran from 1994 to 2001 represents the largest philanthropic project specifically aimed at rural community colleges in United States history. While a good deal of literature has been published about this initiative, much was…

This study had two major purposes. The first purpose was to compare federal, state, and institutional direct grant aid, unmet needs, and headcount in 2000-2001 and 2005-2006. The second was to assess if any changes found related to the presence or absence of two key factors identified by experts as important to understanding the community college…

Barbara K. Townsend's faculty profile on the Web site of the University of Missouri-Columbia lists three areas of inquiry: access to and attainment of the baccalaureate, community college faculty, and teacher education in the community college. Many people who knew Barbara are well aware that her interests were far wider and more expansive. This…

After reviewing the articles in this issue, the authors have come to four conclusions. First, the reaffirmation of accreditation, along with the selection of the quality enhancement plan (QEP) works best when all stakeholders of the institution are included in the planning process. Second, the planning process is far more complex, multifaceted,…

A certain "mythology" appears to exists within higher education that residence halls do not exist at community colleges. The reality is that residence halls do exist at community colleges, and they play an integral role in the fabric of the institutions that have them. This article identifies the number of rural-serving community colleges, and it…

Discusses the seriousness of the digital divide-the discrepancy between technology-literate and -illiterate people-in rural areas in the United States. Reports that rural young, minority, and single-parent households lag behind the national average in both personal computer ownership and Internet access. Offers suggestions for ways rural community…

Argues that there is a crisis in Latino leadership at community colleges. States that, based on studies, only 3-4% of CEOs at community colleges are Latino, and only 4% of all doctorates are earned by Latinos. Suggests that higher education institutions seek out and fund aspiring Latino community college leaders. (Contains 25 references.) (NB)

Discusses the development of two-year public colleges in five Midwestern states. Identifies key events in the colleges' history, their current organizational pattern, and the key issues facing them now and in the future. (AS)

Contends that Illinois was able to develop a cohesive and progressive approach to two-year postsecondary education because of visionary and cooperative efforts made during the decades immediately following World War II. Traces the system's history through the present, describes the current financing arrangements, and reports on proposals for the…

Identifies key events that influenced the development of community colleges in Ohio, identifying key individuals involved in the institutions' establishment. Discusses historical and contemporary challenges presented to Ohio's two-year colleges, focusing on programmatic, financial, and educational access issues from the 1950s through the 1990s.…

Discusses community college involvement in the Job Opportunities and Basic Skills Training Program (JOBS) as an example of how federal and state workforce policy impacts publicly controlled institutions of higher education. Discusses the challenges faced by JOBS in an era of devolved responsibility for funding from federal government to states.…