State-level interest in meeting workforce needs and facilitating adults' baccalaureate attainment is changing conceptions of the applied associate degree and the mission of the community college. In this article, the author draws on data from a recent study about the applied baccalaureate degree (Townsend and Bragg, 2008) to describe the growing…

In the mid-1990s, the author of this article edited a "New Directions for Community Colleges" volume on gender and power in the community college. One of the articles explored the extent to which women community college faculty members were on the margins in academe and within the community college itself. Over a decade later, the author has been…

This chapter analyzes various ways of conceptualizing the missions of the community college, describes how those missions have varied over time and across geographical regions, and examines how missions complement and conflict with one another.

One of the original missions of the two-year college, the transfer mission was highly criticized in the latter part of the twentieth century. It is currently experiencing both challenges and opportunities due to changing enrollment demographics and governmental interest in transfer and articulation.

Examines the current role of community colleges in pre-service and in-service teacher education, including the development of the associate of arts degree in teacher education, the community college baccalaureate in teacher education, and alternative certification programs. Discusses factors influencing future trends and predictions about the…

States that disagreements over whom should be counted as a transfer student or potential transfer student render it almost impossible to determine a national rate of students transferring from community colleges to the four-year sector. Urges administrators to improve on tracking the various types of community college transfers in order to yield a…

Discusses changes in definitions of community college transfer education. Reports that four-year colleges are developing articulation agreements with community colleges for applied degree programs, blurring the distinction between programs. (Contains 28 references.) (AUTH/NB)

Examines the factors facilitating the effectiveness of nonminority faculty members at institutions with a predominantly minority student body. Concludes that self-awareness of one's racial identity and how it informs one's expectations about learning styles and appropriate classroom behavior is vital. Recommends faculty participation in workshops…

Looks at students who move from a four-year to a two-year college in a process called reverse transfer. Categorizes these reverse transfer students, reviews what is known about their numbers, summarizes studies that describe the students and their experiences in the two-year colleges, and discusses institutional rationales for admitting them.…

Describes (1) why both nondegree and degree-seeking postbaccalaureate reverse transfer students (PRTSs) attend two-year colleges and what they think of it, (2) what institutional changes or modifications these students would prefer, (3) what institutional problems their presence may create, and (4) how their presence can benefit two-year schools.…

Addresses current literature on organizational change and leadership in the community college through a feminist perspective. Notes the ability of community colleges to serve as agents of change in improving women's conditions. Contains 31 references. (YKH)

Suggests that faculty in community college administration programs have a significant influence over future college leaders since they determine who is admitted and the curriculum that is taught. Argues that the diversity of faculty should match that of students and describes the need for curricula geared toward women and minorities. (17…

Provides an overview of the process by which community college practitioners can research their institution's distinctive elements and features. Explains the use of information on institutional distinctiveness in program development, marketing, and college planning. (DMM)

Reviews the benefits a community college can accrue through a search for institutional distinctiveness, focusing on the value of the research process itself, the findings, and the changes that will take place if the findings are used effectively in planning and marketing. (DMM)

Recounts Triton College's efforts to identify its distinctive elements. Reviews empirical evidence showing that Triton's school schedule, curricular offerings, and continuing education and support services are distinctive among local colleges. Discusses students' and staff members' perceptions of Triton. Considers the value of the research to the…