This chapter contextualizes and extends the previous chapters by addressing the intertwined issues of structural systems reform and college completion, as well as the role dual enrollment can play in ensuring equitable postsecondary outcomes for underrepresented students.

This case study describes five phases that a community college went through in developing its use of knowledge management practices to improve their student outcomes and recommends how other colleges can similarly benefit from knowledge management in meeting their goals.

The Obama administration and the Lumina Foundation have been the principal drivers focusing the nation on increasing the number of high-quality degrees and credentials. Tuning, a faculty-driven process for defining clear student learning outcomes--what a student should know, understand, and be able to do--is one of the ways to support this goal.

Community colleges in Canada began offering baccalaureate programs in the 1990s. Presently community colleges in four of the five largest provinces of Canada are eligible to submit applications to the relevant government ministry or agency for baccalaureate programs. The authors estimate that about 135 baccalaureate programs are now being offered…

Shifting Gears was launched in 2007 by the Joyce Foundation, a Chicago-based organization focused on improving the quality of life of citizens residing in the Great Lakes region of the United States. The primary goal of Shifting Gears is to increase the number of low-skilled, low-income Midwestern adults who obtain college-level occupational…

More and more accountability and successful educational outcomes are being demanded of colleges. Achieving successful outcomes requires strong and courageous leadership at all levels of the institution, but getting the faculty to improve teaching and learning outcomes very often requires a president/chief executive officer (CEO) who not only…

Each year, students come to American college and university campuses to embark on a new journey in their lives. For most, it is an opportunity to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to pursue careers in their chosen fields. For some, it is an experience encompassing much more than just acquiring knowledge and skills. For others, higher…

Community college leadership programs may take a variety of forms, among them university-based programs, leadership institutes, community college-based "grow your own" programs, professional organization-based institutes, or a combination of these. University-based doctorate leadership programs are the principal providers of these leaders. Seventy…

The community college has many roles and constituents: academic, professional, and vocational. Its curriculum may be distinguished from that of other institutions of higher education by its many courses designed to enhance students' immediate career opportunities, especially with nearby employers. This article focuses on the job markets for…

In the year 2000, what started as an isolated pedagogical gambit at Glendale Community College (GCC) in Southern California has evolved into a program-wide initiative to revise the developmental composition curriculum and boost student learning outcomes. One instructor, frustrated with poor student motivation and success in his precollegiate…

This chapter offers a selection of references and resources on structures, processes, and outcomes of community college governance.

Are community colleges as institutionally underprepared for underprepared students as these students are for college-level work? With increasingly diverse student populations, unstable funding, and a broad mission statement, there is no question that underprepared students are a significant challenge for community colleges. Learning to listen to…

This article presents a study that uses iterative searches of literature, guided by data from campus observations, interviews, and surveys, to locate and test a theory that can be used to strengthen institutional leverage over student engagement and outcomes. A review of literature was conducted to frame a preliminary theoretical framework for…

Underprepared students have been a significant presence in community colleges for decades. The growing size of this student population and the urgent reality of workforce accountability and other demands that did not exist forty years ago are pushing colleges to find more effective ways to support success for such students. This article steps…

This chapter introduces four new data tools that broaden student tracking coverage and add statistical indicators and visual images of employment patterns. (Contains 2 exhibits.)