In this age of educational accountability, there is an increasing emphasis on assessment and institutional effectiveness, not only in the academic arena but also in other aspects of community college operation, such as fiscal health and stability, revenue generation, resource allocation, facilities, workforce development, and community enrichment…

Several budgeting approaches have been initiated as alternatives to the traditional, incremental process. These include formula budgeting; zero-base budgeting; planning, programming, and budgeting systems; and responsibility center budgeting. Each is premised on assumptions about how organizations might best make resource allocation decisions.…

This chapter explores the concept of entrepreneurial waves, with a special focus on the "third wave" of entrepreneurial ventures: alternative means of funding programs and services in light of continued reductions in public financial support and as an approach to building strong and sustainable relationships with external constituencies.…

This chapter describes some of the forces that worked to move the 2-year college away from the liberal arts and toward vocational programs. The analysis centers on agencies that made job training a priority.

Many of the history courses community college students take are fairly broad and ostensibly generic surveys of world, Western European, or American history. This chapter discusses an array of innovative practices that enable students to better appreciate how studying history can help them master the challenges--and reap the benefits--of a liberal…

This chapter provides an annotated bibliography of articles about liberal arts education in the contemporary community college. It also provides links to websites featuring related information.

This essay examines not only the role the humanities play in the community college curriculum but also how our approach to and understanding of the humanities must change. The defense of a 21st-century humanities has to begin in the experience of our students and not in the traditional canons of our disciplines.

Although science, technology, engineering, math (STEM) and vocational training programs are presented as today's community college students' gateway to entry-level positions in the workforce, liberal arts instruction plays a critical role in their training, by providing these students the skills that many employers require and that make…

This chapter explains how the study of world religions prepares the community college student to become a better citizen, worker, and neighbor. The effective middle between the pitfalls of religious relativism and religious dominance in a world religions classroom is central to this discussion of teaching critical thinking, empathy, and…

As community colleges increasingly embrace their vocational role at the expense of their general education mission, the author of this chapter argues that a curriculum centered on a "Great Books" canon as developed by Mortimer Adler in the 1920s would revitalize liberal education at community colleges and serve both the general education…

Presidents of community colleges must place importance on the liberal arts in their colleges. They should promote an understanding of their relevance to all curricula.

With flexibility and humor, it is (often) possible to bridge the gap between the lofty goals of the typical humanities syllabus and the expectations of current nontraditional students.

This chapter provides a rationale for the value of a liberal arts education, addressing briefly the recent history of the liberal arts, explaining the value of the liberal arts in diverse educational settings as opposed to simply residential liberal arts colleges, and exploring a contemporary rationale for the liberal arts.

As one of the country's biggest and most diverse institutions of higher education, Miami Dade College (MDC) has also grown into a leader among urban community colleges operating in very similar conditions. Here, MDC President Eduardo J. Padrón summarizes the extra measures behind a graduation rate that is among the highest for this sector of…

This chapter explores the evolving landscape of the urban college from the perspective of Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland. It frames innovative and creative ways to develop unique partnerships with local high schools and employers, exemplified by the best collaborative practices of Cuyahoga and other community colleges.