Citing a lack of research on administrative decision-making in multi-unit community colleges and a growing need for a management theory for such institutions, the article defines the decision-making process, presents 46 problem areas and suggests a locus of decision-making responsibility (campus, central, joint) for each, and reviews the…

Describes the activities undertaken by Valencia Community College, Florida, to develop the technical competencies of its faculty over a four-year period. Explains that the use of Title III funds to make temporary faculty assignments and purchase equipment was essential to the success of the project. (DMM)

Describes a study of the institutional adaptations and strategies employed by community colleges in minimizing the problems associated with changes in sources of revenue. Summarizes findings based on a literature review and a survey of college presidents. Recommends strategies for adjusting to funding changes. (AYC)

Results of a recent study indicate that collective bargaining in community colleges has had little influence on several areas of administrative policy. However, it has had a substantial impact on administrator selection, class size, the calendar, evening and summer loads, grievance procedures, and overload. It has also given teachers a voice in…

Proposes a decision-making model for organizing and structuring academic and occupational programs and choosing the most efficient management style. Recommends a comprehensive community needs assessment, completion of the Environmental Assessment Scale (EAS), determination of educational philosophy, and selection of appropriate college structure.…

Offers topics for research as a basis for improving the community college. Suggests attention to the following areas: mission, philosophical commitments, institutional management and operations, faculty role, student needs, academic planning, and community services/lifelong education. (DMM)

Discusses a study of the effectiveness of employing multiple measures and sources of data to place students in appropriate mathematics courses. Considers the use of achievement test scores, high school mathematics grades, clinical evaluation techniques, and content-oriented examinations in assessment. (DMM)

Describes the debate over how and when the community college movement spread from the Midwest to California. Presents evidence that the University of Chicago's William Rainey Harper was working in 1900 to convince three California colleges to drop their upper division and become junior colleges. Considers the role of David Starr Jordan in the…

Describes the activities of the National Council of State Directors of Community/Junior Colleges and the roles of state directors and governing boards. Traces the concerns of the state directors from their first meetings in the 1960s through the 1970s, noting changes in meeting themes and in council recommendations. (DMM)