Through an illustrative example of Together We Achieve at Parkland College in Champaign, Illinois, this chapter outlines an institutional approach for improving conditions for Black men on campus.

At a time when the nation is focusing so much attention on college completion, what do we know about how students are completing their community college programs? Does the open-access mission of community colleges translate into equitable outcomes? Pathways to Results (PTR) engages practitioners in using data to close equity gaps for student…

In this chapter, an incarcerated student in Illinois discusses the issue of cheating/plagiarism in the prison context and weighs in on the value of vocational education compared to degree-granting academic programs in prison.

Two authors describe how teaching Spanish in an Illinois prison led them to rewrite the examples used in a Spanish textbook and engage incarcerated students in novel ways in order to make up for the lack of conventional classroom resources.

There is a growing consensus that the United States and its regions, including the Midwest region, will increasingly compete on innovation. This also is widely recognized in the business world. There is also growing consensus that innovation talent--the human talent to drive and support innovation--will be a major key. Despite this consensus,…

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…

Today's society is marked by massive political, social, and scientific transformations on a daily basis. However, these transformations are rarely discussed in the context of what it means to be an educated person. Our efforts to forecast, even for periods as little as five or ten years out, have been predicated on the assumption that the current…

About a year after January 2004 when the author decided to pursue a doctorate through an online program, the author received an e-mail about an online teaching opportunity. This came about as a result of a meeting he attended where the interim dean of City Colleges of Chicago (CCC) discussed the growing demand for quality instructors to teach…

As community colleges become dependent on a contingent workforce, the recruitment, retention, and motivation of quality part-time faculty become an institutional priority. This chapter presents an overview of the practices of three exemplary colleges in providing innovative professional development for part-time faculty.

Recognizing that lasting change is possible when organizations form a partnership, public policy increasingly drives active sharing of resources and mutual commitment to accountability and heightened productivity. Legislation that emphasizes aligning and improving the educational system; supporting the transition from high school to college and…

This chapter describes the joint associate degree program between Illinois Central College and Caterpillar, Inc., and discusses how collaborative instructional programs can help sustain financial support for community colleges.

Reflections on four years spent in the establishment of a new community college. (Editor)

The staff of a college is its single greatest resource, and its most significant capital investment. It is the collective manager of the college mission and purpose. As the purpose changes, so must the staff have opportunities to change and develop. This sourcebook presents selected approaches to staff development in community colleges. It…

In theory, Illinois community colleges are governed and controlled by local boards; in reality, much of this control has shifted to state agencies such as the Illinois Community College Board and the Illinois Board of Higher Education. Specific areas affected by this shift are budget, courses and curriculum, leases, and renovations. (LS)

Describes results of a survey of Illinois and Florida faculty, student personnel workers, and administrators, showing attitudinal differences and similarities toward inservice development programs. Examines purposes, outcomes, administration, formats, rewards and incentives, and evaluation. (RT)