Learning Resources

Abstract: Universities with varying budgets and in quite different urban or rural locations look to mixed-use developments off campus to attract students and professors.

Abstract: Too often, Boards of Trustees feel that final approval of the institution's Strategic Plan is sufficient. However, most Plans will only be successfully implemented if the Board has complete ownership and a commitment to be actively involved in many areas of the institution (not only fund raising). This article describes a successful process and key strategies to develop Board engagement and ownership of the Strategic Plan and ongoing involvement in the successful implementation of the Plan.

Abstract: The student demographics of community colleges have necessitated that districts offer a variety of programs in different learning environments. Many of today's community college students aspire to earn career-related certificates or improve employment skills and want close proximity to home or work to maintain their schedules while advancing their education. The study described in this article reviews two community college districts in proximity to one another to evaluate their student demographics and identify the trends in student movement. Both districts offer associate's degrees and certificate programs and use Internet components to serve their students, but differ in their facilities approach to providing services.

Abstract: The Neglected Majority represents that 70 to 80 percent of our nation's population who, for a myriad of reasons, do not hold baccalaureate degrees. In 1985, Dale Parnell, Ed.D., described this Neglected Majority for the first time in one of the most influential works in the history of the community college movement. This article presents some concepts and strategies to help with program and enrollment planning for this critical mass. The article explores the impact of The Neglected Majority publication and includes a recent conversation with Parnell. The author argues that the promise of solutions for The Neglected Majority have not been realized both to the detriment of community colleges, four-year institutions, and society as a whole.

Abstract: Effective strategic planning for community colleges contains four key elements:
- It must be mission driven.
- It must be integrated with capability and resources.
- It must define measurable standards for determining outcomes.
- It must be transparent in its intent and strategic goals to all levels of the organization. Using a planning matrix, Brookdale Community College provides planning information and a useful communication tool for the entire college community.

Abstract: To provide access to and retain both students of color and low-income students, community colleges must change to create environments in which all students can succeed. Change strategies must focus on the core mission of the institution and rely on data regarding the experiences of students at the institution. When student data are used to inform the planning and decision-making processes at a college, a "culture of evidence" is fostered. This article explores how colleges in the "Achieving the Dream: Community Colleges Count," a funded national initiative, use the Community College Inventory of: Persistence, Learning, and Attainment, to develop a culture of evidence.