Learning Resources

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.

Abstract: In 2004, the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education published Ensuring Access with Quality to California's Community Colleges, funded by the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. That report called attention to the considerable challenges facing the community colleges and the importance of addressing these problems. A central critique included in the report's findings was that current community college finance mechanisms "serve to provide barriers to progress rather than promoting it." The "essential first step" in aligning resource allocation mechanisms to programmatic priorities was to perform a policy audit of the system's finance infrastructure, the Ensuring Access report concluded. The Institute for Higher Education Leadership & Policy at Sacramento State University was subsequently funded by the Hewlett Foundation to perform the policy audit. This paper summarizes the methodology and the findings of the research and discusses the prospects of using the policy audit to influence public policy regarding the financing of California's community colleges.

Abstract: The changing economy is increasing the significance of community colleges. While community colleges have served an important role in higher education, their importance and value to individuals and society is at an all time high. While community college characteristics have made these institutions attractive, the underserved population and the American economy depend on community colleges to supply knowledge and skills necessary in today's economy. The financial stability of the underserved population, the American economy, and society depend on these relatively overlooked, under-funded, and misrepresented community colleges. It is imperative that those who are underserved improve their consciousness of work, money, and education for the benefit of themselves and the economy. Community colleges are the only postsecondary institutions currently positioned to take a lead role in this effort and America must assist them in this endeavor.

Abstract: Creating a campus master plan is the first step in the process of managing enrollment growth; however, the plan is not just a document about buildings and parking spaces and classrooms and square footage. The plan should be viewed as an investment in the future of the institution and a way to link the college's mission and vision statements to the physical learning environment. This article examines the planning process, with special emphasis on community and consensus building, using case studies from two rapidly growing community college districts in Texas and California.

Abstract: This article examines trends in university planning and management concerning interdisciplinary research. The analysis of institutional documents of 99 research universities reveals regularities in the types of approaches employed. In addition to the traditional approach of creating centers and institutes, universities have taken actions to nurture interdisciplinary research teams, to invest in campus-wide interdisciplinary initiatives, and to build new models of research facilities. Illustrative examples are provided and implications for planning and management are discussed.

Abstract: The Division of Student Affairs at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor engaged in an iterative strategic process to create and implement a set of long-range goals. This strategic journey continues to evolve, uniting a guiding framework of strategic planning steps, a reflective process with an assessment component within each step, and a group process approach to support both individual growth and organizational change.