The revised seventh edition of The American Community College is an essential resource for practitioners and graduate students in the field of higher education. This book has been providing up-to-date information and statistics about community colleges for four decades and is a trusted and revered reference. Covering community college students, faculty, curriculum, assessment, finance, governance, and more, this book provide a thorough understanding of the role community colleges play in the American educational system. For educators, policymakers, and philanthropists alike, community colleges are important as the nexus of national efforts to prepare a highly skilled workforce and as the lynchpin of the K-20 education pipeline. This book delivers the facts and context readers need to make informed decisions in the community college space.
Written by leading researchers in the field, The American Community College has been thoroughly revised with a greater focus on equity. Further, this edition includes access to online supplemental materials, including end-of-chapter guiding questions and a guide for transitioning from the 6th to the 7th edition. Additional updates include coverage of collaborations with community, economic, and workforce development organizations; a greater focus on entrepreneurship and innovation; recent efforts to improve student persistence and attainment through guided pathways and equity-minded student supports; and the growing emphasis on preparing a skilled workforce via noncredit training, credit for prior learning, micro-credentials, and community college baccalaureate programs. Readers of The American Community College will: - Benefit from a comprehensive analysis of the most recent findings and up-to-date information on the American community college. - Find completely revised and updated information about recent changes in the community college landscape - Obtain current information on student access and outcomes, instruction, student services, and curricular functions - Learn from updated tables and graphs that reflect the most current data and incorporate new examples of the services that colleges provide
Since it was first published in 1982, The American Community College has become the primary resource that faculty, administrators, trustees, and researchers look to for information on these quintessentially American institutions.
Table of Contents
Preface vii
Acknowledgments xvii
About the Authors xix
1. Background: Evolving Priorities and Expectations of the Community College 1
2. Students: Diverse Backgrounds and Purposes 47
3. Faculty: Building a Professional Identity 87
4. Governance, Organization, and Administration: Managing the Contemporary College 119
5. Finances: Generating, Sustaining, and Allocating Resources 163
6. Teaching and Learning: Methods, Media, and Effects 201
7. Student Services: Supporting Educational Objectives 231
8. Developmental Education: Enhancing Literacy and the Likelihood of Success in College 265
9. Integrative Education: General Education for the Twenty- First Century 297
10. Liberal Arts and the Transfer Function: Preparation for the University 319
11. Occupational Education: Growth and Change in Workforce Preparation 345
12. Serving the Community: Extending College Services and Training 387
13. Student Progress and Outcomes: A Focus on Equity and Accountability 415
14. Scholarship and Commentary: Perspectives of the Community College 459
15. Toward the Future: Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities 481
Appendix: For- Profit Institutions 511
References 537
Name Index 611
Subject Index 621
