Community colleges exist in a highly litigious society, and their leaders are confronted with numerous legal issues as they carry out assigned duties. Some of those issues are not new to postsecondary education. Examples include governing board relations, academic freedom and tenure, collective bargaining, and employment issues. Other issues newer to the community college include student rights, codes of conduct, accommodation of disabled students, campus safety, distance education, intellectual property rights, and risk management. Community college leaders must find ways to resolve or mitigate these and other issues if their colleges are to continue providing exemplary services to students -- from publisher.
As more students cross the threshold of higher education in Mississippi community and junior colleges, an increase in legal disputes inevitably will occur. Two important skills can help college administrators anticipate legal issues that may occur on their own campuses. The first is the ability of administrators to scan the broad legal environment. The second is their growing awareness of legal issues in all aspects of their own enterprise. In order to prevent causes of action from being initiated in a complaint, proceeding to discovery, and then possibly leading to trial, college administrators must recognize the importance of knowing what the law is and how to spot a potential legal issue before it grows and becomes more problematic. This study utilized a survey instrument to ascertain the levels of legal knowledge, including constitutional legal issues and federal statutory legal matters, held by full-time administrators at Mississippi's public two-year colleges. The study examined whether there were significant differences in knowledge based on personal characteristics of the administrators, such as educational attainment and years of higher education experience. Additional differences based on whether the administrators had or had not received legal training were measured. The results of this research suggest that community and junior college administrators do not demonstrate a high degree of knowledge of higher education law.
In addressing the unique issues related to the delivery of student services in the community college setting, this book fills a longstanding need to provide practitioners with a contextual framework for their work. Starting by providing the historical context to the development of student affairs in community colleges, this handbook describes the organization of key functions and current practice, and looks at the specific constraints, opportunities, changes and future challenges that practitioners face.Community colleges are grappling with: the realities of shrinking resources; an increasingly diverse and disparate student body, with many attending part-time; demands for greater accountability; a generational change in leadership; and pressures to expand their missions as well as adopt educational technology – all of which have an impact on the role of student affairs.Among the topics covered are: Partnering with Academic Affairs; Financing Student Affairs; Legal and Policy Issues; Strategic Planning and Assessment; Accreditation and Accountability; Technology for Communication and Engagement; Academic Support Services; Student Life and Student Engagement Programs and Services; Enrollment Management; and Services for Special Populations.This handbook is intended for student affairs administrators and professionals at all stages of their careers, as well as for students in graduate preparation programs.
"This is one of the best books involving legal issues that I have seen. It is practical, well organized, and thorough. Specific court cases and findings clearly illuminate the intent of the law, giving the administrator guidance in making sound legal decisions. This book would be an excellent reference for any administrator′s collection."--Sharon M. Redfern, PrincipalHighland Park Elementary School, Lewistown, MT The ideal quick-reference guide for understanding legal issues in schools! On a daily basis, today′s educators must make legally sound decisions concerning the instruction, supervision, and safety of students while operating within the boundaries of the U.S. Constitution, federal and state laws, and school district policy. This compact, jargon-free, easy-to-understand reference focuses on two hundred common legal issues to provide school administrators and teachers with authoritative, legally defensible approaches for addressing school challenges. Through the accessible Q&A format, teachers and school leaders can read sequentially or browse for immediate answers on topics such as religious issues, individuals′ rights, disciplinary practices, morality, teacher dismissal, liabilities, NCLB, and more. Practical and concise, this guide provides: A list of relevant court cases pertaining to each question and answer Legal references to guide teachers′ and school leaders′ actions A glossary of legal terms and a list of selected federal statutes Summaries and conclusions at the end of each chapter The 200 Most Frequently Asked Legal Questions for Educators contains invaluable information to assist educators in performing their duties effectively and in accordance with the law.
