Advancing the Regional Role of Two-Year Colleges

Advancing the Regional Role of Two-Year Colleges

Author: L. Allen Phelps

Publisher: John Wiley & Sons

Published: 2012-04-10

Total Pages: 137

ISBN-13: 1118266005

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In the midst of a challenging economic recovery, the nation’s policy makers and education leaders are seeking new and potentially more effective strategies to align personal and public educational investments with job creation, increased levels of employment, small business development, and entrepreneurial activity. Reaching the 2020 national college completion goal will require powerful and fully implemented innovations in two-year colleges, particularly in states and regions where economic difficulties are more deeply entrenched. Grounded in the Midwest context, this special issue examines several promising policies and innovations that re-envision the role of two-year colleges in developing regional rather than local solutions to the emerging economic and educational challenges. This is the 157th volume of this Jossey-Bass quarterly report series. Essential to the professional libraries of presidents, vice presidents, deans, and other leaders in today's open-door institutions, New Directions for Community Colleges provides expert guidance in meeting the challenges of their distinctive and expanding educational mission.


Organization and Administration in Higher Education

Organization and Administration in Higher Education

Author: Patrick J. Schloss

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2013-05-02

Total Pages: 330

ISBN-13: 1136730451

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Efficiency, focus, and accountability have become the defining standards for contemporary higher educational leaders. Situating strategic planning and budgeting within the organization and administration of higher education institutions, Organization and Administration in Higher Education provides effective and proven strategies for today’s change-oriented leaders. Bringing together distinguished administrators from two-year, four-year, public, and private colleges and universities, this volume provide both practical and effective guidance on the intricacies of the institutional structure, its functional activities, and contingency planning. Coverage includes: Key leadership positions and expectations Faculty and student governance Accreditation and assessment Budget processes Curriculum alignment Philanthropic efforts Human resource development Legal considerations Strategic planning Crisis management Effective planning and administration can elevate an institution in critical ways, by enhancing recruitment and retention, strengthening student life, increasing outside support and private giving, and advancing a reputation for excellence. This practical and authoritative guide orients future and current administrators to the major areas of an academic institution and will assist higher education administrators in leading their institutions to excellence.


Understanding the Working College Student

Understanding the Working College Student

Author: Laura W. Perna

Publisher: Taylor & Francis

Published: 2023-07-14

Total Pages: 311

ISBN-13: 1000978753

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How appropriate for today and for the future are the policies and practices of higher education that largely assume a norm of traditional-age students with minimal on-campus, or no, work commitments?Despite the fact that work is a fundamental part of life for nearly half of all undergraduate students – with a substantial number of “traditional” dependent undergraduates in employment, and working independent undergraduates averaging 34.5 hours per week – little attention has been given to how working influences the integration and engagement experiences of students who work, especially those who work full-time, or how the benefits and costs of working differ between traditional age-students and adult students.The high, and increasing, prevalence and intensity of working among both dependent and independent students raises a number of important questions for public policymakers, college administrators, faculty, academic advisors, student services and financial aid staff, and institutional and educational researchers, including: Why do so many college students work so many hours? What are the characteristics of undergraduates who work? What are the implications of working for students’ educational experiences and outcomes? And, how can public and institutional policymakers promote the educational success of undergraduate students who work? This book offers the most complete and comprehensive conceptualization of the “working college student” available. It provides a multi-faceted picture of the characteristics, experiences, and challenges of working college students and a more complete understanding of the heterogeneity underlying the label “undergraduates who work” and the implications of working for undergraduate students’ educational experiences and outcomes. The volume stresses the importance of recognizing the value and contribution of adult learners to higher education, and takes issue with the appropriateness of the term “non-traditional” itself, both because of the prevalence of this group, and because it allows higher education institutions to avoid considering changes that will meet the needs of this population, including changes in course offerings, course scheduling, financial aid, and pedagogy.


Making College Work

Making College Work

Author: Harry J. Holzer

Publisher: Brookings Institution Press

Published: 2017-08-15

Total Pages: 163

ISBN-13: 0815730225

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Practical solutions for improving higher education opportunities for disadvantaged students Too many disadvantaged college students in America do not complete their coursework or receive any college credential, while others earn degrees or certificates with little labor market value. Large numbers of these students also struggle to pay for college, and some incur debts that they have difficulty repaying. The authors provide a new review of the causes of these problems and offer promising policy solutions. The circumstances affecting disadvantaged students stem both from issues on the individual side, such as weak academic preparation and financial pressures, and from institutional failures. Low-income students disproportionately attend schools that are underfunded and have weak performance incentives, contributing to unsatisfactory outcomes for many students. Some solutions, including better financial aid or academic supports, target individual students. Other solutions, such as stronger linkages between coursework and the labor market and more structured paths through the curriculum, are aimed at institutional reforms. All students, and particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, also need better and varied pathways both to college and directly to the job market, beginning in high school. We can improve college outcomes, but must also acknowledge that we must make hard choices and face difficult tradeoffs in the process. While no single policy is guaranteed to greatly improve college and career outcomes, implementing a number of evidence-based policies and programs together has the potential to improve these outcomes substantially.


Student Engagement in Higher Education

Student Engagement in Higher Education

Author: Stephen John Quaye

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2014-08-15

Total Pages: 634

ISBN-13: 1136680195

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Student Engagement in Higher Education fills a longstanding void in the higher education and student affairs literature. In the fully revised and updated edition of this important volume, the editors and chapter contributors explore how diverse populations of students experience college differently and encounter group-specific barriers to success. Informed by relevant theories, each chapter focuses on engaging a different student population, including: low-income students, students of color, international students, students with disabilities, LGBT students, religious minority students, student-athletes, homeless students, transfer students, commuter and part-time students, adult learners, student veterans, and graduate students. The forward-thinking, practical strategies offered throughout the book are based on research and the collected professional wisdom of experienced educators and scholars at two-year and four-year institutions of higher education. Current and future faculty, administrators, and student affairs staff will undoubtedly find this book complete with fresh ideas to reverse troubling engagement trends among various college student populations.


Two-Year Colleges - 2010

Two-Year Colleges - 2010

Author: Peterson's

Publisher: Peterson's

Published: 2009-07-24

Total Pages: 562

ISBN-13: 0768926882

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Now Let Us Find the Right One for You. Peterson's has more than 40 years of experience working with students, parents, educators, guidance counselors, and administrators in helping to match the right student with the right college. We do our research. You'll find only the most objective and accurate information in our guides and on Petersons.com. We're with you every step of the way. With Peterson's resources for test prep, financial aid, essay writing, and education exploration, you'll be prepared for success. Cost should never be a barrier to receiving a high-quality education. Peterson's provides the information and guidance you need on tuition, scholarships, and financial aid to make education more affordable. What's Inside? Up-to-date facts and figures on application requirements, tuition, degree programs, student body profiles, faculty, and contacts Quick-Reference Chart to pinpoint colleges that meet your criteria Valuable tips on preparing for and scoring high on standardized tests Expert advice for adult learners and international students Book jacket.


Understanding Community Colleges

Understanding Community Colleges

Author: John S. Levin

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2012

Total Pages: 290

ISBN-13: 0415881269

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Understanding Community Colleges provides a comprehensive review of the community college landscape--management and governance, finance, student demographics and development, teaching and learning, policy, faculty, and workforce development--and bridges the gap between research and practice. This contributed volume brings together highly respected scholars in the field who rely upon substantial theoretical perspectives--critical theory, social theory, institutional theory, and organizational theory--for a rich and expansive analysis of community colleges. The latest text to publish in the Core Concepts in Higher Education series, this exciting new text fills a gap in the higher education literature available for students enrolled in Higher Education and Community College graduate programs. This text provides students with: A review of salient research related to the community college field. Critical theoretical perspectives underlying current policies. An understanding of how theory links to practice, including focused end-of-chapter discussion questions. A fresh examination of emerging issues and insight into contemporary community college practices and policy.


Creating an Opportunity Society

Creating an Opportunity Society

Author: Ron Haskins

Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield

Published: 2009-10-01

Total Pages: 367

ISBN-13: 0815703937

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Americans believe economic opportunity is as fundamental a right as life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. More concerned about a level playing field for all, they worry less about the growing income and wealth disparity in our country. Creating an Opportunity Society examines economic opportunity in the United States and explores how to create more of it, particularly for those on the bottom rungs of the economic ladder. Ron Haskins and Isabel Sawhill propose a concrete agenda for increasing opportunity that is cost effective, consistent with American values, and focuses on improving the lives of the young and the disadvantaged. They emphasize individual responsibility as an indispensable basis for successful policies and programs. The authors recommend a three-pronged approach to create more opportunity in America: • Increase education for children and youth at the preschool, K–12, and postsecondary levels • Encourage and support work among adults • Reduce the number of out-of-wedlock births while increasing the share of children reared by their married parents With concern for the federal deficit in mind, Haskins and Sawhill argue for reallocating existing resources, especially from the affluent elderly to disadvantaged children and their families. The authors are optimistic that a judicious use of the nation's resources can level the playing field and produce more opportunity for all. Creating an Opportunity Society offers the most complete summary available of the facts and the factors that contribute to economic opportunity. It looks at the poor, the middle class, and the rich, providing deep background data on how each group has fared in recent decades. Unfortunately, only the rich have made substantial progress, making this book a timely guide forward for anyone interested in what we can do as a society to improve the prospects for our less-advantaged families and fellow citizens.