The American Community College

A comprehensive analysis of community colleges in the United States—updated with the latest research

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.

Carrie B. Kisker is president of Kisker Education and leads the Center for the Study of Community Colleges.

Arthur M. Cohen was professor of higher education at the University of California, Los Angeles from 1964 to 2004 and editor-in-chief of the journal New Directions for Community Colleges.

Florence B. Brawer was research director of the Center for the Study of Community Colleges and associate editor of New Directions for Community Colleges.

Preface

Acknowledgments

The Authors

1.            Background: Evolving Priorities and Expectations of the Community College

2.            Students: Diverse Backgrounds and Purposes

3.            Faculty: Building a Professional Identity

4.            Governance, Organization, and Administration: Managing the Contemporary College

5.            Finances: Generating, Sustaining, and Allocating Resources

6.            Teaching and Learning: Methods, Media, and Effects

7.            Student Services: Supporting Educational Objectives

8.            Developmental Education: Enhancing Literacy and the Likelihood of Success in College

9.            Integrative Education: General Education for the Twenty-First Century

10.          Liberal Arts and the Transfer Function: Preparation for the University

11.          Occupational Education: Growth and Change in Workforce Preparation

12.          Serving the Community: Collaborating and Extending College Services

13.          Student Progress and Outcomes: A Focus on Equity and Accountability

14.          Scholarship and Commentary: Perspectives of the Community College

15.          Toward the Future: Trends, Challenges, and Opportunities

Appendix: For-Profit Colleges

References

Name Index

Subject Index

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