Community Colleges Not Guided by Planning or Even by Logic, But by Tradition?

"But it seems that most community-college leaders give little thought to the actual role the community college plays as a citizen of its community. Indeed, in the literally hundreds of conversations I have had about the community-college mission, I have heard little discussion of the citizenship role. Yet in every one of those discussions, 'serving the local community is paramount. My conclusion is that, in its citizenship role, the community college is guided not by planning or even by logic, but by tradition ('We have always had a health fair') and by the arbitrary decisions of campus leaders that have virtually nothing to do with enhancing the curriculum. In many cases, the whim of an administrator or trustee trumps rational educational planning." (May require subscription or day-pass for access.)