Community College Showdown: "Undocumented" Students

This case study from the League for Innovation is abstracted from its forthcoming publication, Student Services Dialogues: Community College Case Studies to Consider by R. Thomas Flynn and Gerardo E. de los Santos.

During recent years, the issues surrounding the presence of undocumented immigrants in the United States have had daily political and media coverage. They generate very disparate responses, depending on the political persuasion of the observers. One group of undocumented immigrants has special issues with respect to community college student services: young people whose undocumented parents brought them to the United States as children and who have received some or all of their formal education in American public schools. Many of them aspire to continue their education at a community college. A critical question arises regarding their residential status for purposes of tuition determination. They may have lived in the community for a dozen years and graduated from a local high school. Many states would require that they register as nonresident out-of-state students since they are not documented immigrants. Many of these potential students cannot afford that level of tuition, and they are ineligible for federal financial aid. Much of their economic and career future may depend on their ability to access the community college.

Innovation In the Community College 2008 Award Winners

The League for Innovation in the Community College serves up 53 winners in its 2008 award program. That's way too many to be listing here, but the awards are made in seven categories: (1) workforce preparation and development; (2) learning and teaching; (3) student services and activities; (4) research, assessment, and accountability; (5) resource development; (6) basic skills and developmental education; and (7) leadership and organization. There are a lot of lessons to be learned in the descriptions of what these colleges won awards for - not just for those in other community colleges, either. We especially like Wake Technical College's being the First LEED certified campus in the US and Seattle Central Community College's Global Impact International Service Learning.

Flagship State Colleges: The Big Picture

Writing in University Business, James Martin and James E. Samels, provide a 30,000-foot view of these flagship institutions:

Today a new breed of state colleges has emerged alongside these more traditional teachers colleges - a more nimble, market-driven generation of contemporary state colleges. These forward-looking, public four-year colleges and universities are uniquely positioned to partner with their public and private two-year college colleagues to provide a progressive, stair-stepped pathway to baccalaureate and graduate school completion. . . . Leaders at these entrepreneurial institutions have chosen a variety of paths for achieving state college 'best of breed' status - each with its own special academic twist. . . . Conceived and chartered as small normal schools over a century ago, these and other aspiring state colleges have achieved flagship status through academic program diversification, degree elevation, niche marketing, and by partnering with mission complementary institutions, businesses, government, and the nonprofit sector.

Purpose-Driven Organizational Planning: The P-GOATS Model in Practice

This League for Innovation Leadership Abstract by Stan Brings, describes a a distinctive institutional community college planning model with a step-by-step guide:

Using the P-GOATS model for organizational planning may seem like an oversimplification of a task that can seem overwhelming. Whether considered from a reductionist perspective or a constructivist perspective, the structured, systematic approach makes P-GOATS a practicable approach. The logical construction of the model and its organized implementation make it understandable to the diverse populations that make up community college stakeholder groups.

The P-GOATS model for organizational planning improves effectiveness by structuring the work of the college. It improves efficiencies by identifying gaps and redundancies and providing opportunities for leveraging and optimizing college capacities. But perhaps its greatest and most important outcome is its effect on the individuals who make up the college. Providing security and a sense of certainty by establishing a direct connection between their work and the purpose of the college will yield dividends beyond those quantified for effectiveness and efficiency.