The Perfect Building: But Needs Renovation & Underpass Access

Oh, no! You won't be getting a printed SCUP–45 Preliminary Program in the mail this year. Instead, SCUP is going green and regularly updating this digital version (PDF), which you can download at any time.

Check it out! You don't want to miss higher education's premier planning conference, and your one chance this year to assemble with nearly 1,500 of your peers and colleagues: July 10–14, Minneapolis.

---

---

SCUP Link

Montgomery County Community College (MCCC) found an historic building but it was separated from campus by a freight railroad line, requiring a mile walk for students. MCCC staff and corporate partner renovated the first floor of the building and discovered and reconstructed a previously filled-in underpass that et students take a shortcut under the tracks. This is a brief but interesting article at University Business by Melissa Ezarik. “I think it’s triggered a camaraderie there.” Students are staying on campus longer and can often be found in local restaurants and volunteering downtown. “The community is so appreciative," notes president Karen Sout. More.

---

Regional SCUP Events! Enjoy the F2F company of your colleagues and peers at one of three SCUP regional conferences this spring:

• April 5–7, San Diego, CA - "Smart Planning in an Era of Uncertainty"
• April 7, Houston, TX - "Sustaining Higher Education in an Age of Challenge"

A Prescription for the Emerging World: The Global Potential of the Community College Model

Maybe what the world news now is more community-college like institutions in developing countries. These authors make an argument:

For a developing country, a community college system could offer a model of higher education that provides flexibility in terms of curriculum and training and is at the same time deeply tied to the specific character and needs of the local economy. The development of multiple sites within a country rather than the promotion of a single “great university” provides a nodal structure that is inherently more capable of innovation and rapid response to community need . . . [I]f countries are willing to adopt and adapt a community college-like system, there is the potential for greater positive outcomes than just a larger proportion of a country’s citizens educated to higher levels. One is the opportunity to reform existing power structures in such a way as to encourage a greater democratic impulse throughout the world.

The New Jersey Coastal Communiversity: Access through Partnerships

SCUP leader Arnie Gelfman, of Brookdale Community College, has been telling us about the New Jersey Coastal Communiversity for some time. Now we can learn more by reading this article:

The New Jersey Coastal Communiversity, led by Brookdale Community College, is a partnership of colleges and universities that provides local access to postassociate degree education. In operation for six years, the partnership exemplifies the strength of a collaborative model of higher education institutions to address statewide needs. Alan Deutschman's research on organizational change (Deutschman, 2007) posits that the three factors of a successful change process are Relationships, Repeating, and Reframing, from which a threatening Change or Die challenge can be transformed into a Change and Thrive scenario. The Communiversity received the 2008 Bellwether Award in the area of Planning, Governance, and Finance. This article presents the development of the Communiversity through the Change or Die framework with a focus on planning, governance, finance, outcomes and lessons learned.

Missions, Values, and 'Flying Monkeys': Critical Issues for Community Colleges Today and in 2019

This very interesting article is from The Community College Journal of Research and Practice. The abstract is sufficient description:

A focus group (N=36) consisting of board of trustee members, community college presidents, senior administrators, administrators, and faculty members from community colleges around the United States developed the top six critical issues faced with respect to instructional planning and services; planning, governance, and finance; and workforce development. Thereafter, the delegation of more than 100 voted on various aspects of these issues. The findings detail a shift away from pragmatic problems or opportunities of today, such as K–20 alignment, retention, and sustainability, to more life-long learning, globalization, and focus upon innovation and partnerships.

In Praise of 'Community' (The Television Show)

A report on the show from someone with boots on the ground: "I hosted a 'premiere party' for my colleagues at Prairie State College. . . . We identified with the cast of “Community.” We have all had students just like every character on the show. After all, we work at a community college, and community colleges are the most diverse colleges in America. We’re proud to say we work at one of the 'loser colleges, where we take students whom some would dub losers and make them into winners. . . . And we’re proud to acknowledge our lack of selectivity. In fact, we start out every academic year by telling our new students that they’ve come to a place where they can reinvent themselves."

Community College Innovation: Fall Festivals

It seems amazing that with budget cuts and enrollment growth happening simultaneously, that community college staff have any "extra" time for this new trend: 

Fall festivals are an opportunity for community colleges to generate much-needed funds for groups that could use the boost, especially in these difficult financial times and tight budgets. Many colleges sustain local artists, industries, and causes with the funds raised, enhancing the visibility of the college and the community. Others use the festivals to fund scholarships and other student programs.

Is Job Training Zero Sum Game?

There's tension between traditional trades and community colleges about the way many institutions are shifting their emphasis to green workforce training:

"There are some training opportunities that, because of labor markets, should be less emphasized," Oates said. "Still, it would be wrong not to look at other areas where training may have gone by the wayside. We always need to be diligent to 'green' up traditional trades . . . We have to be mindful that while funding streams dictate, 'let’s go after high growth, high wage jobs,' people want to get any job, even if it doesn't give them a terrific wage right now. They want a job that'll help lead to something."

California Community Colleges Between a Rock and a Hard Place

The California Postsecondary Education Commission recently published an advisory report for the governor and legislature on the crunch where declining budge resources meet climbing demand for enrollment in community colleges: 

"The community colleges took an 8 percent budget cut for the 2009–10 school year. If the colleges cut enrollment proportionately, nearly 180,000 potential students could be turned away. The state is currently not providing any funding for enrollment growth. Three-quarters of districts already serve more students than they have space for. To catch up with growing enrollment demand, community colleges will need at least 3% enrollment growth funding annually until college opportunity is restored."

Read the full article here; http://www.cpec.ca.gov/PressRelease/Press2009_08_31_Mtg.pdf

A meeting agenda and reports may be viewed at www.cpec.ca.gov/agendas/agnd0909.asp. CPEC audio-streams its meetings atmedia.cpec.ca.gov/media.

Faculty Mentoring in a Community College: An Evaluation

Is it worth a community college's time to invest in a faculty mentoring program? This report describes the implementation of one and follows up with an evaluation of it, with lessons learned:

The positive impact of a mentoring program is directly related to the investment in the front-end work: literature review, needs assessment, design, and development. Scheduling ample time for these phases will help ensure that (a) the correct faculty performance issues are identified and analyzed; (b) the core components needed for a successful mentoring program are identified and accounted for in the program design; and (c) the most appropriate activities are developed for inclusion in the mentoring program. While information on program evaluation is currently limited, a plethora of resources are available to guide you through the process of program development. We found Murray (2001) especially helpful. Also, standardized tools are available that measure the psychosocial effects, such as increased personal and job satisfaction, on participants. See Stromei (2001) for a description of the tool she developed.

Strategies for Managing Security Issues at Two-Year Institutions

Writing in University Business with the title "Securing the Community College," Ann McClure examines some of the unique variables of campus security that must be addressed by community college leaders: "Just as the fluid student population makes it difficult to understand outside forces influencing their behavior, the larger percentage of adjunct and part-time faculty employed at community colleges can make it harder to become familiar with everyone working on campus. Add that concern to the likelihood a community college will have satellite campuses and outreach programs that bring local citizens onto campus—making for a much larger population to watch."

Serving Displaced Workers: Lessons Learned and Recommendations to Other Colleges

Now it's five years after Pillotex Corporation closed down in North Carolina and displaced nearly 5,000 workers. This resource describes how Rowan-Cabarrus Community College and the North CArolina Community College system planned an intervention for jobs recovery and retraining, the impact on the people and community, and a list of overall lessons learned. Our favorite: "Job-seekers often need more than skills and education."

A Grassroots Approach to Strategic Planning at St. Louis Community College—Meramec

One institution's experience:

"In the end, Meramec has found that working from the ground up demands a significant amount of cooperation and collaboration; however, it is evident that there is tremendous insight to be gained from those who are in the trenches every day."

Read more:
http://www.league.org/blog/post.cfm/a-grassroots-approach-to-strategic-planning-at-st-louis-community-college-meramec

New Book: The Community College Transfer Guide

We probably won't review this book, The Community College Transfer Guide, because it is aimed at students rather than professionals. But it seems as though professionals could learn a bit from it about the points of view of students trying to articulate what they've done at 2-years into 4-years.

"Community college is a bridge, but crossing that bridge is harder than one would think. "Community College Transfer Guide: What You Need to Know to Get Into a Four-Year College or University" is a guide for the community college student who is attempting to make that crossing. Success is very plausible with the right methods, and author Don Silver hopes to give readers what they need. Outlining the process step by step, "Community College Transfer Guide" is a guide that should be strongly considered for those in a community college, or even those entering a community college with intent to transfer later. "Community College Transfer Guide" is vital and highly educational."

Take a look:
http://www.amazon.com/Community-College-Transfer-Guide-Silver/dp/0944708846/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1245859857&sr=8-1

Transforming America's Community Colleges: A Federal Policy Proposal to Expand Opportunity and Promote Economic Prosperity

This May 2009 policy brief from the Brookings Institution's Blueprint for American Prosperity series offers a few policy suggestions on how the federal government might reinvest in community colleges across the nation. Including the recommendation that the federal government should establish national post-secondary goals and also devote a significant portion of existing funding to improve and evaluate teaching practices in these institutions. (Paraphrased from the Internet Scout Report)

Read the full document here:
http://www.brookings.edu/reports/2009/~/media/Files/rc/reports/2009/0507_community_college_goldrick_rab/0507_community_college_brief.pdf

It’s Easy Being Green: St. Louis Community College-Wildwood’s Green Campus Becomes a Sustainability Learning Lab

This relatively new community college campus is designed, and not just in its physical parts, to be sustainable through and through. This is an excellent, even must-read article:

Being a green campus is about more than the physical features of LEED construction; it is a mindset that faculty and staff members are asked to carry into their planning and practice on a daily basis. Campus president Pam McIntyre stresses this in her work with campus administrators, faculty, and staff. “Our campus commitment to sustainability is important to every department. Campus planning efforts focus on finding unique ways to use the campus as a sustainability learning lab,” said McIntyre. Every area, from physical facilities and campus life to academic affairs, is asked to integrate sustainability into its daily practices. Strategic partnerships in the community are cultivated to advance this focus and carry it beyond the campus.

Community Colleges and the American Reinvestment and Recovery Act

Job training money available through the federal government will double in the next two years, and many of the new law's provisions benefit community college growth and change:

While the intention of the provision is primarily to bolster training, it will undoubtedly strengthen the hand of community colleges in the workforce system; the No. 1 recommendation of the aforementioned Lumina study was, "relax constraints on contract training."

"We're very excited about the opportunity," says Michael Bankey, vice president of workforce and community services at Owens. Because of its close relationship, physically and otherwise, with the Toledo one-stop center, the community college is already the center's biggest provider of training. But right now, Bankey notes, the center refers students one by one to its various programs -- between 10 and 20 a month in truck driving, for instance. But the ability to enter into group contracts with the one-stop center, in the way that Owens now does to create specialized programs for local businesses or other organizations, opens up lots of possibilities for customized setups that directly respond to local, regional or state needs, Bankey says.

From TQM to Blue Ocean Strategy and Beyond: Employee Development as a Contributor to Organizational Growth and Effectiveness

---

May 1—Can Faculty Development and Curricular Innovation Help You With Your Budget Crisis?, featuring Nicholas Santilli and Lauren L. Bowen, both of John Carroll University. They are presenting a concurrent session at SCUP–44. Santilli is also a SCUP Institute faculty member. Discussants will include former SCUP presidents Michael F. Middaugh, Laura Saunders, and Planning for Higher Education executive editor Tom Longin. Learn more or register now.

---

Rio Salado College is considered by many to be an innovative leader.

Here's how it uses staff development as a TQM tool: Staff development programs have allowed Rio to introduce strategic initiatives through training to define the college’s expectations for employees and to support and advance such concepts. TQM, customer service, collegewide meetings, and The Rio Way are staff development programs used by Rio Salado between 1991 and 2006, and they provide an opportunity for the college’s leadership to create the college’s culture through learning opportunities for its employees. Rio Salado continues to use collegewide meetings, specifically, as a primary component of staff development. Each year at one of these annual meetings, the college president recognizes employees for years of service, celebrates educational programs and their successes, and communicates current strategic initiatives with all the employee participants.

Rio tends to evolve and incorporate business practices through staff development offerings. It is common for the college to use aspects of different business models that can be applied to workplace practices. Laura Helminski, chair of the communications department, explains, “It [the full scope of business models] becomes too rigid for us if we do every piece of a concept. We have found that some of the mechanical and statistical aspects slow us down, so we focus on the softer, people-oriented aspects.” She further states, “It’s not a pure approach, but we think it’s working. People tell us they believe we’re on to something! It feels right for us.”

Assessment Is More Than Keeping Score: Moving From Inquiry, Through Interpretation, To Action

A nice case study of one institution's successful planning:

STLCC’s mission-based assessment approach has proven successful because it is grounded in the following six key components:

• The model focuses assessment on what the college claims to do.
• Within each mission area, faculty and staff identify the most important aspects for assessment.
• Faculty and staff are provided with consistent, user-friendly, self-service access to data/information through decision support tools.
• The model establishes assessment as a shared enterprise and creates a nonpunitive environment for thoughtful interpretation of data/information by the faculty and staff who work with students.
• The model is linked to the college’s strategic planning process and creates an environment for action.
• The model assesses how we assess as well as what we assess.

It’s Also About Action. During 2007-2008, faculty and staff from across the college worked collaboratively to identify, explore, and develop actions steps to improve student engagement and learning outcomes associated with assessment issues. Among these were the following projects:

TQM, Blue Ocean Strategy, and More - at Rio Salado CCollege

Rio Salado College is recognized as a leader in many ways. In fact, we included it in an article about innovative business practices written by SCUP leaders for the late summer issue of Community College Journal (unfortunately not available on line). This resource describes some of the ways which Rio plans for and achieves innovation, with an emphasis on staff development processes:

Rio tends to evolve and incorporate business practices through staff development offerings. It is common for the college to use aspects of different business models that can be applied to workplace practices. Laura Helminski, chair of the communications department, explains, “It [the full scope of business models] becomes too rigid for us if we do every piece of a concept. We have found that some of the mechanical and statistical aspects slow us down, so we focus on the softer, people-oriented aspects.” She further states, “It’s not a pure approach, but we think it’s working. People tell us they believe we’re on to something! It feels right for us.”

...

Staff development programs provide a means by which community colleges can implement strategic initiatives that center on supporting the effective integration of college vision, mission, purpose, and values. The use of staff development programs to support strategic objectives allows community colleges to develop program offerings based on society’s needs; provide high-quality, flexible, and affordable education to our customers; and support student success in a continued commitment to positive social change.

Don't Let the Downturn Get You Down

We were noticing this week, on the RPG discussion list, that the California community colleges are reporting very large increases in matriculation in the current semester. It made us wince, because we know that tuition does not cover expenses at community colleges, not even close. This article helps you to make a good case for more public support for community colleges, even in times of financial crisis:

As community colleges across the country defend themselves against across-the-board budget cuts, they need to go on the offense by mobilizing key constituency groups to make the case that community colleges offer the best hope of turning the U.S. economy around.

Our extensive work with community college systems in seven states and two in-depth opinion research projects reveals that few people understand the value of public two-year colleges and the huge impact they have on economic success. Similarly, too few community colleges have organized effective advocacy efforts, and when they do speak out, they often use messages that don’t resonate with their target audiences.

While those at community colleges feel beaten down by unfavorable comparisons with four-year institutions, they need to realize that a huge reservoir of good will exists and should be tapped. Our poll findings show that the public holds community colleges in high esteem, but they don’t understand two critical issues that undermine the support of these institutions on the state policy front: