Forces Shaping Community College Missions

Historically, community colleges have served societal and functional missions that expanded over time, with the result of trying to achieve multiple goals for multiple audiences. This volume explores the forces currently shaping community college missions and the resulting tension between stated goals, assumed goals, and achievement of those goals. In an era of increasing accountability, tighter coupling, and the need to do ever more with fewer resources, mission focus is vital to college survival. Explore such issues as: the unspoken social contract, transfer, developmental education, noncredit education, dual enrollment, workforce development, the free college movement, and planning for the future. The topics are explored thoughtfully from both scholarly and practical perspectives, highlighting the forces that shape community college missions. This is the 180th 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.

Historically, community colleges have served societal and functional missions that expanded over time, with the result of trying to achieve multiple goals for multiple audiences. This volume explores the forces currently shaping community college missions and the resulting tension between stated goals, assumed goals, and achievement of those goals. In an era of increasing accountability, tighter coupling, and the need to do ever more with fewer resources, mission focus is vital to college survival.Explore such issues as:* the unspoken social contract* transfer* developmental education* noncredit education* dual enrollment* workforce development* the free college movement, and* planning for the future.The topics are explored thoughtfully from both scholarly and practical perspectives, highlighting the forces that shape community college missions.This is the 180th 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.

Editors' Notes 5Kristin Bailey Wilson, Regina L. Garza Mitchell1. Three Functions of the Community College Mission Statement 9David F. AyersThis chapter describes the historical context of community college mission statements and proposes that these texts serve three functions: public relations, management, and sensemaking.2. Social Justice and the Community College Mission 19Cynthia M. Heelan, Gail O. MellowThis chapter describes the community college challenge to support all learners to succeed in college and enter the middle class as citizens, parents, and workers.3. National Shifts in Adult Basic Education: Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, Ability to Benefit, and High School Equivalency Tests 27J. Cody DavidsonThis chapter describes the unprecedented changes in adult basic education as a result of three nationwide shifts: the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act, Ability to Benefit, and high school equivalency tests.4. The Evolving Transfer Mission and Student Mobility 37Christopher A. BaldwinThis chapter explores the varying patterns of mobility, both vertical and horizontal, that have significant implications for students.5. Changing the Economy One Family at a Time: Dual Aims of Workforce Development 47Regina L. Garza Mitchell, James O. Sawyer, IVThis chapter explores how the workforce development mission has evolved over the past 10 years and raises questions for consideration of its future.6. Noncredit Education: Specialized Programs to Meet Local Needs 57Mark M. D'AmicoThis chapter discusses an often neglected aspect of the community college mission: noncredit courses that address local service area needs.7. Free Community College and Merit Scholarships 67Lori Elliott Buchanan, Kristin Bailey WilsonThis chapter addresses the impact of free community college and state merit scholarships on college-going patterns of high school graduates, community college revenue contexts, and student access and completion at community colleges.8. Supporting the Mission Through Dual Enrollment 75Stephanie J. JonesThis chapter focuses on dual enrollment as a mechanism to support the mission of community colleges by increasing access to higher education for all students.9. Meeting the Challenges of Expanding Missions Through Strategic Planning 85David M. Hellmich, Greg J. FeeneyThis chapter discusses how leaders have shifted from defining critical missions to balancing these missions with consistently declining resources and increasing external demands.10. Making Sense of Multiple Missions 95Marilyn J. AmeyThis chapter highlights key ideas about multiple and competing community college missions and the leadership required to address them.Index 9