In August 1983, when the second largest employer in Washington County, Maryland, closed its plant, the local unemployment rate was 13%. The following month, Hagerstown Junior College (HJC) received $50,000 in state funds to initiate a dislocated worker (DLW) program. The program included orientation by a counselor, diagnostic testing, and…

At Hagerstown Junior College (HJC), a project was developed to integrate the college's need for increased enrollment with community college faculty development and industry's need for worker retraining. The project involved agreements between HJC and Mack Trucks, the largest employer in the college's service area. The first program developed, the…

Honors programs are a viable part of the community college response to the challenges of the late 1980's. The growth in the two-year college memberships in Phi Theta Kappa and the National Collegiate Honors Council suggests that greater attention is being given to the academically able students at the two-year college. A rationale for developing…

Although vocational educators seem to be agreed on the priorities for their profession, research has found that the quality of vocational programs overall is highly variable and that the access of disadvantaged students to good programs is not ensured. The literature suggests that the challenges posed by new technologies and new clients, and a…

An overview is provided of Hagerstown Junior College's (HJC's) efforts to redefine and redirect the college's mission. First, introductory material places HJC's mission development project within the context of other leadership challenges for the 1990's. Next, a strategic planning process focusing on mission redefinition is explained, highlighting…

Numerous factors can make an area attractive to high technology industries, including: (1) local exclusionary zoning and restrictive covenants which seek to enhance the beauty of industrial park areas; (2) mutually beneficial affiliations with universities; (3) installation of special utility lines to minimize disruption of service to park areas;…

Five issues facing vocational education are becoming sufficiently visible to suggest an agenda for community college action. First, the Job Training and Partnership Act, which seeks to address the continued dislocation of the American economy and to rectify problems of structural unemployment, will require greater cooperation and coordination…