Nationally, the pathway model -- commonly defined as "a highly structured, coherent education experience that is built around and through an area of study" -- has emerged as the preferred structural approach to deliver the curriculum at community colleges. The pathway model provides a new hope to community colleges to create a solution…

Community colleges located in urban areas face unique challenges and opportunities. How leaders in these institutions respond to this unique setting requires an understanding of the skills that might be required to adeptly work in these environments. Drawing upon survey research from the past 20 years, a research-team developed instrument was…

While faculty trust in administrators has been studied in K-12 schools and four-year higher education institutions (HEIs), we know little about how community college faculty view of trust. Therefore, we examine trust between community college faculty and their administrators using a multicomponent definition to determine which factors of trust are…

Much has been written about the university department chair, but little is known about whether the community college chair position is different. The profile and job perceptions of community college department chairs, and how the job of the community college chair compare to the university chair profile illustrated in the literature remains…

The United States Department of Labor predicts the demand in healthcare sector careers to soar as patient demographics continue to change with the aging population of adults (Henderson, 2012). To meet this demand, community colleges will continue to play a vital role in the education of healthcare occupations, as nearly 60% of all healthcare…

College Heads of Department (HoDs) are increasingly expected to perform more curriculum-leadership tasks, maintaining and advancing the department curriculum, especially in developing countries. However, in practice, HoDs are reported to pay little attention to this aspect of their job due to several factors--one of which is a lack of professional…

This qualitative study investigated ethnic/racial diversity in the community college faculty search process. The researcher interviewed 12 participants--administrators and faculty members at three community colleges in a large district in the southwestern United States--who served on faculty search committees from 2006-2009. Analysis of the…

The Community College Futures Assembly has met annually in Orlando, Florida since 1995 to serve as a showcase for best practices in community colleges as well as a think tank for research into the critical issues facing community colleges. Select conference attendees would have the opportunity to participate in focus groups with respect to…

Millions of dollars are spent annually on professional development, and designers of training events recognize they must demonstrate to all stakeholders the value added by these programs. The purpose of this study was to measure the learning that occurred during professional development seminars for community college academic department chairs.…

The role of a department chair is difficult and complex because it requires one to be an instructor, an administrator, a leader, a manager, and a mediator simultaneously. With the present budget constraints, effective internal leadership at the department level has become indispensable for community colleges. Despite the fact that department…

Examines possible strategies that department chairs can use to better manage scarce resources. Strategies such as addressing issues of human resource management jointly with fiscal issues and relying more heavily on academic program planning at the departmental level were found to be effective. Conversely, reduced program offerings and longer work…

Examines teaching effectiveness and the role college administrators play in providing a supportive environment for teaching. Discusses the role of the dean and departmental chairperson in implementing incentives and establishing evaluative procedures for instructors. Contains 16 references. (JDI)

Examines the extent to which faculty senate leadership provides exposure to important skills required for ascension to a presidency, along with preparation to succeed in various roles. Details survey data from a sample that included 150 community college presidents and 150 community college faculty senate leaders. (Contains 25 references.)…

Describes a study of 3,000 community college department chairs to identify and prioritize strategies used to cope with job-related challenges. Indicates that top strategies were related to relations with business and industry, maintaining the chair position, and internal departmental operations. Discusses implications for future research. (10…

Explores the beliefs and values of women in two-year college departmental chair positions. Finds that dominant beliefs are related to educational philosophies and program outcomes, while secondary beliefs and values are related to student-centered issues, suggesting that women in chair positions have a traditional view of themselves as internal…