Describes Iowa Central Community College's approach to enrollment management, citing seven keys to its success: (1) the president's personal leadership; (2) a college-wide commitment to excellence; (3) strong administrative support; (4) high expectations for personnel; (5) well-defined enrollment management strategies; (6) participation by…

Colleges increasingly rely on the Web to attract, inform, and interact with students. This makes Web site accessibility and usability critical concerns, particularly for public community colleges, which educate sizable numbers of students with disabilities. As committed providers of postsecondary education to students with disabilities and thus a…

Community college administrators and state regulatory bodies assess associate degree nursing programs on a continual basis. In their quest to evaluate the programs, they rely heavily on the "first time pass rate" reports on the standard licensing test: NCLEX (National Council Licensure Examination). A closer look at the use of this…

Strategic thinking is an organized, analytical process by which college leaders can assess: (1) existing and potential competitors; (2) sources of competitive advantage; and (3) college capabilities and competitive position. Three outcomes of strategic thinking are: (1) clear institutional strategy and direction; (2) improved institutional…

Asserts that graduation and placement rates based on surveys as forms of institutional assessment are no longer enough. Addresses five legitimate, critical concerns about outcomes reporting. Discusses the use of unemployment insurance data to document and report on institutional and program effectiveness by tracking students' placement and…

Provides an update on community college responses to the new student majority who lack the skills to succeed in college-level work. Defines "at-risk students," identifies college responses to literacy problems, describes promising instructional strategies, and highlights problems in evaluating programs for at-risk students. (DMM)