This chapter discusses the forces creating a strong demand for innovation, highlights innovative practices at various community colleges, and concludes with recommendations for igniting and sustaining innovation across the rural community college sector.

In two studies, we explored the associations among situational reading-related competence beliefs and task value, inference strategies, comprehension during reading, and foundational skills in college age students. In Study 1, 93 participants from a community college completed assessments of comprehension and two types of inference strategies…

Informal mentoring relationships that develop out of frequent and meaningful interaction with faculty and staff are powerful tools that can help community college students persist and succeed in achieving not only their educational goals but their future economic mobility as well (Komosa-Hawkins, 2012; Phillippo, 2010; Zimmerman et al., 2002).…

The purpose of this quantitative correlational study was to explore if, and to what extent, faculty employment status predicted the subsequent course success and retention of Native American Community College students. Native American students enroll, persist, and graduate at the lowest rates of all students, which is why Tinto's student retention…

The pipeline from the two-year college to the traditional four-year university is not effective for most students. While college enrollment continues to maintain its importance, transfer and college completion rates are not increasing. Research indicates that, students who embark on their educational journey by enrolling in community colleges are…

As writing teachers at the community college level, we have a unique opportunity to teach writing that is infused with passion, but we must begin by first reconnecting with those writers who we read and admired as students and recall why we became community college composition teachers in the first place. We must remember that we write to make…

The purpose of this study was to examine the current status of female leadership representation in four states identified from four regions of the United States. A descriptive approach to content analysis was used to examine postsecondary institutional website profiles with public access for females in executive leadership positions. Findings…

In this article, Jackson Toby discusses President Biden's proposal for free community college and substantial subsidies at public four-year colleges. Toby points out that if Biden means to require the beneficiaries to demonstrate that they have enough aptitude to graduate if they choose to study, the idea would be in the tradition of Thomas…

Investments in professional development have been more important than ever for community colleges this past year against the backdrop of the pandemic and all that it has changed. While some colleges are facing declining enrollments and less in the way of state funding, they are stretching every professional development dollar they can get their…

Individual trustees are often looking for different qualities in a community college president, and it can be challenging for a diverse group of stakeholders to agree on what they want. Boards that function most effectively work together to establish a clear set of criteria at the outset of the hiring process, and they share this list with…

The American Sociological Association (ASA) used social science research and data informed approaches to engage community college faculty in the discipline.

This chapter explores the relationship between the American Economic Association and community college economics faculty, as well as the Federal Reserve System's education outreach efforts to the community college sector.

This paper highlights how inter-institutional faculty relationships can strengthen student transfer between two-year and four-year programs. This article stresses the value of such efforts and some of the opportunities, benefits, and challenges of getting started. This type of relationship is important to ensure that courses will transfer…

In thinking about their experiences as community college advocates, Erin Doran and Kayla Lucht found that they both came to community colleges as adjuncts to supplement their incomes--but that a deep admiration and love for their students kept them there. Like so many others in higher education, they fell into their roles as community college…

This article illuminates how faculty translate professional development around contextualized math instruction into teaching practice, and offers practical recommendations for those embarking upon similar curricular reform efforts at community colleges.