A significant demographic shift in community colleges reveals that more than half of enrolled students are adults aged 25 and older. In response, states are instituting reconnect programs aimed at recruiting and reengaging adult learners. Despite these initiatives, existing processes and practices within community colleges often inadequately…

This book addresses persistent inequities in student outcomes, resource allocation, and institutional practices at community colleges, despite being known for their open access policies and educational opportunities for diverse populations. It presents research-backed strategies for creating more inclusive and effective learning environments for…

California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs), California's version of the federal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) program, provides cash assistance to low-income families with children. CalWORKs provides parents with cash assistance for expenses such as food, housing, utilities, or medical care, and may be…

This paper focuses on the evolution of community schools from a grassroots organizing effort to a formal initiative in Philadelphia. The authors implemented a critical participatory action research project to examine the process and impact of the education organizing. We present two narratives to illustrate the potential and limitations of two…

Community colleges educate and train significant numbers of U.S. police officers. Even so, an erosion of public trust and confidence in the police has overcome communities nationwide (Fagan, 2008; Office of Community Oriented Policing Services, 2015). The high-profile law enforcement-related deaths of unarmed Black citizens have further heightened…

Experiences of belonging are a basic human need (Baumeister & Leary, 1995), and the accessibility of belonging might look different for individuals labeled with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) due to historic and ongoing exclusion. This qualitative, participatory study explored how adults with intellectual and developmental…

The concept of collective identity emphasizes the importance of solidarity, collective strength, and coalition building among social groups in order to establish empowering educational systems, while still critically acknowledging the role that intersectionality, privilege, and power play in society and in students' lives. This brief summarizes…

This study investigates the efficacy of cooperative quizzes in reducing test anxiety and improving course success rates among community college students. Test anxiety was measured using a mini-SPIN survey provided by the RECAPER project. Twenty students completed pre-semester and post-semester surveys. Statistical analyses revealed no significant…

It is widely believed that assisting young people to participate in community affairs is a potent way to contribute to both youth and community development. One way in which youth can become involved in their communities is through participatory budgeting (PB) processes. This study investigates young people's understanding of, and experience with,…

Objective: The primary goal of conducting this research was to gain insight into what characteristics of a community pharmacy college students may find appealing and how community pharmacies can tailor their services toward college students. Participants: The survey was distributed to 3,000 college students at The University of Mississippi from…

The utilization and reliance of contingent faculty have grown and continue to grow more and more at institutions of higher education. Research suggests that contingent faculty have both positive and negative experiences in academia, and one common perception is that contingent faculty are underappreciated and unfairly compensated. Theoretically,…

Our paper is a practitioner reflection that explores the concepts of engaged learning as a means of erasing the specious divide between academia and policy/management practice. It takes the form of a conversation between the two authors, each of whom have significant experience in both camps, but who also would seem to fall more neatly into one…

This Presidential Address considers what it means to be a higher education scholar and member of a scholarly community. By taking a longitudinal look at my career, I identify the neoliberal notions that align scholarly identity and worth with productivity and prestige. I confront systems and structures that minoritize scholars in myriad ways…

The extent to which rural community colleges adapt effectively and in alignment with economic and technological trends significantly influences the extent to which the people and communities they serve experience economic success. Advancing understanding of how rural community college presidents across the nation lead their institutions through…

Community-based grassroots governance has been framed and endorsed as an exemplary model of social governance in China. This article explores how this governing philosophy is interpreted and appropriated within a migrant community in Yiwu, where language serves as a critical nexus between macro-level policy and micro language planning processes.…