COMMUNITY COLLEGE LEADERSHIP

Joel C. Snell

Professor Emeritus

Social Sciences/ Kirkwood Community College

Abstract

The article introduces the many complexities of administrating and setting an arena for learning for many students who seek out both general and introductory work for advanced degrees. It also deals with including strategic portions of the community to the campus. This also means developing a “brand” that strongly suggest that the school is really at the core of the community and not an isolated school situated in the community.

Community Colleges are really different than other post secondary institutions. This target is written for academia in general who do not participate in the community college system.  The author wants to give the reader a closer look at community colleges. Its major purpose is to support “lifelong learning” that is of interest to employees and employers competing in the global information society. The community college is perhaps the most diverse post secondary school system of all those presented in this journal edition.

Introduction

 Leadership of a Community college is probably the most varied from any other educational systems. The talents needed should be discussed toward the latter part of this article.

Description

Who are the students? It is nearly everyone. There are numerous post secondary institutions and the community college educational system should have nearly every delivery system that incorporates education for special talent students to nearly everyone else. The curriculum ideally is filled with vocational, technical, liberal arts, special training for specific organizations, and related. (Kolesnikova, N., 2009)

In some areas, they can have a complete program and in others just an introduction that must be completed elsewhere. Imagine a freshman medical student. This person earned a scholarship but there was not enough money in the scholarship for the student so that going to a community college was the best choice. From there, they finish at a university.

Another student wants to complete a degree in advance nursing assistant. The entire degree can be earned at a community college. (Carpenter, S. 2006)

Discussion

Community colleges provide for students of nearly all ages and talents. This includes handicap to the gifted.  The authors had a son that entered our community college at the age of 16. He skipped two years of high school. Because one can “test out” of an area, he finished the two year liberal arts program within one year.

What is the delivery system like? A student can learn in a traditional classroom. They may learn on-line. They may learn in a package format with contacts by phone with the professor.

 The teacher may go to a work place and the class is at lunch time. They may not go to the main campus but a supporting campus throughout a multi-county area .However and whatever the subject and the students various arrangements can be made so that the information can be delivered to them.

What is the faculty like?  The teachers can range from a professional technician that is certified to an individual with a PhD. What is important is that they can make the information clear and in an organized fashion. Classes may be small and so perhaps more interesting, and friendliness prevails.

What are the facilities like? Most community colleges have a Spartan appearance one will probably not find a huge football stadium, faculty row, or clusters of fraternity and sorority houses. Everything is made to be practical and useful. That does not mean that the classroom is not an attractive and inviting venue, rather some of the externalities from hundred year schools are missing.

So what is the mission? The community colleges are to complete and support the global information society that demands life-long learning.  It should be available to as many people in the community depending on what they need. Thus, some colleges are really known only by the students, where a community college can provide further services that make it part of the community. You attend a meeting at a community college or provide services so that many of the town has been on the campus.

The marketing department wants to generate to all students that there is a community college “brand” that makes freshman year or related a good choice with faculty that can speak English effectively, that are experienced and helpful, that numerous certification courses are there to improve the chance of getting a job and keeping a job. (Sefl, Carl & J. Snell, 2003) Mass classes taught by graduate students in large auditorium are not necessarily the best classes. Small friendly classes, we believe are superior. (Carpenter, S. 2006)

Academies and the entrance of high school juniors and seniors can help provide the most diverse atmosphere of any educational system .Both small business and corporations when starting or changing their operations may want to include the community college as part of their process. That a curriculum specialist and management talent can help.(Sefl, C. & J. Snell 2003)

Additionally, parents may wonder why they are paying twice as much for a prestige university when the first two years can cut cost by 50%. The excellence of the two year school makes the choice even easier.

Revisiting Community college leadership.

The president of a community college along with other top administrators must consistently be prepared to not be at home 3  nights a week. They must attend civic meetings and related nearly all the time. CEO’s must know the name of the president in a “top of the mind” survey. They most know that the first and last support system dwells at the community college campus or their other support delivery systems. “Partnerships” can evolve.

The wider community can be encouraged to see the community college at the core of its functions. On campus visits and meetings should occur. Other educational systems have their missions, but the community college should cover as much as possible and do it well.

One of the first indicators of a president and administrative leader not doing their job is that enrollment begins to decline. Not only is the school not delivering, but morale begins to turn downward. What is the president not doing? Why are there not programs inviting high school students and non-traditional students to attend. Why has the curriculum not created that helps neophyte welders to become master welders.

The global information society demands lifelong learning and does the community  know that their community college can help create curriculum, provide faculty, go to the students locale in the flesh or digitally?

This author ends with a summary from a strategic center that prepares individuals to preside over the ever growing two year school that now serves nearly 50% of the students attending post secondary schooling.

Dr. John Rouche (2014) gathering from 40 years of research suggests the following: 1. Build a context for success 2. Create high expectations for both the presidency and the others who work at the school. 3. Model that behavior from the top. 4. Reward accomplishments 5. Discourage mediocre behavior.6. Above all, be consistent.

The community college cannot be all things to all students. Rather it can be many things to many people.

Reference Cited

Carpenter, S. (2006) Kirkwood from Cornfield to College in Eastern50^th Anniversary, Cedar Rapids, Iowa: Kirkwood Press

Kolesnikova, N. (2009) The Changing Role of Community Colleges, https://Quisfeedmedical.org/ medical pub-assets/pdf/bk/files, community college, pdf.

Rouche, J. (2014) Effective College Leadership: Six Attributes, Dallas: National American University

Sefl. C. and Joel C. Snell (2003) “Marketing: A Community College Success, Community College Student Journal, 100-102.

joelsnell@hotmail.com

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leadership

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