Launching a new institution of higher education requires navigating complex stakeholder relationships while justifying significant public investment. The rarity of successfully launching new postsecondary institutions makes each case a valuable source of insights for higher education leaders seeking to advance institutional innovation. This case study examines how the City University of New York (CUNY) successfully founded Guttman Community College (GCC) in 2012. Using Strategic Academic Research and Development (SARD) as a conceptual framework, we analyze two distinct phases: the founding process (2007–2012) and early operational years. During the founding phase, CUNY’s planning team excavated research-based best practices from leading experts and harnessed local expertise through consultative meetings with community college presidents, administrators, and faculty from across the university. In the operational phase, GCC institutionalized continuous improvement through an advisory board, dedicated Assessment Days, the Academic Assessment & Learning Committee governance structure, and the SAGE (Systematic Approach for Guttman Effectiveness) framework. Despite recent declines following the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the college’s initial three-year graduation rate of 49.1% dramatically aaexceeded CUNY’s community college average of 15.9% from the same time period. This case demonstrates how systematic application of SARD principles can guide successful institutional innovation in higher education.

Objective: This qualitative study describes the participation and contributions of Catholic sisters as faculty and administrators at public U.S. community colleges during a 30-year period from 1969 to 1999. The purpose of the research is to write Catholic sisters into the history of America’s public community colleges by examining their role in these institutions. Methods: Using interviews and document analysis, I examined the employment of 23 Catholic sisters in the community colleges of 12 states. The study was guided by a framework of feminist theory in an effort to correct the invisibility of the subjects’ roles in community colleges. Results: Among the findings, the research revealed that many subjects desired employment in community colleges in order to contribute financially to their religious community, often after their own congregationally-sponsored Catholic school or college either closed or merged with another institution. Although most subjects did not go out of their way to reveal their religious identity on campus, when students and faculty became aware of it, they were often initially struck by the novelty of a Catholic sister leading or teaching at a public community college. Ultimately they seemed to perceive and relate to the women based on their professionalism. Conclusion: By focusing on Catholic sisters, the study offers a look at the role of a unique group of women in academia and helps paint a fuller picture of women faculty and administrators at the community college during a time period for which little such research existed.

ABSTRACTUsing data from the 2019 Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE) 3‐year cohort, this article presents a validation study of the 2017 version of CCSSE. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were implemented to investigate the psychometric properties and construct validity with strategies to address missing data. Eight engagement factors were identified underlying 42 engagement‐related items. Of the original 38 benchmark items, 28 (73.7%) were retained in the new engagement factors; the remaining 14 items are new. The goodness of fit indices met the accepted standards supporting the psychometric properties of this solution. This study provides a more rigorous and accurate methodological approach than the five benchmarks, and resonate with recent research on community college students’ experiences in their institutional context. Community college administrators should consider utilizing the new engagement factors to better assess their institution's engagement performance and implement more effective institutional improvements.

ABSTRACTIn this article, we examine the experiences of Black presidents in rural community colleges through the lens of critical race theory (CRT) and critical discourse analysis (CDA). Understanding the experiences of Black community college presidents, particularly in rural areas, which remain primarily white, is essential when addressing systemic inequities. We analyzed oral history archived interviews with 11 Black community college presidents conducted in 2021. Through a CRT lens, the study examines how race intersects with institutional structures and dynamics, shaping the experiences of Black college presidents. We utilized CDA to analyze how discourse constructs and reinforces power and racial hierarchies for Black leaders within academic settings. The findings suggest the need for tailored support systems for Black leaders in rural community colleges, informed by CRT constructs and tenets of the centrality of racism and social justice. Findings highlight implications and recommendations for community college governing boards responsible for appointing community college presidents. Governing boards must understand how Black leaders experience the presidential role to know how to support them best. By centering the voices of Black leaders and applying CRT and CDA frameworks, this study contributes to how CRT is a tool for uncovering racism and racialization in community college leadership, particularly within rural settings.

ABSTRACT This qualitative study explored the views of community college employers, faculty, administrators, and students on the importance of foundational skills, including literacy, numeracy, and problem-solving skills, in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) programs of study. Participants (N = 50) were recruited, semi-structured interviews were conducted, and the data were analyzed using inductive thematic analysis. Four themes were identified: 1) foundational skills are as important as the course of study; 2) the ability to communicate technical skills is crucial; 3) leadership and supervisory skills are valuable; and 4) employers contribute to the curriculum, producing graduates that industry needs. Our findings provide policy and practice recommendations, including the need to design curricula with strong components of literacy, numeracy, and problem-solving skills, integrating supervisory and leadership skills in classroom exercises, and engagement of employers in curriculum development and instruction. Producing graduates in STEM fields with skills that employers require is important for employee advancement and for future economic growth.

Community college students are in need of sexual health programming. Unfortunately, community colleges are less likely than 4-year colleges to provide such programming, and very little research has focused on understanding the factors influencing sexual health program implementation at community colleges. To examine the barriers and facilitators to adoption, implementation, and sustainability of student-facing sexual health programming at community colleges. Using data from interviews with a convenience sample of 32 community college administrators, faculty, and staff from 23 campuses in the United States, we conducted thematic analysis. Six major themes were identified. College budgets are limited and resources specifically dedicated to sexual health promotion are needed. Buy-in from upper-level administrators is often required to approve programming, and personnel that champion student health are critical to successfully implementing programs. Unfortunately, many champions are overworked and unable to sustainably manage additional responsibilities. Colleges are interested in implementing programming that students want and that addresses their students' needs. However, participants perceived that students will not participate in optional programming and many colleges are hesitant to implement mandatory student programming as this is perceived as a barrier to student graduation. Finally, colleges' decision to implement sexual health programming is often tied to the presence of on-campus housing; thus, commuter students are especially in need of resources. These findings highlight the importance of internal factors that facilitate or hinder the implementation of sexual health programming at community colleges and suggest the need for college-level efforts to effectively implement programming.

Abstract In 2016, Illinois initiated a statewide transitional math program to support students to be academically ready in college-level math before graduating from high school. This qualitative study focuses on the perspective of community college faculty and administrators on the statewide implementation of transitional math programs. We find that a successful partnership between high schools and community colleges is perceived as key to designing, implementing, and improving transitional math programs to ensure effective teaching and learning. However, community college leaders perceived that it remains unclear how transitional math programs impact student success, college enrollment, and educational equity. We provided practical implications for both transitional math programs and the broader developmental education reform.

The nation’s community colleges play a key role in addressing the need to expand and diversify the STEM technological workforce. However, significant barriers must be overcome for the programs to meet the increasing demand for skilled employees. The programs are expensive to establish and maintain; community colleges are generally underfunded; faculty, staff, and administrators are often not experienced in raising external funding or establishing partnerships with business and industry; and, most community colleges are small institutions without grants offices or staff experienced in preparing grant proposals. The Community College Presidents’ Initiative in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (CCPI-STEM) is a multifaceted project, funded by the Advanced Technological Education (ATE) Program at the National Science Foundation (NSF), intended to inform community college leaders and aspiring leaders about the importance of STEM workforce challenges and to assist them and their faculty and staff in securing grant funding and implementing needed programs. This manuscript will provide an overview of CCPI-STEM.

This study evaluates the applicability of the Department of Defense Antiterrorism (DoD AT) Program within U.S. community colleges, highlighting the challenges faced by open-access institutions with limited resources. Using a sequential mixed-methods design, the study integrates quantitative and qualitative findings to assess both the strengths and limitations of DoD AT in civilian education. Results indicate that while the framework provides a structured foundation, its adaptability is uneven across institutional contexts. The study introduces the Dynamic Stakeholder-Integrated Security Framework (DSISF), an applied model emphasizing stakeholder engagement, flexible layering, continuous feedback, and inclusion. DSISF offers practical guidance for community college administrators seeking to enhance campus safety within existing constraints. Across 197 responses from 12 states (43.8% response rate), 68% rated DoD AT as effective for preparedness, yet only 39% reported full protocol adoption; DSISF targets these adoption gaps through stakeholder engagement, layered controls, and continuous feedback.

This study documents the unique personal and professional experiences that Latina leaders bring to the role of community college president. Guided by a Chicana Feminist conceptual framework, we examined the tools, strategies, and assets that Latina presidents possess to persist as higher education leaders within a white patriarchal dominant culture. As a research collective, we conducted platicas as a Chicana Feminist methodology with five Latina community college presidents in California. Each platica lasted between 60 and 90 min. Findings exemplified four sources of cultural intuition that Latina community college presidents drew from to redefine higher education leadership and drive student equity on campus: (1) personal experiences with marginality in educational spaces, (2) accumulated professional knowledge, (3) scholarly training in graduate school, and (4) the process of leading itself. The study found that Latina presidents possessed important knowledge and distinct perspectives based on their experiences as Women of Color, children of immigrants, and former community college students to guide their leadership approaches in equity driven ways.

The length of a college president’s tenure is under six years, meaning that boards and institutions are increasingly grappling with the turnover associated with senior leaders. This turnover is seen in all sectors of higher education, especially in community colleges where the changing roles of these institutions are particularly pronounced. The purpose for conducting the study was to describe the professional development practices of community college presidents in hope of identifying efforts that might help to lengthen presidential tenures. Drawing on a national survey of 500 community college presidents, 159 usable responses were received and point toward the reliance on national conferences and self-direction as the primary methods that presidents use to remain current in their roles.

Equity in action starts with a leader’s critical consciousness in relation to their identities, ideologies, and positionalities. In this essay, the following factors: ideologies, identities, and positionalities are explained and emphasized as they are essential factors that impact equity work. Leaders who center equity must explore their own critical consciousness through an equity lens so that they prioritize equity at the forefront while leading, collaborating, and making decisions in their leadership positions. The positionality of leaders is also critical on how they use their power to influence their community and amplify the voices of the underrepresented. One subset of the findings, Equity in Action, from my dissertation, Asian American Community College Presidents: The Power of Identities, Ideologies, and Positionalities is included in this essay. To set the foundation of the dissertation, the SEL framework, also known as the shared equity leadership framework (Kezar et al., 2021) is used to analyze how leaders build their own capacity in equity work. In addition, my positionality and development as an equity leader are reflected in this essay.

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 address the unique needs of adult students. This qualitative work employs focus groups and individual interviews involving community college presidents, faculty, staff, and adult learners to formulate a robust conceptual framework meant to guide community colleges toward positive adult learner outcomes. Termed the “Five P Framework,” it strategically poses critical questions that align with the five areas of the adult learner journey: public messaging, partnerships, processes, pathways, and proximity. Acknowledging the distinct characteristics and diverse backgrounds of adult students, the framework incorporates essential theoretical perspectives. It sheds light on the intricate interplay among personal, social, and institutional factors influencing adult learners’ educational experiences. Serving as a practical guide, the framework is intended for administrators, educators, and policymakers facilitating the development of targeted policies and practices to elevate educational outcomes and overall well-being for adult learners in community college settings. The research concludes by offering implications for practice, policy enhancements, and directions for future research to support adult learners.

ABSTRACT Community colleges play an integral role in early access to college via dual credit programs. Dual credit programs have grown exponentially in Texas, thus warranting further investigation into how these programs are led and administered at the district level. Authentic leadership is needed to ensure programs, students, families, and faculty members achieve success. Using authentic leadership and life-stories as a conceptual framework, this study focused on three community college administrators’ narratives, approaches to interpersonal relationships, and perspectives on dual credit challenges and priorities. The findings of the study indicated community college administrators lead these programs with a variety of leadership experiences. Furthermore, they must navigate relationships with multiple key stakeholders and respond to competing demands. This study also highlights the challenges of equity, lack of administrative infrastructure, and communication and compromise. Administrators shared their priorities in being “student ready,” strategic planning, and training and professional development. This study could assist researchers, educators, and policymakers in better understanding dual credit implementation by offering insights into the necessary training needed for district-level administrators to implement a dual credit program.

ABSTRACT This article uses in-depth interviews to explore the experiences of four community college administrators leading policy efforts to advance racial justice efforts. Through a critical organizational lens, we document the unacknowledged labor associated with being the central figure driving institutional equity efforts and the primary person on campus responsible for overseeing and carrying out racialized organizational change. Our analysis yielded two themes: Feelings of taxation, isolation, and being burned out and the difficulty of navigating spaces of resistance to improve racial equity. The findings from this work have implications for policy and practice related to enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts, reframing community college leadership, and understanding racialized organizational change.

Abstract The number of federally designated Hispanic serving institutions (HSIs) has almost doubled over the last 10 years. This shift has led researchers and policy makers alike to increasingly scrutinize what it means to be Hispanic serving, and not just Hispanic enrolling. In this study, we present perspectives from five Hispanic community college presidents who lead federally designated HSIs. Based on interviews we examine how community college presidents define servingness and what they view as critical to truly serving Hispanic students. Our findings indicate that servingness involves a focus on getting resources to students, intentional purpose‐driven programming, cultural knowledge training, and finding ways to include all students in HSI‐centered programming.

Objective/Research Question: For decades doctoral community college leadership programs have prepared students for the challenges and rewards in steering community college campuses, yet minimal scholarship has explored these programs’ efficacy in serving their students. This study explores community college leaders’ motivations in starting, learning experiences during, and takeaways following participation in doctoral community college leadership programs. Methods: This narrative inquiry study draws on action learning as the theoretical framework and entails interviews with 19 community college administrators who graduated from doctoral community college leadership programs. Results: Findings are threefold, each related to the distinct pieces associated with the research questions at hand. Students’ motivations for enrolling in programing stem from financial and geographic accessibility, institutional credibility, personal fulfillment, and desires to advance their careers. During their time in programs, students benefited from curriculum that prepared them for their dissertations, cohort-based approaches that afforded community, and applicable assignments and activities that directly related to their roles as community college practitioners. Following their doctorate, students reflected on the value of having this degree for propelling their careers and recommended opportunities for programmatic improvement. Conclusion/Contributions: These findings offer new perspective into what doctoral community college leadership programs accomplish in supporting students’ objectives and professional practices, and also unveil ideas toward programmatic adjustments.

This study centered on the lived experiences of five community college students who were formerly incarcerated. Through interviews, the students shared their expectations before entering college, resources they found to be most helpful throughout their enrollment, and what they feel could make them more successful. The research focuses on the areas of academic learning, sense of belonging, and career preparedness. Results showed formerly incarcerated students were very independent when applying for college, but some standard procedures such as, applying for in-state residency for instance, are not streamlined. Formerly incarcerated students experienced difficulty using technology and finding the equipment and a quiet space to study. Active learning, connections with faculty and peers of similar interests, and helpful, trained advisors were all credited as adding to the success of formerly incarcerated students. These findings are discussed in relation to adjustments that can be made by community college administrators.

Higher education is going through a significant period of change following the COVID-19 pandemic. The increased technological capacity and desire for online modalities are both a great opportunity and a potentially challenging burden. Although they serve the most marginalized students, community colleges are often vastly under-resourced, leaving them vulnerable to significant challenges during systemic shifts, like transitioning to remote work or online learning. During the COVID-19 global pandemic, many colleges were forced to implement remote work and develop policies to guide the change. In this study, the perspectives of 10 rural community college presidents are analyzed to identify both the opportunities and challenges facing the workforce as remote work policies are developed and evolve. Presidents shared perspectives on these policies and several guidelines emerged from their collective interviews, including the importance of creating policies that can enhance employee retention and recruitment, balance institutional and staff needs, include provisions for training, and maintain a focus on student success.

Objective: This research study examined gender wage equality among administrators across Arizona’s ten community college districts comprising 19 colleges. Method: Both descriptive and inferential statistics were used to analyze salary data. Results: All 19 college campuses evidenced differences in median income between 12-month, full-time women and men. However, when disaggregated by job category, median income of women and men was equal in a number of job categories in several institutions, illustrating the complexity of measuring gender wage equality using descriptive statistics. A multiple regression analysis revealed that only three of the 19 community colleges had gender-based salary differentials. Thus, gender wage equality prevails in most Arizona community colleges despite inconsistent salary schedules among the college districts and no state-level oversight. Contributions: Community colleges provide learning opportunities to a heterogeneous population of 5.4 million students annually. Understanding gender-based salary differentials among community college administrators can provide insights into diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice in higher education.