Abstract
13 Ideas That are Transforming the Community College World, edited by Terry U. O’Banion (2019), aims to “expand the field by engaging a broad audience in a discussion of the most significant issues facing this institution” (p. xiii). O’Banion has more than six decades of experience in higher education and has served as a leader for community colleges in multiple capacities, including faculty member, dean, vice-chancellor, scholar and author, and president of the League for Innovation in the Community College. Topics and authors selected for the text were identified by surveying national community college leaders regarding issues they perceived as most relevant, and which scholars were most qualified to write on identified topics. The end result is 13 chapters, each expressing an idea, written by 23 different authors recognized as leaders in the community college movement. Each chapter contains a history of the idea’s evolution, relevant research, and key individuals and/or institutions. O’Banion provides a preface, introduction, and epilogue and divides the text into three parts: “Ideas as National Initiatives,” “Ideas as Internal Functions,” and “Enabling Ideas.”
Part I addresses five national initiatives that have transformed the landscape of community colleges, including the transition from an access focused mission to the adoption of an access and learning centered mission, the shift to a student success/completion agenda, and the implementation of free community college programs as a means to boost the economy, promote democracy, and eliminate barriers to the American Dream. Also discussed is the movement to increase equity by redesigning academic programs and support services to create clear pathways to student transfer and careers, and finally, the utilization of applied, workforce, and technical baccalaureate degree programs to increase access to education and meet community needs.
Part II addresses the transformation of internal functions central to the foundation of the community college. Topics in this section include an analysis of institutional effectiveness and accreditation’s role in improving student success, an exploration of remedial education and the effect of structural design on student outcomes, and an examination of the community college workforce development model and its role in serving the community and the global workforce. Also included is an evaluation of the partnerships between high schools and community colleges aimed at increasing student success, and a discussion of the crucial community college role in redesigning systems and policies increasing both institutional and societal equity.
Part III highlights forces that “enable colleges to implement initiatives and functions” (O’Banion, 2019, p. 231). In this section is a chapter devoted to the transformative effects of technology on access, efficiency, learning, and success, a chapter highlighting the need for transformational leaders along with characteristics that make these individuals essential in today’s community college, and a chapter highlighting the evolution of trustee responsibilities, including accountability for student success and institutional effectiveness, as well as fiduciary functions.
The epilogue identifies a final idea O’Banion believes will transform the community college: curricular reform. O’Banion proposes that core courses in an integrated curriculum, bridging liberal education, and workforce education (e.g., Problem Solving 101, Critical Thinking 101, Teamwork and Collaboration 101, and Communications 101), may ultimately move the needle on student success. While this idea would simplify the assessment, the author does not address the negative employment or transfer ramifications for students with transcripts reflecting failure in one or more of these courses.
A major strength of this text is the refreshing broader perspective of the community college sector. A review of recent publications from publishers like Jossey-Bass and Stylus shows a trend toward community college texts with limited scope focusing on topics like leadership, teaching, equity, mental health, finance, and learning communities. This text looks at ideas affecting the organization as a whole, and as a result there is “something for everyone” to learn and discuss. Also unusual is such a distinguished collection of authors. George Boggs (emeritus president and CEO of the American Association to Community Colleges), Barbara Gellman-Danley (president of the Higher Learning Commission), Byron McClenney (a founder of Achieving The Dream), Kay McClenney (founding director of the Center for Community College Student Engagement and champion for Guided Pathways), and John O’Brien (CEO of EDUCAUSE) are just some of the noteworthy contributors.
The research in the text is robust, ranging from large scale studies supported by national organizations and foundations to case studies from individual institutions. The more nascent interventions presented are unscaled and the results may not be easily replicated. One weakness of this text is the page layout: some images and fonts are too small, a problem ameliorated by purchasing the e-book, which allows for on-screen magnification.
O’Banion identifies the audience for this book as wide ranging, including college administrators, full- and part-time faculty, trustees, foundation boards, and community partners, as well as policymakers, legislators, and foundation officers. While perhaps unexpected, educating individuals in these latter groups about the dynamic enterprise over which they may influence and/or govern can only benefit the future of higher education. O’Banion also highlights the importance of this book for developing the next set of community college leaders and higher education professionals. I agree and wish this text had been available to me as a graduate student.
Having worked in the community college setting for more than a decade and attended community college as a student, I can attest to many of the transformations discussed and anticipate several others will transform my work in the future. This text inspired personal reflection and has catalyzed conversations with my colleagues. These ideas are changing the landscape for contemporary community colleges, and this text is a must-read for anyone interested in helping “students make a good living and live a good life” (O’Banion, 2019, p. 290).
