The Future of the Urban Community College: Shaping the Pathways to a Mutiracial Democracy

Book excerpt: Urban community colleges--and the cities they serve--are undergoing rapid, multidimensional changes in response to new conditions and demands. The challenge for all community colleges, regardless of size or location, is to reinvent themselves so they can better meet the particular needs of their respective communities. This national higher-education mandate is vital to democracy itself, especially given the multiracial nature of metropolitan areas, where challenges and opportunities have always been most pronounced. This volume looks at how urban colleges are vigorously exploring new strategies for sustainability and success. Some of the most prominent practitioners examine every major aspect of the change-engagement process, including the role of governing boards, workforce development, community partnerships, and redesign of outdated business and finance models. This is the 162nd volume of this Jossey-Bass higher education quarterly report series, an essential guide for presidents, vice presidents, deans, and other leaders in today's open-door institutions, this quarterly provides expert guidance in meeting the challenges of their distinctive and expanding educational mission.