In What Excellent Community Colleges Do, Joshua S. Wyner draws on the insights and evidence gained in administering the inaugural Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence. The book identifies four domains of excellence - degree completion, equity, student learning, and labour market success - and describes in rich detail the policies and practises that have allowed some community colleges to succeed in these domains. By starting with a holistic definition of excellence, measuring success against that definition, and then identifying practises and policies that align with high levels of student success, the author seeks to contribute to the growing body of knowledge about improving student success in community colleges.
CONTENTS
ix Foreword
INTRODUCTION 1 Community Colleges A Call to Progress
ONE 11 Completion and Transfer Creating Clarity in a Culture of Choice
TWO 41 Equity and Developmental Education Confronting the Tension Between Access and Success
THREE 65 Learning Outcomes Engaging Faculty in Change They Understand
FOUR 95 Labor Markets Tying Learning and Credentials to Jobs and Community
FIVE 117 The Community College President Driving to Excellence in a Fast-Changing Environment
CONCLUSION 141 The Path Ahead Urgency and Uncertainty
APPENDIX A 147 Seven Colleges Featured in This Book
APPENDIX B 155 Aspen Prize Data
159 Notes 175 Acknowledgments 177 About the Author 179 Index
Joshua S. Wyner is the founder and executive director of the Aspen Institute's College Excellence Program.
Anthony P. Carnevale is research professor and director of Georgetown University Center on Education and the Workplace.
A must-read for all who understand the importance of high-quality community colleges to a brighter American future.”
- Alice M. Rivlin, Senior Fellow, The Brookings Institution
“ Joshua Wyner is a leading advocate for equity and quality of education, particularly in the key arena of our community colleges, which enroll half of higher education students”
— Tony Marx, President, The New York Public Library, and former president, Amherst College
“[Wyner] shows how, with bold leadership—and enough time—a select group of colleges have transformed themselves in ways that not only increase graduation rates, but improve student learning and success in further education and employment, all while keeping an ‘open door’ to every student.”
— Davis Jenkins, Senior Research Associate, Community College Research Center, Teachers College, Columbia University