Convergence of Adult Learners, STEM Programs, and Promise Programs in Community Colleges

American higher education is currently experiencing a convergence of three trends: a rise in adult learners as the largest population of students on college campuses, an increased focus on academic STEM degree programs and credentials, and the proliferation of promise programs that provide financial assistance to students. Community colleges as open access institutions are at the nexus of where these three trends converge and thrive. This chapter provides an overview of these three trends with recommendations for practice to guide community college leaders and faculty who are charged with management of these three trends during this unique time in higher education.

Community Colleges and Workforce Preparation in the 21st Century

This chapter addresses the modern trend in community colleges and their evolving mission to serve as one of the significant contributors to workforce development in our nation. There are many challenges community colleges face today. One of those challenges is to be one of the main suppliers of skilled professionals for the workforce. Therefore, it is crucial to understand the role of community colleges, their mission, and how they will develop programs to train people with the necessary skills to meet the demands of the workforce. For community colleges to achieve that goal, they have to go from adding and/or restructuring curricula to making sure they have the right personnel to teach special and high tech courses that will prepare students with the right skill set and knowledge to join the workforce after getting their degree, diploma, or certification at the community college.

Community Colleges and Workforce Development

Community colleges have played a significant role in the strength of America's workforce for over a century. Throughout the past one hundred years, the two-year college system has evolved into a significant contributor for economic strength and growth. The purpose of this chapter is to provide a historical analysis of the modern community college. In doing so, the reader will have a clear understanding of why and how a contemporary community college came into existence, as well as causal factors to its success. Following the historical analysis, this chapter will discuss the creation of a dental hygiene program at a rural two-year college. The intent is to give this chapter's reader insight to the process by which a community college creates workforce-based programming.

The Evolving Role of Community Colleges in Workforce Development

Community colleges play a crucial role in developing a skilled workforce through preparation. The questions that this chapter addresses are: How are community colleges ensuring that they are addressing current workforce and industry needs? What evidence is there in the published scholarship? What is the process of continual program review to update career technical education and workforce education? To address the questions, a systematic literature review of the scholarship on workforce training at community colleges was conducted. The chapter illustrates the findings emerging from the literature review and particularly highlights 1) the changing focus of the community college, 2) the refinement of workforce education through program review, and 3) including student outcomes as part of program review. These findings incorporate an overview of the role community colleges play in workforce development and education while a focus on program review procedures speaks to the innovation, evolution, and future of workforce education.

Expanding the Role of Community Colleges With Workforce Baccalaureate Programs

Community colleges have been expanding their mission to include the conferring of bachelor's degrees in career education programs for many years, which has been met with consternation over the quality of a bachelor's degree from a community college, as well as with resources in higher education being limited or redirected when there has been cutbacks in funding. Legislators in some states and critics in higher education refer to the phenomenon of community colleges offering baccalaureate degrees as mission creep, opposed to seeing the equity value in higher degree attainment. Thus, the purpose of the study is to analyze state policies through examination of secondary data to determine the purpose of the community college bachelor's degree programs nationwide, the types of programs being offered, as well as what the phenomenon reveals about being a viable pathway to a higher education degree for the typical community college student.

Community Colleges' Role in Workforce Development and Education

Community colleges have become the focal point and driver of higher education policy in the United States due to workforce development training programs to local employers. They have been invaluable in improving the global economy and for Americans to advance their careers and grow their skills to obtain jobs without hurdles. The COVID-19 pandemic global health threat has created an obstacle for the global economy due to mounting debt and the increase of displaced workers. Post-COVID pandemic data paired with information on the background and community colleges' current role in workforce development and education programs can guide strategic decision making regarding the future of workforce development and education programs. In this chapter, the following issues related to community colleges will be discussed: financing workforce development programs, community college partnerships, guided pathways and career pathways, cultural sensitivity the future of workforce development programs and education.

Teaching in the American Community College

With increasing emphasis on accountability in higher education, the value of faculty professional development continues to gain traction across campuses. Prompted by growing accreditation, assessment, and accountability measures, higher education institutions must provide evidence of faculty compliance with requirements that are tied to professional development. This is as true for community colleges as well as for four-year institutions. External and internal pressures for continuous improvement in teaching necessitates institutional commitment to understanding faculty perceptions and acceptance of high-quality professional development. Community colleges need to gain faculty acceptance of and participation in professional development in order to achieve fidelity to institutional instructional goals and initiatives. This chapter investigates community college faculty buy-in and support for professional development and considers cogent and relevant literature related to faculty professional development within the contemporary American community college setting.