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Community College Leadership: Selected Websites

Library Research Resources

Featured Library Resources: Community College Leadership

The American Community College (book cover)
The American Community College (book cover)
Community College Leadership (book cover)
Community College Leadership and Administration (book cover)
The Community College Story (book cover)
Ethical Leadership and the Community College (book cover)
Ethical Leadership in the Community College (book cover)
A Handbook on the Community College in America (book cover)
It's All about Student Learning: managing community and other college libraries in the 21st century (book cover)
Serving Minority Populations (book cover)
Thirteen Ideas That Are Transforming the Community College World (book cover)
University Leadership in Urban School Renewal (book cover)

Research Resources: Community College Leadership

Research Resources
Prepared for EdD students at NJCU, October 2019
Dr. Christine Harrington

This is not an exhaustive list of postsecondary research resources or research centers! There are many more centers and university-based researchers conducting innovative and important research on postsecondary reforms, policies, and issues. This list includes centers that conduct research on many different postsecondary education topics and produce many important papers that you might not find in a peer-reviewed journal article search!

Aspen Institute

  • The College Excellence Program at the Aspen Institute conducts research on transfer, dual enrollment, leadership, and workforce. A full list of their projects is available here.  
  • A list is their publications is available here.

Belk Center for Community College Research and Leadership

  • The Belk Center is a relatively new research center based at NC State University. The center conducts research on career and technical education, transfer, and teaching and learning.
  • The center also works with postsecondary institutions to administer a campus climate assessment.

Career Ladders Project

  • Based in California, CLP works with California community colleges to support, coach, and advise on implementation of reforms to improve student success and conducts research.
  • CLP focuses on guided pathways, impacts of state and system policy, transitions to college, and student supports.
  • CLP’s publications (available here) are typically based on fieldwork and interviews with college practitioners, and includes great case studies of implementation.

Community College Research Center

  • CCRC conducts research on developmental education, advising and student services, guided pathways, student financial aid (work study, pell, loans, etc.), English language learners, teaching and learning, transfer, and dual enrollment.
  • Publications includes working papers (longer research papers with more extensive methods and conceptual frameworks), research briefs (summaries of research), practitioner packets, and analytic reports
  • CARP is an IES funded center housed within CCRC that focuses on research on developmental education.
  • CAPSEE was an IES-funded center housed within CCRC that focused on employment and earnings benefits associated with postsecondary education in several states including North Carolina, Michigan, Ohio, Virginia, California. Topics included for-profit education, work study, financial aid, and minority serving institutions.  

Education Commission for the States

Guided Pathways Resource Center

The Hope Center for College, Community, and Justice

JFF Student Success Center Network

MDRC 

  • MDRC’s postsecondary research focuses on many topics including developmental education, financial aid, student services, institutional reform, instruction and curriculum.
  • MDRC conducts rigorous evaluations of postsecondary reforms, including ASAP, CUNY Start, college promise initiatives, learning communities, and more.
  • A list of some of their major studies is included here.

National Center for Inquiry & Improvement

Office of Community College Research and Leadership

  • OCCRL conducts research on a number of topics including equity, pathways, and leadership.
  • A list of OCCRL’s publications a searchable by topic, keyword, or author

Research for Action

  • RFA is based in Philadelphia and conducts research on K12 and postsecondary education.
  • A list of their current projects is available here.
  • In higher education, they have focused on assessment and placement policies (including multiple measures policies), outcomes-based funding, promise programs, and college affordability. Some of their postsecondary work is available here.

Strong Start to Finish

SUNY Guided Pathways Institutes 
 

University of Washington Community College Research Initiatives

Selected Websites: Community College Leadership

Achieving the Dream

Organization dedicated to improving the success rates of community college students, with a particular focus on low-income students and students of color.

American Association for Women in Community Colleges

Leading national organization that champions women and maximizes their potential.

American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers

Mission is to provide professional development, guidelines, and voluntary standards to be used by higher education officials regarding the best practices in records management, admissions, enrollment management, administrative information technology, and student services.

American Association of Community Colleges

Nonprofit association that is a primary advocacy organization for community colleges at the national level and works closely with directors of state offices to inform and affect state policy.

Association for Student Conduct Administration

Supports higher education professionals by providing education materials and resources, intentional professional development opportunities and a network of colleagues to facilitate best practices of student conduct administration and conflict resolution on college and university campuses.

Association of Community College Trustees

Non-profit educational organization of governing boards, representing more than 6,500 elected and appointed trustees who govern over 1,200 community, technical, and junior colleges in the United States and beyond.

Center for Community College Student Engagement

Organization for survey research, focus group work, and related services for community and technical colleges interested in improving educational quality through strengthened student engagement and student success.

Center for the Study of Community Colleges

Nonprofit organization dedicated to improving community college effectiveness and student success by engaging in relevant and applicable research related to community college practice and policy.

Community College Baccalaureate Association

Strives to promote better access to the baccalaureate degree on community college campuses, and to serve as a resource for information on various models for accomplishing this purpose.

Community College Research Center

Strategically assesses the problems and performance of community colleges in order to contribute to the development of practice and policy that expands access to higher education and promotes success for all students.

Community College Survey of Student Engagement

Provides public reporting on student engagement, a key indicator of learning and, therefore, of the quality of community colleges.

Council for Higher Education Accreditation

National advocate and institutional voice for self-regulation of academic quality through accreditation, CHEA is an association of 3,000 degree-granting colleges and universities and recognizes 60 institutional and programmatic accrediting organizations.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice Initiatives in Higher Education | EAB

The Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Justice Resource Center brings together EAB’s vast library of best practice DEIJ research, tools, and insights dedicated to helping college and university leaders cultivate diversity, foster inclusion, promote equity, and fight for justice for their students, faculty, staff, and communities.

Education Commission of the States

Tracks state policy trends, translates academic research, provides unbiased advice, and creates opportunities for state leaders to learn from one another.

EDUCAUSE OER Websites

a collection of all EDUCAUSE resources related to open educational resources (OER) in higher education

International Association of University Presidents

Association of university chief executives from regionally accredited colleges or universities around the world.

League for Innovation in the Community College

International nonprofit organization with a mission to cultivate innovation in the community college environment.

National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship

Member organization of presidents, educators, administrators and center directors are focused on igniting entrepreneurship in their community and on their campus.

National Association of College and University Business Officers

Membership organization representing business and financial officers through advocacy efforts, community service, and professional development activities.

National Association of Community College Teacher Education Programs

Supports institutions and individual members by enhancing current community college teacher education programs and serving as a resource for those looking to develop new programs.

National Association of Student Personnel Administrators

Leading association for the advancement, health, and sustainability of the student affairs profession.

National Center for Educational Statistics

The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is the primary federal entity for collecting and analyzing data related to education in the U.S. and other nations. NCES is located within the U.S. Department of Education and the Institute of Education Sciences.

National Information Center for Higher Education Policymaking and Analysis

Provides state policymakers and analysts timely and accurate data and information that are useful in making sound higher education policy decisions.

Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE)

Office of Career, Technical, and Adult Education (OCTAE) administers, coordinates programs that are related to adult education and literacy, career and technical education, and community colleges.

White House Summit on Community Colleges: Summit Report

This PDF format report includes summaries of breakout sessions and recommendations of attendees.