University Business - November 2006 - (Page 35)

COMMUNITY COLLEGES Learning Laboratories Out of quests for quality and accountability, two-year institutions are embracing research in many forms. By Caryn Meyers Fliegler M ENTION SUSCEPTIBIL are performing, says Boggs. Exploring fields such ity testing on staphylococcus Anchored in the aim of developing as alternative energy gives colleges impor- epidermidis, and community the capacity of community colleges to tant roles. colleges don't quickly come to mind. The educate America's changing populace, same goes for hydrogen fueling, pro- and backed by a skyrocketing number of tein crystallization, or academic journals state, federal, and nonprofit initiatives, about the teaching of English. this kind of research is drawing much at- Yet all of the above describe projects ei- tention. When a conference was recently ther currently in motion or that have been put together for faculty and staff from completed at two-year colleges. The world the California Community Colleges to of research at community colleges is very discuss strengthening student success, it real and growing. became so popular that organizers had to C o m m u n i t y colleges need to be cut off registration early. thought of more as scholarly institutions, Institutional research isn't without chal- says George Boggs, president of the Amer- lenges. Many schools struggle to fund and ican Association of Community Colleges. staff their IR offices. But, notes Boggs, It's just that our form of scholarship is dif- there's more and more recognition that ferent from major research institutions. institutions have to do research to become Research efforts can Community college research is pan- evidence-based in what they're doing. help attract and retain ning out at the national, systemwide, col- One project, Achieving the Dream, students, as well as lege, and classroom levels. It can entail is helping to light the way. Achieving the the study of teaching and learning, a fast- Dream provides grant money and sup- contribute to broader growing realm, or discipline-area research port for institutions to focus on tracking, campus discussions. think peeking at bacteria under micro- understanding, and making better use scopes , which is less common. Or, it can of data in order to improve student out- be the evaluation of student outcomes, comes, particularly those of low-income We're the significant gateway. another booming area. students and students of color. Administrators at two-year as well as Community colleges are now more The initiative expanded this year to four-year institutions should pay close and more in the national spotlight as include 58 colleges in nine states; the attention to the potential of community being a key element of higher education, first schools started their evaluations in college research. It can help boost student says Robert Gabriner, vice chancellor for 2004. This is very risky, hard work, success, raise institutional profiles, affect institutional advancement at City Col- notes Carol Lincoln, the project's direc- recruitment, smooth transfers, and con- lege of San Francisco and former presi- tor. It takes courage for a college to look tribute to state or national discussions. dent of the research and planning group at its numbers and to talk about what is for the California Community Colleges. happening, says Lincoln, yet the payoff is PEEK INSIDE Key because the colleges, all of them, are worthwhile. People know that it's impor- One of the fastest-growing areas of re- really the entry point for the largest num- tant to be successful. If we don't do it with search for community colleges is that of ber of students in the country, and clearly community college students, this country the institutional kind, meant to help the largest number of students of color. will be in deep, deep trouble. leaders measure how well their colleges universitybusiness.com November 2006 | 35 Cmmnty1106.indd 35 10/20/06 4:18:22 PM http://www.universitybusiness.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of University Business - November 2006

Table of Contents
College Index
Company Index
Advisory Board
Editor's Note
Stats Watch
People Watch
Sense of Place
Viewpoint
Marketing
Human Resources
Money Matters
Community Colleges
Wireless: The "n" is Near
TECH Central
Rising Stars
Coming Back from Katrina
Business Technology
What's New
Calendar of Events
Direct Connect
End Note

University Business - November 2006