The gap between institutional ambition, resources, and performance is what prompted Richard Alfred and his authors to develop this book. It is written at a time when community colleges are facing problems with increasing demand and limited resources that have forced them to search for efficiency and new ways of supporting growth. The purpose of Community Colleges on the Horizon is to open up a new way of thinking about institutional growth and development and leadership and management based on the concept of abundance-elevating dynamics in institutions that lead to extraordinary performance and outcomes that surpass expectations. The authors describe different circumstances colleges will find themselves in as a function of their leadership, their resources (both tangible and intangible), and the capabilities of their staff. This book is not for the complacent; it is not for those who are unwilling to look openly at their institutions. It will be most useful for those who believe their institution can and should do better, for those who prefer action to words, for those who are unafraid to challenge convention, for those who are ready to pursue opportunity and change, and, ultimately, for those who believe that their institution has unexploited potential.

Community colleges were established to provide an accessible, affordable education and have largely met this charge. Access without success, however, does not benefit the student and traditional planning, operational and financial management, and infinite enrollment growth strategies have not produced positive student outcomes. The Great Recession, disinvestment in higher education, and increasing costs and competition have further exacerbated the inability to deliver better results. Community colleges need an operational framework structured for student success. The community college needs a redesigned business model. This publication breaks new ground by introducing the community college business model (CCBM), an intentionally designed operational management approach that provides a comprehensive approach to understanding students and meeting student needs by providing an exceptional educational experience. Supported by a fiscal management that targets finances to support student learning and success, the model guides the reader through the growth, development, and leveraging of the resources (human, physical, and intellectual) necessary for delivering a successful educational journey. The CCBM is designed to restructure community colleges for delivery of a student value proposition built on learning and success. The philosophical underpinning of the book is that student success is the ultimate measure of organizational effectiveness.

Community colleges were established to provide an accessible, affordable education and have largely met this charge. Access without success, however, does not benefit the student and traditional planning, operational and financial management, and infinite enrollment growth strategies have not produced positive student outcomes. The Great Recession, disinvestment in higher education, and increasing costs and competition have further exacerbated the inability to deliver better results. Community colleges need an operational framework structured for student success. The community college needs a redesigned business model. This publication breaks new ground by introducing the community college business model (CCBM), an intentionally designed operational management approach that provides a comprehensive approach to understanding students and meeting student needs by providing an exceptional educational experience. Supported by a fiscal management that targets finances to support student learning and success, the model guides the reader through the growth, development, and leveraging of the resources (human, physical, and intellectual) necessary for delivering a successful educational journey. The CCBM is designed to restructure community colleges for delivery of a student value proposition built on learning and success. The philosophical underpinning of the book is that student success is the ultimate measure of organizational effectiveness.