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.

This work uses current research data and interviews to present a cogent discussion of strategies and tactics needed to keep the HBCU community a healthy vital component of American educational life. The threats and problems of intuitional life are not glossed over rather they are discussed within the parameters of successful planning and implementation. "American Treasures" may seem like an unusual title for a book designed to assist traditionally under resourced colleges and universities overcome weaknesses, develop strengths, communicate success, develop capacity, and leverage strengths into competitive advantages, but the authors believe that the title should reflect the underlying premises of the publication and at the same time, counteract the attitudes and perceptions detrimental to our higher education system. As scholars of color they believe America's historically Black universities and colleges (HBCUs) have been, and will continue to be, treasured intellectual capital and cerebral currency in historical and future higher education. Treasure is something which is not only valuable, but is also something highly valued and desired. Treasure, and more accurately, the thrill of the journey that takes antagonists through a gauntlet of emotions, has been at the heart of great works of literature spanning generations - from literal treasure hunts in Blackbeard and Treasure Island to the more metaphorical search for treasure in works such as Romeo and Juliet (Love), The Odyssey (Home) and The Invisible Man (Self-Identity). Treasure largely lies in the eye of the beholder and some of the underlying and overarching premises within this work include the following: Institutions of higher learning both take in and enhance treasure (students) and are a treasure in and of themselves Institutions of higher education other than those defined as Ivy League, elite private, or those with substantial endowments and or numerous lucrative grants (i.e. large and well-known state colleges and universities) play a crucial role in the development of human potential, continuation of the most robust economy in history, and search for social equity and justice Finally, while treasure has value and is often desired, it is oft times and hidden and occasionally hidden within plain sight and research shows this is often the case with HBCU entities whether public, private or religious in origin.