The Organization and Structure of Community Education Offerings in Community Colleges |
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| Authors: | Michael Miller Kenda S Grover Kit Kacirek |
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| Institution: | 1. Division of Academic Affairs, University of Arkansas , Fayetteville , Arkansas , USA mtmille@uark.edu;3. Department of Rehabilitation , Human Resources, and Communication Disorders, University of Arkansas , Fayetteville , Arkansas , USA |
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| Abstract: | One of the key services community colleges provide is community education, meaning those programs and activities that are often offered for leisure or self-improvement and not for credit. Programs of this nature are increasingly challenged to be self-financing, whether through user fees or externally funded grants. The current study explored 75 community college community education offerings and found that most offered over 50 distinct community education programs, with less than half of those being self-funded. These colleges typically relied on a professional program director to administer programs; and, most frequently, these individuals reported through a division of academic or student affairs. Among other findings, the majority of community education programs profiled were classified as leisure education, although there were large numbers of programs that related to some distinct element of a community (such a national forest, historic downtown, etc.). Study findings highlighted the need for community college leaders to find balance between community needs and financial responsibility. This includes taking on the responsibility for hosting programs that might be financially unviable, but might meet a strong community need. |
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