The Challenge of Change: International Adoption of Community College Models

We live in an age of globalization where the exportation of knowledge and higher education is the commodity of choice. This is particularly true in terms of the Community College model. Recognized as an American phenomenon, the model has been, and continues to be, influenced by many other countries. As secondary education nears universal levels, advanced and developing countries are stimulating the need for quality post-educational opportunities that are flexible and responsible to local needs. The transnational impact of community college models is precisely their ability to address access and opportunity, advance or deal with implications of globalization, and develop a responsive trained work force

This volume on Community college reform captures in real time the challenges associated with nations adopting the community college model. Issues relate to planning, budgeting, curriculum development, governance, interdisciplinary studies, and local partnerships are explored in depth. When combined, these issues paint what exists as part of the internal construct of these institutions. Revealed in this work are the institutions themselves, individual leaders, and various actors who collectively ensure local success. The various chapters in this book also connect these educational institutions to socioeconomic reform efforts, as no institution exists independently