Understanding the complexities and roles of urban community colleges
(Book)

"Winter 2023."

Includes bibliographical references.

"Urban community colleges have experienced continuous growth over the past several years. Nevertheless, higher education as a field of study has been slow to stretch the study of these distinctive institutions and provide the kind of scholarly attention that would benefit their operation and service to students and their cities. We begin our volume by discussing the scholarship presented on urban community colleges over the past few decades. We define urbanicity in its complexities, including how urban cities present specific opportunities and challenges for community colleges. High population density, limited resources, competition from other colleges and universities, student makeup, and complex social and economic dynamics comprise the internal and external factors that make urban community colleges worthwhile institutions to study and support. Just as critical, considerations for how these variables influence community college operations and the outcomes they produce are essential for meaningful planning and micro and macro policymaking. The collection of articles in this issue brings us to one of the overarching recommendations we suggest in the leading article in this volume that is consistent with many of the chapters; there is a need for more systematic and rigorous data on urban community colleges." --,page 5.

Also issued online.