Student Success in the Community College: What Really Works?

For much of the twentieth century, the definition of success for most community colleges revolved around student retention and graduation. This definition no longer works—if it ever did. In Student Success in the Community College: What Really Works? respected community college leaders, researchers, and innovators argue that student success is about redesigning community colleges in a manner that is consistent with each college’s mission, goals, student population, and resources. Concluding that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to increasing student success, chapter authors analyze national, state, and regional efforts to increase student success; identify principles institutions can use to frame student success initiatives; and outline specific actions community colleges can take to increase student—and institutional—success. Student Success in the Community College: What Really Works? also provides concrete examples of effective student success initiatives in a variety of community college settings.

Table of Contents:
Foreword: Tom Bailey Preface:Terry O'Banion and Maggie Culp It Is Time to Reimagine the American Community CollegeMaggie Culp and Terry O’Banion Guideline for Student and Institutional SuccessTerry O’Banion Leveraging Technology to Increase Student SuccessSarah Zauner and Melinda Karp Student Success Requires a Culture of EvidenceArchie Cubarrubia The Role of Presidents, Trustees, and College Leaders in Student SuccessJosh Wyner Collaboration between Academic and Student Affairs: A Key Factor in Increasing Student Success Maggie Culp and Steven Helfgot Collective Impact: Building Pathways to Student Success David Harrison and Jennifer Anderson Realizing Potential for Transformational Change: It’s about the PeopleEdwin Massey and Christina Hart Increasing Student Success: A Never-Ending Process David Kowalski, Victoria Bastecki-Perez, Celeste Schwartz and Phil Needles What Really Works in Student Success? Elisabeth A. Barnett and Elizabeth Kopko About the Contributors About the Editors

About the Author :
Terry U. O’Banionserved as President of the League for Innovation in the Community College for 23 years, he was widely regarded as an idea champion who helped set the agenda for higher education in the 20th century. He has written 18 books and over 225 articles on community colleges, consulted in over 1,000 community colleges, and had five national awards established in his name Maggie Culp is the recipient of numerous awards for excellence and innovation in student affairs, she has served as a faculty member, mid-level administrator, and senior student affairs officer at community colleges in Virginia, Florida, and Texas. The co-editor of five books and dozens of book chapters and journal articles, she now assists colleges and universities to design and implement innovative student success models and effective cultures of evidence.

Review :
O’Banion and Culp, both experts in the field of student affairs, have assembled this collection highlighting the multidimensional requirements for ensuring student success. Chapters provide a holistic view, as authors provide a multitude of evidence to show that it takes the entire organization’s mission and culture to ensure student success. Contemporary critical topics, such as technology integration, data use and privacy, and social inequities, are considered throughout the text, rather than addressed in a singular chapter dedicated to these issues…[demonstrating] that they are not check marks on the student success journey, but rather integral components of any college initiative. Those studying higher education or involved in student success initiatives within their college will find the book helpful in conceptualization. Although a few chapters are deep dives into unique case studies, most include references to other case studies that will provide the groundwork for practical application. Recommended. StudentSuccessintheCommunity College: WhatReallyWorks? lays out important ideas about the use of data, the possibilities and limits of technology, why good leadership matters, and the need for academic and student affairs to collaborate on student success. The book’s core message, however, is that discrete changes to how a college operates are only pieces of the larger culture change required to increase student success. Genuine transformation of students’ educational experiences is the only thing that will enable community colleges to fulfill their critical role in promoting social and economic mobility for their remarkably diverse student population. In this book, Terry O’Banion and Maggie Culp bring together provocative thinking from national experts about the strategies, the leadership, and the courage required to enact that change; and, thanks be, they also bring the evidence! This bookis a “must read” for community college presidents, trustees, and all employees of the institution. Colleges have been advocating student success agendas for the past several decades, but this book provides the roadmap for attaining increased student outcomes. It offers the strategies needed for colleges to be successful in “making good on the promise of the open door college. Access is a vital hallmark of the nation’s community colleges, but it cannot stand alone. To fully realize the American dream, students must succeed. Student Success in the Community College: What Really Works? provides valuable insights and builds a powerful case for comprehensive institutional reform that is laser focused on student success.