The 21st Century Community College Self Assessment Tools And Resources

The Community College Labor Market Responsiveness (CCLMR) Initiative was created to develop and disseminate information and tools enabling community colleges to keep pace with the needs of a diverse student body and a dynamic labour market. This report draws upon profiles (Appendix B) and statistical evidence (Appendix C) to describe the factors that affect labour-market responsiveness. First, it examines the effects of the external environment, the characteristics of local residents and the nature of the local economy. Second, it examines the effects of the external organisational structure, the state and local community workforce, education, and economic development infrastructure. Third, it examines colleges' external governance structures, which affect their mission, resource base, and flexibility. Finally, it examines the effects of factors under the college's control, presidential leadership, internal organisation, strategic planning to design and fund programs, use of data, and programmatic base. Each stage in the progression has strong, if not decisive, effects on the successive stage, and ultimately on each college's potential to be market-responsive, and the nature of the obstacles that need to be overcome to realise its potential. The progression is emphasised to make it clear that more should be expected of colleges located in environments that are favourable to development of labour-market responsive programs than where external conditions are unfavourable, not that colleges in favourable environments should complacently compare themselves to colleges in less favourable environments. This emphasis also helps clarify what colleges can do regardless of their external environment to overcome obstacles to become more responsive and reach their own unique potential.

This book focuses on 21st century geospatial technologies (GT). It highlights their broad range of capabilities and their essential role in effectively addressing and resolving critical everyday issues, such as environment, sustainability, climate change, urban planning, economy, culture and geopolitics. Featuring chapters written by leading international scientists, it discusses the application of GT tools and demonstrates that the problems requiring such tools transcend national boundaries, cultures, political systems and scientific backgrounds on a global scale. In addition, it enhances readers’ spatial understanding of, and geographical reasoning in connection with, societal issues. The book will appeal to scientists, teachers and students of geography, the earth sciences and related areas, as well as decision-makers interested in the application and capabilities of geospatial technologies and new, spatial methods for addressing important issues.