Community Colleges

Ross Gittell will utilize his background in university teaching, strategic planning, and management as the new chancellor of the Community College System of New Hampshire, effective February 1. He succeeds J. Bonnie Newman, interim chancellor since August 2011. Gittell was previously a professor at the University of New Hampshire’s school of business and economics and is considered a foremost authority in the state for economic analysis and forecasting.

Because community colleges serve such a diverse population and face unique challenges separate from their four-year peers, it’s important to monitor and analyze trends specific to these institutions. A recent policy brief from the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) does just that, giving a 20-year overview of trends in educational attainment.

In the 1970s, I began what was three decades in the automotive industry. It was a good place to be. U.S. automakers had enjoyed decades of growth and profitability, and it seemed like history would continue to repeat itself. Well, we all know what happened next. U.S. automakers grew somewhat complacent, seeming to take their good fortune for granted. As concepts like competition, market share and customer service received little attention, innovation stalled.

Community colleges have always been a popular place for students to begin their higher education career. Often smaller, closer, and more affordable than their four-year counterparts, they can help students get accustomed to college-level work or simply save on tuition. The national goal of producing more college graduates has increased the focus on ensuring students actually transfer on. Keith Coates, a student services advisor at Columbus State Community College, Delaware Campus (Ohio), reports that they’re seeing a lot of students who want to transfer but may not know to where.