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This literature review aims to look at the unique role of community colleges as they address the information literacy needs of their students, who are by nature continuously in transition to and from the institution.

Library science databases and online sources were reviewed for relevant information.

Community colleges are addressing the needs of their various student populations in a variety of ways.

The role of the community college library is underrepresented in the literature. This review provides more information about the unique role that community colleges fill in the higher education ecosystem.

This practitioner's chapter presents a “how-to” approach to establishing a college system that is decentralized and rooted in local communities, using the Thai system as an example. The Thai system “borrowed” programs from US community colleges – offering associate degrees, certificate programs, continuing education programs, and remedial education. While the author presents clear challenges that these institutions face, he is optimistic that the community college system is a positive aspect of the Thai higher education system.

Community colleges are distinctive types of institutions and should not be looked upon as an extension of the high school nor as the lower years of a university. They are institutions in their own right with a special sensitivity to local needs. Local autonomy is critical to the development of the community colleges. A special emphasis is placed on practical experience in employing faculty members. The emphasis in these colleges is on teaching, not on research. Technical‐vocational programmes are recommended, supported and evaluated, by Advisory Committees of knowledgeable and highly interested laymen. University transfer courses are offered after close consultation with the universities. Adult Education (Extension) is a major emphasis of community colleges, with colleges operating at all hours of the day and week in order to meet local needs and interests. The community colleges stress the open door policy whereby mature students are given opportunities to prove themselves, although lacking formal educational requirements. The enrolment of part‐time students is increasing dramatically. Community colleges function in and out of warehouses, store fronts, playgrounds, old military, bases, etc. Community colleges have not provided educational programmes to any great extent via correspondence courses; however, the television medium is gaining in popularity. Community colleges are generally commuter colleges. Most colleges do not have student residences. Community colleges are more flexible and imaginative, less obstructed by, or interested in, traditional ways of doing things. Community colleges are faced with a shortage of funds as they attempt to meet their objectives.

This qualitative case study explored the information literacy acquisition of 23 students enrolled in a learning community consisting of an advanced English as a Second Language (ESL) writing class and a one-unit class introducing students to research at a suburban community college library in California. As there are no other known learning communities that link an ESL course to a library course, this site afforded a unique opportunity to understand the ways in which ESL students learn to conduct library research. Students encountered difficulties finding, evaluating, and using information for their ESL assignments. Strategies that the students, their ESL instructor, and their instructional librarian crafted in response were enabled by the learning community structure. These strategies included integration of the two courses’ curricula, contextualized learning activities, and dialogue. ESL students in this study simultaneously discovered new language forms, new texts, new ideas, and new research practices, in large part because of the relationships that developed over time among the students, instructor, and instructional librarian. Given the increasing number of ESL students in higher education and the growing concern about their academic success, this study attempts to fill a gap in the research literature on ESL students’ information literacy acquisition.

In Africa, the community college model, catered to nontraditional college aspirants, has been increasingly seen as an important alternative to respond to the growing demand for postsecondary education. By highlighting the case of Ethiopia, this chapter explores the implications of the community college model through the examination of the system, teacher training, and perspectives of students and employers. Some education and training can be more efficiently delivered at the community college level by means of focused and high-quality teaching, rather than through a long duration of bachelor's program.

At the beginning of each academic term, thousands of students respond to community colleges' open-door invitation with the expectation of fulfilling their dreams of a higher education. When students walk through those doors, they are routinely asked to take basic skills tests in math, reading, and writing (Bailey, Jeong, & Cho, 2008). These new community college students soon discover that the results of these assessment tests will direct their pathway into college-level courses or developmental or remedial courses. According to Bailey, Jeong, and Cho, about 60 percent of incoming students are referred to at least one developmental course, and many are referred to multiple levels of developmental education before they can be considered ready for college. McCabe (2000) reported that 20 percent of African-American students enrolled in community colleges have seriously deficient skills, that is, they are placed in developmental reading, writing, and math and assigned to a lower level remedial course in at least one area. Only 5 percent of Caucasian students, however, come to community colleges with seriously deficient skills.

This paper focuses on the Obama administration’s American Graduation Initiative (AGI) and the associated completion agenda.

In this paper, we provide an in-depth overview of the AGI with a focus on: (a) articulating the rationale that prompted the AGI; (b) describing the four primary components of the reform effort; (c) examining the political forces that led to its demise; (d) investigating the derivatives of the AGI in the form of private foundation and state-level efforts to bolster success rates; and (e) illuminating criticisms of the AGI that could have served to complicate the initiative’s success.

In the latter section of the paper, we also offer recommendations for future national and state policy.

Community college African American male student enrollment and academic success is diminishing. The authors explore the importance and wisdom of mentoring programs for African American males attending community colleges. The chapter considers issues of student persistence and retention and how they relate to effective community college mentoring programs. Specifically, the authors discuss how community college mentoring programs can counteract inherent obstacles for African American students attending commuter style campuses. A description of how some community colleges successfully engage African American male students in order to achieve Kuh's four attributes of a supportive college environment and to overcome the issues of college departure -- being first-generation college students, lacking academic self-concept, no or minimal institutional engagement with students, and no or minimal student involvement student involvement on campus – is provided. The authors highlight successful community college programs which include the national “Students African American Brotherhood” program, Santa Fe College's “My Brother's Keeper,” the North Carolina Community College System, and Hillsborough Community College's Collegiate 100.

For much of its 43-year history, the community college sector in Jamaica has been plagued by perceptions of inferior status and mediocre tertiary education offerings. The Jamaican colleges have responded to the criticisms by aggressively pursuing quality assurance initiatives such as program accreditation, expanded course offerings, and ongoing curriculum review. This chapter traces the birth and development of the community college movement in Jamaica and the Caribbean and acknowledges the significant achievement of the Jamaican colleges in increasing access to tertiary education. The chapter also examines threats to the open access policy that may have serious implications for education equity and quality. These include inadequate funding, limited infrastructure to support the curriculum, low enrolment of specialized groups, and unsatisfactory completion and graduation rates. Recommendations for policy and practice are proposed.