The Role of Rural Community Colleges in Expanding Access and Economic Development

Abstract

Community colleges in rural areas can play a critical role in developing collaborations and relationships that link educational access and economic development.

“Ruralizing” presidential job advertisements

“…Without a national strategy to fuel local economic development and improve their quality of life, rural communities have increasingly looked to their two-year institutions for answers. Rural residents have asked their community colleges to reach out to underserved populations and provide the much-needed direction to revitalize local and area economies, create and nurture local partnerships, and establish regional collaborations-all aimed at building a better future (Garza and Eller, 1998). Logically, presidential job advertisements for this type of institution should include the qualities that will best complement the mission, location, culture, and constituencies of the local environment.…”

Evolving Rural Community Colleges With Innovation and Agility

“…As argued throughout this volume, rural community colleges operate in economically challenged and geographically isolated areas where transportation, access to university, and career options can be limited. Therefore, these colleges play an essential role in regional human capital development, workforce training, community development and economic growth (Crookston & Hooks, ; Dougherty & Bakia, ; Garza & Eller, ). As the country undergoes broad demographic changes and technological advances associated with the “fourth industrial revolution” (Schwab, ) disrupting various industries, rural community colleges are challenged to adapt to evolving external conditions.…”

examination of the impact of economic development activities at a rural community college

“…Its main goal was to help the institutions involved, which were all located in economically distressed areas, to design economic and community development practices to help initiate and facilitate local and regional partnerships to improve economic vitality (Deggs & Miller, 2013). The colleges chosen to participate were located in areas with high rates of poverty and low rates of educational attainment, typical of the areas served by rural community colleges (Garza & Eller, 1998).…”

“…Rural community colleges offer services that bring communities together, including adult personal enrichment courses, lectures, tourism opportunities, and athletics. Colleges also offer a source of civic pride in rural areas, becoming entwined with the very understanding of the community's image (Garza & Eller, 1998). It makes the role of rural community college leaders particularly important; they are in a sense de facto community leaders (S. Rubin, 2001).…”

“…This finding is found in most of the newer (last ten years) research on the role of rural community colleges in regional economic development. Because of many of the challenges mentioned throughout these research findings, rural community colleges were early adopters of a more holistic economic development strategy (Garza & Eller, 1998). By the early 2000s, many rural community colleges were changing their missions to include economic activities beyond workforce development to include community and quality of life issues (K. Pennington et al, 2006).…”