Community Colleges: State And Local Governance

State and Local Governance Community Colleges have been governed by locally selected boards which mirrors the belief that the mission and vision of the colleges is best preserved and strengthened throughout the years. There are quite a few community colleges or junior colleges that are established to serve the community in each state and is normally supported or funded by the local government all across the United States of America. Community colleges are controlled and managed both internally and externally. Administrators and other faculty committees controls internally while local and state legislatures governs it externally.

When it comes to community colleges, governance is shared, especially when it comes to all the planning and

The advantages of attending community college in Florida is that students who cannot afford to live on campus at a four year college or university have the opportunity to attend a local community college which is more affordable. “Florida is now moving toward a statewide integrated structure while also strengthening local control, in contrast, Texas rely on institutional governance, and their coordinating boards have less power in the areas of planning and accountability” Lessons Learned About State Transfer Policy. (n.d.). Colleges in Florida, California and Texas work with local businesses to develop and improve customized training geared in the direction of local needs, while four year colleges focuses on state-wide needs. When students attend a community college they get the opportunity to work closely with their professors and also their professors offers them support and make sure that the students are on the right track, however, in a four year university classes may be taught to up to 200 students by a teaching assistant while the professor is doing academic research for the course. Community colleges have some disadvantages when it comes to their degree, students who graduate with an Associate

In California “Community colleges operate under an incompatible finance and governance structure, the state pays a majority of the bills while locally elected boards makes majority of the decisions” Toward a state of learning: Community College Governance- An Effective Bilateral Structure for a Diverse System (n.d.). Community College finances can evaluate the ability to help or promote the public good through efficacy, equity and accountability. It also recognizes the funding that strengthens and supports community colleges, including federal, local governments, and student tuition and fees. It offers an agenda for community college stakeholders to evaluate the design and results of the finance strategies or approaches, and to navigate between equity and efficacy goals. “Passage of Proposition 13 shifted the responsibility for financing California community college districts from local taxpayers to statewide taxpayers, therefore, state government leaders should have the ultimate say in how district operate” Toward a state of learning: Community College Governance- An Effective Bilateral Structure for a Diverse System. (n.d.). Governance at community colleges should concentrate on the organizational culture, shared leadership and communication instead of traditional governance structures. “California faces extreme differences in performance and capacity across its community college system