Leading the Community College: Pathways Through an Exponentially Digital Age explains the differences between the technologies of the twentieth and twenty-first century. It provides an understanding of the differences between the linear development of twentieth century technologies and the exponential development of twenty-first century technologies, and discusses how the business community is already preparing for the exponential stage of the twenty-first century technologies. Furthermore, this book describes the impact of the exponential stage of these technologies on community colleges in terms of students, faculty, learning methods, staff, and the training the colleges provide to the business community. It predicts how businesses and community colleges may possibly merge in the future, and demonstrates the importance of each institution developing its own research to help guide the colleges to a viable future. This book provides a warning to those in community college leadership as to what is coming and provides guidance as to how to deal with the technologies when they move to the exponential stage.

Dr. Darrel W. Staat served as past president of two community colleges in Maine, one of which he was the founding president. He also served as president of a community college in Virginia and the president of the South Carolina Technical College System. He currently serves as associate professor and coordinator of the Higher Education Executive Leadership Program at Wingate University in North Carolina.

Preface

Acknowledgments

Introduction

Chapter 1. Two Centuries

Chapter 2. Envisioning the Future

Chapter 3. Business in an Exponential Age

Chapter 4. Seven Technologies

Chapter 5. The Big Three Technologies

Chapter 6. Revisions

Chapter 7. Securing the Future

Chapter 8. Students

Chapter 9. Learning Methods

Chapter 10. Pathways

Chapter 11. Commingling with Business

Chapter 12. Eye to the Future

Epilogue

Appendix

References

About the Author