Community College Leadership Certificate Program

The Need

The professionals who entered the community college field in the sixties, as numerous community colleges were founded, are now retiring in record numbers. Current surveys from the American Association of Community Colleges estimate that 45 percent of presidents plan to retire as early as 2007. Additionally, a survey of community colleges in Texas revealed that 48.4 percent of all community college administrators plan to retire by 2015. A new generation of community college professionals with the appropriate management skills and professional competencies is needed to provide leadership for the future.

Community college Leadership Certificate

Objectives

• Provide currently employed community college professionals who hold master's degrees a certificate that will add depth and breadth to their knowledge of community colleges.
• Provide graduate-level professional development opportunities related to community college mission, finance and administration, leadership, economic and community development, teaching and learning, and contemporary issues.

Requirements

• Students must have earned a bachelor's from an accredited college or university and meet GPA requirements for admission into this program.
• Complete 18 semester hours of graduate credit, with a minimum grade point average of 3.0. The following courses must be completed:

1. EDHE 6060 - History and Philosophy of the Community College
2. EDHE 6065 - Finance and Administration in the Community College
3. EDHE 6070 - Teaching and Learning in the Community College
4. EDHE 6075 - Economic and Community Development in Higher Education
5. EDHE 6080 - Leadership in the Community College
6. EDHE 6085 - Contemporary Issues in the Community College

These courses may be applied toward a doctorate in Higher Education, with a cognate area in community college.

Individuals interested in completing the Community College Leadership Certificate Program should contact:

Beverly L. Bower, Ph.D.
Director of the Bill J. Priest Center for Community College Education
Don A. Buchholz Endowed Chair, Higher Education
Beverly.Bower@unt.edu