Date of Award

1990

Degree Name

EdD Doctor of Education

Dissertation Committee

Wallace Cohen, EdD, Director; Edward Kujawa Jr., PhD; William P. Foster, EdD

Keywords

Association of California Community College Administrators, Ethnography, goals, higher education, Leadership studies, members, organizational effectiveness, presidents

Abstract

California's community colleges and the Association of California Community College Administrators will face some difficult challenges as we approach the 1990's. ACCCA's primary purpose is to present a statewide administrative perspective on issues facing all California community colleges. The purpose of this study was to determine the extent to which the Association was effective in meeting member needs through its goals and activities and to recommend some directions of leadership of the organization for the 1990's. This study was conducted with an ethnographic research design and methodology. Seven past presidents were interviewed to address the history of the Association and views on future planning for ACCCA. Three hundred members were surveyed to obtain a composite view of member evaluation of the organization's effectiveness. The survey assessed the extent to which ACCCA met its goals and purposes, individual member needs, representation of the organization to others and coordination efforts with other professional organizations. Some of the major findings and conclusions of the study were: (1) ACCCA has focused on and effectively pursued a leadership role on statewide issues affecting community colleges. (2) Members believe the organization is meeting its goals and purposes. (3) ADCOM, management reports, drive-in workshops and annual conferences were rated as effective services provided by the organization. (4) There was some uncertainty as to the extent ACCCA coordinates with other professional associations but the Association was rated effective in representing community colleges to state agencies. (5) There was no agreement as to whether the association should hire a salaried director or where the office should be located. Recommendations for consideration in future studies are: (1) replicate the design of the study in 1995 and assess the degree to which ACCCA's leadership was effective in providing assistance to California community colleges in implementing the reforms contained in Assembly Bill 1725; (2) compare the member demographics now with those in 1995 and determine if the Association membership reflects state demographics and affirmative action guidelines; and (3) if specific recommendations of the study are implemented, conduct another member survey in several years to assess how well the Association is meeting member needs.

Document Type

Dissertation: Open Access

Department

Education

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