The conceptualization and development of a global community college: a case study examining the perspective and roles of Pasadena City College leadership and management

2012-08-13Higher education institutions worldwide seek ways to adapt to the unique demands of the 21st century global economy through their mission statement, policies,and services. The scholarly focus on global institutions is often on four-year-institutions. However, Pasadena City College is a case of a community college that seeks to retool their institution in the context of cultural and economic globalization. This case study examined the global community college vision of Pasadena City College in order to analyze how key actors at the institution conceptualize and seek to achieve the vision through their policies, practices, and funding. A mixed methods qualitative approach, including interviews and document analysis, was conducted to identify common methods and key internationalization themes of the global community college vision. This study analyzed the practices and perceptions of 13 institutional leaders, managers, and faculty through the lens of the Internationalization Index framework produced by the American Council on Education. The interviews focused on questions related to vision statement, strategic planning, funding, international students, and academic offerings of study abroad, foreign languages, and courses with an international focus. Overall, the findings indicate strong economic, academic, and cultural motivations to internationalize in response to globalization. The findings also highlight similarities and differences to internationalization between community colleges and four-year institutions. This study provides a basis to explore mission and funding implications for community colleges that seek to internationalize