The Center for the Study of Community Colleges was founded in 1974 by Arthur Cohen, Florence Brawer (authors of The American Community College), and John Lombardi to conduct original research on community college policy and practice. A nonprofit 501(c)3 research and policy organization located in Los Angeles, California, its mission is to enhance community college effectiveness and student success through research focused on leadership, practice, and policy.

The Center accomplishes its research in three primary strands:

• National Community College Research: As an independent organization, the Center conducts research on a national scale into leadership, practice, policy, and student success.
• Support, Promote, and Disseminate Community College Scholarship: Central to the Center’s mission is to increase awareness of exemplary research on community colleges. This includes serving as the fiscal home of the Council for the Study of Community Colleges (CSCC).
• Administer Multi-College Institutional Improvement Initiatives: Leveraging its connections with community college leaders, state agencies, foundations, and member associations, the Center organizes and manages large-scale improvement projects involving numerous colleges, researchers, and other organizations. Depending on the project, the Center may directly participate, advise, or provide administrative services for grant distribution. Its low overhead and non-profit status ensure that most grant funding directly supports campus improvements and related research.

Projects and initiatives include:

• Council for the Study of Community Colleges (CSCC)
• Connecting Students to Wrap-Around Services and the Workforce (2021-2024)
• Community College Data Hub Series 
• Scholars Program Research Grants

Resources

Projects & Publications

Scholars Program Publications