Skip to main content
Add as a preferred source on Google

University of Illinois Named New Headquarters for Longtime Community College Research Organization

  • 01/06/20

CHAMPAIGN, IL – The Office of Community College Research and Leadership (OCCRL) on the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign campus became the new headquarters for the Council for the Study of Community Colleges (CSCC) on January 1.

OCCRL is an initiative of the College of Education at Illinois, where Dr. James D. Anderson serves as dean. Anderson says the joining together of two longstanding community college research entities whose missions are closely aligned will foster growth at CSCC and increase OCCRL’s public engagement capacity.

“We look forward to assisting CSCC and furthering our reach in the realms of research, leadership, and practice to create equitable outcomes for students and the improvement of institutions in Illinois and beyond,” he says.

Dr. Eboni Zamani-Gallaher, director of OCCRL since 2014 and CSCC’s executive director beginning January 1, said OCCRL is excited to serve as the administrative hub for CSCC.

“As one of the longest-running research centers for community colleges, OCCRL is an ideal home for the Council for the Study of Community Colleges,” she says.

Both organizations hope to build upon the productive collaboration CSCC had with the University of North Texas (UNT) for six years, which led to CSCC’s highest membership level to date and the organization’s largest number of conference attendees in 2019.

“CSCC is infinitely grateful to our colleagues at the University of North Texas,” says CSCC president Mark D’Amico. “We are a stronger organization for the leadership and service of Dr. Beverly Bower as executive director and Sue Young as administrative coordinator.”

Prior to the UNT collaboration, CSCC was housed on the UCLA campus for several decades. CSCC is an affiliate of the American Association of Community Colleges and a project of the Center for the Study of Community Colleges. Since 1957, the organization has conducted and disseminated research pertaining to community colleges and has served as a forum for dialogue among university professors, graduate students, and community college practitioners who study community colleges. CSCC also recognizes the research, service, and publications surrounding community college education.

The mission of OCCRL, which recently celebrated its 30th anniversary, is to improve policies, programs and practices that enhance community college education and the transition to college, further education and gainful employment for diverse learners worldwide. OCCRL contributes to the professional development of graduate students through training in conducting and disseminating research related to community colleges.

Regina Garza-Mitchell, president-elect of the CSCC board, said OCCRL at Illinois was selected after a rigorous application process.

“OCCRL and Dr. Zamani-Gallaher have a long history and involvement with CSCC and are a great fit for the organization,” she says. “We look forward to a long relationship that will move CSCC forward in the best possible way for our members.”

Featured

  • Architectural Power for the Modern Campus Landscape

    For generations, an outdoor classroom only required a textbook and a patch of grass. Today, not only has the laptop replaced the printed pages, the rise of agile learning has turned campuses into study halls with students listening to lectures and researching topics from quads, gardens, and plazas. The challenge for architects and facility managers is to provide connectivity without cluttering the landscape with visual eyesores or creating safety hazards with extension cords.

  • FGCU Breaks Ground on New Health Sciences Building

    Florida Gulf Coast University (FGCU) has launched construction on a major new academic facility that leaders say will reshape healthcare education in Southwest Florida for decades to come, according to university news.

  • Dallas ISD Voters Approve $6.2B Bond Package

    Dallas ISD voters have approved a record-setting $6.2-billion bond package that district leaders say will modernize aging campuses, eliminate portable classrooms and reshape learning environments across one of the nation’s largest school systems.

  • Deferred Maintenance Issues Growing at Universities, Gordian Reports

    U.S. colleges and universities are falling increasingly behind on facilities maintenance and repair, according to Gordian’s 13th annual State of Facilities in Higher Education report. The deferred capital renewal burden has reached $156 per gross square foot, an 8% increase over the previous year.