University of North Texas

Mission

The Bill J. Priest Center for Community College Education is dedicated to preparing individuals for exemplary community college leadership in both teaching and administration and assisting those individuals to make significant research contributions to the community college field.

In achieving this mission, the Bill J. Priest Center is dedicated to:

Delivering quality instruction

• Engaging in research activities that expand the knowledge of community colleges
• Seeking and supporting a diverse environment
• Encouraging the development of each student

Graduate Academic Certificate

The professionals who entered the community college field in the sixties, as numerous community colleges were founded, are now retiring in record numbers. Recent data from the American Association of Community Colleges indicate that approximately 75 percent of community college presidents plan to retire by 2022. 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.

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.