Conclusion

The authors do a nice job concluding the book by dividing the community college student progression into four phases: connection, entry, progress, completion. Each phase is contrasted to the cafeteria model and to the pathways model. The connection phase is mostly about the relationships that community colleges need to build with high schools so that potential students from the high school pipeline have already done exploration of and engagement with future pathways and academic programs that they may like to pursue.

The connection phase, labeled from interest to enrollment,  discusses how the pathways model engages students from the very onset regarding what their future career and academic plans. Advisors and assessments are offered to help undecided students choose or placing them in a default pathway as they explore a particular meta-major(s). Progress is monitored in the pathways program through tight faculty and advisor in the students elected pathways program. At completion, students are equipped for the workforce or to matriculate to a university to purse a bachelor degree. Ideally, the community college with have strong relationship with feeder universities and the community colleges' respective program areas would have particularly close equivalent university program and academic areas.

The end of the book revolves around a charge to community colleges to be bold and innovative and to consider many of the strategies in the book as start points for initiating reform.