Preservation of Community College Logic: Organizational Responses to State Policies and Funding Practices in Three States:

Objective: With both policy pressures from state governments, including states’ funding behaviors, and the logic of the institution deeply ingrained over decades, community colleges face considerable challenge in reconciling conflicting values and requirements. Yet, as organizations they adapt to survive, and outcomes of adaptation may lead to an alteration of mission and identity. The purpose of this field methods research investigation is to explore and explain three states’ policies (California, Washington, and Hawai’i) and the variance in three community colleges’ organizational responses to these policies in the period of 2000-2014. Method: Data include observations, policy documents, organizational documents, and interviews of administrators and faculty at three community colleges. Results: Findings indicate that the policies and practices of these three states pushed economic, political, and social agendas onto their respective community colleges and imposed liberal market ideals and businesslike b...