Here are some of the print and video materials that have grown from the RCCI experience. Many are available by download. Others are available by using the RCCI Publications Order Form. If you have questions or need additional information, contact MDC at (919) 968-4531 or e-mail Linda McKinnie at lmckinnie@mdcinc.org.

Print Publications > > > > > > > >

Revitalizing Rural Communities: Lessons from the RCCI. Citing lessons from the RCCI experience, this paper promotes the incorporation of RCCI learnings into other rural community development efforts. It is designed to inspire similar efforts by other community colleges; inform practitioners, funders, and policymakers; and support the future work of RCCI sites to use in development and sustainability efforts. Print copy: $10.00. This report is available online at rccilessons.pdf .

Community Colleges and Rural Development: Strategies for Funders. This paper informs foundations and public agencies concerned with rural development about lessons from the RCCI experience. It highlights the potential for rural colleges to serve as catalysts for community renewal and offers insights about designing and managing effective rural development initiatives. It is available online at strategiesforfunders.pdf . $10.00

Expanding Economic and Educational Opportunity in Distressed Rural Areas: A Conceptual Framework for the Rural Community College Initiative. This paper describes the vision and core concepts of the RCCI. MDC has revised the conceptual framework three times since 1995, each time incorporating new concepts and ideas learned from research and from the RCCI experience. The final edition reflects seven years of experimentation and learning. It is available online at: conframe.pdf . Print copy: $10.00

"Rural Colleges as Catalysts for Community Change: The RCCI Experience." Published in the USDA journal Rural America, this article highlights the RCCI and promotes community colleges as appropriate, effective institutions in rural development efforts. This article is available online at http://ers.usda.gov/publications/ruralamerica/ra162/.

American Association of Community Colleges' RCCI Publications. Throughout 2000 and 2001, an AACC team conducted site visits, gathered data, and spoke with stakeholders in order to produce a detailed assessment of the impact of the RCCI on participating colleges and communities. Earlier, in 1998 and 1999, AACC produced a series of four project briefs on the RCCI. Topics covered included the following: Rural access – removing barriers to participation; Rural economic development; Building teams for institutional and community change; and Rural development – capacity for leading institutional and community change. Each brief describes RCCI concepts and highlights best practices developed by RCCI colleges and communities. The assessment and briefs are available by contacting AACC via their web site, http://www.aacc.nche.edu.

Print/Video Packages > > > > > > > >

Strategies for Rural Development and Increased Access to Education: A Toolkit for Rural Community Colleges. This package, which includes 11 videos, three guidebooks, and a notebook of resources, serves as a toolkit for rural communities and community colleges. Step-by-step strategic planning and team-building processes for developing the regional economy and increasing access to education are provided along with profiles of effective practices from many rural communities. Video titles are: RCCI Philosophy – Community Colleges as Catalysts for Rural Development, Moving from Vision to Action, Building Effective Teams, Developing the Regional Economy, Supporting Small Business and Entrepreneurship, Developing the Workforce, Developing Telecommunications and Distance Learning, Improving Access to Education, and Harnessing the Power of Local Culture. A detailed description of the toolkit is available online, as is the toolkit introduction, which contains an in-depth description of the RCCI, the toolkit, and suggestions for use; see toolintro.pdf . A printed prospectus is available by mail free of charge. $125.00

RCCI: Planting the Seeds of Change. This package includes two videos and companion guidebooks. The first set, Planting the Seeds of Change, describes the central principles of the RCCI and the resulting collaborative process and change efforts at Meridian Community College (MS) and Sitting Bull College (ND). Viewers watch how change happened over time in these two very different RCCI communities. Those considering undertaking a community development initiative will gain an understanding of the complex nature of this work and the personal commitment it entails. The second set, Leadership for Change, emphasizes the multiple levels of competencies community leaders need to undertake effective community change efforts. It also explores the methods and strategies of the RCCI as a structure for addressing those multiple-level needs. The report Leadership for Change is available online free of charge. $40.00

Community Colleges and Rural Development: Strategies for Funders. This package informs foundations and public agencies concerned with rural development about lessons from the RCCI experience. The paper highlights the potential for rural colleges to serve as catalysts for community renewal and offers insights about designing and managing effective rural development initiatives. The accompanying video features interviews with rural development experts speaking about community colleges as catalysts for change. $25.00 (Paper is also available without video.)

Building Bridges to the New Economy. This national teleconference, held October 25, 2000, and sponsored by the RCCI, focuses on how community colleges can help bridge the digital divide in rural areas. The teleconference video features a panel of community college leaders and national experts discussing different strategies for increasing telecommunications access in rural areas. The videotape is accompanied by a booklet of resources. $25.00

Moving Mountains Economic Summit. This teleconference on community and regional development and revitalization features case studies on Tupelo, Mississippi, the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and Chattanooga, Tennessee. The summit was sponsored by Mountain Empire Community College, Big Stone Gap, VA, on November 19,1999. $70.00

Stimulating Rural Economies: An Innovative Case Competition Model. This package highlights an economic development Case Competition held at Southwest Texas Junior College, Uvalde, Texas, on March 28, 1998. This was the first-ever Case Competition hosted by a community college and the first-ever on developing a regional economy. The printed material provides tips on setting up similar competitions. $40.00

Effective Practices for Small and Rural Institutions. Documenting practices developed by RCCI colleges, this video provides practitioners with examples of innovative, effective strategies aimed at increasing educational access and fostering economic development in distressed rural areas. An accompanying paper describes several practices in further detail. Release date: June 2003. $25.00

Economic Development in Indian Country. This package covers a seminar for tribal colleges held in Albuquerque, NM, on September 24-26, 1999. Key topics include how the reservation economy works and the critical relationship between nation building and economic development. The package includes two videos, featuring presenters Perry Horse of MDC, Inc., Gerald Sherman of Four Times Foundation, Sherry Salway Black of First Nations Development Institute, and Stephen Cornell of the Harvard Project on American Indian Economic Development. Materials are equally suitable for use in credit-bearing seminars or community meetings in which the goal is to deepen understanding of effective ways to approach economic development in tribal areas. One of the videos, "How Do We Know Where We're Going," is also available separately. It explains the RCCI philosophy in terms of the economic development challenges faced by tribal colleges. Release date: December 2003.

RCCI Policy Papers > > > > > > > >

Toward Rural Prosperity, A State Policy Framework in Support of Rural Community Colleges. This paper offers a framework to help community college advocates assess the alignment of state policies with the RCCI philosophy and mission. It discusses models for state support of community and economic development, educational access, workforce development, and technology, and it assesses how alternative funding and governance systems affect rural community colleges' capacity to serve their communities. The paper was written for MDC by J. Parker Chesson, Jr., and Sarah Rubin. Print copy: $10.00 It is available online at: towardruralprosperity.pdf .

Preserving Access with Excellence: Financing for Rural Community Colleges. This paper analyzes the effect of community college funding trends on rural community colleges and their students. It makes the case for increased state and federal investment to expand the capacity of these institutions and expand access to education for low-income students. This paper was written for the RCCI by King Alexander, Stephen G. Katsinas, and Ronald D. Opp. This paper is available online at preserving_access.pdf . Print copy: $10.00

Title III: A Critically Important Federal Initiative Supporting Rural Community Colleges. This is a policy paper written to initiate a dialogue on increasing Title III funding in preparation for upcoming reauthorization of the Higher Education Act. It was written for the RCCI by Stephen G. Katsinas and Ronald D. Opp. This paper is available online at titleiii.pdf . Print copy: $10.00

Rural Community Colleges: Catalysts for Economic Renewal. This paper provides a rationale and recommendations to state policymakers for strengthening rural community colleges and building their capacity as catalysts for economic and community development. It recommends policy options to ensure the financial viability of rural colleges, enable them to use telecommunications, and encourage economies of scale through regional collaboration. It also discusses the role of rural colleges in workforce training, technology transfer, small business development, and civic engagement. Written by Sarah Rubin and George Autry and published by the Education Commission of the States, this paper is available on the ECS Center for Community College Policy website, http://www.communitycollegepolicy.org/html/policy_issues.htm. 1998.

Statement on Rural Community Colleges by MDC Inc. for the New Expeditions Commission. This paper discusses funding issues, leadership, and the role of rural colleges in economic and community development. This paper is available online at newexped.pdf . 1998.

Texas Community Colleges: Creating Rural Prosperity. This paper is a journalistic discussion of the challenges rural community colleges face in building their economy and how states can help. It highlights the experience of Southwest Texas Junior College. This paper is available online at Texas.pdf .

Rural Community Colleges and Federal Policy. This paper was circulated widely to federal policymakers and community college leaders in November 1996. It discusses the strengths of rural and tribal colleges in serving their communities and providing access to education and raises several federal policy issues, including student aid, funding for outreach and institutional capacity-building, and support for rural development.

Other recent articles on RCCI > > > > > > > >

Nicole Rivard, "Putting the 'community' Back in Community Colleges," University Business, September 2002.

Laura M. Dellinger, "RCCI: Planting the seeds of rural development," Tribal College Journal, Volume 13, Number 3, Spring 2002.

Fred Baldwin, "Colleges and Communities: Increasing Local Capacity," Appalachia, Volume 34, Number 1, January-April 2001.

RCCI Rooster – The RCCI Newsletter > > > > > > > >

The RCCI Rooster is a periodic newsletter covering the RCCI initiative and reporting on its development and results. The final issue was produced in July 2002. Limited numbers of the following back issues are available by contacting Linda McKinnie at MDC at (919) 968-4531 or lmckinnie@mdcinc.org.

February 1997: Focus on education policy to build the economy.
September 1997: Focus on welfare reform and low numbers of male enrollments.
January 1998: Focus on the diversity and culture of RCCI colleges.
June 1998: Focus on the RCCI and leadership.
January 1999: Focus on regional development and international networking.
July 1999: Focus on workforce development.
November 1999: Focus on access to education.
March 2000: Focus on programs, curricula, RCCI issues and events.
August 2000: Focus on technology, the digital divide, and racial reconciliation.
January 2001: Focus on the global economy.
June 2001: Focus on the challenges of sustaining philosophy, practices, and structures.
July 2002: Focus on the spread of RCCI philosophy and practices nationally and internationally, and the future of RCCI.

Videos > > > > > > > >

RCCI Philosophy: Community Colleges as Catalysts for Rural Development. This video describes how rural community colleges can provide leadership for their regions and serve as agents for community development. It provides a concise overview of the RCCI and its twin objectives of building regional economies and increasing access to education. $10.00

Tips and Insights for Fund Raising from Private Philanthropy. This video is from a September 1999 teleconference designed for community colleges and their community partners. Topics covered include trends in philanthropic grant-making; the culture of the foundation world – how foundation staff and board members think and make decisions; capacities foundations look for in potential grantees; and ways to overcome fund-raising challenges faced by small, rural, and tribal institutions. $10.00

The Promise of the RCCI. This video features a presentation on rural development challenges. The talk was delivered at the East Glacier (Montana) RCCI Institute on September 15, 1997, by Karl Stauber, President of the Northwest Area Foundation, and formerly with the United States Department of Agriculture. $10.00