THE RCCI JOURNEY

1994…

RCCA 2002 October 8, 2002 Carol Lincoln

RURAL AMERICA

MATTERS

Note:  The poverty rate of 11.3 is the rate in 2000, based on the Current Population Survey, and the poverty rate in 1999 based on the Decennial

Census is 12.4 percent.

RCCI GENESIS

SOME AREAS HAVE NOT SHARED IN AMERICA’S PROSPERITY

APPALACHIA DEEP SOUTH

SOUTWEST BORDER TRIBAL AREAS

TYPICAL CHALLENGES

LOSS OF HISTORIC JOB BASE

RAPID GROWTH THAT THREATENS TO OVERWHELM TRADITIONAL CULTURE, WITHOUT BENEFIT TO LOW INCOME RESIDENTS

INADEQUATE ECONOMIC STRUCTURES AND SYSTEMS

TYPICAL CHALLENGES

LOW EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT

OUTMIGRATION OF BEST EDUCATED

NARROW LEADERSHIP BASE

RCCI BELIEF

RURAL COMMUNIC COLLEGES ARE EFFECTIVE VEHICLES FOR INCREASING:

EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY

OVERALL GOALS INCREASE THE VISIBILITY, RESOURCES,

AND CAPACITY OF RURAL COLLEGES

IMPROVE EDUCATIONAL AND ECONOMIC PROSPECTS OF POOR RURAL COMMUNITIES

BEGIN A “MOVEMENT” OF RURAL COLLEGES ENGAGED IN RURAL DEVELOPMENT

THE RCCI FORMULA: INVEST IN A STABLE, RESPECTED

INSTITUTION CAPABLE OF LEADING A LONG-TERM CHANGE PROCESS

COMMIT TO THE VALUES OF EQUITY AND INCLUSIVENESS

WORK SIMULTANEOUSLY ON BUILDING PEOPLE AND BUILDING PLACE

PROVIDE TIME AND OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN, PRACTICE AND INVENT

WHY COMMUNITY COLLEGES? STABLE

RESPECTED

FLEXIBLE

NEUTRAL

COMPATIBLE MISSION

NEXUS OF SUPPLY AND DEMAND

SUCCESSFUL COMMUNITIES

ALIGN AROUND A COMMON VISION FOR THE FUTURE, BASED ON VALUES OF EQUITY & EXCELLENCE

CREATE A CULTURE OF INNOVATION & PUBLIC ENTREPRENEURSHIP

SUCCESSFUL COMMUNITIES

CREATE OPPORTUNITY FOR EVERYONE

INCUSIVE DECISION-MAKING

BUILD REGIONAL ALLIANCES

THE RURAL DEVELOPMENT DILEMNA

A COMMUNITY CAN’T ATTRACT OR DEVELOP JOBS WITHOUT AN EDUCATED WORKFORCE

BUT – A COMMUNITY CAN’T RETAIN EDUCATED WORKERS WITHOUT A HEALTHY ECONOMY.

TWIN GOALS

INCREASE ACCESS TO AND THROUGH THE COLLEGE – TO MORE EDUCATION, TO BETTER JOBS

STIMULATE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT – TO STRENGTHEN THE COMMUNITY, TO BENEFIT A BROADER RANGE OF PEOPLE

THE MOVEMENT WAY

ISOLATED INDIVIDUALS DECIDE TO STOP LEADING “DIVIDED LIVES”

THESE PEOPLE DISCOVER EACH OTHER AND FORM GROUPS FOR MUTUAL SUPPORT

THE MOVEMENT WAY

EMPOWERED BY COMMUNITY, THEY LEARN TO TRANSLATE “PRIVATE PROBLEMS” IN TO PUBLIC ISSUES

ALTERNATIVE REWARDS EMERGE TO SUSTAIN THE MOVEMENT’S VISION WHICH MAY FORCE THE CONVENTIONAL REWARD SYSTEM TO CHANGE

RCCI STRUCTURE TEAMS

DATA DRIVEN PLANNING

OPPORTUNITIES TO LEARN FROM OTHER PEOPLE, OTHER PLACES

COACHING

EXPOSURE TO SMART RESOURCE PEOPLE

TIME AND SPACE FOR REFLECTIVE INNOVATION & LEARNING

LESSONS

NO FORMULA FOR LOCALLY DRIVEN DEVELOPMENT – LOCAL CONTEXT IS EVERYTHING

LEADERSHIP ORGANIZATION NEEDS CAPACITY AND LEGITIMACY

LESSONS

COLLEGES ARE WELL SUITED TO ECONOMIC PRE-DEVELOPMNT AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

CRITICAL TO BUILD ALIGNMENT THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY

LESSONS

ULTIMATELY RURAL DEVELOMENT MUST BE SOMETHING MORE THAN A DISCRETE PROJECT OR SET OF PROJECTS

PARTNERSHIPS BUILD CAPACITY

IMPORTANCE OF LEARNING COMMUNITY

LESSONS FROM LESS SUCCESSFUL SITES

HAD TO WORK ON INTERNAL ISSUES BEFORE TACKLING COMMUNITY ISSUES

BOARD SUPPORT IS CRITICAL

LESSONS FROM LESS SUCCESSFUL SITES

REQUIRES DEDICATED STAFF RESOURCES

POWER AND RACE ISSUES CAN LIMIT DEPTH OF CHANGE THAT COLLEGES CAN FOSTER

NEW RECIPE FOR DEVELOPMENT:

BASED ON COMPETIVENESS AND EQUITY

NEW RECIPE EXPANDED VISION OF ECONOMIC

DEVELOPMENT – “job creation isn’t enough”

EDUCATION -- “The only road out of poverty runs by the schoolhouse”

REGIONALISM – “tiny economies cannot compete in a global setting”

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT – “cultivate diamonds in the mud”

THE ENGAGED INSTITUTION

RCCI INSITUTIONS IN THE US

UNIVERSITIES IN NAMIBIA AND SOUTH AFRICA

CANADIAN RURAL AND REMOTE INSTITUTIONS

RURAL AMERICA

MATTERS

RURAL CANADA

MATTERS

RURAL NAMIBIA

MATTERS

RURAL PEOPLE & RURAL PLACES

MATTER