Romano and Palmer’s work, Financing Community Colleges: Where We Are, Where We’re Going…will help emergingleaders to better understand finance issues and will allow them to advance themission of the comprehensive community college. This book provides an excellentopportunity for current graduate students as well as emerging community college leadersto be well-prepared to understand and face the recurring challenges that may causethem to hesitate about accepting senior-level responsibilities. The book’s subtitle isspot-on: it tells us where we are, where we’re going, and that promises better preparationfor a future generation of effective community college leaders.

Community College Review

Financing Community Colleges is a book that every community college leader, or aspiring leader, should read. Written by two long-time higher education scholars, it is an easily readable nontechnical introduction to issues relating to community college financing. The authors couch their discussion in the context of current and emerging policy issues and, in the process, summarize the results of the best research that has been done on community colleges and use this research to evaluate a variety of policy proposals.

Ronald G. Ehrenberg, director, Cornell Higher Education Research Institute (CHERI)

A cogent review of financing issues and options that will help new and experienced leaders be better community college advocates at the policy level. I was going to give it to my CFO, but have decided to give it to all my Vice Presidents and Trustees.

Barbara Viniar, president, Chesapeake College, Wye Mills, MD

In this book, Richard Romano and Jim Palmer have produced what will become the gold standard in community college finance research for years to come. In this concise volume, they connect the world of finance to a host of current issues and challenges: from college quality, affordability, access, and outcomes straight through to mission of the community college itself. Reviewing thirty years of finance and policy research, and applying important findings to future projections, Romano and Palmer have written a must read for two-year college boards, administrators, scholars, and any stakeholder interested in how we might effectively manage resources and influence public policy in our turbulent political environment.

Sue Kater, special assistant to the chancellor, Maricopa Community Colleges and president of AACC's council for the study of community colleges