Community Colleges' Use of the Web to Communicate Their Mission: Slights of Commission and Omission

The influence of organizational image on college selection: what students seek in institutions of higher education

“…Multiple studies have looked at the increasing importance of Web sites to students seeking information about college (Gordona & Berhow, 2009;Kang & Norton, 2006;McAllister-Spooner, 2008;Poock & Lefond, 2001;Ramasubramanian, Gyure, & Mursi, 2002). While schools recognize the importance of maintaining an updated, well-organized, and content-appropriate site, there are areas in which they can improve the information they are providing and how they present it to better meet the expectations of their technologically savvy audiences (Hegeman, Davies, & Banning, 2007;Kang & Norton, 2006;McAllister & Taylor, 2007). This takes on added importance because students are influenced by the reputation and word-of-mouth recommendations of others when making decisions about which school to pursue (Anctil, 2008;Sung & Yang, 2008), thus colleges and universities must be attentive to the image they portray through their organization's site.…”

Organizational Influences and Constraints on Community College Web-based Media Relations

“…Similarly, although Poock and Andrews Bishop (2006) and Hegeman et al (2007) offer recommendations for community colleges to build and maintain relationships via the Internet with key stakeholders, they neglect to consider the information needs of the media. This study seeks to fill the voids in the literature by posing the following research question: RQ1: How do community college practitioners view the role of the Internet in the creation and formation of relationships with the media?…”

Prepared for challenges: The importance of a professional and institutional ethical identity

“…Regardless of size, age, history, or culture, most community colleges publicly articulate four primary values: open access, comprehensive mission, student success, and service to the community Hegeman, Davies, and Banning, 2007). These four values provide a focus and opportunity for individuals, subgroups, and institutions to develop shared understandings and common professional and institutional NEW DIRECTIONS FOR COMMUNITY COLLEGES • DOI: 10.1002/cc ethical identities.…”

“…Creating and defining the mission provides a common institutional direction. Hegeman, Davies, and Banning (2007) asserted that "clearly articulated mission statement messages tell internal and external stakeholders what the community college will do and, by implication, what it cannot (or will not) do" (p. 132). These authors concurred with the notion that the mission statement must dictate a strong sense of purpose and provide direction for employees' conduct.…”