Electronic delivery of courses has also generated faculty compensation issues and questions about intellectual property rights. Technology increases the potential for people who live in remote areas to advance their education, but it also carries the risk of cutting out the low-income populations community colleges serve, because accessing the Internet requires a personal computer of fairly recent vintage. Owning a computer is beyond the means of many community college students. Because of technological advances in communication and transportation, foreign trade is growing. Consequently, more businesses are looking for people with an understanding of international issues.
Many community colleges offer international programs.
While such programs are not available at every college, pressure is increasing for community colleges to foster an awareness of foreign cultures and the interconnected nature of the world economy. Constraints on public funds show no signs of abating, as more legislatures predicate budget increases upon performance of specific goals. Competition is pushing community colleges to consider students as customers whose instruction and services should be delivered at the time, location, and pace of the students' choosing. In turn, emphasis on students' learning is growing as employers and society expects students to demonstrate competence in what they have been taught. The flexibility of community colleges will be tested in the future as never before.