In another instance, we hired somebody full time to teach computer courses. This person came to us with a master's degree. As soon as this person got the doctorate, she was snapped up by a university for a heck of a lot more money. There are already too many schools competing for too few students, and the growth of proprietary schools will only make competition for students worse. The changing needs of students will affect hiring at community colleges.
More students select colleges in the same way they select restaurants.
If you're at a restaurant that doesn't have your favorite dish or where you have to wait for a table, chances are you'll go somewhere else where you can get what you want when you want it. If a student wants to take a course in April and he's told he has to wait until next semester to take it, he's going to go someplace else. Students want things when they need them, not just when a college decides to start a semester. Phoenix isn't succeeding because it has on-line courses, it's succeeding because it will come to your neighborhood to teach you the course you need in six weeks and at a time that's convenient to you. Those community colleges that meet students' scheduling needs will be able to increase their revenue, keep faculty members, hire new ones, and attract new students and funding.