Book Review: Mellow, G. O., & Heelan, C. (2008). Minding the Dream: The Process and Practice of the American Community College. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield

Mellow, G. O., & Heelan, C. (2008). Minding the Dream: The Process and Practice of the American Community College. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.DOI: 10.1177/0091552109332488Mellow and Heelan provide an excellent overview of the American community college. In their words, they write the book "as critical friends of the community college and as passionate practitioners" (p. xvii). They point out that despite a good deal of negative press, America's postsecondary innovation opens doors and provides opportunities for many college hopefuls without other postsecondary options. Furthermore, community colleges are able to provide these opportunities under less-than-adequate funding structures. Although the reader can often sense the authors' positive bias toward community colleges, the book also points out the challenges and negatives of - and within these institutions. Written in a professional yet easy-to-read style, this book serves as an excellent text for an introductory graduate course on community colleges or as an information resource for anyone interested in the topic, including prospective community college faculty members, administrators, and policymakers.Beginning with a "Forward" written by George R. Boggs, the president and CEO of the American Association of Community Colleges, the premise of the book is made crystal clear: "Community colleges are an essential element of America's democracy and economy" (p. xiv). America's community colleges are the country's response to cries for accessibility, community development, and social justice. Yet these institutions are frequently misunderstood, often unfairly compared with 4-year colleges and universities, and few social advocates understand their role and importance. And above all, community colleges are asked to do it all with insufficient funding.The book is divided into two parts. The first, titled "Process," consists of eight chapters that provide an introductory overview of the American community colleges, examine the private and social benefits that community colleges generate, and discuss funding, the measurement of institutional effectiveness, governance, changing pedagogy, leadership, and community-college-like institutions internationally. The second part, titled "Practice," contains five chapters dealing with the educational components of the community college mission (developmental education, transfer education, economic and workforce development, and English as a second language) and with the challenges posed by the community college's diverse student population. All but the first two chapters and the concluding summary chapter follow a set structure. First, the chapter opens with an overview that is followed by a description of "The Dream," a section that provides an ideal depiction of the topic in question as it relates to the community college mission. The next section of each chapter, titled "The Unfulfilled Dream," provides insight into the mismatch between the dream and the realities faced by community colleges. This is then followed by a section titled "The Real Story" that provides the reader with detailed contemporary information pertaining to the chapter topic. Each chapter ends with a section titled "Challenges to the Field," which provides a list of charges to the colleges, their administrators, and policymakers. A "Conclusions" section acts as a chapter summary. The book is 289 pages in length with an additional 30 pages of references followed by a full index.ProcessThe first part of the book emphasizes the unique mission of the American community college. The reader is presented with the history of this higher education sector, including the social movements that have helped to define these institutions. Also presented are emergent trends that will shape community colleges in the future. The book weighs the "who benefits from public education" question by focusing on community colleges as a public good. …