Vision for Opportunity: John Roueche and the Community College Movement

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John Edward Roueche is the most productive and the most recognized community college leader in the history of the community college movement. He is a person with remarkable vision and over the decades has demonstrated an uncanny ability to scan the horizon of higher education, identify emerging issuesor issues that should emergeand place them squarely before leaders and practitioners in the field. Throughout his career, Roueche has powerfully led the community college field by recognizing, often long before others do, areas of potential opportunity or impending concernand addressing them through prolific research, writing, and speaking.

This book explores the influence of John on individual lives and community colleges across the United States. Through stories and research of his years in the community college vineyard, the book follows the professional chronology of Johns life from childhood to today. While segments of his life history are included in the chapters, this is not a biography. This work is a collection of voices on the impact of John from many perspectives. Themes run throughout the chapters that paint a picture of this man. Hopefully you, the reader, will smile, laugh, reflect, and enjoy the life and influence of John Edward Roueche.

Reviews

Vision for Opportunity: John Roueche and the Community College Movement provides a unique look at community college history through the lens of one extraordinary leaders life and contributions. Told by some of the most influential and impactful community college leaders, the stories reveal the character of an entrepreneurial educator, dedicated to diversity and committed to seeding community colleges with the leaders needed for future success. Whether you know Dr. Roueche personally, know the CCLP story, or want an insider's view of the community college movement, Vision for Opportunity is for you. -- Karla Fisher, Provost, Maricopa Community Colleges
Bravo to the authors of this book dedicated to John Roeuche, a man who has dedicated his life to paying it forward. With a commitment to students, he is exemplary in creating an outstanding talent pool of community college leaders. Among the many testimonials to his passion and contribution, I stand proud to call him a friend. John is tireless in his efforts to change peoples lives through access to higher education, with a heartfelt celebration of the importance of equity. The authors are among thousands who have left their mark on community colleges, in many ways due to John. This book is inspiring reading for anyone interested in higher education and the impact of strong leadership. -- Barbara Gellman-Danley Ph.D., president, Higher Learning Commission
John Roueche is an icon and has greatly influenced the shaping of the community college landscape. This is a must read for professors, teachers, researchers and leaders in higher education. The stories within this book reflect his remarkable vision, his consistent and constant dedication to students, teaching and learning, while highlighting his focus and commitment to building leadership excellence. Read this book and learn from the best. He will have a profound impact on your life as an educator and a leader! -- Sheree Utash, president, WSU Tech
All of us engaged in community college reform-especially in the realm of developing transformational leaders-owe much to the foundational work of John Roueche. By helping readers understand the origins and motivations behind his tireless efforts, this volume illuminates the incredible contributions Roueche has made to community colleges and the diverse students they serve. -- Josh Wyner, founder and executive director, Aspen Institute's College Excellence Program
This timely book details how John E. Roueches commitment to students and mentorship of community college leaders throughout his tireless career has made community colleges what they are today. The significance of this book on the life and influence of John E. Roueche as an important contribution to the community college literature cannot be emphasized enough. -- Stefani Gray Hicswa, president, Northwest College
There is no discrete or concrete recipe for making a profound and powerful difference with your life and leaving a loving and lasting legacy. There are, however, models of lives well lived from which we can draw insight and inspiration. This book is an inside look at one the most important and meaningful models in the world of community college education and beyond: Dr. John E. Roueche. The family, friends, and colleagues that tell his story in the pages that followall of whom are models themselves, and all of whom count John as family, friend, mentor, teacher, and catalysthelp the reader see how the award-winning, game-changing, and often deeply personal impact of Dr. Roueches professional and personal life has rippled out to mean so much to so many. -- Mark David Milliron, Co-Founder and Chief Learning Officer, Civitas Learning; Faculty in Residence, College of Education, The University of Texas at Austin
Without reservation or hyperbole, John E. Roueche is among the most influential leaders in the history of the community college movement. This volume documents the many ways in which JER has nudged, cajoled, called-out, and loved the institutions about which he wrote, and with whom he fellowshipped. For those who have heard of him but have never met him, or those who are just learning of him, this volume will let you learn about John the scholar, the leader, and the man. I was privileged to be at his side on some of the events documented here. Most importantly, I have been the generous recipient of his counsel and friendship. I say this as someone who came from outside the Roueche family described in this work, but who was nonetheless welcomed as a family member. That in a nutshell is JER. I invite you to read and get to know this incredible individual. Then I invite you to join the family and join in our ever-present task to improve our institutions for the students we serve. -- Rey Garcia, Collegiate Professor and Program Chair Doctor of Management in Community College Policy and Administration, University of Maryland University College
In my career, which has taken me to more than 500 community colleges in 44 states, no one has been more interested in connecting his work to practitioners than has John Rouche. He has had his critics--myself at times included--and his career has not been without controversy. But, as this book shows, the sheer scope of the issues he has tackled, and the longevity of his efforts demand that attention be paid to the philosophy that has motivated this driven, committed man. Non-Texans and Texans alike will benefit from learning more about what John Rouche set out to do, why, and how he accomplished his objectives. -- Stephen G. Katsinas, director of the Education Policy Center and professor of higher education and political science, The University of Alabama

The mission of community colleges has never been more relevant or more complex. As open-access institutions that serve more than one third of all students in American higher education, community colleges have the tall order of staying in-step with the changing needs of the countrymeeting both current and future workforce needs and serving as an engine to bachelor degree completion. This book highlights the impact of Dr. John Roueche who has artfully navigated the evolving landscape of community colleges for many years, while also influencing of some of the nations most notable community college leaders. In this book, Dr. Roueches unwavering commitment to Americas community colleges, their leaders, and students is evidentas is his tremendous impact.

As a new leader in the field, this book provides me with a profound appreciation of his work and the broader context of how we work together as a community of community college leaders

-- Lynn Tincher-Ladner, president, Phi Theta Kappa
It is difficult to write a book about a legend and at the end feel like it truly captures the heart and soul of the legend. Dr. John Roueche is a legend in the community college world and this book truly does justice to the spirit of Dr. Roueche through the eyes of colleagues, friends, former students, and those of us who feel we must be related to the legend. His uncompromising and unwavering passion and commitment to student success, and his genuine caring spirit is well documented in this book. Those of us to be blessed by his friendship and mentorship over the years join me in saying, We love you John. -- Richard M. Rhodes Ph.D., president/CEO, Austin Community College District

Many of todays community college leaders, including myself, find few degrees of separation between those who helped influence who we are today and where our journeys began. For many of us, John Roueche is a significant presence in that intersection. His contributions to the community college movement are considerable, and are influenced by his belief in diversity. He understands that each individual is different and should be recognized for those differences and the distinctive contributions that stem from them. This book chronicles Johns influence on the community college movement.



Johns commitment to diversity led to his focus on the lack of it in community college leadership. As highlighted in this book, he has helped build inclusive programs that extend avenues for success to those who may not see themselves on leadership paths. He helped establish the Expanding Leadership Diversity (ELD) Program with Terry OBanion and the League for Innovation in the Community College. I am a proud member of ELDs Class of 1989-1990. This year-long program changed my life, giving me permission to believe that being a Chancellor/CEO was a possibility. Many authors in the book share similar stories of how Johns work has changed their lives.



ELD continues as the Leagues longstanding Executive Leadership Institute (ELI), the cornerstone of its leadership initiative. John continues to support the program as a member of the ELI faculty, and I thank him for his commitment to community college leadership.

-- Rufus Glasper Ph.D, President and CEO, League for Innovation in the Community College; Chancellor Emeritus, Maricopa Community College

I cant think of a more befitting way than to share with the world these reflections recognizing one of the most visionary leaders of the community college movement Dr. John Edward Roueche. Leaders from across the country captured stories of his bold and innovative strategies that positioned community colleges as extraordinary places of higher learning. This book is a must read for all current and future community college leaders.


Privileged and honoredare the best words to describe my association with Dr. Roueche because of his advocacy for my growth and development as a community college leader. As a Roueche Scholar and graduate of one of his CCLPs, I stand in awe of Dr. Roueches spirit of care for the students in our cohort. He challenged each of us to transform our respective institutions and never

Author Bio

Martha M. Ellis is director of higher education strategy, policy and services at the Charles A. Dana Center and Professor of Practice at the University of Texas at Austin. She has over 30 years of senior leadership and faculty experience in community colleges and universities.