THE RCCI JOURNEY
1994…
RCCA 2002
October 8, 2002
Carol Lincoln
RURAL AMERICA
MATTERS
Note: The poverty rate of 11.3 is the rate in 2000, based on the Current Population Survey, and the poverty rate in 1999 based on the Decennial
RCCI GENESIS
SOME AREAS HAVE NOT SHARED IN
AMERICA’S PROSPERITY

APPALACHIA
 DEEP SOUTH
 SOUTWEST BORDER
 TRIBAL AREAS
TYPICAL CHALLENGES

LOSS OF HISTORIC JOB BASE

RAPID GROWTH THAT THREATENS
TO OVERWHELM TRADITIONAL
CULTURE, WITHOUT BENEFIT TO
LOW INCOME RESIDENTS

INADEQUATE ECONOMIC
STRUCTURES AND SYSTEMS
TYPICAL CHALLENGES

LOW EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT

OUTMIGRATION OF BEST
EDUCATED

NARROW LEADERSHIP BASE
RCCI BELIEF
RURAL COMMUNIC COLLEGES ARE
EFFECTIVE VEHICLES FOR
INCREASING:
EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITY
 ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITY

OVERALL GOALS

INCREASE THE VISIBILITY, RESOURCES,
AND CAPACITY OF RURAL COLLEGES

IMPROVE EDUCATIONAL AND ECONOMIC
PROSPECTS OF POOR RURAL
COMMUNITIES

BEGIN A “MOVEMENT” OF RURAL
COLLEGES ENGAGED IN RURAL
DEVELOPMENT
THE RCCI FORMULA:

INVEST IN A STABLE, RESPECTED
INSTITUTION CAPABLE OF LEADING A
LONG-TERM CHANGE PROCESS

COMMIT TO THE VALUES OF EQUITY AND
INCLUSIVENESS

WORK SIMULTANEOUSLY ON BUILDING
PEOPLE AND BUILDING PLACE

PROVIDE TIME AND OPPORTUNITIES TO
LEARN, PRACTICE AND INVENT
WHY COMMUNITY
COLLEGES?

STABLE

RESPECTED

FLEXIBLE

NEUTRAL

COMPATIBLE
MISSION

NEXUS OF
SUPPLY AND
DEMAND
SUCCESSFUL COMMUNITIES
 ALIGN AROUND A COMMON
VISION FOR THE FUTURE,
BASED ON VALUES OF EQUITY
& EXCELLENCE

CREATE A CULTURE OF
INNOVATION & PUBLIC
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
SUCCESSFUL COMMUNITIES
 CREATE
OPPORTUNITY FOR
EVERYONE
 INCUSIVE
 BUILD
DECISION-MAKING
REGIONAL ALLIANCES
THE RURAL DEVELOPMENT
DILEMNA

A COMMUNITY CAN’T ATTRACT OR
DEVELOP JOBS WITHOUT AN
EDUCATED WORKFORCE

BUT – A COMMUNITY CAN’T RETAIN
EDUCATED WORKERS WITHOUT A
HEALTHY ECONOMY.
TWIN GOALS

INCREASE ACCESS TO AND THROUGH
THE COLLEGE – TO MORE EDUCATION,
TO BETTER JOBS

STIMULATE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT –
TO STRENGTHEN THE COMMUNITY, TO
BENEFIT A BROADER RANGE OF PEOPLE
THE MOVEMENT WAY

ISOLATED INDIVIDUALS DECIDE TO
STOP LEADING “DIVIDED LIVES”

THESE PEOPLE DISCOVER EACH
OTHER AND FORM GROUPS FOR
MUTUAL SUPPORT
THE MOVEMENT WAY

EMPOWERED BY COMMUNITY, THEY
LEARN TO TRANSLATE “PRIVATE
PROBLEMS” IN TO PUBLIC ISSUES

ALTERNATIVE REWARDS EMERGE TO
SUSTAIN THE MOVEMENT’S VISION
WHICH MAY FORCE THE CONVENTIONAL
REWARD SYSTEM TO CHANGE
RCCI STRUCTURE

TEAMS

DATA DRIVEN
PLANNING

OPPORTUNITIES
TO LEARN FROM
OTHER PEOPLE,
OTHER PLACES

COACHING

EXPOSURE TO
SMART
RESOURCE
PEOPLE

TIME AND SPACE
FOR REFLECTIVE
INNOVATION &
LEARNING
LESSONS

NO FORMULA FOR LOCALLY DRIVEN
DEVELOPMENT – LOCAL CONTEXT
IS EVERYTHING

LEADERSHIP ORGANIZATION
NEEDS CAPACITY AND LEGITIMACY
LESSONS

COLLEGES ARE WELL SUITED TO
ECONOMIC PRE-DEVELOPMNT AND
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

CRITICAL TO BUILD ALIGNMENT
THROUGHOUT THE COMMUNITY
LESSONS

ULTIMATELY RURAL DEVELOMENT MUST
BE SOMETHING MORE THAN A DISCRETE
PROJECT OR SET OF PROJECTS

PARTNERSHIPS BUILD CAPACITY

IMPORTANCE OF LEARNING COMMUNITY
LESSONS FROM LESS
SUCCESSFUL SITES

HAD TO WORK ON INTERNAL
ISSUES BEFORE TACKLING
COMMUNITY ISSUES

BOARD SUPPORT IS CRITICAL
LESSONS FROM LESS
SUCCESSFUL SITES

REQUIRES DEDICATED STAFF
RESOURCES

POWER AND RACE ISSUES CAN
LIMIT DEPTH OF CHANGE THAT
COLLEGES CAN FOSTER
NEW RECIPE FOR
DEVELOPMENT:

BASED ON COMPETIVENESS AND
EQUITY
NEW RECIPE

EXPANDED VISION OF ECONOMIC
DEVELOPMENT – “job creation isn’t enough”

EDUCATION -- “The only road out of poverty
runs by the schoolhouse”

REGIONALISM – “tiny economies cannot
compete in a global setting”

LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT – “cultivate
diamonds in the mud”
THE ENGAGED INSTITUTION

RCCI INSITUTIONS IN THE US

UNIVERSITIES IN NAMIBIA AND
SOUTH AFRICA

CANADIAN RURAL AND REMOTE
INSTITUTIONS
RURAL AMERICA
MATTERS
RURAL CANADA
MATTERS
RURAL NAMIBIA
MATTERS
RURAL PEOPLE &
RURAL PLACES
MATTER