Missions and structures: Bringing clarity to perceptions about globalization and higher education in Canada

In perhaps the first empirical investigation of the impact of global forces upon U.S. and Canadian community colleges, I examine their missions and structures, noting alterations associated with globalization. In my examination of Canadian colleges, I find that global forces, such as international economies, international political struggles and their consequences, and global communication systems, do affect these institutions. These forces are influential in altering college behaviors, including changes to institutional mission and institutional structures. That is, colleges are increasingly oriented to the marketplace, more responsive to public demands and preferences, and increasingly more directed by provincial governments to serve both political and economic priorities.This paper is based upon a multi-case, qualitative, longitudinal study of seven (7) community colleges, four (4) of which are Canadian colleges. The purpose of the study was two-fold: first, to identify and analyze actual institutional behaviors of community colleges as they adjust to demands inherent in the globalization process; and second, to identify the evolving development of the community college as a social institution, specifically by focusing upon the actions and conditions that have led to mission alteration.