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Welcome to the Terry O'Banion Archive on Community Colleges
Terry O’Banion was one of the most prolific and provocative writers in the history of the community college movement. His legacy lives on through more than 300 publications that continue to shape the field and inspire new generations of educators and leaders.
The most influential of his works are featured here for anyone interested in the community college, especially:
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Community college administrators, faculty, and trustees committed to improving and expanding student success
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Higher education scholars and graduate students engaged in research and innovation
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Staff in professional associations, foundations, and policy centers championing the mission of the community college
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All publications are available here free of charge and may be shared widely. They are organized into categories that reflect O’Banion’s enduring priorities—such as The Learning College, Student Success, Rogue Trustees & Curmudgeons, Community Colleges, General/Liberal Education, and more.
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Through these writings, Terry O’Banion’s voice continues to challenge, provoke, and inspire.
Terry O’Banion (1936–2025) was a visionary leader and one of the most influential voices in the community college movement. In a 1998 survey of 11,000 higher education leaders, Change magazine named him one of eleven "Idea Champions"—leaders who set the agenda for all of higher education. He was the only community college leader on the list.
Over six decades, O’Banion was one of the most prolific and provocative writers in the community college world. He authored 18 books, 24 monographs and reports, 28 chapters, and 230 articles, and consulted with over 1,000 community colleges across the U.S., Canada, Japan, Australia, and the United Arab Emirates. As of 2023, readers from 133 countries had accessed his publications. In recognition of his impact, six national awards were established in his name.
O’Banion’s legacy is rooted in his unwavering commitment to expanding opportunities for community college students. He consistently challenged administrators and faculty to place student learning at the center of their mission. He described himself as a provocateur—“an advocate, reformer, provoker, proponent, and challenger”—and his work embodied these ideals.
He began his community college career in 1960 as dean of students at Central Florida Junior College in Ocala, Florida, and remained a steadfast champion of the open door and inclusive values of the community college. His career spanned roles as dean, vice chancellor, professor, and president of the League for Innovation in the Community College, where he served for 23 years.
Even in his later years, O’Banion remained a prolific contributor to the field, producing more than 10 articles annually. His writings continue to inspire thousands of educators and will remain a vital resource for generations to come.
Terry O’Banion’s enduring influence on community colleges and student-centered learning is celebrated and remembered with deep gratitude.
What Higher Education Leaders Say about Terry O'Banion
"Few individuals are as qualified to identify, analyze, and put into context the key concepts that drive the contemporary community college as is Terry O'Banion. As CEO of the League for Innovation in the Community College for 23 years, a prolific author of seminal works for the two-year college sector, and an engaged and engaging presenter, O’Banion has few equals. He has been a recognized thought leader and a passionate defender of community colleges for more than six decades."
--Walter Bumphus, President and CEO, American Association of
Community Colleges
"I have known my good friend and colleague, Terry O'Banion, for over five decades and have watched him become one of the most provocative and prolific community college leaders in the nation. He has opened up new vistas by studying and writing about rogue trustees, community college curmudgeons, merging career and technical education with the liberal arts, leaders who disturb the universe, and the learning college for which I wrote the Preface for his seminal work A Learning College for the 21st Century. As the long-time executive director of the League for Innovation in the Community College and as a writer, scholar, and insightful observer of the community college scene, Terry O'Banion has a broad perspective, possessed by few people, of the role of community colleges in education. And because he is a popular speaker and consultant to individual colleges, he also brings to this task a working knowledge of how individual colleges deal with the practical realities and exciting challenges of change."
--K. Patricia Cross, Endowed Professor Emerita,Harvard University and The University of California, Berkeley
"It would be impossible to list all of the research and development initiatives that Dr. O’Banion fostered. His impact on the nation’s community colleges is profound. I can think of no other scholar whose work has had greater positive impact on community colleges and the millions of students who attend our institutions each year."
--John E. Roueche, Executive Director, Roueche Center for Community Colleges, Kansas State University
"The Phi Theta Kappa Board of Directors has voted unanimously to invite Terry O'Banion to become an International Honorary Member of Phi Theta Kappa which is the highest honor provided a non-member. As a true community college pioneer, we are honored to recognize him. Over the course of his historic career, he contributed to the growth and success of community colleges in so many ways. I consider his 1997 publication, A Learning College for the 21st Century, the genesis moment of the modern student success movement—a movement that encourages colleges to focus more than on accessibility by helping students through and to completion of their degrees. In doing this, he helped create Phi Theta Kappa’s operational framework—we thank him for that!"
--Lynn Tincher-Ladner, President and CEO, Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society
