All it took was a few JCCC staffers blowing smoke to create the Gastronomic Appreciation Society (GAS), a group of hard-core barbecue lovers on a mission to find the best ’cue in and around Kansas City. Read about the relationship between barbecue and building community, in the November issue of Innovation Showcase.

This Community College Research Center study considers the factors that cause students to cease or persist in their educational pursuits. Using Tinto’s integration framework, the authors discuss the importance of academic and social networking as well as college assimilation and allegiance on the performance of community college students. Learn more in the November issue of Learning Abstracts.

In the December issue of Leadership Abstracts, learn about a new guide published through an initiative aimed at linking students directly to the careers they desire. At a time when obtaining new job skills is imperative, Bridges to Opportunity for Underprepared Adults speaks directly to community college leadership and offers case studies and a systematic approach to shaping state policy to achieve this objective.