Here are three reports you should know about this month. A new federal report, Working Before, During, and After Beginning at a Public 2-Year Institution: Labor Market Experiences of Community College Students, shows that in 2011–12, about 44 percent of students enrolled in a public, two-year college worked their first year of attendance. How did […]
Completion Articles
Two-year college students can benefit from research projects
At a recent doctor’s appointment at Duke Hospital in Durham, North Carolina, I was asked to join a medical study. You know, the kind of research study that changes communities and industries and keeps Duke consistently ranked among the best. It was one of those moments – the Baader-Meinhof phenomenon, it’s called – where suddenly […]
All in the family
Tuition-free community college, with Tennessee Reconnect, is inspiring thousands of adults across the state to attend college this fall. Volunteer State Community College has nearly 1,000 new eligible applicants so far. But it isn’t just individuals signing up. Couples, and even whole families, are taking the opportunity to earn a college degree. Jim and Kim […]
Tools for navigating career education in California
There are 114 colleges in the California Community Colleges system, all offering numerous programs that could lead to hundreds of different careers. That could be overwhelming to prospective students. To help people make sense of it all and make informed decisions about their education and career choices, the system developed two online resources. The Salary […]
One year closer to her dreams
When Cynthia Garcia of Oswego graduated from high school, she wasn’t thinking about going to college. As a home-schooled student—and with no one in her family before her having attended college—it was not at the top of her mind. However, she saw an announcement about Waubonsee Community College’s Dunham Fund QuickPath Degree Program and was […]
Learning through failure
It’s okay to fail, says Allison Martin, director of institutional effectiveness initiatives at Bossier Parish Community College (BPCC) in Louisiana. In fact, the college has a whole initiative that helps students succeed through failure. Martin was recently interviewed about it for AACC’s new podcast, Community College Voice. The learning starts through gamification of instruction. In […]
Two ways to success
It’s been proven time and time again: A shorter, clearer path for students means a higher chance for success. Agreements between community colleges and four-year institutions can help clear that path. In Illinois, Oakton Community College and Elmhurst College have signed two agreements that also will help shorten the path to a degree. One agreement […]
A multitude of firsts
Every college commencement ceremony is a cause for celebration – particularly for the students walking across the stage. But this year, some community colleges have another reason to celebrate: They are graduating their first classes of new programs. Seven students at Bakersfield College in California will be the first to earn baccalaureate degrees from the […]
Engaging the board to act on completion
Community colleges that have engaged their boards in using data to drive institutional change shared their experiences at a session at the American Association of Community Colleges’ (AACC) annual convention on Sunday. The longer trustees have served, the more likely they are to understand the community college’s mission and how data can be used to […]
Six ways to promote pathways to student success
At Middlesex Community College in Massachusetts, student success is our top priority. And harnessing the talents of our office of marketing communications – an in-house creative team consisting of five full-time and three part-time staff – is an important piece in supporting this strategic priority. Here are six key lessons learned along the way to […]