Completion Articles

Building a solid foundation

When Sauk Valley Community College was founded in 1965, the Sauk Valley College Foundation was simultaneously established alongside it as an independent 501(c)(3). The college’s founders had the foresight to know that philanthropy would be critical to building a college-going culture in the rural northwestern Illinois community it served. By the time David Hellmich became […]

Out of the shadows

On the first day of spring classes, Joan Barrett was walking around the Ozarks Technical Community College (OTC) campus as usual, greeting students and making sure they knew where to go. It’s what Barrett, the vice chancellor for student affairs, does at the beginning of every academic term. But this wasn’t an ordinary start to […]

Student story: A passion for helping others

“I love taking care of other people. I always have.” Analyn McCoy, a nursing student at Umpqua Community College (UCC), was born and raised in the Philippines. She grew up with very limited resources, not even having access to basic commodities such as water, electricity and medical care. In 2005, McCoy came to the United […]

Moving forward on OER

Accustomed to budgeting hundreds of dollars for textbooks each semester, Ana Andrade found a nice surprise in her inbox after registering for fall 2020 classes. The simple message from her instructor: No need to purchase the official textbook because a free online resource is offered. Since fall 2017 when the zero-cost textbook program known as […]

Connecting to a learning community

At age 17, Tyler White wondered if she’d ever find success in college. The Laurel, Md., resident struggled with her grades throughout high school and often kept to herself, despite having a genuine interest in helping others. Then one day, during her senior year, she attended a presentation about Howard Community College’s (HCC’s) Silas Craft Collegians […]

Affording life with Life Gap Plus

At the Community College of Vermont (CCV), student success is a priority for staff and faculty. Students like Amanda Reid also share this goal. “I’ve always been a people person. Helping people has always been my thing,” she said. As a community health worker at a doctor’s office, Amanda is able to help people with […]

CCIC opens opportunities for participants

Participating in the Community College Innovation Challenge (CCIC) has moved the lives of some community college alumni in very impressive directions. The American Association of Community Colleges, in partnership with the National Science Foundation, is again offering community college students the opportunity to discover and demonstrate their capacity to use science, technology, engineering and mathematics […]

Dedicated support for diverse students

As part of a campus-wide commitment to support historically minoritized and marginalized students, Berkshire Community College (BCC) recently created the Multicultural Affairs, Diversity and Engagement (MADE) Center. Funded by a SUCCESS (Supporting Urgent Community College Equity through Student Services) grant through the college, the MADE Center will offer academic and social support services for all […]

Personalized coaching for personalized success

Montgomery College (MC) adjunct professor Silas Burris has an interesting metaphor for describing his recent experience as an embedded Achieving the Promise Academy coach: “The course is the planet, and I am a satellite that is always circling. I’m always there, but I am a whole different experience.” Burris has been teaching general psychology and […]

New childcare option for student parents

Holyoke Community College (HCC) will soon introduce a free, drop-in child-watch program for parents who need safe and affordable supervision for their children while they tend to their college studies. When the Itsy Bitsy Child Watch opens in March, HCC will be just the second community college in Massachusetts to offer a child watch service […]