Northeastern Technical College (NETC) serves three counties in South Carolina with rural areas where internet access is either not available or too expensive. When the pandemic hit in spring 2020 and the campus’ buildings closed and classes moved online, the college connected with students through email and social media and made sure resources were available […]
Completion Articles
Report roundup
Here are three reports to check out this month. Eight of 10 Americans (79%) say community colleges are worth the cost — the most support among any higher education sector, according to an annual survey by New America. Eighty-three percent of survey participants said they strongly/somewhat agree that public community colleges contribute to a strong […]
San Antonio takes the prize
San Antonio College (SAC), which is one of five colleges in the Alamo Colleges District in Texas, is the winner of the 2021 Aspen Prize for Community College Excellence. When SAC President Robert Vela was told via Zoom that SAC was the winner, he put his hands together, closed his eyes, leaned back in his […]
Student stories: Taking risks to reach their goals
Every community college graduate has a story. As commencements are held across the nation this month, here are a few stories of some new graduates. Taking a long shot Abigail Brand is the youngest graduate of the 2021 class at Pennsylvania’s Montgomery County Community College (MCCC). At 15 years old, Brand earned her associate degree […]
Preparing and supporting early childhood educators
The coronavirus pandemic threw into stark relief how much we depend on certain professions to keep our society functioning, especially in a crisis. In many cases, the most unsung of these essential frontline workers were teachers in early education, who continued to care for and teach our youngest citizens in challenging and risky environments. In […]
Expanding pathways to computing for women of color
Women account for less than 18% percent of those earning bachelor’s degrees in computing, according to the National Science Foundation. And the Integrated Education Data System reports that just 8.4% of all bachelor’s degrees in computing went to Latinx students. Initiatives at MiraCosta College are helping to reverse that trend: more than 60% of computer […]
Expansion of bachelor’s degree programs at community colleges
More community colleges are adding – or seeking to add – bachelor’s degree programs to their offerings. While community colleges in Florida and Washington have been approved to offer bachelor’s degree programs for several years, others are new to it. Last week, Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey signed legislation this week that permits the state’s colleges […]
A neighborhood college experience
The pandemic changed a lot about how business was done. How education was done. How life was done. Through the last year, people found themselves with altered plans and new visions of what the future would look like. So, knowing its surrounding neighborhood needed help and support, Phoenix College (PC) did what it does best: […]
Going on the offensive for student recruitment
Athletics have restarted at many community colleges since pausing last year due to the pandemic. While there’s been a focus on the return of football, basketball and baseball, some lesser-celebrated sports are growing. Bowling, cross country, esports and swimming and diving are becoming more popular, partly because they’re fairly pandemic-proof, says National Junior College Athletic […]
Supporting rising researchers
Since April 2000, El Paso Community College (EPCC) has provided students with paid research experiences and supplemental instruction to prepare them for biomedical research careers through the RISE Bridge Program. The grant-funded Rise to the Challenge Bridge Program expands on the RISE program, but still provides the same benefits for students – and for their […]