Today’s college libraries offer extensive online resources available 24/7, which is a benefit as community college courses across the nation move from in-person to online in response to the coronavirus pandemic. “In this unprecedented move to transition almost all classes online, I believe we are well-positioned to serve the instructional needs of both students and […]
Completion Articles
Staying true to our mission
At Rowan-Cabarrus Community College, emergency preparedness is paramount, but the COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted life as we know it. It’s tasked us to think outside the box to keep our students, faculty and staff safe and to continue our service to our 22,000 students and our two-county service area near Charlotte, North Carolina. As we […]
Finding hope in college
Paula, a second-year student at Highline College in Des Moines, Washington, doesn’t have much time for rest or sleep in general, but she is determined to finish her education. She has three jobs and is taking 13 credits at the school, but she’s not deterred. “I work overnights. I work on the weekends, and I […]
Scaling up pathways at rural colleges
In implementing whole-college redesign through guided pathways, rural colleges face some unique challenges but also have some advantages. “Rural college are more nimble,” says Gretchen Schmidt, executive director of AACC’s Pathways Project. “They can implement change more quickly with more depth than large urban or suburban colleges that have to bring many more people to […]
Covering tuition via campus work
Northeast Texas Community College (NTCC) President Ron Clinton and Jonathan McCullough, executive vice president for advancement, started Work4College (W4C) in 2014 “to give students an opportunity to stay on campus in the summer and work in jobs that pay more than jobs in the community,” Clinton says. The program is open to first-year college students […]
Report roundup
Here are three reports you should know about this month. Twenty-three states now allow community colleges to offer bachelor’s degrees. There are many benefits to this, including meeting workforce demands and addressing college affordability. A policy brief from the Education Commission of the States looks at arguments for and against community college bachelor’s degree programs […]
Driving past the naysayers
Jason Clark grew up in a family culture surrounded by cars, hauling them to scrap yards, picking up run-down junk cars and driving in demolition derbies. With all of this mobility, he learned to drive and haul vehicles on 18-foot trailers – a responsibility he loved. Clark worked construction, a career he enjoyed, yet he […]
Report roundup
Here are three reports you should know about this month. A number of colleges have attempted to replicate the City University of New York’s (CUNY’s) Accelerated Study in Associate Programs (ASAP), which provides students with up to three years of financial and academic support and other support services. An experimental evaluation of CUNY ASAP found […]
At rural colleges, workforce development on a budget
It has nothing to do with Monty Python, but the Flying Circus drone-race events during the past three years in Covington, Virginia, are one of many reasons and indications that rural community colleges and their students are looking toward the bright side of life. Dabney S. Lancaster Community College in nearby Clifton Forge, a co-host […]
Report roundup
Here are three reports you should know about this month. Though fall enrollment at community colleges continues to decline, the number of first-time postsecondary students at public two-year colleges is up. That’s according to a National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) Research Center report. Overall fall 2019 enrollment at public two-year colleges this fall dropped 1.4 percent […]