Educators know that students who feel a meaningful connection to other students, faculty and staff at their higher education institution are more likely to complete their studies and earn their degrees. But do these connections need to be face-to-face in this social media-saturated world? Getting Connected: Harnessing the Power of Social Media to Enhance Community […]

Every college course students pass get them that much closer to a degree. But completion can be hardest for those who stop out. New research from the National Student Clearinghouse Research Center on enrollment data at two- and four-year institutions finds that between 1993 and 2013, some 31 million students attended college but left before […]

A recent study shows that students who earn an associate degree before transferring to a four-year institution are more likely to earn a bachelor’s degree. Students have a further leg up when that associate degree aligns perfectly with the bachelor’s degree program at a nearby university. That’s what’s happening at Berkshire Community College (BCC) in […]

Community colleges are known for having a diverse group of students who often struggle to balance classes, work, family and finances. When these competing demands cause students to drop out, students not only don’t complete their degrees or certificates, but colleges also lose money. Columbia Basin College (CBC) in Pasco, Wash., has found a way […]

When the economy tanked back in 2008, community college was a popular option for many out-of-work adults looking to upskill in pursuit of new career opportunities. But research suggests that, as the economy has picked up, older students are increasingly ditching back-to-school plans in favor of paying careers. The National Student Clearinghouse Research Center reports […]

We spend a lot of time talking about the skills gap in this country: Employers have trouble filling open positions because they can’t find enough skilled candidates to do the work. It’s a big problem. But skills aren’t the only issue that keeps students from landing good jobs. Job seekers often have the skills and […]

With so much talk about the push for community college reform, you might think the nation’s two-year career and technical colleges are in need of better innovations. That might be true — to a point. But there are a lot more big ideas out there than you actually know. The challenge often lies in taking […]

At this year’s Clinton Global Initiative Annual Meeting, leaders from the public, private and NGO sectors gathered to talk about the most important issues of our time and how they are seeking to address them. It was no surprise that the key issue at the top of their agenda was the very issue we seek […]

As more students use community colleges as a gateway to a four-year education, administrators in California are considering a problem that has vexed educators in the state for years: How can one college have such a strong track record of student transfer, while institutions in the same system — sometimes in the same county — […]