Waubonsee Community College’s English Language Acquisition (ELA) classes don’t typically involve learning alongside baby goats, but that’s exactly how employees at Rustic Road Farm experienced their language classes, thanks to a unique partnership with the college. Rustic Road Farm, located in Elburn, partnered with Waubonsee to offer customized training, on-site and embedded during the employees’ […]
Mission and Values Articles
Moving beyond Hispanic-Serving Institutions to become Hispanic-thriving institutions
Across the nation, Hispanic and Latinx Heritage Month celebrates the contributions of Hispanics in the United States, highlighting our rich cultural history, traditions and growing influence on our nation’s multicultural identity. Since its inception, the annual event has recognized the vital role that Hispanics play in shaping America’s diverse cultural landscape. The month-long observance serves […]
A good vibe for fall enrollments
It’s still too early to get solid numbers on fall enrollments at community colleges, but it definitely feels like the uptick from the spring and last fall will continue. A growing number of community colleges across the country are releasing preliminary fall enrollment figures and providing a glimpse of their efforts that are supporting some […]
Faculty focus: Nursing professors gain accolades for research
Three Kingsborough Community College (KCC) nursing professors have been recognized for their research. Sarah A. Browne-Bradwisch, Erin Murphy-Smith and Catherine Wilson-Mooney have won APEX 2024’s Grand Award in the public concerns and trending topics category for their article “Helping children and adolescents who lost a caregiver during the COVID-19 pandemic,” published in the peer-reviewed journal […]
Preparing campuses for diverse student populations
Across higher education, the desire for diversity among student populations is usually the responsibility of recruitment efforts but falls short in retention strategies. Colleges typically use a variety of assessments such as standardized tests, essays and GPA to determine a student’s readiness for life in academia. However, there is an oversight that continues to happen. […]
Passing the torch
When Michelle Gutierrez started working part-time as a Central New Mexico Community College (CNM) student back in 1993, she had no idea it would turn into a lifelong career path. She also didn’t anticipate having the unique opportunity of working alongside her daughter, Valerie Gutierrez, and eventually watching her take over her role as student […]
Community college alum paddles his way to Paris
Onetime North Seattle College student Aaron Small is quickly getting accustomed to a new body of water — the Stade Nautique de Vaires-sur-Marne. Ordinarily you’d find him and his paddling partner, Jonas Ecker, on Seattle’s Green Lake. Both are at the Paris Olympics, representing the U.S. in the two-man 500m Canoe Sprint. With a seventh-place […]
Addressing single mother students’ needs
Students who are single mothers struggle more than students without children to complete college. It’s not because they lack motivation or academic potential, it’s because our higher education system wasn’t built for student parents. Although single mother students get better grades than their non-parenting peers, they face significant demands on their time and finances that make college […]
Doing the math: Saving students money on textbooks
When Lori Ann Simmons was in college, she would go to the bookstore a few days before each semester started and would drop $600 to $800 on books. That was just one semester and before textbook prices surged, she said. “I had enough money to purchase the books I needed,” she said. “But if you […]
Making wellness accessible
San Diego Mesa College recently introduced a Wellness Vending Machine stocked with reduced cost and free essential items. The vending machine, created by San Diego company Dotstash, brings equity and affordability in the health space to students and the greater Mesa College community. The installation, located on the fourth floor of the campus Student Services […]