There is no doubt that the current circumstances have been challenging for everyone. The pandemic and all its associated implications continue to be difficult to navigate. As a community college, these issues seem exacerbated as our sector serves such a diverse population.
In addition to the issues that we face as leaders, we take on the issues that our students face and work to eliminate the barriers that stand in the way of their success. With a pandemic, social unrest, fiscal upheaval and operational uncertainties, it is no surprise that leadership can be overwhelming in times like these.
This article comes from the pages of the August/September issue of the Community College Journal, the flagship publication of the American Association of Community Colleges.
I was fortunate enough to see “Hamilton” on Broadway a few years ago. It’s the story of a few friends that worked together to create a new nation despite overwhelming odds. The story itself wasn’t new, but the way in which it was told certainly shifted the paradigm of history for me. Imagine people of color portraying the nation’s founding fathers and telling a tale that was centuries old in a way that was not only relevant but also inspirational and modern?
A time to reflect
There is a lesson to be learned from this creative and intentional portrayal of the nation’s founding.
I can’t help but think that today’s community college is much like the main characters: coming together from different backgrounds and viewpoints to work toward something that was greater than the sum of its parts and that will endure for future generations. The parallels continue if you consider what they faced — a smallpox outbreak, a financial crisis, socio-economic inequities.
The founding fathers didn’t know everything, but they knew that if they worked toward creating a just system of government that put the people first, they were heading in the right direction. Today, community colleges work toward creating a system of education that focuses on student success.
Creating a new system of government could not have been easy, and history shows us that there were some contentious topics, critical conversations and compromises on ways to accomplish their shared goal. If we put ourselves in their shoes, what would we do to create a more perfect community college?
Better vision
The pandemic has brought with it a lens that allows for better vision of what is vital to student success. That lens is a gift and now is the perfect time to use it to rethink, redevelop and re-explore how we provide education.
Consider the systemic issues that you have long discussed but have not had the resources to change. Maybe it is the formula funding allocations in your state or developmental education programs that are no longer yielding pathways to student completions. It may be big things or small processes that you now know are not critical to the mission of delivering education to students. Whatever it is, now is the time to reconsider its effectiveness in your operation.
As you rethink your operations, class scheduling and sanitization, don’t overlook the things that may be hindering your students at the systemic level. Is there racial bias in your application processes? Does your college allow for the true inclusion of LGBTQ+ students? Are there transactional processes that hinder completion? Are your hiring practices reflective of the students and community you serve?
Student success in sight
These questions are not new, but they certainly have come to the surface as colleges shifted their focus to provide remote classes to students and learned first-hand about what truly hinders student progress and success.
Since 2012, when the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) embarked upon the mission to provide real data and reporting following the report and recommendations of the 21st-Century Commission on the Future of Community Colleges, we have been working toward advancing student success. I am not diminishing the amazing work that has happened since then. Community colleges have been laser-focused on increasing student success and are to be commended.
But, we know our work is not done. We must continue to strive for student success for all students. We must continue to work toward a more perfect community college system. It is not a goal that is attainable, it is now and will continue to be a work in progress — much like our nation. But it is great, and powerful and poised to be the hero of the next generation of students now more than ever before.
We will continue to work at AACC to provide meaningful programs and services that help you to lead your colleges today and create the community colleges of the future.
