- Long-term financial viability is a top concern for college leaders
- Pro baseball team eyes college campus for new stadium
- Chicago’s new dual-credit barbering program
Long-term financial viability is a top concern for college leaders
Long-term financial viability is a top pressing concern for senior leaders at public two-year colleges, according to a new survey by the American Council on Education.
Forty-three percent of community college leaders participating in the survey said it was a top concern. That was about the same (42%) among the 386 senior leaders representing all higher education sectors. Fifty-eight community college leaders participated in the survey.
Workforce alignment and credential innovation was cited by 41% of survey participants as a federal policy priority for 2026. Among community college leaders, it was 78%.
Looking back on “legislative wins” for 2025, the most frequently cited accomplishment was Workforce Pell, short-term workforce training and workforce development, overall. Preserving funding and student aid, coupled with funding stability and free community college programs, were also noted as key wins.
Pro baseball team eyes college campus for new stadium
Florida’s Hillsborough College could become the home of the Tampa Bay Rays baseball team.
The college this week signed a nonbinding memorandum of understanding with the Major League Baseball (MLB) club to potentially develop a new ballpark, mixed-use development and new facilities for the college on its 113-acre Dale Mabry Campus.
“This is about so much more than a ballpark. It’s about economic development, opportunity for our students and creating something meaningful that benefits Tampa Bay for generations,” Greg Celestan, chair of the college’s board of trustees, said after the unanimous board vote.
The partners have 180 days to exclusively negotiate and vote on a final agreement, according to MLB. The goal is to have a new stadium ready for the 2029 season.
The project would immensely benefit students with educational experiences while strengthening the college’s role as an economic and civic anchor for the community, said Hillsborough College Ken Atwater.
“A project of this scale and vision creates new pathways for learning, workforce development, internships and career-connected education that directly benefit our students, faculty and staff,” he said.
The Rays would be responsible for construction of the mixed-use development, which could include hotels, retail space, multi-family buildings, sports and health-related buildings, commercial buildings, parking structures and restaurants, according to the team. The Rays would have “sole and exclusive control” over the mixed-use development.
Chicago’s new dual-credit barbering program
Olive-Harvey College (OHC) and City Colleges of Chicago (CCC) on Thursday launched a new program designed for aspiring barbers still in high school.
The program aims to prepare early-college students to earn an associate degree or certificate in barbering while providing technical and business skills to work in the field. Students who complete the certificate or degree program can take the Illinois Barber Examination.
College officials said the program will create new opportunities for students to build careers or open small businesses, noting that employment for barbers and hairstylists will grow nationally by about 7% to 10% from 2020 to 2030, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Chicago Public Schools (CPS) said the program is part of a growing number of innovative career-focused programs that the school system and CCC have developed together.
“This partnership reflects a collaboration that began more than a decade ago and continues to this day, as CPS and CCC work together to make higher education and trade skills more accessible by offering college courses to high school students in their communities,” said Macquline King, interim CEO/superintendent of Chicago Public Schools.
