Bridging the generational gaps
The news media and pop culture are infused with myriad stereotypes about Baby Boomers, Gen Xers, Millennials and Gen Zers — what they think, how they act and how they interact in the workplace —…
Articles by Ed Finkel
Getting hacked — and then what?
In early January 2021, Mott Community College (MCC) in Flint, Michigan, faced every institution’s worst cybersecurity nightmare: its network was breached and taken down, users were effectively locked out, and sensitive information was compromised. “This…
Help wanted at community colleges
Like employers of many stripes, community colleges are facing their own challenges with the so-called Great Resignation, particularly in key faculty and staff roles like nursing instructors, financial aid counselors and custodians. A research report…
Building a solid foundation
When Sauk Valley Community College was founded in 1965, the Sauk Valley College Foundation was simultaneously established alongside it as an independent 501(c)(3). The college’s founders had the foresight to know that philanthropy would be…
Building a Black leadership pipeline
Out of approximately 1,200 community colleges in the U.S., about 10% currently have Black chief executives — and more than 25% of that group has participated in the Lakin Institute for Mentored Leadership, a national…
Faculty innovation begets student success
To achieve professional success, faculty need a culture — along with a budget — to try out new, innovative ideas. Both at the individual campus or district level, as well as statewide, community colleges are…
A clearer CPL path for student veterans
Virginia in recent months has upgraded its Credits2Careers portal aimed at adult learners, including the military who would like to attend community colleges. It is prepared to go live with a second effort, the Transfer…
Database helps vets gain credit for prior learning
Military veterans throughout California soon will march into pre-approved community college course credits, as they have previously in other states like Texas, Virginia and Ohio, giving them the ability to spend hard-earned GI Bill benefits…
Diving into Texas community college finance
The funding formula for Texas’ 50 community college districts has stayed virtually the same since 1973, while the state’s share of two-year schools’ total budgets has steadily declined from nearly two-thirds to less than one-quarter…
A place to call home
Community college students are more likely to be low-income, people of color and first generation in their family to attend higher education than their four-year peers. For a combination of these reasons, they are more…