Newsmakers
New CEO Jeremy L. Pickard will become president of Southwest Wisconsin Technical College on July 1. He is currently vice chancellor of academic affairs at Eastern Iowa Community Colleges. Over his career, Pickard has built…
Campus Issues
Headlines
Commentary: Trump and the right’s odd relationship with a good workforce idea. Jobs That Work (blog) A pretty good bipartisan bill has the potential to expand a great hiring strategy that the Trump administration has…
Expanding credit for prior learning
Turning prior learning, work experience, military service and other credentials into college credit can save students time and money. Despite that benefit, it’s been underutilized. Only about 11% of adult learners, for example, have benefited…
Richmond Fed’s new findings on community college students
The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond has released some findings from its analysis of community college data from a growing list of states participating in the bank’s Survey of Community College Outcomes (SCCO). The Richmond…
Headlines
Commentary: The causal effects of Federal Work-Study offers on college enrollment and program participation Community College Research Center (blog) Receiving a Federal Work-Study (FWS) offer before the start of the school year increases FWS participation…
Reporter’s notebook
Winners of the 2026 Bellwether Award ED guidance for recognizing new accreditors Winners of the 2026 Bellwether Award Three community colleges are winners of the 2026 Bellwether Award, which annually recognizes outstanding and innovative community…
Headlines
Workforce Pell: 50-state scan of high-skill, high-wage definitions Workforce Pell Watch A look at how state definitions could shape Workforce Pell program approval, student success and accountability. Lawmakers no longer exploring college performance-based funding, financial…
Making the case for funding increases
Community colleges will be front and center at a House appropriations hearing on March 4, where advocates will present to lawmakers key areas of federal funding for programs that support their institutions and students, from…
Newsmakers
CEO on the move Casey Sacks, president of BridgeValley Community and Technical College in West Virginia, is leaving the college to become chief financial officer at the U.S. Education Department (ED). In addition to serving…
Washington Watch: Red alert on Pell Grant funding
After years of running a healthy surplus, the Pell Grant program has slid into a serious deficit mode. Given the program’s essential role in promoting student success, this shortfall is of the greatest concern for…