Commentary

Building a relationship with the community

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — In 2014, a community scan conducted by Harper College revealed that people in Harper’s service area didn’t feel connected to the college. Community members expressed that they only heard from Harper when…


Washington Watch: Game on, House earmarks

In a somewhat unanticipated development, the House Appropriations Committee has announced procedures for Community Project Spending (CPS), better known as earmarks, for the upcoming 2026 fiscal year. Committee chair Rep. Tom Cole (R-Oklahoma) has informed…


DataPoints: State funding for higher education

Total state support for higher education increased by 4.3% for fiscal year 2025, based on data recently released by the State Higher Education Executive Officers Association (SHEEO) in its annual Grapevine report.  However, after adjusting…




The nitty gritty of online fundraising

There are a variety of steps and methods to secure one-time and continuing gifts through online fundraising. Below are some of the keys to our online fundraising efforts at Orange Coast College (OCC). The first…


Don’t let the AI race burn out your faculty innovators

Apple TV’s “most-watched show ever” wrapped up its second season recently, firmly establishing its status as a cultural phenomenon. “Severance” follows a small group of workers at a company called Lumon who choose to undergo…


Invest in growth

Nearly 90% of millennials rate professional development as important in their choice to stay at a job, according to a recent Gallup report. Yet professional development remains notoriously undervalued, especially in higher ed. It’s almost…


Supporting student healthcare scholarships

As Anna spread the cold ultrasound gel on my chest just above my heart, I couldn’t help but ask: “How did you get into this career?” It’s probably not the first question she usually hears…


Averting the transfer trap

After several years of pandemic-related declines, college transfer rates are once again on the rise. This is welcome news. College transfer has long been viewed as a crucial pathway to economic mobility. For millions of…