Framing the ‘One Door’ concept
The entire country is looking for more workers in the skilled trades. This spans the needs of electricians and HVAC technicians to heavy equipment operators and fiber optic technicians. Many of these are the backbone…
Commentary
Community colleges: Where the first rung of the career ladder gets rebuilt
Community college leaders should pay attention to something that happened in the youth labor market this summer. After a quarter-century decline, summer employment of 16- to 19-year-olds ticked up to 35.5% from 33.8% last year,…
How environmental branding can create student pride
It is the week before graduation, and students at Community College of Philadelphia (CCP) are lined up at the Grad Fair waiting to pick up their caps and gowns. They put on the regalia, head…
Breaking a different language barrier
Community colleges have built our identity around one word: access. It’s in our mission statements, our marketing, our grant applications. We talk about open doors, removing barriers, meeting students where they are. But look through…
The future of learning is moving into the workplace
Community colleges aim to connect the education they offer to work. Now the workplace itself is a major site of learning. That creates an opportunity and a challenge for community colleges. Artificial intelligence, workforce platforms,…
AI should solve problems, not create them
Artificial intelligence has become part of nearly every conversation in higher education. It touches teaching and learning, cybersecurity, administrative operations, software development and student services. This doesn’t mean every project needs AI. Rather, institutional leaders…
Beyond the title: Five lessons from five years as a community college president
When did you first declare that you would become a community college president? For me, it was the summer of 2004, in the cafeteria at Lone Star College–Kingwood, surrounded by a few classmates and my…
Accreditation overhaul moves ahead
The Trump administration has issued a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) on accreditation that will be published in the Federal Register on August 20. The regulations, which will likely go into effect next July 1,…
Drone program flies high with new NSF ATE grant
A New Jersey community college this fall will begin training students and safety and security professionals to combat drone threats, building on its well-regarded unmanned systems program. And now Warren County Community College (WCCC) has…
Pillars of opportunity and civic engagement
For those of us who serve in community colleges, the connection between educational opportunity and robust civic engagement is a daily reality. Community colleges have long stood as pillars of civic infrastructure, anchoring access, fostering…