Commentary

New opportunities for sharing news

Soon after Northern Essex Community College’s (NECC) longtime local newspaper announced another round of cost-saving measures, a veteran reporter was asked how he was coping. He sighed and said staff members were doing the best…


Washington Watch: ED releases additional higher ed relief funds

The U.S. Education Department (ED) on Thursday released $3.2 billion in remaining Higher Education Emergency Relief Funds (HEERF) to support students at historic and under-resourced institutions. The new funding comes overwhelmingly through Titles III and…


Addressing increased anxiety over math

As we gear up for a gradual return to campus at Borough of Manhattan Community College (BMCC) in New York City, the course modes we established during the pandemic remain flexible in order to protect the health and well-being of everyone in the…





Preparing our colleges for the post-Covid world

With Covid-19 vaccines more widely available and case counts and hospitalizations declining, community college administrators, faculty and students are preparing for the fall 2021 semester. The last academic year brought many changes. Institutions were forced…



Washington Watch: ED reduces verification burden

Earlier this week, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) announced a temporary change in federal student aid IV verification policy that should dramatically reduce administrative burdens on student financial aid offices, while also enabling more…


Reducing the racial divide in Minneapolis

With the sentencing of former Minneapolis Police Officer Derrick Chauvin now complete, Minnesotans and people all over the world are asking one question: What now? The death of George Floyd made it painfully clear to…