Creating a positive culture on campus
It’s the most wonderful time of the year! Commencement season is upon us, and I will admit that it was always one of my favorite events on campus. Graduation was an annual reminder of the…
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Community colleges as engines for economic development
For more than two decades, I’ve seen firsthand how community colleges change lives. I began my career as an adjunct sociology instructor at a large urban-suburban community college. Today, I serve as vice president for…
Washington Watch: Hope remains for workforce Pell
Editor’s note: This article was updated at 8 a.m. on June 30, 2025. The Senate parliamentarian has approved a modified version of workforce Pell provisions in the budget reconciliation bill that the Senate Budget Committee…
Washington Watch: Workforce Pell dealt major blow in reconciliation bill
The Senate parliamentarian has determined that provisions in the Senate’s budget reconciliation bill that would establish workforce Pell grants do not comply with the rules governing the budget reconciliation process, according to material released by…
Washington Watch: House ed committee passes accreditation bill
The House Education and Workforce Committee on Wednesday approved legislation on accreditation that is, in part, designed to put into effect President Donald Trump’s executive order on accreditation. H.R. 4054, the Accreditation Choice and Innovation…
Washington Watch: Reconciliation roller coaster
Senate Republicans continue to work through a bevy of political, policy and procedural hurdles to enact their version of the fiscal year 2025 budget reconciliation legislation ahead of a self-imposed July 4 deadline. The House…
Expanding what success means for our nation’s community colleges
As debates rage about the value of higher education and confidence continues to erode in the impact of higher education institutions, community colleges need to remind the public and policymakers of their mission and demonstrate…
Washington Watch: Lawsuit hits HSI program
The U.S. Education Department’s (ED) Hispanic-Serving Institutions (HSI) program, which has been funded for 30 years, is the centerpiece of a lawsuit just filed by the state of Tennessee and Students for Fair Admissions. The…
Washington Watch: AACC joins higher ed groups supporting of Harvard
The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) has joined with the American Council on Education and 26 other organizations in an amicus brief supporting Harvard University’s lawsuit against the Trump administration. The suit was filed…
Washington Watch: Major victory for community colleges in Senate
The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions on Tuesday evening unveiled its reconciliation proposal containing changes to higher education student aid and repayment policies. While the bill builds on the higher education provisions…