All it took was a few JCCC staffers blowing smoke to create the Gastronomic Appreciation Society (GAS), a group of hard-core barbecue lovers on a mission to find the best ’cue in and around Kansas City. Read about the relationship between barbecue and building community, in the November issue of Innovation Showcase.

Moraine Valley Community College helps students achieve and succeed from the start with its First-Year Experience (FYE) program. A collegewide collaboration, FYE is designed to create a comprehensive, integrated experience for all first-time, full-time students, and more than 550 faculty and administrators have completed the training required for FYE instructors. Learn more about this award-winning program and the significant impact it has on student achievement, in the October issue of Learning Abstracts.

With the increasing cost of living and the decreasing value of employee earnings, and particularly in the current economic climate, community colleges must seek ways to relieve the tuition burden for as many students as possible. This month’s issue of Leadership Abstracts looks at ways community colleges can expand financial aid to include nontraditional students.