Innovations Library

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Fostering an Inclusive Community of College Professionals to Reduce Completion Inequities
Marita Abram July 2021
Volume: 24 Issue: 7
Count all 375
Community colleges of the 21st century serve an ever-changing student population that requires a wide range of accommodations and support to persist and complete their academic programs. More recently, colleges and universities—particularly two-year colleges—have become more proactive about diversity and inclusion on their campuses and have taken major strides to improve the success of students of underrepresented populations.
Tags: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Organizational Culture, Student Completion, Student Retention, Innovations
Teacher Talks: Professional Development for Faculty, by Faculty
J.B. Meeuwenberg June 2021
Volume: 24 Issue: 6
Count all 229
Almost 20 years ago, Brent and Felder (2003) wrote that, “College teaching may be the only skilled vocation that neither requires prior training of its practitioners nor provides it to them on the job” (p. 236). Lacking this training, many faculty teach using the same pedagogical approaches that were used by their professors, which may or may not be effective (Eynon & Iuzine, 2020).
Tags: Teaching and Learning, Innovations
Hands-On Learning in a Pandemic and the Impact on Future Instruction
Justin Hoehn May 2021
Volume: 24 Issue: 5
Count all 176
Like other higher education institutions, Kirkwood Community College has been on a rollercoaster ride since last spring, with unprecedented circumstances seemingly combining forces to prevent the college from educating the masses. Despite the chaos, Kirkwood’s administration, faculty, and staff needed to find a way to move forward and to help students achieve their academic goals. It would take creativity to overcome the many roadblocks—especially one of the most challenging issues facing the college: how to deliver hands-on learning in a pandemic.
Tags: Teaching and Learning, Access, Learning Environments, Learning Resources, Technology Systems, Innovations
Convergence of COVID-19 and Cries for Social Justice: Transforming Teaching and Learning at ACC
Susan M. Thomason April 2021
Volume: 24 Issue: 4
Count all 308
In January 2020, we were busy developing a new Academic Master Plan, continuing student success initiatives, and working across the college to implement evidence-based practices to improve student outcomes in a framework of equity, diversity, and inclusion. Like other colleges and universities around the country, things were moving along at a traditional pace as we managed planning efforts for the future of Austin Community College (ACC).
Tags: Student Services, Access, Diversity, Equity, Learning Resources, Innovations
Helping More Students Complete: North Carolina’s Multiple Pathways to High School Equivalency Program
Brad Bostian, Susan Huneycutt, and Debbie Woodward March 2021
Volume: 24 Issue: 3
Count all 278
In 2014, the North Carolina Community College System (NCCCS) began studying the creation of alternative pathways to earning a high school equivalency credential. Under the direction of President David Johnson of Johnston Community College, a broad-based group of College and Career Readiness (CCR) administrators and others convened.
Tags: Teaching and Learning, Access, College Readiness, Innovations
OER, Increased Unit Enrollment, and Student Outcomes: Help for Students and Colleges During the COVID-19 Pandemic
Heidi Neu Stephens February 2021
Volume: 24 Issue: 2
Count all 692
Community college systems have invested in the development and implementation of free open educational resources (OER) as a means of relieving inequitable student financial burdens and removing barriers to completion and access. Community college students across the U.S. cite paying for college as the top reason for not succeeding (Porter & Umbach, 2019). And the cost of textbooks—especially as a proportion of income for disproportionately impacted student groups—is enormous.
Tags: Teaching and Learning, Innovations
Equity Pilot Utilizes Growth Mindset and Neuroscience
Jessica Crotty January 2021
Volume: 24 Issue: 1
Count all 347
Improving an already successful course requires creativity, collaboration, and nontraditional classroom techniques. That’s how two Moraine Valley Community College (MVCC) faculty members approached Introduction to Computer Science, a class that struggles with student cheating, above average withdrawal rates, and low retention rates across the nation due to academic rigor.
Tags: Teaching and Learning, Classroom Research, Learning Environments, Teaching Strategies, Innovations
Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math
Benjamin K. Roberts and Sarka Faltinova December 2020
Volume: 23 Issue: 12
Count all 423
The Integrated Basic Education and Skills Training (I-BEST) model was developed by the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) in 2004 to help adult basic skills students to complete certificates in career and technical education programs (Community College Research Center, 2015). According to SBCTC (2014), I-BEST is
Tags: Teaching and Learning, Teaching Strategies, Innovations
Cultivating Self-Efficacy to Improve Community College Student Success
Lynn Tincher-Ladner November 2020
Volume: 23 Issue: 11
Count all 902
A decade ago, community colleges in the U.S. made a unified shift from a student access mission to both a student access and student success mission. This shift was in response to President Obama’s education agenda and challenge for community colleges to educate an additional 5 million students with degrees, certificates, or other credentials by 2020.
Tags: Leadership Development, Diversity, Leadership Development, Student Completion, Innovations
The K. Patricia Cross Academy: A Practical Resource for Faculty
Cynthia Wilson October 2020
Volume: 23 Issue: 10
Count all 181
In discussion groups and surveys conducted through the League for Innovation’s Faculty Voices Project, faculty told project facilitators that they would welcome meaningful professional development focused on teaching and learning. They readily acknowledged that their education and expertise is discipline based, and that they had little or no training or preparation for teaching prior to joining the faculty ranks.
Tags: Teaching and Learning, Innovations
Increasing Remote Access to Tech Heavy Classes for All Student Populations on Simple Personal Devices
Patrick R. Turner September 2020
Volume: 23 Issue: 9
Count all 223
As technology has become a ubiquitous part of modern life, it has had a significant impact on course delivery in higher education. For almost every career, the understanding and application of technology represents an essential component of the educational experience, from learning how to navigate information to everything that is science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) (Rouhiainen, 2016). More recently, the COVID-19 pandemic required institutions to pivot to 100 percent remote learning in a very short timeframe, creating even more issues around accessibility.
Tags: Learning and Organization, Student Services, Inclusion, Technology Systems, Innovations
Supporting Adjunct Faculty Through Quality Professional Development: A Holistic Approach
Haleh Azimi and Elsbeth Mantler August 2020
Volume: 23 Issue: 8
Count all 269
Many community colleges rely heavily on part-time faculty. As a matter of fact, nearly 67 percent of community college faculty members are categorized as part-time employees (Hurlburt & McGarrah, 2016). It is, therefore, particularly important to offer adjunct faculty high-quality professional development (PD) to keep them abreast of college policies and pedagogical practices, and to help facilitate their engagement with colleagues and students.
Tags: Teaching and Learning, Organizational Culture, Teaching Strategies, Innovations
Addressing Enrollment Challenges: Recruiting the Adult Learner
Jonathan Miller July 2020
Volume: 23 Issue: 7
Count all 465
The COVID-19 pandemic has left higher education institutions with many unknowns heading into the fall. With rising unemployment rates and mixed results across the country for summer courses, the uncertainty of enrollment at community colleges will have significant impacts given the steady decline in the number of students coming through their doors.
Tags: Student Services, Enrollment Management, Enrollment Services, Inclusion, Innovations
Using Design Thinking to Enhance the First-Year Student Experience Course at Lakeland Community College
Rick Amster June 2020
Volume: 23 Issue: 6
Count all 425
In an environment where many community colleges are facing declines in enrollment, decreases in funding, and demands to produce more graduates, it is essential that these institutions equip their students with the tools they need to successfully navigate the higher education ecosystem. One way to do this is for colleges to critically evaluate their processes of onboarding new students via first-year experience (FYE) courses.
Tags: Teaching and Learning, Access, Assessment and Evaluation, College Readiness, Innovations
Developmental Education at the Maricopa Community Colleges
Dasi Danzig May 2020
Volume: 23 Issue: 5
Count all 308
The Maricopa County Community College District (MCCCD) has begun an ambitious redesign of developmental education to support a higher percentage of underprepared students in successfully completing developmentally appropriate coursework and navigating the college experience. The new developmental education model consists of holistic assessment and planning with a suite of support services.
Tags: Teaching and Learning, Enrollment Management, Enrollment Services, Learning Environments, Innovations

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