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Tags: AccessNovember 2026In the early 2000s, community colleges began to realize that they faced a new challenge, with...
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Tags: Alternative FundingNovember 2026Community colleges often face a difficult reality in their pursuit of workforce development funding...
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Tags: AccessNovember 2026Upon returning from a 10-day field course through Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and...
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Tags: Artificial IntelligenceOctober 2026Artificial intelligence (AI) continues to reshape conversations related to teaching, learning,...
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Teaching and Learning
November
2026
Economic Development
June
2026
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Graduating high school students across the nation are faced with deciding whether to continue their education or enter the workforce. Many seek higher education in order to improve career opportunities and gain economic prosperity and social mobility (Blackwell & Pinder, 2014). The College Board claims that the average annual income for individuals who have a baccalaureate degree is $53,976. The unemployment rate among these graduates is 4.7 percent, which is lower than the U.S. unemployment rate of 6.7 percent (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2014). While these statistics look promising, the...
November
2026
As workforce demands evolve in response to rapid advances in artificial intelligence (AI), automation, advanced manufacturing, aerospace technologies, and propulsion systems, community colleges are uniquely positioned to create innovative pathways that prepare learners for emerging industries. South Seattle College's Project Zenith, developed through a strategic partnership with the Seattle chapter of the International Mars Society, represents a bold effort to connect students to the future of space exploration while strengthening workforce development opportunities across existing academic...
November
2026
Upon returning from a 10-day field course through Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks and other sites in the American West, a Monroe Community College (MCC) geology student had this to say:
I had many fears on this trip. Bugs. Heights. White-water rafting. As loud as I was, I still faced them all. I wouldn't have been able to do it at all without this experience, and for that I am forever grateful.
Rather than describing spectacular landscapes or memorable adventures, she was communicating the transformation made possible because our college was able to remove a financial barrier that...
July
2026
Chandler-Gilbert Community College (CGCC) is one of the 10 individually accredited colleges that make up the Maricopa County Community College District. The institution primarily serves the Southeast Valley of Phoenix, an area that continues to experience considerable growth in population and in economic and workforce development.
CGCC’s Quick Start classes are opening doors for students who are ready to move quickly from learning to employment, while still building long-term pathways to education and career growth. For many students, the journey begins with short, focused training in high-...
November
2026
In the early 2000s, community colleges began to realize that they faced a new challenge, with presidents and executives expected to retire in large numbers over the next few decades (Martin, 2021; Romero, 2004). Furthermore, traditional paths for developing higher education administrators involving a discipline-based doctorate and teaching or research experience often do not adequately prepare individuals to lead organizations as complex as community colleges (Romero, 2004).
Open admissions at community colleges leads to a diverse student population with academic and social needs that differ...
November
2026
Community colleges often face a difficult reality in their pursuit of workforce development funding. Program proposals that align well with regional economic needs and enjoy broad internal consensus may still fail to attract grant support. The root cause of this rejection often is not the quality of the proposed programs, but the fragmentation of the evidence required to justify them. Institutional research (IR) and institutional effectiveness (IE) units are custodians of the exact data funders seek—enrollment trajectories, credential attainment metrics, and regional hiring forecasts. The...
