The League for Innovation in the Community College’s October 2026 publications arrive like a well-timed campus conversation linking big-picture leadership, classroom-to-completion redesign, and student-centered technology into one forward-looking issue set.

The October 2026 issue of Leadership Abstracts features “Beyond AI Tools: Building an Innovation Culture at Jackson College,” by Sonja L. Howell. The article moves the artificial intelligence conversation beyond individual tools and toward institutional culture, exploring how this institution approaches AI as part of a broader innovation mindset. Rather than treating emerging technology as a stand-alone initiative, the piece highlights the leadership conditions, shared practices, and organizational readiness needed to help colleges adapt thoughtfully and sustainably.

In Learning Abstracts, “What Guided Pathways Actually Requires: Leading Horizontal Change in a Vertical System,” by Christine Davis and Valerie Missi Sieth, examines the practical leadership challenge behind guided pathways reform. The article focuses on the tension between traditional vertical structures—departments, divisions, and reporting lines—and the cross-functional collaboration required to improve the student experience. It offers readers a grounded look at what it takes to align people, processes, and priorities across institutional boundaries.

The Innovation Showcase article, “A More Connected Campus: Using Customer Relationship Management to Support Student Success,” by Emma Swinney, spotlights the use of customer relationship management technology to strengthen communication and coordination across campus. The piece describes how CRM systems can help colleges create more connected student support networks, improve timely outreach, and ensure that students experience the institution as an integrated whole rather than a collection of disconnected offices.

Across this month’s publications, readers will find timely examples of how community colleges are rethinking culture, systems, and connection to better serve students and strengthen institutional capacity.

These periodicals and other League publications are now available here.