Black male community college students are underperforming at all levels within higher education compared to their counterparts from all major racial groups in the nation. Reasons for the declining academic performance of Black male community college students include institutional racism, lack of role models, and student isolation. Black male…

Hundreds of community colleges are attempting transformational pathway reform, also known as guided pathways, to improve student outcomes. This qualitative case study explored sensemaking and organizational learning, early processes of transformational change, among administrators, faculty, and staff implementing pathway reform in a California…

For the first time in U.S. history, a proposal for nationwide free community college passed through the House of Representatives in the fall of 2021. Although the provision was ultimately dropped from President Joe Biden's Build Back Better bill, its early presence suggests the political appeal of making college accessible to more Americans. These…

Senior leadership at Ngee Ann Polytechnic in Singapore decided to make service-learning the signature pedagogy of the polytechnic and to infuse at least one service-learning module (i.e., course) in every diploma so that all students would have a service-learning experience. Evidence is provided that, in 3 years, the rapid institutionalization of…

This practice brief addresses the financial insecurity faced by many community college students and provides recommendations for community college practitioners on how to use incentivized savings accounts to teach financial literacy and prepare students for financial challenges that may impact their educational future. Despite reactive attempts at…

Advising undergraduate students on how to succeed in their academics, careers, and life is one of the most common practices in higher education. Advising is also something that many institutions struggle to resource or coordinate sufficiently, potentially leaving students without needed support on their paths to successful program completion. The…

Open- and broad-access public colleges (those with open or minimally selective admissions policies) serve the majority of Amer­ican undergraduates, especially those who come from low-income backgrounds or are the first in their families to attend college. In Mon­tana, more than 90 percent of undergraduates attend the 16 public institu­tions within…

Developed by the Institute for Evidence-Based Change (IEBC), Caring Campus is at once a reform effort that colleges engage in to improve the daily experience of their students and an approach aimed at influencing the norms, values, practices, beliefs, and assumptions that comprise the culture of a college. Drawing on interviews with the presidents…

Community colleges in the United States, which serve a disproportionate number of students from low-income backgrounds, can provide a valuable pathway toward well-paying careers. However, graduation rates at community colleges are very low--among first-time, full-time, degree-seeking students who enter public two-year schools, only 29 percent…

In Chicago, despite an increase in high school graduates and college enrollment, only one in four community college students graduate within three years. COVID-19 exacerbated longstanding barriers to college success faced by students from low-income backgrounds, as well as for Black, Latino, and Indigenous students. Without proactive interventions…

Glendale Community College (GCC) is completing the fourth year of its five-year HSI-STEM grant, Belonging Increased By Effective Networking In Service To Educational Meaning (BIEN in STEM), launched in Fall 2021 to strengthen STEM pathways for Hispanic and other low-income students through coordinated academic, experiential, and student support…

"Diversity, Equity & Inclusion: A Checklist and Implementation Guide for Community College Boards" was created in cooperation with the associations' Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee. The release of the guide follows a commitment made by the association to empower community college leaders to make meaningful changes at their…

The purpose of this study was to examine how positive impacts could be achieved on student's ability to successfully navigate financial aid processes within the Maricopa Community College system and specifically at Chandler-Gilbert Community College (CGCC). By evaluating existing processes and implementing enhanced system protocols (ESP), this…

Despite the growing demand and availability of non-degree workforce training, outcomes for these programs are mixed. For some, non-degree programs are a faster, more affordable pathway to a good job, and, more importantly, a career that offers economic security--they represent the future of education. But for others, non-degree programs are a…

After a comprehensive review of the major learning management systems (LMS) in 2019--2020, Schoolcraft College began a transition from Anthology's Blackboard Original LMS to the updated Blackboard Ultra Course View. The learning management system impacts or informs the daily work-flows of several key stakeholders. As such, it was imperative to…