CCRC in the News
How the Pandemic Worsened—and Highlighted—Community Colleges’ Chronic Challenges
This Chronicle of Higher Education story contextualizes community colleges' pandemic enrollment woes. Many institutions were surprised to see enrollment drop so sharply this fall because they have historically struggled to track their students, CCRC Senior Research Scholar Davis Jenkins said.
Community Colleges Expected to Have Their Moment in Biden White House. But in Parting Salvo, DeVos Calls Ideas Like Free Tuition ‘Insidious’
President-elect Joe Biden plans to tap Cecilia Rouse, a higher education finance expert, to chair the Council of Economic Advisers, The 74 reports. CCRC Senior Research Scholar Judith Scott-Clayton said Rouse is a strong choice for the role and signals that the incoming administration will integrate higher education policy into its broader economic agenda.
Do Professors With a ‘Deficiency’ Mindset Prevent Community College Students From Earning Credit?
This EdSurge story relies on CAPR's latest paper on multiple measures assessment and placement to explain how placement tests act as a barrier for many aspiring community college students. CCRC Senior Research Scholar Elisabeth Barnett described CAPR's findings.
Developmental Education Reform Improved Passing Rates
A new study indicates that students in Florida are succeeding in introductory math and English courses at higher rates since the state adopted developmental education reform in 2013. CCRC Senior Research Associate Elizabeth Kopko told Inside Higher Ed that Florida's approach is notable because, rather than zeroing in on college preparedness, it focuses on boosting student supports and the quality of teaching and learning.
Columbia May Look Whiter and Wealthier Next Year. Here’s Why.
COVID-19 has forced college recruiting to go virtual, which may hurt low-income students and students of color, as these students not only belong to demographics disproportionately harmed by the pandemic but also have less frequent access to reliable technology. CCRC Senior Research Scholar Davis Jenkins told The Columbia Spectator that in order to be agents of social mobility, elite institutions like Columbia need to invest in recruiting diverse students and begin connecting with them earlier in their high school careers.
What Biden Administration Can Do to Help Americans Pay off Student Loans
CCRC Senior Research Scholar Judith Scott-Clayton spoke to NPR about the broader economic consequences of student debt. A startling percentage of borrowers who default on their student loans have relatively small amounts of debt and never finished a degree.
Tumbling Community-College Enrollment Highlights Pandemic’s Broad Impact
CCRC Director Thomas Brock told The Wall Street Journal that, in hindsight, the drops in community college enrollment are not particularly surprising, considering the pandemic's outsized effect on people of color and lower-income Americans. Typically, community college enrollment increases when there is an economic downturn, as people return to school to reskill; that has not been the case this fall.
Here’s How Delaying College May Impact Your Future Earnings
CCRC Research Affiliate Yuxin Lin told CNBC that though most students who take gap years do so out of economic necessity, delaying college can result in significant earnings losses over the course of their careers.
Clarke University Partners With All State Community Colleges
Clarke University—a small, private university in Iowa—partnered with the state's community colleges to create transfer pathways for students in several degree programs, Inside Higher Ed reports. CCRC Senior Research Associate John Fink applauded the partnership, which offers transfer students scholarships and guarantees that associate degree holders enter with junior standing.
Elite Colleges Compete for Transfer Students
Selective four-year colleges are reaching out to prospective community college transfer students in an effort to counteract dipping enrollment, Community College Daily reports. CCRC Senior Research Associate John Fink acknowledged that competition spurs poaching and said it's important for colleges to ensure transfer students are supported to earn a bachelor's degree once they change institutions.
