CCRC in the News
With Higher Ed in Limbo, Students Are Switching to Community Colleges
As the COVID-19 pandemic disrupts their education plans, students are considering community colleges as an alternative to going away to school. In this story from NBC and The Hechinger Report, CCRC Senior Research Scholar Davis Jenkins explains what community colleges should do to retain those students and avoid a potential enrollment dip.
Why Flexibility in Credit Transfers Is Crucial for Equity in a Post-COVID-19 World
Community college students who aspire to transfer to four-year colleges often struggle to bring their credits with them, and the displacement caused by COVID-19 threatens to exacerbate the issue. In Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, CCRC Senior Research Scholar Davis Jenkins describes the challenges students face when two- and four-year institutions aren't on the same page and highlights collaborative efforts that buck the trend.
First-Gen Problems: How One Group of Students Are Struggling During COVID
CCRC Research Associate Andrea Lopez spoke to Uptown Radio for this story about the challenges first-generation college students face as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Looking at Recession Data to Gauge Possible Trends
Community College Daily describes CCRC's latest blog posts on the center's new definition for "community college" and the potential effects of COVID-19 on student enrollment.
More College Students May Need Remedial Help This Fall. Can They Get It Online?
The transition away from in-class instruction poses particular challenges for developmental education students and instructors, who may lack reliable internet access and have to juggle jobs as essential workers with their courses. This Chronicle of Higher Education story, which draws on CCRC research for context, details those hurdles and explains how some are finding ways to overcome them.
Community Colleges Could See a Surge in Popularity Amid COVID-19
In this CNBC story about how COVID-19 may affect community college enrollment, CCRC Director Thomas Brock explains the types of classes students who intend to transfer to a four-year college can take while they're at a two-year institution.
College Costs May Be a Top Concern Amid COVID-19 Economic Crash, but Here’s Why Picking a Cheaper School Now May Actually Leave Students Worse Off
This article in The 74 describes CCRC Research Affiliate Shanna Smith Jaggars's new paper on the unintended consequences of diverting students who could succeed at the four-year level to community colleges. The report builds off work Jaggars did with CCRC Research Associate Maggie Fay and Negar Farakish on the American Honors program.
Community College Stakeholders Implement Supports to Guide Students to Graduation
This Diverse: Issues in Higher Education story describes initiatives like CUNY Start and Tennessee Reconnect, which aim to increase retention by more deliberately engaging community college students. In the story, CCRC Senior Research Scholar Davis Jenkins explains why it's so important for campuses to give students "light-the-fire learning experience[s]."
Dual Enrollment Works. But Who Is It Working For?
CCRC research indicates dual enrollment programs are growing across the country, but they may not be helping students from all backgrounds get a leg up. In this Diverse: Issues in Higher Education story, CCRC Senior Research Associate John Fink describes the demographic disparities in dual enrollment participation and explains why that variation is an issue.
Choosing Pass/Fail Grades May Help College Students Now, but Could Cost Them Later
Colleges across the country have moved to a pass/fail grading system in the wake of the coronavirus, and though many students have heralded the move as necessary considering the circumstances, one group may suffer consequences: aspiring transfer students. In this PBS story originally published by The Hechinger Report, CCRC Senior Research Scholar Davis Jenkins explains why the switch to pass/fail may make a challenging process even harder.
