Community Colleges in Michigan Implementing Reforms Despite Pandemic
CCRC Senior Research Scholar Davis Jenkins spoke to DBusiness about the strides Michigan community colleges are making in implementing guided pathways. The colleges are making "impressive progress in redesigning their programs and support services," Jenkins said.
Report: How to Improve Equity in Dual Enrollment
The Dual Enrollment Playbook, copublished by the Aspen Institute and CCRC, describes five strategies for community college and K-12 leaders who want to advance equity in dual enrollment programs. This Inside Higher Ed story summarizes the report's findings.
The Rise of Dual Credit
CCRC Senior Research Associate John Fink told Education Next that, as dual enrollment continues to expand, it is necessary to focus on the causes of persistent equity gaps that undermine the programs' goals, lest they be exacerbated.
Senators Push Bipartisan Plan to "Finish Fixing" the FAFSA
CCRC Senior Research Scholar Judith Scott-Clayton testified before the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee on the need to simplify the FAFSA form as a matter of equity and college access. Several outlets—including Community College Daily and local CBS, Fox, NBC, and Scripps affiliates—covered the hearing.
Report: Guided Pathways Show Progress
A new report from the Center for Community College Student Engagement found that, though there is still room for improvement, guided pathways has improved the student experience on many campuses. CCRC Senior Research Scholar Davis Jenkins told Inside Higher Ed that in order to keep making progress, colleges must focus on moving past program mapping as an end goal and implement engagement strategies such as experiential learning opportunities. Jenkins also spoke to Diverse: Issues in Higher Education and University Business about the report.
Reform Advocates Urge Colleges and Universities to Stop Asking Prospective Students About Their Criminal Histories
CCRC Senior Research Scholar Judith Scott-Clayton spoke to the Oklahoma State Legislature about why colleges should cease asking prospective students about their criminal histories, Tulsa World reports. Campuses, Scott-Clayton explained, tend to be very safe places, and asking students for this information could discourage some from pursuing higher education.
Higher Ed’s Most Successful Failure
With its wraparound services and high-touch approach, CUNY's ASAP program has demonstrated its ability to improve students' likelihood of graduation and transfer to a four-year institution. However, as CCRC Director Tom Brock explains in this Washington Monthly story, ASAP hasn't been widely adopted due to the harsh realities of states' budgeting processes.
An Essential Education for All Students
This Inside Higher Ed opinion piece, which draws from the book Redesigning America’s Community Colleges, argues that for years, higher education initiatives failed to prioritize community college curricular reform, and the pandemic has made the consequences of that omission clear.
University-Bound Students Change Course to Lorain County Community College; Research Says They Might Be Better Off
This Morning Journal story about students opting to attend Lorain County Community College in Ohio instead of four-year universities cites CCRC research that found students who enroll primarily in four-year institutions but take a limited number of courses at the two-year level benefit from doing so. Spectrum News 1 also published a story on Lorain that relies on CCRC's work.
As More Four-Year Colleges Flip Online, Some Students Take a Second Look at Community Colleges
CCRC Senior Research Scholar Davis Jenkins told WGBH that he doubts high school graduates' newfound interest in community colleges as an alternative to four-year universities will be enough to offset dips in enrollment across the sector. Some students intending to earn their bachelor's degrees are considering diverting to two-year institutions as a stopgap during the coronavirus pandemic.
