July 10, 2023

Most Community College Students Hope to Earn a Bachelor’s Degree. CCAC Students Have Better Odds Than Others Nationwide

About 45% of transfer-intending students at the Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC) enroll at a four-year university by the next academic year; the national average is 31%. John Fink spoke to PublicSource about the value of advising and the role four-year universities play in the transfer process. 

July 07, 2023

Online Learning Still in High Demand at Community Colleges

Inside Higher Ed reports that some colleges are still offering the majority of their classes online in response to student demand. Nikki Edgecombe discusses the tradeoff between responding to student demand and ensuring students are set up for success.

July 03, 2023

A Look at Pandemic Relief Funding for Community Colleges

During the pandemic, the federal government directed more than $75 billion through the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) to colleges and universities. Community College Daily reports on a recent CCRC brief.

June 07, 2023

Oregon Community Colleges See Success in Revamp of Remedial Education

Nikki Edgecombe spoke with The Oregonian about the corequisite remediation model: “We’ve seen larger, growing, cumulative evidence that this model supports stronger student outcomes. I don’t really think the evidence is in question.”

June 06, 2023

New Report A Mixed Bag on Student Engagement with Online Learning

The results of a new survey showed that in some expected but critical ways, disengagement increased with distance. “It just suggests we have more work to do in the research and in support for faculty and in the design of online tools to increase the quality of the courses,” Susan Bickerstaff told Diverse: Issues In Higher Education.

May 24, 2023

Leveling Off at the Bottom

New data show enrollments have largely stabilized after the pandemic nosedive. But recovery remains elusive, and demographic shifts threaten to keep it that way. John Fink discusses the opportunity dual enrollment and transfer students represent in recovering enrollment numbers.

May 23, 2023

Community Colleges Up, Four-Year Schools Down in Latest Enrollment Data

Diverse: Issues in Higher Education spoke with Tom Brock about recent community college enrollment trends, which point to an increase in 18-24 year-old students. Brock expressed concern about the lack of enrollment growth for older learners.

May 22, 2023

How Success Coaches ‘Dig a Little Deeper’ to Anticipate and Tackle Dallas College Students

Success coaches, a more hands-on approach to advising, are Dallas College’s latest effort to demystify the process of obtaining a degree and help its students overcome obstacles along the way. Nikki Edgecombe spoke to The Dallas Morning News about funding for student supports.

May 12, 2023

Grasping for a Foothold on the Enrollment Cliff

Nikki Edgecombe noted to Inside Higher Ed that enrollments at two-year institutions were up by 13.5 percent this spring, driven in large part by a 12.8 percent increase in dually enrolled high school students.

May 08, 2023

CCAC Has Lost Half Its Student Body Since 2010. As Fewer Students Show, the Consequences for Pittsburgh Grow.

Tom Brock told Open Campus that community colleges are still serving fewer students than they were a decade ago, which raises financial concerns. “It may not be such a bad thing, though, if smaller enrollments help community colleges serve the students they have more effectively. That will require changes in their business model and how they deliver instruction and services,” he said.