The Future of Community College: Key Policy Lessons from the Pandemic

Faced with steep enrollment declines and growing competition, two leading institutions in postsecondary education and workforce development are making big changes to outdated approaches to better serve students, workers and industries. 

In this episode, journalist Paul Fain talks to Mordecai Brownlee, president of the Community College of Aurora, about the college’s decision to eliminate many degree and credentialing programs with limited economic opportunities, while launching new programs co-designed with industry partners. Meanwhile, Peter Callstrom, president and CEO of the San Diego Workforce Partnership, tells Paul how his organization has joined forces with local public schools to strengthen support for career navigation for youth, starting as early as elementary school. These innovations carry major policy implications, as described by Karishma Merchant, JFF’s associate vice president of policy and advocacy, at the conclusion of the episode. 

Visit jff.org to learn more and read a recap of key takeaways from the episode, as well as policy and programmatic resources. 

In this bonus 9th episode of the miniseries, Paul Fain is joined by a distinguished panel of K-12 and college leaders to offer policy solutions for helping all young people gain exposure and preparation to in-demand careers through high-quality career and technical education (CTE) programming.  The panel – Shannon Cox, superintendent of Montgomery County Educational Service Center; Michael Baston, president of Rockland Community College; Luke Rhine, director of CTE at the Delaware Department of Education; and Carli Schiffner, deputy executive director of the Washington State Board for Community and Technical Colleges – recently teamed up with JFF to develop policy recommendations for strengthening CTE and integrating it more fully into the educational pathways for all youth. At the end of the episode, JFF’s Charlotte Cahill and Crystal Green join Paul to offer their insights. Read JFF’s blog post for a recap of key takeaways and policy and programmatic resources.

In this final episode of the miniseries, Paul Fain is joined by Marielena DeSanctis, president of Community College of Denver, and Leigh Goodson, president and CEO of Tulsa Community College, to discuss the changing landscape of dually enrolling high school students in college-level courses. The discussion centers on the need for student-centered approaches and policies for dual enrollment that ensure greater intentionality in course-taking and in closing equity gaps in access and in transitions to college and careers. The episode concludes with a sense-making segment with JFF’s Erica Cuevas as well as Alex Perry with College in High School Alliance. Read JFF’s blog post for a recap of key takeaways and policy and programmatic resources.  

In this special episode, Paul Fain is joined by three members of the Tackling Transfer advisory board: Sharon Morrissey of Virginia Community College System, Elena Quiroz-Livanis of Massachusetts Department of Higher Education, and Shirleatha Lee with University of South Carolina Upstate to discuss efforts underway in their states and institutions for improving equitable outcomes for transfer students. The discussion centers on three policy areas explored in the recently released Transfer Reset report: financial aid, credit for prior learning, and data disaggregation. The episode concludes with a sense-making segment with JFF’s David Altstadt as well as HCM Strategists’ Lara Couturier. Read JFF’s blog post for a recap of key takeaways and policy and programmatic resources. 

Host Paul Fain is joined by community college presidents Tonjua Williams of St. Petersburg College and Randall VanWagoner of Mohawk Valley Community College to discuss the urgency and need to transform traditional Higher Education funding models to better support community colleges and student-centered approaches. Both presidents share their experiences dealing with the disruption from the pandemic and discuss how modern and more flexible funding structures could help them better serve their students. Tonjua and Randy also provide institutional and state policy best practices that can be used by other institutions and policymakers across the country. The episode concludes with a sense-making segment with JFF’s David Altstadt and Taylor Maag. Read JFF’s blog post for a recap of key takeaways and policy and programmatic resources.

Host Paul Fain is joined by community college Presidents: Robert Vela of San Antonio College and Ajita Talwalker Menon of Calbright College to discuss the urgency and opportunity for postsecondary education to better serve adult learners. They share their experiences on campus serving this population and offer tangible steps that policymakers can take to ensure adults get the skill development they need to enter into and advance in high-demand careers. The episode concludes with a sense-making segment with JFF’s Nate Anderson and Mary Clagett. Read JFF’s blog post for a recap of key takeaways and policy and programmatic resources.  

Host Paul Fain is joined by Michael Baston, president of Rockland Community College; Janet Spriggs, president of Forsyth Technical Community College; and Cynthia Olivo, vice president of student services for Pasadena City College, to discuss the urgent need for taking a racial equity lens to education and employer practices and public policies. They share their experiences on campus embracing diversity, equity, and inclusion and offer tangible steps that policymakers can take to close gaps in education and economic opportunities for Black, Latinx, and Indigenous populations. The episode concludes with a sense-making segment with JFF’s Michael Collins and David Altstadt. Read JFF’s Blog for a recap of key takeaways and policy and programmatic resources.  

Host Paul Fain is joined by Monty Sullivan, president of Louisiana Community and Technical College System, and Anne Kress, president of Northern Virginia Community College to discuss short-term credential programs. They share their experiences working in states with short-term postsecondary initiatives, the outcomes they are seeing to date and their ideas for what good policy would look like. The episode concludes with a sense-making segment with JFF’s Lexi Barret and Taylor Maag. Read JFF’s Blog for a recap of key takeaways and policy and programmatic resources.  

Host Paul Fain is joined by Russell Lowery-Hart, president of Amarillo College, and Bill Pink, president of Grand Rapids Community College, to discuss free college. They share their experiences running successful college promise scholarship programs and their ideas for what good policy would look like to expand free college nationally. The episode concludes with a sense-making segment with JFF’s Lexi Barrett and David Altstadt. Read JFF’s blog for a recap of key takeaways and policy and programmatic resources.  

Paul Fain is joined by Madeline Pumariega, president of Miami Dade College, and Marcia Ballinger, president of Ohio’s Lorain County Community College, to discuss how their institutions are changing to meet the urgent needs of their local communities, and how federal and state policies are factoring into these efforts. The episode concludes with a sense-making segment with JFF’s Lexi Barrett and David Altstadt. Read JFF’s blog for a recap of key takeaways and policy and programmatic resources.