How Micro-Credentials Can Support Social Mobility in Rural Communities
In a rapidly changing economy, micro-credentialing has emerged as a time-saving and cost-effective method to help learners gain recognition for their skills. Digital Promise’s new research explores the impact of earning micro-credentials on the social mobility of rural learners, prioritizing those impacted by poverty, particularly Black, Latina/o, and Indigenous populations.
“They Need to be Connected:” Furthering College Completion, Including through Adult Reengagement, through Degrees When Due
Today, more than 39 million Americans have some college credit, but no awarded degree and, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, millions more did not enroll to begin their higher education journey. In 2018, well before the pandemic began, IHEP launched the Degrees When Due (DWD) initiative to reengage the “some college, no degree” (SCND) population.
Strengthening Rural Community Colleges Peer Learning Network: Reflecting on Best Practices
As the academic year comes to a close and we look forward to summer and preparing for the fall, we held our recent Peer Learning Network (PLN) discussion on June 1, 2022. The end of the school year is a perfect time for reflection and evaluation before beginning planning and goal setting. Therefore, our topic for this PLN discussion was Reflecting on Best Practices. During the conversation we were able to bring together rural community college leaders to learn about some of the best practices that they have learned and implemented as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
What's the fallout from the Education Department delaying new Title IX regulations?
The agency risks the next Congress overturning a new rule, and college administrators are in a holding pattern waiting for its release.
Bipartisan Innovation Act, including short-term Pell, Work Continues into Summer
Since April, the Conference Committee in Congress charged with combining House and Senate bills aimed at improving American competitiveness in the areas of science and technology has been diligently working. As Congress continues its work, representatives from community colleges continue to advocate for the programs included in the bills that will support students and institutions in preparing the workforce needed to bolster the targeted industries in the jointly-referenced Bipartisan Innovation Act.
The Growing Mental Health Crisis in Community Colleges
All colleges require additional resources to better address students’ mental health needs. But community colleges have particularly significant gaps in their ability to provide students with mental health resources. Research suggests that community college students may have even larger mental health needs than four-year university students, yet community colleges have far fewer resources to address those needs.
