November 22, 2024 | Issue # 272
Last week, we hosted the AACC Fall Meeting. Convened by AACC Board Chair Sunny Cooke, the Fall Meeting brings together our board of directors and commissions to exchange information and ideas. We also had a wonderful plenary session led by Laura Ullrich of the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond. She previewed some new community college outcomes data, which you can learn about in the “Must Read” section. Thank you to all of our commissioners and board members for your participation.
I hope you all have a wonderful, restful Thanksgiving. This Thanksgiving, and every day, we are so thankful for all of you.
“Latest Data on Community Colleges from Richmond Fed”
The Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond’s Survey of Community College Outcomes (SCCO) is designed to collect data that represent the unique role community colleges play in educating and training workers. On Tuesday, the Richmond Fed released preliminary 2024 data based on 121 community colleges in the five states in its district. Get the breakdown of the data and learn more in this CC Daily article.
“Joining Forces to Empower Individuals Facing Homelessness“
Mesa Community College and Mesa Community Court are collaborating to break the cycle of homelessness and foster greater autonomy and stability in Arizona, providing court participants with personalized support to earn college degrees and certificates that can help create a path to skilled work and self-reliance. Read about it in the AACC 21st Century Center blog.
Call for AACC Board of Director Nominations Extended
The call for nominations for consideration for the 2025 AACC Board of Directors slate has been extended to December 18, at 5:00 p.m. (ET). Please submit all nominations via this form. Current member CEOs may nominate colleagues or themselves for consideration by the Committee on Directors and Membership Services. All nominees must be CEOs in good standing with the association. For questions regarding the process, please email Tammy Reichelt.
Watch the Webinar: What the National Elections Mean for Community Colleges
On November 20, the AACC government relations team held a webinar about the presidential and congressional election outcomes and what they portend for community colleges. If you missed it, you can watch it here.
Prepare to Be Inspired at AACC Annual
Last week, we announced our keynote speakers for AACC Annual: award-winning journalist, television talk show host and author Tamron Hall; actor, producer, and comedian Ken Jeong; and comedian, actor, writer, producer, and television host Joel McHale. You don’t want to miss these speakers or the opportunity to network with and learn from your colleagues in the sector. Register now for AACC Annual and we’ll see you in Nashville, Tennessee, April 12-16.
Send Your Workforce Staff to WDI
AACC’s 2025 Workforce Development Institute (WDI) will be held in Coronado, California, January 28-31, 2025. WDI is a great professional development opportunity for new and seasoned community college-based workforce and economic development professionals. Registration is now open.
The AACC Board of Directors convened on November 15. Thank you to Board Chair Sunny Cooke and to all members of the board.
The White House on November 13 held a summit to raise awareness about career pathways and to tout some of the Biden administration’s workforce development efforts. Several community college leaders and AACC board members were present, including Bates Technical College President Lin Zhou, MiraCosta College President Sunny Cooke, and Austin Community College Chancellor Russell Lowery-Hart.
AACC’s Workforce & Economic Development team and I were part of a tour of the Tesla hub in Austin, Texas, on November 20. Other colleges participating in the tour were Austin Community College, Heartland Community College, Hudson Valley Community College, Kansas City Kansas Community College, and Jackson College, as well as organizations Feeding America, National Association of Workforce Boards, and the Society for Human Resource Management.