December 3, 2025
Workforce Pell is front and center in Washington, DC, as formal negotiations begin on the regulations that will guide the implementation process and program functioning. We have several new tools that may help you navigate emerging developments, including some step-by-step infographics and details on what colleges should be doing to prepare. In addition, AACC’s virtual Town Hall on Thursday, December 4, features our sector’s negotiator, Dr. Tonjua Williams, gathering insights from our members on their concerns and questions. I’m so grateful to Dr. Williams, president of St. Petersburg College in Florida, for advancing community colleges’ perspectives in this critical process.
Partnerships are omnipresent in my leadership thinking. Leveraging partner strengths—state directors, industry boards, philanthropists, K-12 systems, and non-profit organizations—creates an infrastructure of impact. My thoughts on this impact are captured in this 2-minute video and explored in my November column. I hope they resonate with your experiences and that you will share with AACC how new and evolving partnerships create value for our students.
In my interview with The Chronicle of Higher Education last week, the role of strong employer-college partnerships were cited as essential for Workforce Pell success. Students and employers both benefit from the pipeline of high-skill, high-wage work. I also met last week with Jee Hang Lee, president and CEO of the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT), to discuss possibilities for our organizations’ collaboration. Finally, a highlight of my week was speaking to the board of HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College, about my theory of change and its value for advancing our collective mission.
The AACC 2026 conference, “Pioneering Minds: Shaping the Future of Education,” features a spectrum of lessons on resilience. Among the 185 sessions, topics will include leadership, workforce development, futures thinking, student success, and AI implementation. The core principles of Resilient by Design will complement the insights of critical authors and keynote speakers. Registration is open here.
Speaking of resilience, AACC is thrilled that 2-year colleges have been exempted from the new IPEDS admissions and financial aid survey. However, community colleges that award baccalaureate degrees will still be subject to these reporting requirements. To support their exemption, please use this template to submit comments electronically through the Federal eRulemaking Portal by searching Docket ID number ED-2025-SCC-0382.