February 4, 2026
Last week’s Workforce Development Institute drew 800 participants to 60 sessions! I was inspired by the creativity of our colleges and the commitment by so many industries to partnerships that opens in a new windowadvance our national workforce strengths. Another exciting opportunity is next week, immediately following the National Legislative Summit in DC. opens in a new windowSeeding America’s Workforce Talent Pipeline is a special event exploring the strengths and gaps of the nation’s workforce pipeline. I welcome your participation at this exciting inaugural event.
Congress has now passed all but one of its fiscal year 2026 appropriations bills, including funding for the Departments of Labor, Heath and Human Services, and Education. The bill sustains funding for Pell Grants, TRIO, adult education, and CCAMPIS. Institutional aid funding has been preserved but is likely to be slightly restructured by the administration. We will continue to inform you as details become available.
The U.S. Department of Education (ED) is forming a negotiated rulemaking committee on “ opens in a new windowAccreditation, Innovation, and Modernization,” to conduct a major review of ED’s procedures surrounding the accreditation process. Significant changes to the rules are possible so AACC is eager to see community colleges at the table. I encourage anyone to apply who feels well-positioned to impact discussions of deregulation, student outcomes, merit, and program integrity by the deadline of February 26. The process requires full-time attendance at rulemaking hearings in Washington, DC, from April 13-17 and May 18-22, and I would appreciate hearing of any applications.
What I heard from presidents and chancellors at the in-person listening session at WDI was several priorities for AACC investments: (1) deeper, more comprehensive professional development for presidents and their cabinets, including executive coaching and peer networking; (2) strategies for reinventing our colleges’ business models, by diversifying revenue and guidance on long term fiscal planning and sustainability; (3) national and state advocacy for our sector, particularly in these politically partisan times. I will share a full report of the six focus groups and listening sessions by the end of February.
I am looking forward to sharing AACC’s vision tomorrow with the Louisianna Board of Regents, at their annual statewide gathering of faculty, advisors, administrators, and system leaders. My next stop is Reynolds Community College in Virginia, to discuss one of my favorite topics, the opens in a new windowResilient by Design report.
Resilience is built by investments in experiential learning for students, and the opens in a new windowCommunity College Innovation Challenge (CCIC) is wonderful example. Led by AACC in partnership with the National Science Foundation (NSF), the program develops STEM-based solutions to real-world problems. A opens in a new windowwebinar tomorrow, February 5, offers tips on supporting a team from your college for this exciting national competition. Rewards to finalists include a June Innovation Boot Camp in Washington, DC, coaching in entrepreneurial skills, and competition for cash prizes. April 3 is the application deadline so please share this opportunity with your faculty and students.
Another opportunity to build resilience is through a special initiative on the opens in a new windowFuture of Work and the Innovation Economy. Community colleges can apply for funding to participate in a pilot program focused on creating and scaling work-based learning capacities. Six colleges will be awarded funding for this exciting collaboration between New America and ACCT.