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Juneteenth is the oldest commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States. Although the Emancipation Proclamation was signed in 1863, it took more than two years for the news to reach the last enclave of enslaved people in Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865. That moment marked the realization of freedom for all enslaved people in America, and…
Continue readingLast week nearly 5,000 graduates, guests, faculty, staff, administrators, trustees, and elected officials gathered on the CCBC Essex campus to celebrate a tradition of 69‑years: the Commencement ceremony. The event, beautifully choreographed and staged, honored a class of 3,148 graduates, with roughly 1,000 of them proudly walking across the stage to receive a diploma in person. This impressive scene always…
Continue readingEach spring we pause to recognize one of the most extraordinary components of our college communities—our Heroes of the Heart; nursing faculty and students. This metaphor was forged to honor the heroic efforts of nurses across the country who brought all of us safely through the pandemic. May is National Nurses Month, but the American Nurses Association has designated May…
Continue readingApril is Community College Month—a fitting moment to celebrate the fact that community colleges are sitting in the sweetest of sweet spots these days! While higher education is navigating a period of significant change, creating a destabilizing environment for four-year colleges and universities, the community colleges, long the sad orphan child from the wrong side of the ivory tower, are…
Continue readingEvery March, institutions across the country pause to honor Women’s History Month—a national celebration of women who refused to accept limitations, who led with courage, and who reshaped the world for those who would follow. This narrative is especially meaningful for those of us in higher education, especially within the community college sector, where the open-door mission now welcomes and…
Continue readingAs we welcome 2026, we leave behind a year of challenge and hopefully move into calmer waters, although “waters” of any sort are still slightly churning at the Department of Education. Reflecting on our woes and triumphs over the past 12 months, I feel more hopeful this year than I did last year at this time. For all of the…
Continue readingAs a tumultuous 2025 winds down to a close, I am reminded of the bold spirit that defines the impactful work we do each day across America’s community colleges. Each year, hundreds of thousands of ambitious learners enroll in our courses and programs. They come to push boundaries, explore new frontiers, and carve out a pathway to a brighter future…
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