April is Community College Month, a time to reflect on the transformative power of our sector. This year we do so amid a confusing national climate that feels a bit like the early days of the COVID Pandemic. Rallying despite the stress, we did some of our best work back in those days. As we navigate the current political cross currents swirling around us, we press on through these uncertain waters once again – continuing a journey that began long ago when the first community college was born in Joliet, Illinois.
We have learned many lessons through the past decades. One is that in times of uncertainty, when it is hard to stay balanced and self-assured, we need each other. To borrow the words of Harvard Scholar Patricia Cross who summarized the essence of the Servant Leadership model to which many of us ascribe, translated, that unusual phrase means that “Community is not only a region to be served but a climate to be created. Morale,” she wrote, “is the outcome of shared vision.” Sustaining that vision as we travel through this challenging time is our charge today.
I often play with the bifurcated notion of “courageous leadership” and “courageous followship” since on any given day, those who lead and those who follow just might change places. To illustrate the power of that premise I like to use an anecdote (which might even have been true). At a $1,000-a-plate dinner honoring a prominent Senator, a young waiter came by, placing a single pat of butter on everyone’s plate. The Senator idly turned to him and said, “Excuse me; I’d like two pats of butter.” The server continued on his way. A bit irritated, the Senator said, “Do you know who I am? A thousand people have come to this dinner to honor me. I want two pats of butter.” The server replied, “Nice to meet you, Senator. But perhaps you do not know who I am.” Stunned, the Senator said, “Well who are you?” “I’m the guy in charge of the butter.” A perfect illustration of when the “follower” transcends the role of “leader.”
If we embrace the concept of leadership at every level, then no one needs to lead alone. In a sector with a mission as magnanimous as ours, there should be no antagonists, only colleagues; no adversaries, only allies. Disagreements cannot lead to toxic environments that seduce us away from the work we do. This is a time for leaders to draw circles that “pull people in” to create a “shared vision.” Thousands of community college students – many nervous and unsure – are looking to us for safety, validation and a path forward. While the new Administration may shift national priorities, we can provide the safe haven they seek to learn. Across the nation, 85% of our students come from economically challenged communities, making the everyday execution of our mission – i.e., to operate within a natural culture of inclusivity and belonging – even more vital.
At CCBC, our mantra is Every One of Us Counts, our commitment to a broad definition of diversity. We devised this phrase long before “diversity, equity and inclusion” became a national talking point. But words are ephemeral, easily forgotten, so we added a second half to that mantra: Taking Actions That Matter. Given who we are and who we serve, we automatically embrace the differences that make us unique. We live it; it is in our DNA. We are guided by a welcoming spirit to serve and support all students equally.
Community based, welcoming and largely apolitical, we could not imagine taking positions that pit one group of students or employees against another. With policies in place to protect free speech and peaceful protest, rather than deter these expressions, we try to model behavior that teaches students how to articulate a point of view through debate and to disagree through respectful discourse. No matter the political landscape, our commitment to supporting our students and communities with a culture of both opportunity and care will remain unchanged. We serve a sacred mission, and we are who we must be for those who trust and rely on us. The best way to stay calm in this storm is to blend leadership and followship, drawing circles that pull people in and insisting that the richness of our differences contributes to our strength.
The truth is, we who form the broad network of America’s community colleges – all 1,000 of us – are good at what we do. “Community” is typically our first or middle name. When local industries shutter their doors or new ones arrive, or a recession hits, or a pandemic strikes, or – as in the case of CCBC – a major bridge collapses and must be rebuilt, the community college steps forward to help. We are indeed the “Indispensable Institution.” Our communities need us; they depend on us to provide both vibrancy and opportunity. The magic of this open-door mission is well-served by a broad and engaged cadre of community college professionals who innately know how to lead and how to follow and they do it with both compassion and strength.