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Sunday, September 11, 2022 marked the 21st anniversary of a day of acute national tragedy. Although the distance of time and memory has dimmed the shock of the horrific events of that day 21 years ago, the omnipresence of a slightly tamed, but still foreboding pandemic reminds us of the long reach these national disasters have upon us. Simultaneously, they…
Continue readingAlthough the perception of America’s colleges as tranquil oases of learning may have always been little more than a fanciful image, a harsh reality faces every community college president today. In a world seemingly gone mad in terms of gun violence, we are confronted with a challenge framed by a simple question: How do we keep our campuses safe? No…
Continue readingAs each new academic year begins, our college community assembles for a convocation (we call it Fall Focus) to launch a new semester and a new year. This year’s event was powered by the theme “Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in Focus.” Writ large, this title translates into a universal theme “Leading with Equity,” a mantra which transcends a single event,…
Continue readingMany of us think of commercials as a time to get up from the couch to grab something to drink and a bag of chips before Downton Abbey or the last episode of Game of Thrones resumes. CCBC commercials, however, strike a note worth heeding. We are not selling jewelry or potato peelers; instead, we are selling “futures.” CCBC College…
Continue readingFor many reasons, our community colleges will not look the same when we finally emerge from the pandemic. Recently I read a review of a first novel, titled “You Never Get it Back,” by a young woman named Cara Blue Adams. Her title offers an apt description of the ennui that many of us are feeling right now as we…
Continue readingWe come from different places, different experiences, but there is one thing we all share in common. We have all spent two years, ravaged by two pandemics—one the virus, of course, and the other, an emerging awakening to the issues of social justice. It is more important than ever for us to come together to lean into these hard conversations….
Continue readingIn celebration of Juneteenth, I started with a poignant statement from President Biden: “Nations don’t ignore their most painful moments. They confront them to grow stronger.” In honoring the recently minted holiday of Juneteenth, that is the sentiment we carried forward during our recognition. We celebrated the end of slavery in the United States in 1865, more than two years…
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