In-depth discussions with higher education executives about successes, lessons learned, challenges and best practices from the industry’s most respected leaders. Each episode will feature practical and actionable advice from leading industry professionals about real-time issues and what keeps them awake at night.
Communities in the Appalachian Region often experience isolation and economic disparity due to the geography of the region and the decline of the coal industry. Gayle Manchin, Federal Co-Chair of the Appalachian Regional Commission (ARC), talks about the funding initiatives provided to communities within the region to revitalize the economy. She shares how the programs are focused on strategies that connect students to the automotive industry, reintegrate members of the community affected by the Opioid crisis, and expand broadband access throughout the region.
Students living in rural communities have an entrepreneurial mindset because they are already accustomed to having a lack of access to resources. Today, Dr. Rebecca Corbin talks about her work at NACCEE and details how their projects support community colleges in their effort to expand access to education. She discusses their work with students who are experiencing the digital divide in order to educate them and increase their generational wealth through partnerships with organizations such as Verizon.
Strong business and community partnerships are essential to the success of Workforce Development programs in higher education. Dr. Micheal McDonough talks about approach to building strong business partnerships at the New Jersey Consortium of Community Colleges and at Raritan Valley Community College. He discusses internships, apprenticeships and job opportunities that contribute to student success; and alignment of course curriculum with labor market needs.
“If we don't do something and do it now, we are going to have some problems down the road” says Dr. Daria Willis, President of Howard Community College. Dr. WIllis discusses the importance of community colleges that are able to be agile and flexible in order to respond to the needs of the community that the college is located, and the critical need to focus on student success rather than transfer rates to four-year institutions, as well as the integration of all students into the larger college community.
Dr. Kimberly Moore is a trailblazer for workforce development, and in this episode, she'll share lessons learned in her decade of experience. Dr. Moore discusses the importance of building an integrated workforce system in order to keep up with the constantly changing labor market, and shares examples of how Tallahassee Community College is doing just that by working with formerly incarcerated students and forming new partnerships with Amazon.
Dr. Williams explores the journey to become the president of St. Petersburg College as an internal candidate. She'll share the work she put in at St. Petersburg College prior to becoming president, her willingness to fail to achieve her goal, the community of care platform she developed, why the employee experience is as important as the student experience, challenges she faced and more.
Broward College President, Greg Haile, shares how the Broward UP program was created to better the community through an educated workforce. He discusses how partnership were build with 19 local non-profit organizations, municipalities and businesses to create improved degree programs that better prepare Broward students to successfully enter the workforce.
As a follow-up to the conversation with Dr. García in Episode 2, Dr. Neal will share the work done with program efficiency, flexible schedules and career assessments to improve success rates of working learners.
A first-generation college student herself, Dr. Linda García is now the executive director for the Center for Community College Student Engagement (CCCSE). In this episode, Dr. Garcia shares how CCCSE is providing institutions with research, best practices and tools to build strategies for “worker learners.” She will share insights from her research among 25,000 working students at 74 different institutions, and how that guided the development of the three questions you should ask your leadership team.
In the Season 2 premiere, Trimeka is joined by President Madeline Pumariega, the president of Miami Dade College. President Pumariega will share her journey - all of the challenges and lessons learned along the way - that prepared her for this presidency. She will share the decisions that fueled her heart and drove her passion for helping students attain an education, and how she is using that passion at MDC.
Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart returns to "Deep Dives with Trimeka Benjamin" to lead the conversation by interviewing Trimeka about her college experience and how that shaped her passion for helping higher education institutions make improvements that better guide students through their journey.
Funding is available for many community colleges around the country, but it doesn’t always have a clear path if you don’t know where to look. In this episode, Dr. Casey Sacks, with the U.S. Department of Education, talks about where to find funding and some advice for maximizing your institution’s funding opportunities. She discusses the Cares Act, finding a competitive edge in funding, and equity in federal funding allocation, among other topics
With Dr. Baston at the helm, Rockland Community College (RCC) is building real world ready students. In the episode, Dr. Baston explains what that means as the faculty and staff prepare students for graduation, and how they had to shift their approach to instruction and student engagement. He also shares in-depth knowledge on how he led this shift during his first three years at the College through a combination of data, transparency, and organizational collaboration.
Amarillo College’s Advocacy and Resource Center (ARC) serves as a safe space for students affected by poverty, about 15% of their student population. At one point, however, the program was barely utilized and the issue of poverty was an uncomfortable conversation in the meeting rooms. In the season 1 finale, Dr. Russell Lowery-Hart, President of Amarillo College, walks us through his journey of discovery. How, if ignored, the homeless would continue to be invisible, their struggles would be hidden, and their chance at an education would be lost. Nationally recognized for his work around poverty initiatives, we break down how he scaled the ARC initiative for real impact, changing the way Amarillo College serves their students. From his reflection on a homelessness simulation to the candid conversations with students, Dr. Lowery-Hart’s passion and perspective will inspire you to step up and help those in need.
The recent murder of George Floyd sparked protests and movements worldwide that continue to make an impact. But how do these tragic events affect the higher education space - the students, the presidents, and the culture of college? In this live episode, Dr. Merrill Irving will discuss his experience, both as a Black male and the President of Hennepin Technical College (HTC). He will dive deep into questions on racial and social justice, providing advice to fellow higher education leaders on their role in all of this. Learn more about Dr. Irving’s story, his career development, and the impact he’s made on HTC with programs actively fighting the institutional racism rooted in college processes.
What does it take to run a successful fundraising campaign as a community college? What roles do investors, students, lobbying and the community play? In this episode, Dr. Leigh Goodson, President & CEO of Tulsa Community College, talks us through the 18-month campaign that raised $20 million for TCC. She discusses the importance of building real relationships with investors, a necessary baseline of community support, and the transformation of TCC in terms of student experience - all factors contributing to her school’s success.
The American Association of Community Colleges reported that 62% of students hold a job while attending school full-time. So, what role does a community college play in supporting students through the challenges they may face? In this episode, Dr. Michael Baston, President of Rockland Community College (RCC), talks through his definition of experience at RCC. He discusses both the missteps his college has made and the transformation of RCC’s experience design while unraveling the importance of accepting responsibility for student success as educational leaders. Dr. Baston reveals the logistics of the Student Success Team, along with the use of technology in a human-driven enterprise, and the fragile courage of many community college students as the key components in defining the educational experience at RCC.
Only 15% of community college students transfer to four-year institutions after they complete their associate’s degree...nationwide. In this episode, Dr. Karen Stout, President of Achieving the Dream, shares how community colleges increase statistics through organizational processes, relationships with partner universities, and tackling student barriers head-on. In this episode, she will provide actionable solutions on how to get more students ready to transfer and prepare them to complete and successfully earn a bachelor’s degree.
St. Petersburg College created “The College Experience” to transform the way out-of-classroom is provided to significantly improve student success rates. Now President Tonjua Williams is moving that work inside the classroom. In this episode, Dr. Williams shares how she engaged faculty and staff to build “The Learning Experience” and the challenges she faced. She provides honest insight on how the College used transparency and collaboration to engage every member of the College to complete the work, and the lessons learned along the way.
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