In The Know With Acct

Former International President of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, Tala Alahmar, stopped by the ACCT office in Washington, D.C. to update the membership on her academic journey and professional goals following graduation from Oakland Community College and the University of Michigan. Alahmar was first introduced to the ACCT membership as a keynote speaker at the 2022 ACCT Leadership Congress in New York City, NY. Link to Full Congress Keynote Speech

Artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, biotechnology…The technology sector is advancing, and community colleges are finding themselves at the center of the innovation economy! On this episode of “In the Know”, Shalin Jyotishi from New America, breaks down the federal funding streams allocated through the CHIPS Act that are supplying community colleges with the resources needed to keep the workforce up to speed.

Did you know nearly one in ten undergraduate students are single mothers? Did you know nearly all of those single mothers are living at or near the poverty line? On this episode of in the know, ACCT’s Vice President of Public Policy, Carrie Warick-Smith is sitting down with Amber Angel from the ECMC Foundation. They’ll talk about how community colleges are aiming to provide more support to this growing student population and how the kids on campus project can be a reliable and effective solution for childcare needs.

Access to safe, reliable childcare can be one of the biggest barriers to adults looking to pursue higher education. The annual cost of childcare is surpassing the cost of college tuition in some states, and as a result, student parents are being pushed out of the retention pipeline. So how is ACCT addressing this basic needs issue? Steve Jurch, Associate Vice President for ACCT'S Center for Policy and Practice, leads this important discussion and provides us with an overview of the new Kids on Campus Initiative.   Guests: Laura Weeldreyer Executive Director, Maryland Family Network Hilda Pena-Alfaro Executive Director Child Development and Family Support, Mt. Hood Community College  

On this episode of "In the Know", ACCT's Sean Robins sits down with Annie Phillips from Education Strategy Group to discuss the progress of our joint Non-Credit Alignment Lab Initiative. The grant program was designed to identify best practices to equitably and effectively serve learners enrolled in non-credit programs at community colleges.

Appropriations bills, power transitions, funding deadlines…ACCT’s public policy team is here to get you all caught up on the latest action in Washington as our members prepare to meet with their legislators and advocate for their students at the 2024 Community College National Legislative Summit!

Black learner success. What is it? And are we really doing enough to ensure that it's thriving at our institutions? Dr. Keith Curry, President and CEO of Compton College analyzes the community college’s role in reaching a dwindling black student population and shares some of the strategies he’s implemented through his leadership positions.

This episode of "In the Know" will feature the third installment of our SNAP E&T grant partnership series. Camille Vega from the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE), and Stephany Barhorst from Lorain County Community College join us to discuss what it's like to serve as a third-party SNAP E&T provider, the challenges they've faced along the way, and the advice they have for community colleges looking to begin a partnership.

On this episode of “In the Know”, we dive deeper into the inner workings of the SNAP E&T grant program. Which contract structure is best suited for your institution? ACCT's Steve Jurch sits down with Nicole Braxton and Kate Kinder to talk about the pros and cons of using an intermediary model.

On this episode of “In the Know”,  Steve Jurch, Director of ACCT's Center for Policy and Practice, takes a closer look into our joint SNAP E&T grant partnership with the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA). APHSA Senior Policy Analyst, Brandy Whisman joins us as a guest to discuss the importance of third-party partnerships within the SNAP E&T landscape.

On this episode of "In the Know", we’re tackling all things mental health! We’ll sit down with a representative from TimelyCare and a licensed counselor at Amarillo College to discuss access to mental health services and trends we’re seeing among students on our campuses.

On this episode of in the know—ACCT’s Steve Jurch sits down with Bridgette Gray from Opportunity@Work and Kermit Kaleba from the Lumina Foundation to discuss a new project focused on creating a more efficient pipeline from community colleges to the workforce. We’ll discuss the importance of skills-based hiring and how it can help employers meet their need for competent workers while closing the employment gap for minority communities.

On this episode of "In the Know", ACCT's Andy Laine sits down with career lawyer, Ira Shepard to discuss the Supreme Court's ruling in the Houston Community College vs. Wilson case. With very little precedent for cases dealing with the function of a community college board, we'll pinpoint the ruling's significance and how it may affect board member relations moving forward.

This episode of “In the Know” features an in-depth discussion with ACCT's Vice President of Public Policy, Carrie Warick-Smith, Director of Government Relations, Jose Miranda, and Senior Government Relations Associate, Rosario Duran. We'll take a closer look at the legislative priorities for the 118th Congress and the policy changes that could affect how community colleges serve students. We'll also preview the upcoming Community College National Legislative Summit happening February 5-8 in Washington, D.C.

On this episode of In the Know ACCT's Director of Strategic Communications, David Conner, and I spoke with Hester Tinti-Kane, Senior Marketing Director at Cengage and Jeff Seaman, Director of Bay View Analytics about the Digital Learning Pulse Survey: Student, Faculty and Administrator Perspective on Digital Learning in the Community College. Bay View Analytics conducted this survey of higher education students, faculty and administrators between October 20 and November 8, 2021 in partnership with leading community college organizations. This project is underwritten by Cengage. 

This is an episode of Need to Know, a more policy-focused offshoot of In the Know. Today, we're talking about appropriations with Carrie Warick-Smith and José Miranda. Carrie is ACCT's Vice President of Public Policy and José is ACCT's Senior Government Relations Associate. We talk about new developments in the appropriations process and updates to programs that are of interest to community colleges.  Fiscal Year 2022 Appropriations Fact Sheet ACCT LAW Alerts

This episode of In the Know features United States Secretary of Labor Marty Walsh’s address to community college leaders at the 2022 National Legislative Summit, with an introduction by Pam Eddinger, president of Bunker Hill Community College in Massachusetts. This episode also features an extensive Q&A the secretary did with community college leaders. There is a lot of great information here, so even if you were at the NLS, I think this is worth listening to again. Please feel free to reach out to me directly at jbray@acct.org if you have ideas for future episodes. What do you want to learn about? We’re always open to suggestions!

On this episode of In the Know, I spoke with Judge Jim Cooksey, ACCT Board Chair and Trustee at Moberly Area Community College in Missouri. We spoke about his path to becoming a trustee, and the theme for this year's annual Congress theme, "Improving the Lives of Entire Families." Registration is now open, as is the call for presentations. 

On this episode of In the Know, David Conner and Jacob Bray spoke with Shauna Davis and Mary Laphen from the Lumina Foundation. Shauna is the Strategy Director for Community College Participation and Mary is the Strategy Officer for Participation. We spoke about Lumina's Million Dollar Community College Challenge, a grant opportunity to support brand building and strategic marketing efforts for community colleges. 

This episode of In the Know features Secretary of Education Miguel Cardona’s address to community college leaders at the 2022 National Legislative Summit. Secretary Cardona has a long history of advocating for public education and community colleges. He is an inspiring leader, and I think you’ll enjoy what he has to say. This episode also features a Q&A with Secretary Cardona moderated by ACCT Chair-Elect, Rose Benavidez. Thank you for listening to this episode of In the Know, and thank you again to Secretary Cardona for taking the time to speak with us at the 2022 National Legislative Summit. If you have ideas for future episodes, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us. You can email me directly at jbray@acct.org. We’ll see you next week.