If you have not yet heard about Tara Westover’s Educated: A Memoir, I wager that you will soon. And if you have not yet read the book, I expect that you probably will. This is a book that will be assigned, taught, and taught again and again for many years to come. It is that…
An Education to the Stars
Mike Massimino is a retired NASA astronaut, a seasoned space traveler who played a key role in two Space Shuttle missions. When I picked up his memoir, Spaceman: An Astronaut’s Unlikely Journey to Unlock the Secrets of the Universe, I expected a bit of biography and a tech-heavy account of space exploration, perhaps written with…
Inequity in Action
What is the mission of public four-year colleges? I would wager that most American would say that they should provide high-quality educational opportunities to all students, regardless of wealth, status, and background. The reality, according to a recent study, is different. Our Separate & Unequal Public Colleges, a report from the Georgetown University Center on…
Action In Equity
I was excited and pleased earlier in the month to take part in an equity summit organized by the Partnership for College Completion, a Chicago-based nonprofit. The PCC’s work is in technical support, educational policy and public awareness of college access, affordability and college completion in Illinois. A key aim of the organization is to…
Wrongs, Rights, and Blurred Lines: Sexual Assault and Higher Education
Some book titles can hide or confuse. Other titles, though, truthfully convey a book’s essence. Vanessa Grigoriadis, an editor for the New York Times Magazine and Vanity Fair, has written thoughtfully about sexual assault at colleges. It is a difficult topic, emotionally charged and painful. It is a politicized issue – from the right and…
The Best Leadership is Useful Leadership
Ever talk with someone joining the community college world as an employee who doesn’t know all that much about community colleges? If I could only recommend one book – and that person was going to take some sort of leadership role – I would definitely recommend Practical Leadership in Community Colleges: Navigating Today’s Challenges. It is…
A Recipe for Leadership Training
Looking for best and better practice in the community college world? Check out the programs and institutions that are Bellwether Award finalists. The Bellwether College Consortium, through the Community College Futures Assembly, evaluates innovative and successful programs across the nation. In 2005, the Community College of Philadelphia‘s Leadership Institute was a finalist for the Bellwether…