Innovation Is The Key To Achieving Success For Community College Students

It's amazing to think that the first Community College in the United States was established over 123 years ago in 1901. Joliet Junior College was initially founded as a postgraduate high school program with just six students. However, with the ability to experiment and innovate, it has now grown to serve over 30,000 students in both credit and noncredit courses. What was once an innovative idea to start a new college has created a lasting legacy that continues to benefit students today.

As with many things in life, experiments are necessary. We must try our options and find out which ones work best for us. Community Colleges understand the importance of being innovative and adaptable in our efforts to attract and retain students, primarily focusing on ensuring their access and success. As leaders in the Community College sector of Higher Education, we recognize that even a small mistake can result in a prospective student choosing to go elsewhere or a current student disengaging. Such mistakes can be as simple as failing to provide easy ways for students to chat or connect with campus representatives when they have questions about the application process or class registration.

In today's fast-paced world, people expect quick responses, sometimes even instant ones. As an adjunct professor at a community college located in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, I have witnessed the academic and personal needs of first-generation students who lack family guidance and support in their college journey. Technology has helped streamline the process, and to be honest, I’ve embraced the use of Artificial Intelligence in my learning environment to more rapidly support those students.

As National Community College Month comes to a close, Element451 would like to recognize Community Colleges nationwide that have embraced innovation to support student success through experimentation with new technologies and strategies.

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College, which is situated in Johnstown, Pennsylvania, has recently launched its Center for Culinary Excellence at its new downtown location. This cutting-edge facility was built through a strategic collaboration with local partners within the region. Students are required to complete internships at local restaurants in the area, where they will rotate between different locations every two weeks. Additionally, the Community College has worked to secure potential career opportunities with about a dozen local restaurants for students upon completion of their degree.

Recently, the students of Harper College in Palatine, Illinois, received multiple awards at the Broad Education Association’s Festival of Media Arts and the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System Media Awards. The college’s Audio/Video Arts Technology program and radio station WHCM were among the winners, placing the programs in the top 5% in the country. Additionally, the radio station was once again listed as a finalist for Best Overall Radio Station in the Chicago Reader’s annual Best of Chicago awards.

Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College, located in Cloquet, Minnesota, recently received the Achieving the Dream 2024 Leah Meyer Austin Award. This award signifies the college's commitment to implementing practices and strategies that prioritize student success, lead to notable improvements in student outcomes, and reduce equity gaps. The College was recognized for its innovative approach to promoting student success, which resulted in an increase in fall-to-fall retention rates from 45 percent to 53 percent between 2018 and 2021, despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. It's worth noting that the College is unique in that it is the only institution in the country that functions as both a federally recognized Tribal College and a state community college.

The Blinn College District, located in Brenham, Texas, has recently expanded its team, which now includes a new student transfer recruiter for Prospective Student Relations. The recruiter works closely with the faculty and staff from the RELLIS Academic Alliance to help Blinn students find bachelor's degree programs and support them in co-enrollment programs such as the Texas A&M-Blinn TEAM, Texas A&M Engineering Academy at Blinn-Brenham, Texas A&M Engineering at Blinn, and the Aggie Student-Centered Express Nursing Degree (ASCEND) programs. Blinn College has a great reputation as a state leader in academic transfer, and is committed to providing streamlined paths to transfer opportunities for its students.

Students and faculty at Porterville College, located in Porterville, California, demonstrated their ingenuity by finding a way to observe the recent solar eclipse despite not being in its direct path. By using high-powered telescopes and other solar viewing equipment, the group was able to get a unique and memorable view of the celestial event. Through their teamwork and innovative approach, they made the most out of this extraordinary experience.

Community colleges across the country are actively working to provide innovative solutions to ensure student access and success.

They achieve this by creating an engaging learning environment that opens new doors of opportunity for prospective and current students, as well as ensuring career opportunities for graduates. At Element451, we recognize and appreciate the important role that two-year institutions play in our economic success. We encourage all academic leaders to continue embracing innovation and to not shy away from experimenting with new and developing technologies. We look forward to seeing what the next 123 years will bring and how community colleges will continue to impact the future of our country.