Putting faculty in the spotlight during Community College Month

Every April we celebrate Community College Month, and this year, we’re focusing our celebration on our faculty.

For the last year I’ve been telling anyone who’ll listen just how proud I am of our students, faculty and staff for stepping up and getting it done during the pandemic. Moving to remote learning in such a short amount of time was a challenge for everyone involved. 

You might think it’s no big deal for faculty, but let’s be clear—many had never taught online classes, and if you’ve never done it, it’s not as easy as it sounds. Throw in lack of broadband access that some faculty faced, and suddenly, you’ve got a real issue. But our faculty were tenacious and creative. So much so that they helped a record number of students graduate and complete a record number of credentials even though enrollment was down.

As I’ve said many times, I’d put our faculty up against any. Many of them have the same or similar advanced credentials as their counterparts at universities, but because this is not widely known, there’s a misperception about community college faculty. And here’s the thing–many of them could teach at a university, but they choose to teach at a community college. It’s sure not for the money. It’s because they believe in the mission, and they love their students. They are remarkable in many ways and have a passion for helping their students have better lives. That’s why so many of them have been with us for years.

Community colleges were founded on the principle of access to higher ed for anyone who wants to go to college. Higher education matters, and not just for the wealthy or the elite. And, not just for people who want to earn a bachelor’s degree or an advanced degree.  

Community college students differ in many ways from their university counterparts. Some of them have significant nonacademic barriers to attending college like childcare issues, caring for parents, full-time jobs, food and housing insecurity and the list goes on and on. 

Many of our students lean on faculty members for help with these issues. Our faculty members are there for students serving not only as teachers, but also as mentors and coaches. It’s no surprise that when students graduate, they talk about the important role a faculty member, or members, played in their success.

So even though April is Community College Month, we should celebrate our terrific faculty year-round. Happy Community College Month to all! I’m proud to lead the best system in the country.