Investments in professional development have been more important than ever for community colleges this past year against the backdrop of the pandemic and all that it has changed. While some colleges are facing declining enrollments and less in the way of state funding, they are stretching every professional development dollar they can get their hands on to improve teaching and student services and provide their faculty and staff with leadership skills. College administrators also are finding that professional development opportunities can inject a morale boost at a time when people are living in fear and isolation. The article examines on how community colleges in Ohio, Maryland, Iowa, and Pennsylvania are making professional development a priority.
Community college faculty have always been more than classroom teachers, but during the pandemic their roles as counselors, navigators and sources of needed referrals perhaps have never been more paramount--or appreciated. Beyond the dizzying logistics and scrambled pedagogy involved in switching from in-person to online learning, faculty have needed to overcome their fears and frustrations, keep students engaged, celebrate what successes they can, avail themselves of professional development resources and support from their leadership, and look to the future. This article provides insight into teachers' experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic. The teachers touch upon topics such as challenges and victories, staying responsive to students, support from administration, and moving beyond the pandemic.
As the pandemic reaches the one-year mark in the United States, college presidents reflected on the impact the prolonged crisis has had on their institutions, their communities-- and themselves. The past year has seen not only the rampant spread of the novel coronavirus, but also social and political unrest. All of these issues have affected poor and marginalized communities more than others--groups directly served by community colleges. Although it's been a very difficult year for everyone, and college presidents have been tested like never before, they've also found inspiration in how their campus communities have come together in the face of these challenges.
Even before COVID-19, officials at Waubonsee Community College (Illinois) knew well the difficulties historically underserved students had in meeting their workforce education goals. As the virus crisis has only magnified existing equity gaps, leaders at two-year institutions are putting even more emphasis on bridging societal chasms. Onlookers believe the pandemic has accelerated inequities among Black and Latinx Americans, as well as Native Americans and other underrepresented groups. As front-line workers, these populations are more likely to be exposed to illness compared to their white counterparts, a trend supported by higher COVID-19 mortality rates amid individuals of color. A widening breach in wealth has resulted in disproportionate impacts on postsecondary education and training, to the point where low-income and minority learners may leave higher ed altogether. This article highlights how community colleges are responding to bridge the workforce equity gap.
