In the Know with ACCT

David Mathis: Evolution of Community College Trusteeship PART 2

Season 4, Episode 2: ACCT Chair David Mathis has been a member of the Mohawk Valley Community College board of trustees since 1977. In this episode, Mathis reflects on how community college and how public higher education governance have evolved over the past four decades, including challenges, opportunities, and changes that have taken place. As he takes the helm of the association during one of the most tumultuous years of American history, and when ACCT is undergoing its own major changes, Mathis discusses his many goals, including pandemic recovery; making meaningful progress in diversity, equity and inclusion at community colleges; finding the best person to lead ACCT into the future, and more.

David Mathis: Evolution of Community College Trusteeship PART 1

Season 4, Episode 1: ACCT Chair David Mathis has been a member of the Mohawk Valley Community College board of trustees since 1977. In this episode, Mathis reflects on how community college and how public higher education governance have evolved over the past four decades, including challenges, opportunities, and changes that have taken place. As he takes the helm of the association during one of the most tumultuous years of American history, and when ACCT is undergoing its own major changes, Mathis discusses his many goals, including pandemic recovery; making meaningful progress in diversity, equity and inclusion at community colleges; finding the best person to lead ACCT into the future, and more.

Bridging Financial Wellness and Student Success

This episode of In The Know features conversation with Veena Jayadeva, Director of Corporate Responsibility at Guardian Life Insurance, Hannah Gregory from Capital Community College in Connecticut, and Allison Beer and Jacob Bray from ACCT. Our discussion focuses on ACCT's most recent report, Bridging Financial Wellness And Student Success: Effective Models for Community College.

Major takeaways from the report include:

1. Community college students’ expenses often exceed available grant aid. Community college tuition is known for being relatively affordable; however, the cost of tuition and living expenses is typically greater than the amount of their available resources and grant aid. Sufficient federal and state financial aid resources are necessary to meet students’ financial needs. Colleges can also support students with financial aid interventions such as emergency grant aid, institutional balance forgiveness, and improved financial aid information.
2. Financial education can be critical for students as they navigate the complex nature of college financing and personal expenses; however, education about finances is not a replacement for financial aid resources. Financial education combined with sufficient aid can help empower students to make complex financial decisions associated with attending college. To provide relevant financial education, community colleges must consider the varied skill sets and knowledge held by their students.
3. This report highlights the Guardian Money Management for Life Program as a financial empowerment model for community colleges. Among students who participated in the course from 2015 to 2019, 75% report having a better understanding of personal financial management. Recognizing that when students’ basic financial needs are met, they are more likely to succeed academically, several Guardian Life partner colleges have evolved the personal finance course to a holistic financial wellness model. Notably, these colleges are moving toward developing or expanding one-stop financial empowerment centers where students receive resources for financial education, aid, and career development.

This report was made possible by a grant from Guardian. 

If you want to check out the full report, it’s available on our website, acct.org, under the publications tab.

Thanks for listening, we’ll see you next time.

Virtual Community College Board Meetings: Lessons Learned

In response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and protocols banning social interactions in the state of California, the San Diego Community College District Board of Trustees convened for the first time by virtual meeting on April 9.

In this episode, ACCT President and CEO J. Noah Brown speaks with SDCCD Board President Dr. Maria Nieto Senour about how the district board met, what they learned, and what considerations will be made as future board meetings are convened.

The board meeting discussed during this podcast is available for viewing via YouTube.

 

 

John Clark and the Perception of Higher Education

In this episode of In The Know, David Conner and Jacob Bray spoke with John Clark. John is a consultant at Gallup and has done extensive research on the public perception of postsecondary education, and how community colleges can distinguish themselves positively from other sectors of higher education. His presentation at our most recent National Legislative Summit was well-received, so we thought it would be a good idea to catch John for an episode and discuss his work a little more.