In The Know With Acct

CONGRESS RECAP: The following panel discussion was taken from the “Building Momentum for Innovative Dual Enrollment Pathways Policies” seminar, recorded during the 2025 ACCT Leadership Congress in New Orleans, Louisiana.

In this second installment of ACCT’s dual enrollment/dual credit series, consultant Amy-Elle-Duke Benfield sits down with higher ed leaders from Texas and California to compare state programs and policies, and strategize ways to make systems more effective for students.

Honoring the past while empowering the future… America’s tribal colleges and universities provide a culturally rooted educational experience that prepares students for jobs in their local communities and beyond! In this episode, you'll hear from three tribal college alumni whose alma maters have laid the foundation for their professional journeys, inspiring impactful careers that are strengthening the local economies of their native lands. For more information about the importance of TCUs, check out the 2025 American Indian Higher Education Consortium Economic Impact Report!

Student success… The term is used all the time in higher ed spaces, but what does it truly mean? Over the last two decades , community colleges have been making a conscious effort to “meet students where they’re at”, addressing basic needs issues like hunger, childcare for student parents, veterans benefits and disability resources. But one of the most prominent issues leading to student stop out is still without a real solution... New America's Senior Policy Manager for Higher Education Policy, Edward Conroy, unveils details of a new study revealing just how big an impact housing insecurity is having on student retention on community college campuses.

AI is the future… and for a lot of people, that can seem a little scary. But it doesn’t have to be! In less than 30 days, community college trustees and administrators from around the country will be swarming the streets of New Orleans, Louisiana for the annual ACCT Leadership Congress. In this episode, one of our Congress sponsors, Element451, is giving our members a sneak preview of their conference session! They’ll tell us how community colleges can streamline processes while taking a load off their academic advisors and student services workers through the use of innovative artificial intelligence software.   Learn more about Element451 by visiting their website: www.element451.com Register for the 2025 ACCT Leadership Congress: https://acct.org/events/acct-leadership-congress

Dually enrolled students are becoming one of the fastest growing populations at community colleges! Earlier this year, ACCT launched a new project exploring innovative state strategies for community college funding and dual enrollment in the states of Texas and California. In this episode, consultant and guest host, Amy Ellen Duke-Benfield, sits down with leaders from two Texas community colleges who were influential in the rollout of House Bill 8, which aims to increase the number of Texans with credentials of value.

The American people have spoken, and the results are in. President-elect Donald J. Trump is preparing to take on a second term in the the White House with an all new agenda and a Republican controlled  Congress behind him. This shift in power could mean a sweep of changes will be coming to the public education sector. ACCT’s Vice President of Public Policy, Carrie-Warick Smith, Director of Government Relations, Jose Miranda, and Senior Government Relations Associate, Genesis Santiago are here to analyze how community colleges could be affected by the election results.

Is filling out the FAFSA posing a challenge to your college students? Significant revisions have been made to the application within the last few years, but don’t fret! The ACCT public policy team breaks down all things FAFSA in their latest financial aid brief.

Former International President of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, Tala Alahmar, stopped by the ACCT office in Washington, D.C. to update the membership on her academic journey and professional goals following graduation from Oakland Community College and the University of Michigan. Alahmar was first introduced to the ACCT membership as a keynote speaker at the 2022 ACCT Leadership Congress in New York City, NY. Link to Full Congress Keynote Speech

Artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, biotechnology…The technology sector is advancing, and community colleges are finding themselves at the center of the innovation economy! On this episode of “In the Know”, Shalin Jyotishi from New America, breaks down the federal funding streams allocated through the CHIPS Act that are supplying community colleges with the resources needed to keep the workforce up to speed.

Did you know nearly one in ten undergraduate students are single mothers? Did you know nearly all of those single mothers are living at or near the poverty line? On this episode of in the know, ACCT’s Vice President of Public Policy, Carrie Warick-Smith is sitting down with Amber Angel from the ECMC Foundation. They’ll talk about how community colleges are aiming to provide more support to this growing student population and how the kids on campus project can be a reliable and effective solution for childcare needs.

Access to safe, reliable childcare can be one of the biggest barriers to adults looking to pursue higher education. The annual cost of childcare is surpassing the cost of college tuition in some states, and as a result, student parents are being pushed out of the retention pipeline. So how is ACCT addressing this basic needs issue? Steve Jurch, Associate Vice President for ACCT'S Center for Policy and Practice, leads this important discussion and provides us with an overview of the new Kids on Campus Initiative.   Guests: Laura Weeldreyer Executive Director, Maryland Family Network Hilda Pena-Alfaro Executive Director Child Development and Family Support, Mt. Hood Community College  

On this episode of "In the Know", ACCT's Sean Robins sits down with Annie Phillips from Education Strategy Group to discuss the progress of our joint Non-Credit Alignment Lab Initiative. The grant program was designed to identify best practices to equitably and effectively serve learners enrolled in non-credit programs at community colleges.

Appropriations bills, power transitions, funding deadlines…ACCT’s public policy team is here to get you all caught up on the latest action in Washington as our members prepare to meet with their legislators and advocate for their students at the 2024 Community College National Legislative Summit!

Black learner success. What is it? And are we really doing enough to ensure that it's thriving at our institutions? Dr. Keith Curry, President and CEO of Compton College analyzes the community college’s role in reaching a dwindling black student population and shares some of the strategies he’s implemented through his leadership positions.

This episode of "In the Know" will feature the third installment of our SNAP E&T grant partnership series. Camille Vega from the Nevada System of Higher Education (NSHE), and Stephany Barhorst from Lorain County Community College join us to discuss what it's like to serve as a third-party SNAP E&T provider, the challenges they've faced along the way, and the advice they have for community colleges looking to begin a partnership.

On this episode of “In the Know”, we dive deeper into the inner workings of the SNAP E&T grant program. Which contract structure is best suited for your institution? ACCT's Steve Jurch sits down with Nicole Braxton and Kate Kinder to talk about the pros and cons of using an intermediary model.

On this episode of “In the Know”,  Steve Jurch, Director of ACCT's Center for Policy and Practice, takes a closer look into our joint SNAP E&T grant partnership with the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA). APHSA Senior Policy Analyst, Brandy Whisman joins us as a guest to discuss the importance of third-party partnerships within the SNAP E&T landscape.

On this episode of "In the Know", we’re tackling all things mental health! We’ll sit down with a representative from TimelyCare and a licensed counselor at Amarillo College to discuss access to mental health services and trends we’re seeing among students on our campuses.

On this episode of in the know—ACCT’s Steve Jurch sits down with Bridgette Gray from Opportunity@Work and Kermit Kaleba from the Lumina Foundation to discuss a new project focused on creating a more efficient pipeline from community colleges to the workforce. We’ll discuss the importance of skills-based hiring and how it can help employers meet their need for competent workers while closing the employment gap for minority communities.