LOUISVILLE, Ky. — The U.S. Education Department (ED) will soon issue several new proposed rules that will affect postsecondary institutions, including community colleges. Jo Alice Blondin, president of Clark State College (Ohio) — who represented community colleges on a panel charged with trying to negotiate those proposed rules — wants two-year colleges to read them and be vocal.
During Sunday’s Hail & Farewell Luncheon at AACC 2024, Blondin said ED is expected to release within the next few weeks its “notice of proposed rulemaking” in five areas: cash management, return of Title IV funds, accreditation, distance education and state authorization. The public has 30 days to comment on those proposed rules. She encouraged the community college sector to read the proposed regs and to let ED know about their concerns.
“We’re 1,200 strong and we need to show it,” she told the audience at the luncheon.
Blondin served as the primary negotiator for community colleges during the negotiated-rulemaking sessions earlier this year focused on those five areas. The panel came to a consensus only on a change to the TRIO program — the rule will allow undocumented students to receive TRIO support.
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But a lack of consensus in the others areas means ED can draft its own language based on the discussion and concerns raised during the rulemaking process. Blondin is raising a red flag about some of them. In the area of distance education, for example, ED is expected to propose nixing asynchronous distance education for clock-hour programs, Blondin said.
“This is an abomination,” she said. “This cannot move forward because it will impact so many of our technical colleges as well as our community colleges.”
Rate of CEO transitions continues to decrease
During his annual State of the Association address at Tuesday’s luncheon, Walter Bumphus, president and CEO of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC), ran a video highlighting AACC’s accomplishments over the year and also previewing some upcoming projects and web-based tools for AACC-member colleges.
In his report, Bumphus provided an annual update on community college CEO transitions. The rate of transitions — whether retiring or moving to another institution — continues to lower, according to an analysis by AACC of its membership data from July 1 to June 30 each year. For 2022-23, the rate dipped to 10.4%. And it appears the rate will continue to drop. Data to date for 2023-24 (with a few months to do) is trending at 6.3%. The highest rate of transition most recently was 11.6% in 2018-19.
Bumphus noted that stability in the presidency allows colleges to improve students’ teaching and learning experiences, and the colleges’ overall leadership of staff, faculty and administrators.
The ‘human’ side of technology
While the increasing speed and advancement of technology has many people wary, futurist Jack Uldrich thinks it can make us more “human.” He believes the time freed up by technology such as artificial intelligence and quantum computing can allow people to focus more on empathy and develop stronger, healthier communities.
The keynote luncheon speaker noted nursing as an example. Better and faster skills training via technology could allow nursing students to spend more time on improving their empathy and compassion, he said.
“But this is going to require all of us thinking differently,” said Uldrich, a former naval intelligence officer and U.S. Department of Defense official.
For community colleges, perhaps the focus could be more on “community,” he said.
“I love your theme of ‘Racing Toward A Better Future,'” Uldrich told the audience of the AACC 2024 theme. “But if you want to win that race, you don’t just need speed or endurance,…it’s the heart. Let us never forget that.”
