Spotlight on Community Colleges
The Spotlight on Community Colleges podcast provides community college administrators, trustees, and faculty, as well as higher education scholars, students, and thought leaders, with insights into major challenges and issues community colleges face. Through topical exchanges between researchers and practitioners, guests discuss emerging scholarship paired with practical solutions, as well as critical analyses of possibilities for future practice. Together they share stories and anecdotes grounded in personal narratives, professional examples, and practical take-aways. Hosted by Drs. Carrie B. Kisker, Erin Doran, and Brett Ranon Nachman, a trio of community college scholars from diverse backgrounds, the Spotlight on Community Colleges highlights the centrality of community colleges to our democracy, economy, and work toward social justice, and shines a light on the perspectives of those who attend, teach, lead, and study these institutions. Spotlight on Community Colleges is a project of the Council for the Study of Community Colleges, the largest association of university-based researchers and community college scholar-practitioners dedicated to furthering scholarship on the community college enterprise.
Episodes
During the Council for the Study of Community Colleges annual conference in April 2026 in Salt Lake City, Spotlight on Community Colleges recorded a live episode featuring a panel of wonderful guests. This conversation focused on the idea of "The Community College in Tumultuous Times: Reflections and Future Possibilities," a period for making sense of the changes unfolding in our institutions over the past 12-18 months. The panel n...
According to the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA), about 60% of community colleges offer sports programs. This translates to approximately 60,000 student-athletes in community colleges around the United States participating in more than two dozen sports. According to Eddie Comeaux and Eric Davidson, student-athletes have higher GPAs than their non-athlete counterparts; community colleges often provide their athl...
The American Association of Community Colleges estimates that about 40% of headcount enrollment at community colleges is in non credit-bearing courses and programs, yet much remains unknown about noncredit education.
On this episode of Spotlight on Community Colleges, we talk about what we know about noncredit occupational training in community colleges - and what we still don’t know. We are going to hear from our colleagues in th...
There's a lot to love about community colleges, and one of those components is the employees who themselves are in, healthy romantic relationships. The two-body problem, as it is commonly referred to, entails how spouses or significant others must account for finding similarly specialized role in the same geographic area, or if possible, the same institution.
On today's episode, we welcome on one dual-career couple to discuss their...
Today on Spotlight on Community Colleges we focus on issues related to campus climate in community colleges. In other words, how might faculty, staff, administrators, and other constituents perceive institutional policies, practices, and routines that influence satisfaction, efficacy, and success.
Deconstructing this complicated and nuanced topic is a panel of guests who have a deep understanding of campus climate. Dr. Audrey (AJ)...
On this episode of Spotlight on Community Colleges we take a peek into the world of community college fundraising! Guests Dr. Everrett Smith (Associate Professor, University of Cincinnati) and Charles Silver (Development Director, Scottsdale Community College) join in the conversation to share the research on community college fundraising and the unique considerations that practitioners face, respectively. Along the way they offer ...
This episode of Spotlight on Community Colleges centers some of the most understudied yet vital members of the higher education community: community college trustees. These are the incredible folks who volunteer their time to act as fiscal stewards of their institutions, guide institutional mission and strategy, monitor operations, hire the CEOs, and ensure that their colleges and students can flourish.
Sharing insights on this ep...
The community college financial aid landscape is fraught with challenges related to income verification and making satisfactory academic progress, but also opportunities associated with supporting students' payments and financial literacy training. This episode of Spotlight on Community Colleges deconstructs the current realities of community college financial aid.
Today's guests discuss the var...
Drawing in tens of thousands of international students each year, community colleges welcome these learners to higher education. Similarly, transborder students attend community colleges, each day crossing the border to attain their education. Yet the turbulent political and immigration landscape is creating challenges for community colleges and, in tandem, international and transborder students. On today's episode of Spotlight on ...
On this episode of SPOTLIGHT ON COMMUNITY COLLEGES we feature a conversation on building and maintaining equitable teaching practices in community college science, technology, engineering, and math, or STEM education. We are joined by two community college educators: Dr. Melonie Sexton (psychology professor) and Ms. Josephine Pino (biology professor).
Today's discussion is framed around a consensus report that was released by the N...
In this episode of Spotlight on Community Colleges ("Community College Student Mental Health), we speak to two individuals who share their experiences and thoughts on how to best serve students who may face challenges as they pursue their education:
- Dr. Amanda O. Latz (Associate Professor, Ball State University)
- Tony Williams (Vice President of Student Services, Coconino Community College)
On this episode of Spotlight on Community Colleges ("Women of Color in the Community College Leadership Pipeline"), take an opportunity to recognize the incredible leadership conducted by women of color in community colleges. Joining on this panel discussion are three key leaders who have brought meaningful, transformative change to their educational institutions:
- Dr. Daria Willis (President of Howard Community College)
- Dr. C...
In the second episode of Spotlight on Community Colleges ("Meet the Spotlight on Community Colleges Hosts: Drs. Erin Doran, Carrie B. Kisker, and Brett Ranon Nachman"), learn about the practical experiences and research that have guided the work and lives of each of the three podcast hosts: Dr. Carrie B. Kisker (Kisker Education Consulting), Dr. Erin Doran (University of Texas at El Paso), and Dr. Brett Ranon Nachman (University of...
Welcome to the first episode of Spotlight on Community Colleges. In this inaugural episode, our hosting team (Drs. Carrie B. Kisker, Erin Doran, and Brett Ranon Nachman) establishes context on what to expect from the podcast! This podcast, a project of the Council for the Study of Community Colleges, will serve as a space for administrators, researchers, faculty, and additional stakeholders to hold conversations about the modern is...
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