Community colleges at the crossroads: Examining challenges and how to put institutions on a sustainable path forward

Community colleges play a vital role in cities and towns across the country. They are responsive to the local community and flexible to the needs of local employers. And community colleges are critical for maintaining access, serving the majority of underrepresented student populations in the United States. But community colleges are facing existential challenges across multiple fronts. From declining enrollments, widening equity gaps, continued higher education affordability concerns, the changing nature of work and questions about value and relevancy, the challenges are numerous. But so are the opportunities. Our expert panel examined the mounting issues community colleges face, identified innovative collaboration happening around the country and laid out a path forward for policymakers looking to support the community colleges serving their communities.