WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) in partnership with the Center for the Study of Community Colleges (CSCC) today released Community College Trusteeship in 2025: A Commitment to Serve. This report is the most comprehensive analysis to date of community college trustees: who they are, why they serve, and what they perceive to be the most critical priorities and challenges for their institutions and the sector.
“Community college trustees are publicly elected and appointed officials who volunteer their time to serve higher education institutions within their communities,” said ACCT President and CEO Jee Hang Lee. “This new study demonstrates that trustees have a pulse on their communities’ needs, a deep commitment to the community college mission of open access to high-quality higher education for all people, and the kind of visionary thinking needed to keep their institutions thriving.”
“We are excited by the insights revealed in Community College Trusteeship in 2025,” said ACCT Vice President for Membership and Educational Services Dr. Robin Matross Helms. “The findings will inform scholarship on community college governance and will influence development of ACCT’s educational programs and services.”
“Connecting CSCC’s research capacity with ACCT’s deep understanding of its membership and global network is the kind of partnership needed for this level of scholarship. For the first time, we have data on trustees that can be generalized across the country and analyzed within specific states or regions, ultimately improving our understanding of and ability to support these vital community members,” said CSCC Managing Director Dr. Carrie B. Kisker.
Building on previous surveys conducted in 1997 and 2018 and integrating qualitative interviews, findings from this study provide information about who trustees are and why they serve, highlight the beliefs and values that influence community college trustees’ decision making, and shed light on professional development that opportunities that can assist trustees in supporting their colleges through innovative and transformational changes.
Key findings include:
- 64% of trustees attended a community college, and nearly two in five are first-generation college students.
- 86% hold a bachelor’s degree or higher, with 59% earning a master’s, professional, or doctoral degree.
- Trustees come from diverse professional backgrounds, with the most common fields being education, business, healthcare, government, and legal professions.
- Trustees report strong relationships with their college CEOs, with 94% indicating a high level of trust.
The survey includes illuminating quotes from in-depth qualitative interviews conducted by coauthors Dr. Susan Kater and Dr. Regina Garza Mitchell:
“I think it's just serving an organization with a mission that positively transforms lives. We are transformative and impactful. And we see it every day.”
“We're all focusing on [the] challenge of the enrollment cliff.... I think we are up from last year in our enrollment numbers, but we can't lose sight of how we attract and retain and move these folks on to jobs.”
“Working in community colleges is a passion of mine because I'm a first-generation college graduate…I grew up on a community college campus. My mother was an adult learner…My brother and I would have to go to night classes with her because we didn’t have childcare.”
When asked about what their college needs to be doing now to prepare for the future the most common theme was the need to equip students for rapidly changing workforce demands. “The change in the workforce, that’s huge… we need to meet the needs of both the small communities and the larger ones we serve.”
Board members appreciate their colleges and their ability to serve them.
“This landmark study demonstrates the vital role trustees play in shaping the future of community colleges,” said ACCT Associate Vice President for Strategic Communications David Conner. “It shows that board members are engaged, invested, and dedicated to their fiduciary responsibilities and student success.”
The full report is available for download at www.acct.org.
About ACCT
The Association of Community College Trustees is a non-profit educational organization representing more than 6,500 trustees who govern over 1,000 community, technical, and junior colleges across the United States and beyond.
About CSCC
The Center for the Study of Community Colleges is a non-profit 501(c)3 research and policy organization based in Los Angeles, California. The Center’s mission is to improve community college effectiveness and student success by engaging in and supporting research related to community college leadership, practice, and policy. For more information, visit centerforcommunitycolleges.org.