Trustee Quarterly: Winter 2026

From the Chair: Navigating the Sea Change

by Carol Del Carlo

 

After a Decade, Workforce Pell is Top of Mind

by Jee Hang Lee

 

Connect: Spotlighting Our Staff

by Robin Matross Helms, Ph.D. and Beth Merga

 

Advocacy: Congress Fixed FAFSA; Now the Bill is Due

by Carrie Warick-Smith 

 

Legal Issues Impacting Community Colleges — Recent decisions on equal pay, religious and speech freedoms, AI use in arbitration, women’s health discrimination, workplace accommodations, and other legal issues that affect community colleges.

by Ira Michael Shepard, Esq.

 

Interface: Driving Change, Leading With Care: Where Vision Meets Compassion

by Reatha Bell

 

 

Featured Articles

 

Download the full issue (PDF)

 

Meeting the Moment: Community Colleges and Workforce Pell — It’s time to shift the conversation from process to purpose — and outcomes.

By Jo Alice Blondin and Kate Kinder

 

Collaborative Workforce Development: A Trustee’s Perspective — An experienced trustee and doctoral candidate explains why workforce preparation must move ahead of AI and automation — and how community colleges, labor, and industry can do it together.

by Vivian Malauulu

 

Building the Noncredit Data Infrastructure — and Beyond — for Workforce Pell — With short-term credentials in the spotlight, trustees should leverage Workforce Pell as an accelerant to embrace broader workforce goals.

By Michelle Van Noy and Mark M. D’Amico

 

From Cougar to Jaguar — Coastal Bend College leaders detail how their Rural College Promise program reimagined transfer responsibility.

By Zachary Z. Suarez, Jerry Sanchez, Kevin Behr, Mercy Flynn, Velma Elizalde, Victor Gomez, Anna Marie Silvas, and Eloy Rodriguez

 

The Effective Board Chair — This article is the first of a three-part series excerpted from The Effective Board Chair: First Among Equals, published by ACCT in 2025.

By Pamila J. Fisher

 

Better Support, Better Outcomes — The most challenged students deserve the closest support, argues the president of higher education for Graduation Alliance.

by Donald Dement
 

'The Perfect Job' ACCT Chair Carol Del Carlo, a regent on the Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents, believes trustees must focus on wellbeing — for themselves, their colleges, and their CEOs.

by Mark Toner

 

 

ICYMI: Popular Features from Recent Issues...
 

Responsible AI Leadership in Community Colleges — What trustees need to know about pedagogy, governance, and environmental impact.

by Lisa A. Clark

 

Innovation for a Changing World Test your instincts in a preview of the largest-ever survey of community college trustees.

by Mark Toner

 

Lessons Learned from Dual Enrollment A Pre-Congress session offered strategies from California and Texas

by Mark Toner

 

The Effective Board Chair: First Among Equals — A new handbook for community college board chairs discusses the opportunities and challenges of being "the first among equals" on a board.

by Dr. Pamila Fisher

 

The Results Are In! Test your instincts in a preview of the largest-ever survey of community college trustees.

by David Conner

 

A Case for Stressing the Board of Trustees: Preparing for the UnexpectedA ‘fire drill for governance’ can help boards practice decision-making, asking tough questions, and applying policies in challenging situations.

by Dr. Daniel J. Phelan

 

Mikhaelle Pablico's Intro to AdvocacyThe College of Southern Nevada student put advocacy into action in Washington, D.C. at the 2025 Community College National Legislative Summit

by Kali Woods