CASE’s 50th anniversary is also a time to look to the future. Five advancement leaders share thoughts on the challenges ahead, along with what makes them optimistic in this roundtable discussion.

In the summer of 2020, when many students faced semesters of virtual learning ahead, President Claudia Schrader of Kingsborough Community College, New York, U.S., wanted to find a way to welcome new students to the KCC family. Thus, the KCC Welcome Wagon was born. Schrader has been visiting incoming freshman and transfer students—about 60 to 70 in total, she estimates—at their homes or workplaces across the five boroughs of New York City, and sometimes Long Island.

The FRC offers parent and child playgroups, tutoring for both parents and children, counseling, a free children’s clothing exchange, and more. Over the years the FRC has expanded to support food and housing insecure students and workforce participants as well as student parents.  

A new documentary underlines the importance of community at a variety of institutions and organizations, including Amarillo College.

What is race equity as it applies to education institutions? How are advancement teams approaching this work, which experts say involves a wholesale transformation of organizational cultures? How are institutions and individuals moving forward in the name of equity? 

What members are thinking and sharing: guidelines for statements on public issues, alumni awards celebrations, and more.

The new documentary The Antidote spotlights Amarillo College and its efforts to break the cycle of poverty for its students. The institution’s leaders share their thoughts on the film and how it shows the impact of community colleges.

Advancement leaders from three community colleges share how they reorganized, strategized, and adapted in 2020 to continue to support the missions of their institutions.

To say the least, 2020 was an unpredictable year for community colleges. Let’s take stock of the challenges we met and the successes we achieved while looking forward to new opportunities in 2021.

The past year has highlighted advancement professionals' agility and innovation out of necessity. It has also brought to light areas where we must improve in order to be more inclusive and embracing of diversity. Like emotional intelligence, this doesn’t have a finish line: It is a continuous journey. What is not in question, ever, is our respect for our community.