National Office of Community College Initiatives
The College Board established the National Office of Community College Initiatives to support the Board's mission to connect students to college success. Community colleges serve more than six million students, including the largest proportion of students from educationally disadvantaged backgrounds in American higher education. Assuring access and college success for these students requires strong partnerships among K-12 schools, community colleges, and four-year colleges and universities. The College Board is one of the few not-for-profit national organizations that brings together all of these constituencies in the service of students, families, counselors, and other student service professionals.
Goals
The Office of Community College Initiatives serves the educational needs of community college students and educators by:
- Supporting the work of the Community College Advisory Panel (CCAP) - The College Board's standing committee, composed of community college leaders who advise the organization on its work with community college students and educators
- Advancing the voice of community colleges within the College Board and encouraging other community colleges to become members
- Developing policies, programs, and services that assist community colleges while promoting equity, access, and college success for all students
Intersections and collaborations
The College Board advances the community college agenda in three ways:
Membership
The College Board is one of the few national organizations that brings together all of the players with whom community colleges must partner: middle schools, high schools, and four-year colleges and universities. Few other venues provide opportunities to forge essential partnerships needed for community colleges.
Partnership
Community colleges are pivotal players in the American education landscape. They serve students, especially those from underserved groups, in the transition from secondary education to college. They also prepare students for the transition to four-year institutions or for the world of work. These transitions require effective partnerships with secondary schools, as well as four-year colleges and universities.
Leadership
Community colleges are regional education leaders in addressing the lack of appropriate preparation for students to attend. This includes assessing student academic potential, aligning high school and college curricula to prepare students for college success, and training education professionals to serve the needs of students from groups that have been traditionally underrepresented in higher education. The College Board advances community college regional leadership by providing programs and services that address each of these needs.
Learn more about the National Office of Community College Initiatives' projects, reports, and resources.
Join us
The success of this initiative depends on the commitment of individuals who believe in the egalitarian mission of community colleges and the College Board and the pivotal role these institutions play in the education of our students. We welcome your ideas and encourage you to contact Stephen J. Handel, Director of Community College Initiatives, at shandel@collegeboard.org, to share your thoughts about how this initiative can support excellence and equity in education.