When I became president of the Community College of Aurora, I knew bold change was necessary, but I also knew fear could stop us before we ever got started.
As an institution, we made the difficult decision to discontinue 30 outdated academic programs. But before we did, I had one job: remove the fear. Our faculty needed to know their value wouldn’t be lost in the change—it would be reimagined. And once fear was off the table, innovation walked in the door. TOGETHER, our institution was able to:
- Grow our faculty ranks.
- Launch workforce-relevant programs.
- Increase student enrollment.
- Improve student upward economic mobility.
This is what happens when you lead with courage, clarity, and an unwavering commitment to students. We are grateful to Jobs for the Future (JFF) for spotlighting our story and for creating space to explore how institutions across the country are redefining the future of work and learning.
Join JFF at the 2025 Horizons Summit in New Orleans to be part of the movement.
