Dr. Mordecai’s latest article, “Why Community Colleges Can’t Be Fixed — They Must Be Rebuilt,” has been published in Community College Daily, the national publication of the American Association of Community Colleges.
In this piece, President Brownlee argues that incremental reform is no longer sufficient for community colleges facing seismic shifts in demographics, workforce demands, public trust, and funding structures. Instead, he calls for a fundamental rebuilding of institutional models—grounded in workforce alignment, equity as a moral obligation, and community colleges’ role as essential economic infrastructure.
Drawing on national research and his experience as a college president, Dr. Mordecai challenges leaders to move beyond surface-level fixes and toward bold, systems-level redesign that delivers real outcomes for students, families, and communities.
