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Spotlight on Community Colleges
By SpotlightOnCCsEducation
Spotlight on Community Colleges episodes
- Ep 9: International and Transborder Students
Drawing in tens of thousands of international students each year, community colleges welcome these learners to higher education. Similarly, transborder students attend community colleges, each day crossing the border to attain their education. Yet the turbulent political and immigration landscape is creating challenges for community colleges and, in tandem, international and transborder students. On today's episode of Spotlight on Community Colleges, we disentangle these issues with three fantastic guests: Dr. Fanta Aw (CEO of NAFSA: Association of International Educators), Dr. Vanessa Falcón Orta (Assistant Professor in the School of Education at San Diego State University, and a founding director of the Trans Border Scholars Thriving Institute), and Dr. Joel Pilco (Director of Binational and International Programs at Southwestern College).
Spotlight on Community Colleges debuts new episodes on the third Wednesday of every month to hear topical exchanges between researchers and practitioners, learn about emerging scholarship paired with practical solutions, and consider critical analyses of possibilities for future practice. The podcast is hosted by Drs. Erin Doran, Carrie B. Kisker, and Brett Ranon Nachman. More information at: https://spotlightonccs.podbean.com/.Spotlight on Community Colleges is the official podcast of the Council for the Study of Community Colleges (https://www.cscc.pitt.edu/).Stay Connected With Us:Email: [email protected]Instagram: @spotlightonccsBlueSky: @SpotlightonCCs.bksy.socialLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carriekisker/, https://www.linkedin.com/in/erin-doran-7545a67a/, and https://www.linkedin.com/in/brettnachman/Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to Spotlight on Community Colleges wherever you listen to podcasts!
1 hr 10 min - Ep 8: CSCC: A Home for Community College Scholars and PractitionersThe Council for the Study of Community Colleges (CSCC) represents an academic home for many scholars and practitioners invested in these higher education institutions. On this episode of Spotlight on Community Colleges, we are joined by Dr. Jason Taylor (Associate Professor, University of Utah; President-Elect, CSCC), as well as CSCC members Dr. Nicole Contreras-García (Assistant Professor, Florida Atlantic University) and Dr. Karow Gordon (Dean of Instruction, Wayne County Community College District). Whereas Karow and Nicole share their experiences in participating in the conference and CSCC community, Jason previews what is to come for the 2026 CSCC Conference in Salt Lake City!Learn more about CSCC on its website. For more information about the Call for Proposals, due November 3, 2025, check out this link.This is a special first episode of Season 2. Episodes regularly debut on the third Wednesday of each month.Spotlight on Community Colleges debuts new episodes on the third Wednesday of every month to hear topical exchanges between researchers and practitioners, learn about emerging scholarship paired with practical solutions, and consider critical analyses of possibilities for future practice. The podcast is hosted by Drs. Erin Doran, Carrie B. Kisker, and Brett Ranon Nachman. More information at: https://spotlightonccs.podbean.com/.Spotlight on Community Colleges is the official podcast of the Council for the Study of Community Colleges (https://www.cscc.pitt.edu/).Stay Connected With Us:Email: [email protected]Instagram: @spotlightonccsBlueSky: @SpotlightonCCs.bksy.socialLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carriekisker/, https://www.linkedin.com/in/erin-doran-7545a67a/, and https://www.linkedin.com/in/brettnachman/
Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to Spotlight on Community Colleges wherever you listen to podcasts!
44 min - Ep 7: Equitable and Effective Teaching Practices in STEM
On this episode of SPOTLIGHT ON COMMUNITY COLLEGES we feature a conversation on building and maintaining equitable teaching practices in community college science, technology, engineering, and math, or STEM education. We are joined by two community college educators: Dr. Melonie Sexton (psychology professor) and Ms. Josephine Pino (biology professor).
Today's discussion is framed around a consensus report that was released by the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine (NASEM) in January, 2025, titled Transforming Undergraduate STEM Education,Supporting Equitable and Effective Teaching. The Charge of NASEM's report was to draw on the resources of a committee of experts to document the evidence-based consensus about how equitable and effective teaching can transform undergraduate STEM education.
Check out the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) Transforming Undergraduate STEM Education report here.
SPOTLIGHT ON COMMUNITY COLLEGES will resume with new episodes for Season 2 this fall.
Spotlight on Community Colleges debuts new episodes on the third Wednesday of every month to hear topical exchanges between researchers and practitioners, learn about emerging scholarship paired with practical solutions, and consider critical analyses of possibilities for future practice. More information at: https://spotlightonccs.podbean.com/.Spotlight on Community Colleges is the official podcast of the Council for the Study of Community Colleges (https://www.cscc.pitt.edu/).Stay Connected With Us:Email: [email protected]Instagram: @spotlightonccsBlueSky: @SpotlightonCCs.bksy.socialLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carriekisker/, https://www.linkedin.com/in/erin-doran-7545a67a/, and https://www.linkedin.com/in/brettnachman/Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to Spotlight on Community Colleges wherever you listen to podcasts!
44 min - Ep 6: Perceptions of the Community CollegeFor decades community colleges have served as an alternative higher education option for students, yet not always are these perceptions framed positively by the media and influential forces. On this episode of Spotlight on Community Colleges, we feature a conversation featuring two guests who help us make sense of the various ways the American public frames and views these institutions: Dr. Chauncy Lennon (Vice President for Learning and Work and Senior Strategy Advisor at the Lumina Foundation) and Sophie Nguyen (Senior Policy Manager of New America's higher education team).Join Spotlight on Community Colleges the third Wednesday of every month to hear topical exchanges between researchers and practitioners, learn about emerging scholarship paired with practical solutions, and consider critical analyses of possibilities for future practice. More information at: https://spotlightonccs.podbean.com/.Spotlight on Community Colleges is the official podcast of the Council for the Study of Community Colleges (https://www.cscc.pitt.edu/).Stay Connected With Us:Email: [email protected]Instagram: @spotlightonccsBlueSky: @SpotlightonCCs.bksy.socialLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carriekisker/, https://www.linkedin.com/in/erin-doran-7545a67a/, and https://www.linkedin.com/in/brettnachman/
Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to Spotlight on Community Colleges wherever you listen to podcasts!
45 min - Ep 5: Responding to Anti-DEI LegislationOn this episode of Spotlight on Community Colleges, we disentangle the many constantly changing challenges and threats to higher education via anti-DEI legislation. This episode, recorded in February 2025, features a conversation with two guests who hold important perspectives on these important issues and how they may impact community colleges: Dr. Jeremy Young (Director of State and Higher Education Policy at PEN America) and Dr. George Boggs (President and CEO Emeritus of the American Association of Community Colleges, Superintendent/President Emeritus of Palomar College).For further context about the letter from the American Council on Education, read its statement here. The February 14 Dear Colleague Letter from the US Department of Education Office for Civil Rights can be read here. Dr. Boggs' op-ed piece, published in the San Diego Union-Tribune back in October, is found here.Join Spotlight on Community Colleges the third Wednesday of every month to hear topical exchanges between researchers and practitioners, learn about emerging scholarship paired with practical solutions, and consider critical analyses of possibilities for future practice. More information at: https://spotlightonccs.podbean.com/.Spotlight on Community Colleges is the official podcast of the Council for the Study of Community Colleges (https://www.cscc.pitt.edu/).Stay Connected With Us:Email: [email protected]Instagram: @spotlightonccsBlueSky: @SpotlightonCCs.bksy.socialLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carriekisker/, https://www.linkedin.com/in/erin-doran-7545a67a/, and https://www.linkedin.com/in/brettnachman/
Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to Spotlight on Community Colleges wherever you listen to podcasts!
47 min - Ep 4: Community College Student Mental Health
In this episode of Spotlight on Community Colleges ("Community College Student Mental Health), we speak to two individuals who share their experiences and thoughts on how to best serve students who may face challenges as they pursue their education:
- Dr. Amanda O. Latz (Associate Professor, Ball State University)
- Tony Williams (Vice President of Student Services, Coconino Community College)
Check out the report from the Community College Survey of Student Engagement on students' basic needs here.
Purchase a copy of Dr. Latz's book: Community College Student Mental Health: Faculty Experiences and Institutional Actions from Rowman and Littlefield on its website.
Join Spotlight on Community Colleges the third Wednesday of every month to hear topical exchanges between researchers and practitioners, learn about emerging scholarship paired with practical solutions, and consider critical analyses of possibilities for future practice. More information at: https://spotlightonccs.podbean.com/.Spotlight on Community Colleges is the official podcast of the Council for the Study of Community Colleges (https://www.cscc.pitt.edu/).Stay Connected With Us:Email: [email protected]Instagram: @spotlightonccsBlueSky: @SpotlightonCCs.bksy.socialLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carriekisker/, https://www.linkedin.com/in/erin-doran-7545a67a/, and https://www.linkedin.com/in/brettnachman/Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to Spotlight on Community Colleges wherever you listen to podcasts!
53 min - Ep 3: Women of Color in the Community College Leadership Pipeline
On this episode of Spotlight on Community Colleges ("Women of Color in the Community College Leadership Pipeline"), take an opportunity to recognize the incredible leadership conducted by women of color in community colleges. Joining on this panel discussion are three key leaders who have brought meaningful, transformative change to their educational institutions:
- Dr. Daria Willis (President of Howard Community College)
- Dr. CharMaine Hines (Vice Chancellor for Academic Accountability and Policy at the Wayne County Community College District)
- Dr. Briseida Elenes (Career Center Supervisor at Cuyamaca Community College)
Join Spotlight on Community Colleges the third Wednesday of every month to hear topical exchanges between researchers and practitioners, learn about emerging scholarship paired with practical solutions, and consider critical analyses of possibilities for future practice. More information at: https://spotlightonccs.podbean.com/.Spotlight on Community Colleges is the official podcast of the Council for the Study of Community Colleges (https://www.cscc.pitt.edu/).Stay Connected With Us:Email: [email protected]Instagram: @spotlightonccsBlueSky: @SpotlightonCCs.bksy.socialLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carriekisker/, https://www.linkedin.com/in/erin-doran-7545a67a/, and https://www.linkedin.com/in/brettnachman/Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to Spotlight on Community Colleges wherever you listen to podcasts!
1 hr 2 min - Ep 2: Meet the Spotlight on Community Colleges Hosts: Drs. Erin Doran, Carrie B. Kisker, and Brett Ranon Nachman
In the second episode of Spotlight on Community Colleges ("Meet the Spotlight on Community Colleges Hosts: Drs. Erin Doran, Carrie B. Kisker, and Brett Ranon Nachman"), learn about the practical experiences and research that have guided the work and lives of each of the three podcast hosts: Dr. Carrie B. Kisker (Kisker Education Consulting), Dr. Erin Doran (University of Texas at El Paso), and Dr. Brett Ranon Nachman (University of Pittsburgh).
Join Spotlight on Community Colleges the third Wednesday of every month to hear topical exchanges between researchers and practitioners, learn about emerging scholarship paired with practical solutions, and consider critical analyses of possibilities for future practice. More information at: https://spotlightonccs.podbean.com/.Spotlight on Community Colleges is the official podcast of the Council for the Study of Community Colleges (https://www.cscc.pitt.edu/).Stay Connected With Us:Email: [email protected]Instagram: @spotlightonccsBlueSky: @SpotlightonCCs.bksy.socialLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carriekisker/, https://www.linkedin.com/in/erin-doran-7545a67a/, and https://www.linkedin.com/in/brettnachman/Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to Spotlight on Community Colleges wherever you listen to podcasts!
46 min - Ep 1 Welcome to Spotlight on Community Colleges
Welcome to the first episode of Spotlight on Community Colleges. In this inaugural episode, our hosting team (Drs. Carrie B. Kisker, Erin Doran, and Brett Ranon Nachman) establishes context on what to expect from the podcast! This podcast, a project of the Council for the Study of Community Colleges, will serve as a space for administrators, researchers, faculty, and additional stakeholders to hold conversations about the modern issues that confront community colleges.
Join Spotlight on Community Colleges the third Wednesday of every month to hear topical exchanges between researchers and practitioners, learn about emerging scholarship paired with practical solutions, and consider critical analyses of possibilities for future practice. More information at: https://spotlightonccs.podbean.com/.Spotlight on Community Colleges is the official podcast of the Council for the Study of Community Colleges (https://www.cscc.pitt.edu/).Stay Connected With Us:Email: [email protected]Instagram: @spotlightonccsBlueSky: @SpotlightonCCs.bksy.socialLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carriekisker/, https://www.linkedin.com/in/erin-doran-7545a67a/, and https://www.linkedin.com/in/brettnachman/Be sure to rate, review, and subscribe to Spotlight on Community Colleges wherever you listen to podcasts!
33 min
About Spotlight on Community Colleges
From the publisher's feed
The Spotlight on Community Colleges podcast provides community college administrators, trustees, and faculty, as well as higher education scholars, students, and thought leaders, with…
insights into major challenges and issues community colleges face. Through topical exchanges between researchers and practitioners, guests discuss emerging scholarship paired with practical solutions, as well as critical analyses of possibilities for future practice. Together they share stories and anecdotes grounded in personal narratives, professional examples, and practical take-aways. Hosted by Drs. Carrie B. Kisker, Erin Doran, and Brett Ranon Nachman, a trio of community college scholars from diverse backgrounds, the Spotlight on Community Colleges highlights the centrality of community colleges to our democracy, economy, and work toward social justice, and shines a light on the perspectives of those who attend, teach, lead, and study these institutions.
Spotlight on Community Colleges is a project of the Council for the Study of Community Colleges, the largest association of university-based researchers and community college scholar-practitioners dedicated to furthering scholarship on the community college enterprise.
Spotlight on Community Colleges is a project of the Council for the Study of Community Colleges, the largest association of university-based researchers and community college scholar-practitioners dedicated to furthering scholarship on the community college enterprise.