Author: Raul Rodriguez (Raul Rodriguez)

It is no secret that California Community Colleges experienced a significant decline in enrollment during the COVID-19 pandemic. There are numerous reasons for this and just as many different ways the state’s 116 community colleges are working to address the decline. Community colleges play a vital role in our local and regional economies, and it’s...

It is no secret that California is experiencing a housing crisis. The lack of affordable housing is particularly pronounced in the Bay Area and college students—especially community college students—are among the hardest hit. According to a 2021 California Assembly report, about 20% of the state’s community college students reported experiencing homelessness in the previous year....

Issues of equality, fairness and fundamental rights continue to impact the LGBTQ+ community locally, nationally and globally. While last month’s signing of the Respect for Marriage Act by President Joe Biden offers some federal protections for marriages that are valid under any state law, it’s apparent there is still a long way to go before...

I recently had the distinct pleasure of visiting the Lab for Nature-Based Living—the flagship garden of the California Native Garden Foundation. Located at 76 Race Street near downtown San Jose, the foundation is a nonprofit whose mission is to create a new land-use model in order to “leverage urban spaces for education, workforce development and...

As the higher education system that enrolls the largest number of undocumented students in the United States, California Community Colleges are instrumental in ensuring every student, regardless of their citizenship status, has the opportunity to pursue their career and professional goals free from institutional barriers and discrimination. Undocumented Student Action Week is a joint effort...

A key aspect of higher education most people don’t spend time considering is accreditation. For many people, as long as the college or university they attend or graduate from is accredited, that’s all they care about. But the process of accreditation, its history and future play a key role in ensuring a high-quality education and...

Since opening its doors to students in early 2017, the San Jose-Evergreen Community College District (SJECCD) Milpitas Extension has served thousands of students and community members, bringing higher education classes and services to Escuela Parkway in Milpitas and creating one of the first locations anywhere in the United States where a kindergarten-to-college pipelines exists within...

For first-time college students, the start of their first term is often a time of great excitement. Getting familiar with their campus and all it offers, meeting classmates, making new friends and learning from expert faculty in their chosen field of study all provide unique and stimulating experiences. One aspect of the college experience students...

Apprenticeship programs are one of the most often overlooked areas of education. They may also be the key to our economic recovery and future success following the COVID-19 pandemic. Registered apprenticeship programs in community colleges pair coursework with paid work experience for the student. Most of these programs are directly tied to the traditional trade unions,...

Dual enrollment, a term sometimes used interchangeably with concurrent enrollment, provides students with the opportunity to earn college credit while still in high school—without paying the cost of college tuition. While there are differences between dual and concurrent enrollment, both refer to programs by which high school students are able to take college courses taught...