We use interviews and other research methods to document the needs of students and the college community. We elevate the voices of students, potential students, alumni, and faculty to point to legislative and administrative solutions to the problems in Washington’s 34 community and technical colleges.
Report: Building an Equity Action Plan – A Toolkit for Students, Faculty, Staff in Washington’s Community & Technical Colleges
For CTCs to fulfill their potential as vehicles for equity, they must also be equitable in their hiring, policies, and practices. Advancing equity in community colleges — racial, gender, and class equity, etc. — will, in turn, advance equity in the state as a whole. This toolkit is a guide for stakeholders to achieve equity outcomes in our colleges, rooted in successful examples, universal principles, and social change methods.
Report: Pathways to the Future – Professional Licenses for Washington’s Immigrants
If Washington state clarified the rules for professional licenses and allowed
all qualified residents, regardless of immigration status, to apply for and
receive professional licenses, it would remove barriers to educational and
professional achievement for thousands of Washingtonians, and it could help
address the state’s worker shortage.
Report: The Road to Equity – Washington’s Community & Technical Colleges
Racial equity and justice are essential to ensure education benefits everyone. Washington’s Community and Technical Colleges (CTCs) are crucial drivers of equity in higher education in Washington state, with 45% of CTC students drawn from BIPOC communities. This new report examines how the colleges are progressing on the path to equity and what can be done to move ahead.
Report: Working Connections – Childcare Access for Undocumented Students
Child care is essential for student parents to succeed. Research shows that affordable, accessible child care plays an important role in helping student parents stay in school. But it’s becoming harder and harder for them to afford both child care and tuition. This report from Communities for Our Colleges documents the challenges to obtaining child care by undocumented students and key policy recommendations to overcome them.
Report: Our Colleges, Our Future – Legislative Storybook
Our 2021-22 Legislative Storybook captures the voices of students across Washington to illustrate the challenges we face in attending our state’s Community and Technical Colleges. Using both a qualitative and quantitative approach, the report outlines eight policy recommendations to address the racial and economic equity gaps in Washington’s CTCs and to better serve and support our students.
Report: What Students Need In a Time of COVID
This report gathers the voices of students at Washington State’s community and technical colleges (CTCs) in order to shine a light on the important role CTCs have to play in advancing racial and economic justice. The report also explains how the challenges students face at CTCs arise from underfunding and lays out policy recommendations to address these challenges.