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A Message from our Director:
As Education and Employment Research Center celebrates our 10th year, we reflect on our work over the past decade. EERC has carved out a unique role as a research team illuminating the complex pathways students take between postsecondary education and the workforce. We’re excited to share ongoing projects and publications on noncredit education, non-degree credentials, and STEM education for community colleges, as well as a busy schedule of conference presentations and webinars, promising collaborations with colleagues, and rising interest from policymakers.
EERC is also bringing several projects to successful conclusions. For example, our 5-year Pathways into Careers in Information Technology: Community College Student Decision- Making about Academic Programs and Jobs project, a partnership with Ivy Tech College in Indiana, revealed the complex choices students face when entering the IT field and the ways in which their institution can assist them. Findings from the project - covering topics including information sources, grant programs, faculty/advisor relationships, the COVID-19 pandemic, and more - can be found here.
Thank you for your ongoing interest in our work. We love to hear from colleagues and look forward to seeing you at our future webinars and conference presentations. Please feel free to drop us a line with thoughts and comments.
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Michelle Van Noy, Ph.D.
Director, Education and Employment Research Center
School of Management and Labor Relations
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Community College Leadership Webinar Series
Lessons from Guided Pathways: Removing Obstacles and clarifying
pathways in the post-pandemic recovery
Wednesday, March 27th from 1-2pm ET / 10-11am PT
Please join Tom Brock, Director of the Community College Research Center, for a discussion of the cumulative research findings on guided pathways based on a new CCRC issue brief, and for the reflections of Mike Gorman, President of Salem County Community College, on the implications of these findings for colleges.
Click here to register.
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Non-degree Credentials Research Network (NCRN) Webinar
A Taxonomy for Noncredit Data: Building Blocks from Three States
Thursday, March 28th from 1-2pm ET / 10-11am PT
Mark D’Amico and Michelle Van Noy will present on research to support the development of state noncredit data though the state noncredit data project. They will share the project’s data taxonomy based on early states involved in the project and will discuss next steps in the development of the taxonomy.
Click here to register.
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New EERC Collaborative Projects | |
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“To go far, go together.” That maxim explains two new EERC collaborative projects, both supported by the Lumina Foundation, which offer websites with resources on noncredit and non-degree credentials. These initiatives seek to disseminate cutting-edge research and data for the benefit of researchers, policymakers, and practitioners in postsecondary education.
The Noncredit Research Collaborative brings together four leading researchers to explore the value of noncredit education for employers and the economy, career and employment outcomes for students, approaches used by institutions to deliver instruction, and much more. The Collaborative partners with states and colleges across the country to build the noncredit data infrastructure and conduct methodologically rigorous research on noncredit programs and student outcomes to inform policy and practice. The Collaborative’s new website includes a searchable database on noncredit research articles, state reports, and other publications.
The Non-degree Credentials Research Network (NCRN) is a multi-disciplinary community of scholars, practitioners and policymakers that explores the vital but poorly-documented role of certificates, certifications and other non-degree credentials in the labor market. Researchers at EERC and the George Washington Institute of Public Policy lead the network. NCRN has launched an updated website that regularly posts published articles and other resources, as well as related webinars.
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Community College S-STEM Network | | |
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The Community College S-STEM Network (CCSN) connects researchers and practitioners in translating research on student decision-making and choices about navigating STEM pathways into evidence-based practices, programs, and policies. | | |
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A webinar entitled "Factors Impacting Community College Student Decision-Making in Information Technology at Ivy Tech" was led by EERC researchers Dr. Sam Scovill and Eliza Peterson on February 9th, 2024.
The webinar explored how students navigate pathways within Information Technology programs at Ivy Tech Community College, highlighting the importance of information sourcing, early STEM identity, hobbies, and personal background factors in making educational and career decisions.
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Click here to view the slides and watch the recording here! | |
More about the research and findings presented in this webinar can be found on our project website. | |
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Our next webinar, An Analysis and Discussion About Recently Funded S-STEM Grants at Community Colleges, will be held on Friday, April 26th from 2-3pm.
Please click here to register.
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Community Colleges and Economic Development:
New Publications
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EERC Director Michelle Van Noy had a conversation with Clayton Lord of the SHRM Foundation and Jason Tyszko of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation about non-degree credentials and skills-based hiring on Episode 9 of the podcast 1/3 of Your Life.
Listen to the episode here.
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The 2024 Council for the Study of Community Colleges (CSCC) themed, “Catalyzing Equity- Centered Change” will be held in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania from April 18th - 20th. EERC Director Michelle Van Noy and Monica Kerrigan will be presenting on the non-degree credential quality ecosystem. Michelle Van Noy and EERC affiliate Mark D’Amico will be presenting on the state noncredit data taxonomy. Read the paper on their research here. | |
The League for Innovations in the Community College convened at the 2024 Innovations Conference in Anaheim, California from March 17-20. EERC Director Michelle Van Noy shared her research in a presentation titled, "Its Own Standard: Approaches to Quality in Community College Noncredit Workforce Education". Read her paper on this topic here.
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The League for Innovation in the Community College and the Rutgers Education and Employment Research Center held a town hall discussion on Thursday, February 1st titled " Noncredit Quality and the Hidden College", moderated by Dr. Rufus Glasper, the League’s President and CEO. The discussion provided valuable information from educators across various colleges around the country on strategies to promote quality in noncredit education.
Click here to watch the recording, here to view the slides, or here to view further resources shared..
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EERC Director Michelle Van Noy presented at the Workforce Development Institute (WDI) Conference. Her presentation was titled "Credentials of Value: What If We Offered a Credential and Nobody Cared?". Click here to view the slides. | |
EERC Researchers Eliza Peterson and Daniel Douglas attended the Eastern Sociology Society Conference that was held in Washington D.C. from February 29th - March 3rd. They shared her research in a presentation titled, "Math Requirements and Community College Student Decision Making" You can view their slides here. | | | | |
