Recognizing promise : the role of community colleges in a post pandemic world / edited by Michael A. Baston (Cuyahoga Community College, USA), Beatrice L. Bridglall (SUNY Rockland Community College, USA), and Michael Nettles (Educational Testing Service (ETS), USA).

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Preface / Thomas Bailey -- Foreword / Beatrice L. Bridglall and Michael Nettles -- Chapter 1. Inclusive excellence as a post pandemic imperative / Michael Baston -- Chapter 2. Moving towards equity in higher education institutions / Yolanda Watson Spiva -- Chapter 3. Stop stifling entering students' talent and drive and help them build momentum on a path to college and career success / Davis Jenkins and Hana Lahr -- Chapter 4. Fostering equity-focused career and college advising at Lorain County Community College / Marcia Ballinger and Marisa Vernon White -- Chapter 5. Strategies for meeting students' basic needs / Sara Goldrick-Rab -- Chapter 6. You want to close equity gaps? Embrace 100% co-requisite approach to developmental education / Frank Sobey and Russell Lowery-Hart -- Chapter 7. The future workforce: Aligning vision, values, and vitality / Christopher M. Mullin -- Chapter 8. Maintaining relevance and responsiveness in a post-Covid-19 world / Bill Pink -- Chapter 9. Anticipating the future of work / Randall J. VanWagoner, Franca Armstrong, and Timothy Thomas -- Chapter 10. Designing the next-generation community college model to focus on economic mobility / Kevin Stump and Michael Baston Afterword / Edmund W. Gordon and Beatrice L. Bridglall.

COVID-19 has exposed and exacerbated entrenched inequities spawned by the historical and structural reality of bigotry, prejudice, discrimination, and inequity in all forms, and at institutional and individual levels. It is perceived that higher education institutions also perpetuates these inequities, which is fuelled by prevailing misconceptions, such as "college should be limited to the privileged few"; or that "community colleges are in some way 'inferior'." Recognizing Promise re-establishes the role community colleges can play in reversing centuries of racial and gender disparities in economic wealth, health, education, and life expectancy stemming from current and historical policies and practices that sustain structural racism. The result is a more civic-minded, educated citizenry and a stronger workforce of tomorrow. Educators in the community college space, in partnership with business, industry and philanthropic leaders, can lead the way in reasserting commitment toward eradicating racism and sustaining reform that advocates inclusive excellence, educational access and programmatic diversity, and the alignment of learning with opportunities in the workplace.