Rob served for more than a decade as a director, dean, and provost in the California community college system, before branching out to  begin his work helping a number of colleges, as well as regional and national organizations, navigate their way through his challenging new landscape.

The San Jacinto College District has received considerable national attention for the work they've done to improve student outcomes. They've worked with philanthropy, partners in the Houston area, researchers and, crucially, they've formed teams across the institution to look closely at what's happening that inhibits student success or keeps them moving forward.  A key figure in this work has been Laurel Williamson, Deputy Chancellor and College President at the District. It's been her role to oversee many of these efforts, and help make sure things are done in an integrated way.

I sat down a few weeks ago, in Dallas, with Senator Florence Shapiro, former chair of the Senate Education Committee. She's now working with the Texas Association of Community Colleges to help communicate their message to members of the Texas Legislature. You can tell, right away in our conversation, how deeply she cares about these issues and the students at our institutions. 

How do we encourage the adoption of good idea? How to we create a culture that promotes and internalizes positive change? Wynn Rosser, the president and CEO of the Template foundation, has spent the better part of his career wrestling with these questions. Resources mentioned on today's episode: The Fifth Discipline, Peter M. Senge The Fifth Discipline Field Book, Peter M. Senge Trying Hard Is Not Good Enough, Mark Friedman

Tanya Garcia is the Associate Director of Postsecondary Policy Research at the Center for Education in the Workforce at Georgetown University. She’s working to support states integrating postsecondary and labor market data to improve policy and practice. She hopes her work and the work of the Center can help institutions understand and make better decisions at the intersection between the academy and the workplace. Resources mentioned on today's episode: Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking, Susan Cain  The stories of J.F. Powers, J. F. Powers Sunrise, Sunset, Edwidge Danticat The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Junot Diaz

Nathan Venske is the Associate Dean of Student Services at Jackson College in Michigan. He and his colleagues have devoted a great deal of time and energy to improving the experience their students have. They've received some grants to support these efforts, and they've had a chance to look closely at what they're doing from the student's perspective.  Nathan has been the Associate Dean of Student Services at Jackson College since 2014. In his time at Jackson, Nathan has directly overseen the complete revamp of the academic advising model, new student orientation, and student intake process. Using the Michigan Career Pathways information and the Big 5 personality assessment, Nathan created a new student intake assessment that has been integral to the work of the Student Success Navigators. This intake assessment, coupled with a robust Outreach and Intervention plan, guides the Navigator’s daily work. Data-driven approaches have been the hallmark of the recent innovations and changes that Nathan has brought to his role at Jackson College. Resources mentioned on today's episode: Man's Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl

Matt Lewis has been a professor of mathematics at San Jacinto College since 2009, and has just recently moved into the position of Qualitative Research Analyst, devoting himself full-time to understanding what works in our efforts to improve student success. Winner of several teaching awards, including the 2017 National ACCT Faculty Award, Matt has both studied the effectiveness of new ideas for improving student outcomes and applied them in his classes. Resources mentioned on today's episode: Gödel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid, Douglas R. Hofstadter Everyday Zen: Love and Work, Charlotte Beck Man’s Search for Meaning, Viktor E. Frankl

Michael Aguilar is this year’s Texas Regional President for Phi Theta Kappa, the two-year college international honor society. Michael is studying economics at Lone Star College - CyFair, where he is a student in the honors college.

I spoke last week with Josh Wyner, who directs the college excellence program at the Aspen Institute, about the work they're doing to improve student outcomes in community colleges across the country. He’s interested in the factors that truly drive excellence in an institution and he’s discovered the crucial role leadership plays in effecting high-quality, lasting change. Joshua Wyner is founder and Executive Director of the College Excellence Program at the Aspen Institute, where he also serves as a Vice President. Josh has spent the past two decades investigating organizations aimed at improving and equalizing educational outcomes. He has authored numerous publications about education, including a book, What Excellent Community Colleges Do: Preparing All Students for Success (Harvard Education Press, 2014). He has a B.A. from Vassar College, a MPA from Syracuse University, and a J.D. from New York University School of Law. Resources mentioned on today's episode: David Copperfield, Charles Dickens This Boy’s Life, Tobias Wolff The Round House: A Novel, Louise Erdrich

I had the chance this week to talk with Denise King, Vice-President for Academic Affairs at Cleveland State Community College. She talks about the need these days to supplement the perspective of an educator with analytical and data tools that help explain the environment we’re working in, and come up with solutions to the challenges we’re dealing with. This was our first attempt at a remote interview, where we weren't both sitting in the same room, and I appreciate Denise's great attitude as we tried something new with technology! Resources mentioned on today's episode: Redesigning America’s Community Colleges: A Clearer Path to Student Success, Bailey, Jaggars and Jenkins Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap…And Others Don’t, Jim Collins Great by Choice: Uncertainty, Chaos, and Luck—Why Some Thrive Despite Them All, Collins, Hansen The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace: Empowering Organizations by Encouraging People, Chapman, White All will be Will: 30 Days With a Great Spiritual Teacher, Julian of Norwich To Say Nothing of the Dog, Connie Willis