President Eddinger Addresses Access and Completion for Adult Learners at Washington Monthly Panel Discussion

Thursday, September 14, 2017

Bunker Hill Community College (BHCC) President Pam Eddinger joined New America and Washington Monthly in Washington, D.C., this morning for a panel discussion with some of the most innovative leaders in adult education as featured in the Washington Monthly’s 2017 College Guide.

“If we want our students to succeed, we need to think about more than the academics and curriculum,” said President Eddinger. “We have to social network around them, and consider the total cost of an education beyond tuition and fees, such as food, housing and transportation.”

BHCC was recently named one of “The Twelve Most Innovative Colleges for Adult Learners” by Washington Monthly for its holistic approach to serving the needs of its students. The College ranked 49th nationally among the publication’s ranking of “Best Colleges for Adult Learners.”

“Often, we don’t take that comprehensive look, yet we worry about graduation rates and completion,” continued President Eddinger. “Adult students’ lives are complex; there are no simple solutions. Developing policies that are sustainable is the key to how we approach programming for our students.”

Watch the webcast “The Best [and Worst] Colleges for Adults"

The panel was moderated by Paul Glastris, Editor in Chief, Washington Monthly, and Kevin Carey, Director of Education Policy, New America. Participants included President Eddinger as well as Todd Oldham, Vice President, Economic Development & Innovative Workforce Services, Monroe Community College, Rochester, NY; John Locke, Former Student Body President and Director of Walk 2 Vote, University of Houston–Downtown; and Courtney Brown, Vice President of Strategic Impact, Lumina Foundation.