BHCC President Pam Eddinger Calls for Deeper Partnerships to Transform Student Success
Thursday, October 8, 2026
In a recent episode of the Inside Higher Ed podcast Weekly Wisdom, Bunker Hill Community College President Pam Eddinger discussed how community colleges can better serve today’s students by moving beyond the traditional boundaries of the campus and building deeper partnerships with employers, nonprofits, and community organizations. Drawing on her forthcoming book, Beyond the College Walls: Partnerships and the Future of Community College Reform, Eddinger argued that students’ increasingly complex lives require colleges to think more holistically about the conditions that enable them to persist, graduate, and achieve economic mobility.
In a conversation with hosts Bridget Burns, CEO of the University Innovation Alliance, and Sarah Custer, editor-in-chief of Inside Higher Ed, Eddinger highlighted BHCC’s degree apprenticeship partnership with Mass General Brigham as an example of this approach. Rather than asking students to complete intensive academic and clinical programs while working outside their field to support themselves, the partnership allows students to learn both at the College and in the hospital while being paid for their work and clinical experience.
Looking beyond individual programs, Eddinger called for colleges to see themselves as part of a larger ecosystem rather than as institutions operating within fixed boundaries. She urged higher education leaders to develop relationships and grow collaborations that benefit students, employers, and communities alike. She also argued that supporting student success requires attention to their broader social needs, including healthcare, housing, childcare, food, and transportation. “We have to get out of our own box,” Eddinger said, describing a vision in which K–12 education, higher education, employers, government, and community organizations work together to create greater opportunity and community prosperity.