Completion – Don's Desk

Year Two

Today marks my second anniversary as president of Harold Washington College. People ask how it’s going. I sometimes reply, “Well, the place hasn’t burned down yet.” We have endured two floods during my tenure, one invisible to the college community (thanks, Rich) and the other dealt with in time to open 8 am classes (thanksContinue reading “Year Two”

Is Algebra Necessary?

I finally caught up on my Sunday morning NYTimes reading and found this provocateur. Andrew Hacker, Professor Emeritus from Queens College, CUNY asks “Is Algebra Necessary?” He argues that we are spending inordinate resources (student time, financial aid, instructor time) trying to get students to pass algebra, a skill they will never use. Far betterContinue reading “Is Algebra Necessary?”

HWC Alum talks to Dr. Jill Biden

When I am not sitting in my office eating bon-bons, or attending District discussions, or standing in the lobby greeting our students, I sometimes get to attend really cool meetings. The most recent event was a roundtable with Second Lady of the United States Dr. Jill Biden, who among other accomplishments has been involved inContinue reading “HWC Alum talks to Dr. Jill Biden”

Completion Data

The Chronicle published an interactive graphic providing an overview of who completes college where. This page features the 2004 cohort, giving them time to take into account the people who finished within 150% at the four-year colleges. Valencia College, a model for a lot of the ‘best practice’ Reinvention work, leads all community colleges in theContinue reading “Completion Data”