Are “Minimesters” the Future?
For more than a century, the traditional academic semester—typically lasting 15 or 16 weeks—has been the dominant calendar in American higher education. Yet this format is increasingly being reconsidered. A…
Articles by Esam Sohail Mohammad
Do Data Dashboards Truly Illuminate?
In 2010, when I first entered the institutional-research field, the most common request from academic departments was a simple, almost humble “I need data.” A decade later, that request had…
Community Colleges and Trump II
It’s axiomatic that elections have policy consequences. The shift in emphases and priorities for taxpayer funding is central to many such policy changes. Thus, it should come as no surprise…
More Ways to Control College Costs in 2023 and Beyond
STOP “FORGIVING” STUDENT DEBT Having graduated from an American private university just a few months ago, I know all too well the challenge my generation faces with rising tuition. While…
How Community Colleges Can Avoid the “Cliff”
Community colleges were not doing too well in terms of enrollment before the pandemic; since then, things have gotten only worse, a few bright lights here and there notwithstanding. The…
Mending, Not Ending, Remedial Classes
A high-school diploma should be a default signal that the holder is prepared to embark on her or his college journey. In an ideal world, a country that spends a…
To Survive, Community Colleges Need to Stay True to Their Mission
While community colleges are known as a low-cost path to higher education, some might be shocked to learn that their enrollments took a steeper hit than the four-year sector in…