Growing Through Change

A Message From the Chancellor

As a leader in business, you know all about change. You constantly weigh the state of your industry, the economy, your budget, your competitors and myriad other factors, and modify operations to best fit the conditions. Without a willingness and ability to change, your business would quickly falter.

Change is equally important for community colleges. The concept is actually part of our core identity. Community colleges are designed to be nimble and move quickly in response to community needs. Change can be challenging, but it’s necessary and inevitable at all levels of the institution.

Tarrant County College has gone through a great deal of change in recent years. While the pandemic was a major driver, we also simply recognize that the ways of the past aren’t necessarily the best ways to recruit 21st century learners, encourage their persistence and success, and grow the pipeline of skilled workers. The future belongs to postsecondary institutions that define innovative practices for serving our students and the entire community, especially business and industry.

I am proud to say that TCC is doing that work. We partner with companies throughout the region to shape our programming, curricula and learning technology to match evolving employer needs. This is a major focus; per the Texas Commission on Community College Finance report recently presented to lawmakers, the state’s most urgent task is to develop a competitive workforce for the future.

Building that workforce isn’t just about what’s taught, but also how the material is taught and how we support our students throughout their studies. We are shifting to a more effective teaching model through our Engaged Learning Institute, and putting in place strategic initiatives and process improvements focused on student enrollment and completion. This results in more highly skilled graduates prepared for lifelong learning and professional growth. By prioritizing student success, we are also prioritizing the success of Tarrant County business and industry.

Of course, it is not enough to change structures and systems. We make meaningful progress only when the thinking behind those systems also changes. Our faculty and staff recognize this and are doing the hard work to reimagine how we operate, educate and problem-solve. And we’re already seeing the results. TCC is ranked ninth in the nation for the number of associate degrees awarded; going forward, we will continue to elevate our goals.

Let me close by thanking you for the role you play in our work, whether that’s through serving on our program advisory committees (visit tccd.edu/community/business for info), turning to TCC’s Corporate Solutions & Economic Development team for customized training, hiring our graduates or reading this magazine. We are grateful for your support—and that’s something that won’t change.

Elva Concha LeBlanc, PhD chancellor, tarrant county college district