Dr. Charlene Newkirk Appointed to National Commission

Pittsburgh

Dr. Charlene Newkirk, Southeast Region President, Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC), has been appointed to the Commission on Structured Pathways of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC). Dr. Newkirk, one of two dozen commission members, will serve a three-year term.

The Commission on Structured Pathways focuses on strategies for scaling community college pathways across systems, states and the nation. The commission also contributes to the development of the AACC Pathways resources and related work through identification of pertinent resources, technical assistance expertise and college examples, as well as through review of emerging evidence on the efficacy of pathways.

The pathways that are addressed during the commission's biannual discussions pertain, specifically, to academic pathways that prepare students for the work they intend to pursue after graduation. These are career pathways that community colleges provide.

"My membership on the Structured Pathways Commission of the AACC gives me the opportunity to explore and share best practices regarding the development of career pathways in community college education. In addition, my membership presents the opportunity for CCAC to pursue collaborative cutting-edge opportunities with other educational institutions to develop approaches that will prepare our students for their future careers," said Dr. Newkirk.

Dr. Newkirk has previously served terms on the AACC Structured Pathways Commission as well as the organization's Global Education Commission.