Community Colleges Division
Supporting the Profession Community Colleges Division
The NASPA Community Colleges Division (CCD) is a vibrant and engaging home for community college professionals. The CCD examines issues relevant to community college institutions and professionals and hosts a variety of professional development opportunities. The Division provides thought leadership to NASPA through advocacy for community colleges.
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Director's Welcome
Dear Community College Colleagues,
Welcome to NASPA.
Whether you are new to NASPA or have been engaged for years, I want to extend a personal welcome on behalf of the Community College Division (CCD). Community colleges serve as access points, engines of mobility, and anchors within our communities — and your work as student affairs professionals is essential to that mission.
The Community College Division exists to ensure that your voices, experiences, and institutional realities are represented and elevated within NASPA and across the broader higher education landscape. We understand the unique context in which you lead — balancing open access, workforce alignment, equity-centered practice, fiscal constraints, and student populations navigating complex life responsibilities. CCD serves as a professional home where those realities are not only understood, but centered.
As Director for 2026–2028, I am committed to ensuring that CCD continues to be a meaningful resource for NASPA community college professionals. This includes intentional professional development, advocacy that reflects our sector’s priorities, platforms to share scalable and innovative practices, and opportunities to build authentic connections with colleagues across the country.
Higher education is evolving rapidly. In many ways, community colleges are already modeling the agility, collaboration, and student-centered design that the future of our field will require. Through CCD, we will continue to amplify that leadership and ensure our sector’s expertise informs the national conversation.
I invite you to connect with the CCD team — attend our programs, engage in dialogue, share your work, and lean into this network of colleagues who understand the unique and powerful space we occupy in higher education.
Thank you for the work you do each day in service of students and communities. I look forward to connecting with you and strengthening our collective impact.
Reyna M. Anaya, Ph.D. Director, Community College Division 2026–2028
Reyna Anaya
History
Throughout NASPA's 100-year existence, the Association has worked to incorporate all branches of higher education. A NASPA Community and Two-Year Colleges Network was established in 1989. The Network evolved into the Knowledge Community for Community and Two-Year Colleges in 2001. To explore the future of the Community and Two-Year Colleges constituency within NASPA, Dr. Gwen Dungy, then the organization's executive director, gathered representatives from that Knowledge Community as well as others in Austin, Texas, in January 2006. Dr. Maggie de la Teja, former National Chair of the Community and Two-Year Colleges Network and former At-Large Representative of the Knowledge Community was chosen to be the National Chair of the newly formed Community and Two-Year Colleges Advisory Board at that milestone organizational meeting.
The NASPA Board of Directors authorized the creation of the new Community and Two-Year Colleges Division in March 2007 during the national conference, and Dr. de la Teja was approved as its first chair thereafter. The NASPA Board of Directors approved a further name change to the Community Colleges Division after March 2008. Since then, NASPA and the CCD have partnered in promoting the collaboration of professional staff with higher education experts in a variety of fields to learn how to support students, faculty, and staff as well as in keeping the field of student affairs innovative and inclusive of the needs of all types of community.
Mission
The Community Colleges Division seeks to provide a space for community college professionals to connect while providing scholarship, advocacy, and engagement. We provide a venue for discussion, research, and the distribution of information about community colleges. The goals of the Community Colleges Division are to:
- Explore the impact of national issues in a community college context
- Identify and support the role of community colleges in providing student services and programming with diminishing resources
- Engage in and inform the profession about new research and practices regarding community college students and professionals
- Empower colleagues as they explore pathways and possibilities offered by community colleges
The Division welcomes the participation of any individual who either works at or has an interest in community colleges, and it offers a platform for discussion, learning, and innovation. We aspire to make the Community Colleges Division a place for graduate students, faculty, and student affairs professionals to connect and share knowledge and experience.
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Signature Initiatives
Community Colleges Institute
The Community Colleges Institute is a pre-institute at the NASPA Annual Conference that allows staff and faculty to learn from and engage with one another on a variety of critical issues affecting student affairs professionals in the community college setting. The CCI provides community college professionals an opportunity to gather for 1.5 days for deep discussion on issues they can relate to.
2027 Community Colleges Institute - Conference Leadership Committee Application
We are excited to announce that the 2027 Community Colleges Institute (CCI) - Conference Leadership Committee Application is now open. The CCD seeks creative-thinking individuals to join the 2027 CCI Conference Leadership Committee. The Committee is responsible for developing a high-quality professional development experience for all CCI attendees in National Harbor, MD. Specifically, team members identify relevant themes and learning outcomes, identify individuals who can serve as content experts, plan networking opportunities, and review program proposals.
If you are interested in joining us, please complete the application by May 15, 2026. We hope to have the first committee meeting in June. We look forward to planning the 2027 Community Colleges Institute with you!
Community College Virtual Summit
In celebration of Community College Month, NASPA presents Driving Higher Education’s Future: A NASPA Community College Month Virtual Summit—a dynamic, one-day virtual experience designed to spotlight the transformative power of community colleges and the professionals who lead, support, and innovate within them.
This summit brings together student affairs professionals, senior leaders, faculty partners, policymakers, and emerging professionals to explore how community colleges are not only responding to change, but actively shaping the future of higher education. Join us for an engaging keynote address, interactive panel discussion, and practitioner-led sessions.
Community College Month
April is Community College Month and is officially recognized by NASPA. In partnership with the NASPA Community Colleges Division, this month presents a great opportunity to get the word out about why community colleges matter, how your college is serving your community's needs today, and why public support for our colleges is more important than ever.
Latinx/a/o Task Force
The Latinx/a/o Task Force seeks to advance current and aspiring student affairs professionals of Latino descent who work or wish to work in community colleges. The mission of the NASPA Community Colleges Division Latinx/a/o Task Force is to execute its plan, with an association-wide impact, to advance Latinos in the profession of student affairs who aspire to or currently work in community colleges If you are interested in potential opportunities to participate on the LTF, visit their web page for contact information and volunteer opportunities.
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CCD Webinar Series
Throughout the year, the CCD creates high-content, scholarly webinars highlighting the work and support of community college students, faculty, and staff. These webinars allow you and your teams to engage in high-quality, convenient professional development focused specifically on community college hot topics. On-demand access will be available for 365 days. Stay tuned for upcoming Community College Division Webinars.
Community Colleges Division Awards
2026 Community Colleges Division National Awards
NASPA continues its tradition of honoring prominent higher education and student affairs leaders for their contributions to the profession specifically regarding community colleges.
NASPA Community College Professional Award
This award is presented to an individual who has demonstrated leadership and a commitment to NASPA and/or the profession in relation to community colleges.
Dr.Mayra Olivares - Urueta
Community Colleges Division Milestones
- A NASPA Community and Two-Year College Network was established in 1989
- In 2001, the NASPA Community and Two-Year College Network evolved into a Knowledge Community
- In 2006, the Knowledge Community evolved into a Community and Two-Year Colleges Advisory Board
- The NASPA Board of Directors authorized the name change to Community and Two-Year Colleges Division in March 2007
- The CCD hosted a Community College Institute (annual conference pre-conference) for the first time, 2007
- The NASPA Board of Directors approved a further name change to Community Colleges Division after March 2008
- NCC On-Line was initiated which provided free call-in opportunities for community college professionals. Offered quarterly, these sixty-minute sessions include a presentation on a specific topic, materials, and time for questions and answers, 2011
- Establishment of Regional Award and National Community College Professional Award, 2011
- NASPA Board of Directors approved a new Community College Institutional Fee structure to better encourage institutional memberships, 2012
- NASPA sponsored for the first time a 3 day CCD board retreat in NYC, 2014
- The CCD was instrumental in securing access to the CCJRP as part of the overall NASPA membership, 2016
- The CCD created a Latinx/a/o Task Force (in 2014 at NYC CCD Summit) to address the needs of Latinx students and professionals working at Community Colleges. As a result, a new partnership between the CCD and the Latinx/a/o Knowledge Community was born, 2015
- Developed a CCD regional representative tool kit, 2017
- Launched a new national CCD Research Award, 2017
- The CCD established an intentional and direct social media/marketing presence, 2018
- A CCD special interest NASPA Foundation fund was created, 2019
- A CCD board leadership and on-boarding manual was developed, 2020
- The 2020 annual conference was canceled due to the COVID-19 Pandemic
- The 2021 annual conference went virtual for the first time due to the COVID-19 Pandemic
Community Colleges Division Directors
2022-2024, Richard Monroe
2020-2022, Edward Martinez
2017-2020, Kimberly Lowry
2016-2017, Quincy Martin III
2014-2016, Paulette Dalpes
2012-2014, Kathryn Mueller
2010-2012, John Laws
2008-2010, Debbie Kushibab
2007-2008, Magdalena de la Teja (chair)
Roster
The Community Colleges Division Board is comprised of a diverse set of community college professionals with a breadth of experience in the field. Through its Board, the Community Colleges Division supports the goals of NASPA by infusing the community college perspective into all NASPA programs, services, and publications.
