AACC names Jabari Simama to special commission

The American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) has appointed Jabari Simama, president of Georgia Piedmont Technical College, to serve on its national Commission on Structured Pathways. The commission’s mission is to improve student pathway implementation throughout the association’s member colleges.

“Structured pathways” is a relatively new term in academic circles.  To help students decide on a field of study early in their college careers, many two-year institutions are reforming their advisement processes.  As a result, college administrators are requiring advising teams to communicate more often and more effectively with students.  The objective is to help reduce confusion about which courses or “pathways” are most suitable as students plan their academic goals.

“I’m particularly excited to have been selected to serve on the commission on structured pathways,” said Simama. “Over the past decade, pathway reform has been a recurring subject for many community college administrators.  I look forward to contributing to the discussions that will ultimately improve pathway design,”

The special commission will create viable pathways so that students may successfully complete their community college curricula and either transfer to four-year universities and colleges, or join the workforce.

The AACC, with funds provided by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, has implemented a Pathways Project that affirms the role of America’s community colleges in the higher education sphere.  The association is building on recommendations from its 21^st Century Commission on the Future of Community Colleges.  The focus of the project is to develop pathway models that can be replicated at other community colleges.

Simama previously served on AACC’s Commission on College Readiness.  His term on the Commission for Structured Pathways ends June 30, 2018.