Adelphi, Md. (Nov. 1, 2023)—Through a new partnership agreement, University of Maryland Global Campus (UMGC) is opening its doctoral program in community college policy and administration to members of California Community Colleges Organización de Latinx Empowerment, Guidance, Advocacy for Success (COLEGAS). The first COLEGAS cohort will start the program in fall 2024.
"Through the development of this new agreement, we are offering an extraordinary opportunity for COLEGAS members to elevate and increase leadership for our comunidad Latina, in alignment with our mission,” said COLEGAS President Michelle Batista. “This partnership embodies our commitment to unapologetically lead with corazón and, together, we are excited to usher in a new era of leadership within the California Community College system."
COLEGAS represents hundreds of Latinx professionals and leaders in the California Community College system. The organization was created to lead national, statewide and local efforts to ensure an equitable experience for Latina/o/x students and professionals, so they can thrive and accomplish their academic and professional goals in the California Community College system.
“The Doctor of Management in Community College Policy and Administration (DMCCPA) program was designed to address the leadership needs of community colleges with a commitment to equity and advancing the social and economic mobility of the students served by community colleges,” said UMGC Professor Reynaldo Garcia, who directs the doctoral program. “The online nature of our program creates a special alignment of our interests with those of COLEGAS and its members.
The continuing growth of the Latinx community in California community colleges demands similar growth among Latinx leaders, he added. “We are proud to partner with COLEGAS to address this critical need.”
The DMCCPA program provides students with the knowledge, skills and abilities they need to become exceptional community college administrators and policy leaders. COLEGAS students in the program are eligible for tuition discounts.
UMGC recently updated the DMCCPA through a grant from the Ascendium Education Group. As part of the process, UMGC has been able to convene and solicit input from top community college presidents and thought leaders from around the country. As a result, students now learn how to advocate for community colleges as engines of social and economic mobility; how to lead transformational change with a steadfast commitment to the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion; and how to apply management theory and best practices to continuously improve policy and outcomes.
For more information about the program, visit UMGC.EDU/DMCCPA.
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