National Community College Research Alliance

Creating a Connected Community

We’re fostering increased capacity, communication, and collaboration among prominent centers of community college research.

A Groundbreaking Alliance

To further advance the efforts of community colleges nationwide, representatives from research centers across the country joined forces to establish the National Community College Research Alliance (NCCRA). Launched in 2023, the Alliance aims to foster increased capacity, communication and collaboration among prominent centers of community college research to help community colleges overcome the challenges of today and prepare for the opportunities of tomorrow.

“The alliance – a first of its kind – was born from conversations with research colleagues across the country who welcomed more opportunities for collaboration and to elevate community college research. It’s a moment in time to cultivate rigorous research that uplifts community college leaders and provides valuable information for them to support their respective missions.”

Audrey Jaeger, Belk Center Executive Director

NCCRA partner organizations – along with individual researchers and representatives from national grantmaking foundations – convened for the first time at the NCCRA’s inaugural summit in Raleigh, N.C. in March 2023. Based on the idea of collective impact, the convening allowed participants to lay the groundwork for a collective community college research agenda.

Participating Centers

A Common Purpose

• Establish and disseminate a community college research agenda informed by our collective knowledge of pressing challenges, promising practices, and proven policy solutions.
• Exchange information and strategies related to data access, funding, visibility, influence, and sustainability.
• Identify opportunities to support, grow, and promote each other’s work.

“There’s an opportunity for us, researchers and practitioners, to partner in new ways to curate, and disseminate strong, action-based or reflective practice research that’s being produced at the college-level. This might require us to think about how we can work together to build stronger supports for our IR offices to support this type of action research. Not every community college IR office can do this, but many can if they get support and encouragement to do so.”

Dr. Karen Stout, president and CEO of Achieving the Dream