The pressure on higher education to prove its worth has never been greater. For community colleges and other broad-access institutions that center on economic mobility, the stakes are especially high.

But with public skepticism rising and only a fraction of non-degree credentials delivering real wage gains, that promise is harder to keep — and harder to communicate.

Join The Chronicle of Higher Education on Tuesday, June 30, at 2 p.m. ET for a virtual forum on improving student ROI and economic mobility. A panel of college leaders and policy experts will discuss the practical and political realities of closing the gap between what colleges promise and what students experience.  Register here

You’ll come away with a clearer understanding of:

• How to define economic mobility in ways that reflect the realities of today’s diverse student populations, including adult learners, working students, first-generation students, and those from low-income backgrounds.
• What institutions and state systems should be tracking in the data, and where the gaps are.
• How community colleges balance rapid labor-market responsiveness with their broader civic mission.
• How college leaders can communicate institutional value to students, employers, policymakers, and the public.