As managing editor of AACC’s Community College Journal and senior contributor to Community College Daily, Whissemore has become the definitive voice on two-year institutions’ evolving roles. Her reporting combines policy analysis with grassroots perspectives, particularly focused on:
Successful pitches align with her mission to reframe public perceptions of community colleges. Recent impactful pieces include:
"The most compelling stories live where institutional strategy meets student transformation."
Tabitha Whissemore has established herself as a leading voice in higher education journalism through her nuanced coverage of community colleges. As managing editor of AACC's Community College Journal and contributor to Community College Daily, she’s spent years documenting institutional challenges and innovations with a focus on equity and accessibility.
This 2025 feature dissects how community colleges are addressing mental health stigma through curriculum redesign and staff training programs. Whissemore contrasts approaches across six states, highlighting Austin Community College’s embedded counseling model that reduced student attrition by 18% over two years. Her methodology combined DOE retention statistics with intimate student narratives, creating a powerful call for normalized mental health support.
"Colleges are realizing they can’t just be degree factories—they need to be sanctuaries where students feel safe to struggle."
Through interviews with 23 first-year community college presidents, this 2024 guide identifies common pitfalls in leadership transitions. Whissemore reveals how 68% of new administrators underestimate the political complexities of funding negotiations, using case studies from rural Mississippi to urban New Jersey. The article’s checklist for stakeholder management has been adopted by three statewide community college associations.
This innovative 2023 piece analyzes how TV representations of community colleges (from Community to Abbott Elementary) influence public perception and enrollment trends. Whissemore balances media criticism with data showing a 14% increase in applications at colleges featured in positive storylines, arguing for strategic partnerships between institutions and entertainment creators.
Whissemore prioritizes initiatives demonstrating measurable impacts on enrollment, retention, or post-graduation success. A 2024 piece on Northern Virginia Community College’s apprenticeship program succeeded because it paired workforce data with individual career journeys. Pitches should quantify outcomes while maintaining human-centered storytelling.
Her coverage of the CUNY hate prevention initiative ($550K NYC Council grant) exemplifies interest in unusual funding alliances. Successful pitches will showcase collaborations between colleges and non-traditional partners (tech firms, cultural institutions) that address systemic challenges.
While Whissemore profiles individual institutions, she seeks models applicable to diverse community college contexts. The trauma-informed teaching framework she covered at Cleveland State Community College gained traction because it offered adaptable implementation guidelines for schools of varying sizes and resources.
