Prioritizing Processes: Removing Barriers for Adult Learners at Community Colleges Through Process Improvement

ABSTRACT NC Reconnect, an effort of the John M. Belk Endowment (JMBE), aims to engage or reengage adult learners over the age of 25 in North Carolina's community colleges to bridge the postsecondary education attainment gap and improve economic mobility within the state. This paper applies the Five P Framework to examine processes at 15 community colleges in the NC Reconnect program, including processes within admissions, communications, and student resources. The findings serve as recommendations that community colleges might consider when undergoing process improvement to support adult learners on their campuses.