How colleges can double down on community impact at this critical time

Business Journals

05-05-2025

Hundreds of college and university presidents recently signed a letter condemning undue federal government intrusion in their academic operations, pressing the need for autonomy as 'centers of open inquiry' during these unprecedented times.
This proactive stance, signed by presidents of Harvard University, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Massachusetts Amherst, Emerson College, Tufts University, Wellesley College, Boston University and Bunker Hill Community College, among others, is a beacon of hope in the struggle to safeguard academic freedom.
Amid threats of research funding cuts and political scrutiny over how colleges operate, institutions must not back down. Instead, they should double-down on demonstrating their value — not only in terms of academic freedom — but in tangible value to diverse communities, their students and future career prospects.
This is critical at a time when foreign-born students are being targeted, diversity programs are under attack, and the value of costly degrees are being weighed by parents and students alike.
'Our colleges and universities share a commitment to serve as centers of open inquiry ... free to exchange ideas and opinions across a full range of viewpoints without fear of retribution, censorship, or deportation,' wrote the higher education leaders.
For New England's colleges, outreach to Gateway Cities can play a crucial role in their efforts to enroll new and diverse students following federal anti-Affirmative Action measures that have spurred declines in Black student enrollment across the region.
These Gateway Cities are home to 25% of Massachusetts's labor force but face significant challenges such as high unemployment rates and concentrated poverty among immigrant and low-income families.
Thankfully, these are problems that New England's renowned higher education sector can solve, with the right strategy in place.
In this historically shifting landscape, colleges and universities must go beyond standard brochures and ads offering flashy degrees to diverse students. They must build trust in communities, stay grounded in the workforce needs of their regions, and promote a student experience that fosters inclusion and multiculturalism at a time when these tenets are under attack.
Archipelago Strategies Group (ASG) has spent over a decade helping educational institutions succeed in engaging and enrolling new and diverse students across New England.
ASG has worked with leaders of UMass Amherst, Roxbury Community College, Southern New Hampshire University, and the Massachusetts Department of Higher Education, serving as a strategic communications and marketing partner.
In this work, ASG has engaged students and their families through multilingual, community-focused campaigns. These efforts have not only increased enrollment of new and diverse students, but have deepened community trust, which is crucial at a time when academic freedom, independence and credibility are under assault.
To build community trust, institutions must focus on three essential strategies:
1. Increasing community-centered engagement
Traditional outreach strategies are no longer sufficient. Today's colleges and universities must build sustained, trust-based relationships with the communities they serve — not just to boost enrollment — but to remain relevant and impactful during times of distrust.
Research from the American Council on Education shows that outreach rooted in cultural relevance significantly increases enrollment at institutions.
Bunker Hill Community College recently became a top 'MassReconnect' enroller by increasing multilingual outreach and community partnerships to promote Gov. Maura Healey's MassReconnect initiative, which offers free community college to residents age 25 and older.
Thanks to top MassReconnect enrollers like Bunker Hill, Massachusetts saw a 45% jump in adult enrollment in its first year of the program, supporting Gov. Healey's goal to, 'unlock opportunity and potential all across our state.'
Research from the Lumina Foundation shows that a sense of belonging and connection can drive retention and graduation rates exponentially higher, especially among underrepresented populations like Black and Latino students.
To that end, Urban College of Boston has opened pathways for enrolling more multicultural working adults by promoting new courses in Spanish and Mandarin. Now more than 70% of enrolled students speak a second language.
In our global economy, diversity and inclusion should not be pejoratives, they should be calling cards of higher education.
2: Using smart data to track outcomes
Urban College of Boston and others have employed real-time 'smart data' (on factors like academic progress, demographics, and course feedback) to shape course offerings, partnerships, and services that meet learners where they are.
At UMass Boston, Student Success Dashboards enable the university to track and act on retention and graduation trends. Its Latinx Student Success Initiative, in collaboration with Bunker Hill Community College, aligns programs with the needs and experiences of Latino students using this dashboard.
These are not diversity quotas; they are common-sense programs that meet the needs of the workforce and help boost the economy for everyone by giving everyone a fair chance to learn and prosper.
3. Doubling down on multilingual access and cultural relevance
Clear communication is essential for diverse families when deciding if a college is safe and affordable place for their students. When families don't understand financial aid, visa requirements, enrollment, or academic visions, they're more likely to disengage.
Translation of traditional brochures and ads isn't enough. What's needed is establishing trust, clarity, and an authentic cultural connection through marketing.
Salem State University is a statewide leader in this space. Through its Roadmap to Servingness, it has prioritized campus tours and information sessions in multiple languages. It also promoted multilingual materials for admissions aid and tailored academic student support across key departments.
In 2023, 40% of Salem State students identified as students of color, and 22% identified as Hispanic. These efforts show what's possible when a diversity and opportunity strategy is treated as an institutional priority, not an afterthought.
At ASG, our multilingual strategists make sure every message resonates with the communities prioritized by our clients, whether they be in higher education, health care, housing or transportation. Helping to define a strong mission and vision that is accessible to all is about building relevance, trust, and belonging from the first day a student hears a college's name.
Massachusetts is home to some of the most respected colleges and universities in the world, but future success won't be guaranteed by reputation alone. It will be earned by how well institutions engage new populations, communicate effectively with diverse audiences, and remove barriers to opportunity — especially with these principles under attack.
If your institution is ready to expand its reach, opportunity, and impact, we're ready to help.