Chris Gray, Ph.D.
Founding President, Erie County Community College of Pennsylvania
There's something both powerful and satisfying about walking into a locally owned shop and seeing your purchase make a difference—not just in the register, but in the lives of people who live and work right here. When you shop locally, you're not just buying a product. You're doing something far more significant: investing in someone's dream. You're strengthening the local economy. You're choosing community over convenience. And that means something!
That same spirit is part of our mission here at EC3. It is why we've adopted a local-first approach to purchasing goods and services. When it makes sense and whenever it's possible, we give preference to Erie County-based businesses. This matters to us because supporting the community isn't just something we talk about; it's something we do and are committed to continuing.
We don't buy from Erie County vendors out of convenience. Instead, we do it out of our commitment to keeping dollars circulating in our neighborhoods. We do it because of our commitment to boosting family-run businesses. And we do it because of our commitment to building an ecosystem of success that starts here and stays here.
Our commitment to the community doesn't stop with our vendors, though. At the heart of absolutely everything we do is one clear focus: student success. Period. It's not a value we scribbled on a whiteboard or a buzzword that we adopted because it's trendy. No, for us, it's a working mindset. It's who we are. It's who we have always been.
We ask it in every meeting and about every initiative: Does this help our students succeed? If the answer is no, we move on. It's as simple as that.
That clarity of focus is why EC3 has moved from an idea to an operational institution faster than anyone expected. It's how we've done more with less, keeping our overhead lean and our outcomes strong. It's also the lens that we're using now as we watch federal education policy evolve. Now, I don't pretend to be a federal policy expert. That's not my lane, but I do know enough to offer a helpful overview for those who are curious.
Since many of you have asked, let's take a step back. The federal government's deep involvement in higher ed began post-WWII with the G.I. Bill, which gave funds directly to veterans to pursue education. It was revolutionary, of course, but it also led to problems. Institutions popped up to capitalize on that funding, many offering little more than a piece of paper in exchange for a check. Quality was sacrificed for profit. It was utterly foreseeable, unfortunately.
That's when accreditation came into play. Today, the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA) oversees that process. Only accredited institutions—those that meet rigorous, consistent standards—can offer federal financial aid like Pell Grants and student loans.
Here at EC3, we are a member of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education, our accreditor and the organization through which we will gain federal recognition. Accreditation isn't just paperwork; it's the gold standard for quality. But the landscape is shifting.
With the Trump administration back in place, new directives have been issued regarding what's being labeled "exclusionary practices" in higher ed. In February, institutions received a letter from the Department of Education with a mandate: remove any programs or policies that restrict participation based on race, sex, or similar factors. In short: no dorms set aside for a specific demographic. No clubs limited to one race or gender. No programs that aren't open to all students.
For EC3, this didn't shake the ground. We've always used an open admissions process. If you would like to join us, and if you apply, then you're welcome. No hoops to jump through. That's who we are. We've reviewed our programs and policies carefully, and we are operating well within the expected bounds of compliance. There's more on the horizon, though.
Most recently, the Trump administration issued another executive order; this one is aimed directly at the accrediting bodies themselves. This change will indeed impact accreditors. For instance, Middle States currently requires institutions to have policies and practices that focus on diversity. Here's my non-expert understanding of the changes: those Middle States diversity standards may not align with the new expectations coming from the Department of Education. If that's the case, then accreditors like Middle States, among many others, will have to revise their standards to ensure compliance with federal law.
Will this spark political debate? Absolutely. Will EC3 wade into it? No. Because it does not directly impact our students. And that's what we come back to time and time again.
We meet all of our students where they are. We help them get where they want to be. We build their skills, their knowledge, and their confidence. We help them find better jobs. We help them build better lives. We help them make Erie County a better place to live and work.
So yes, we're definitely paying attention to what's happening in D.C. But our focus, always, is on our students. That's not changing.
Our community: your college.
