Invisible Students, Visible Consequences: Leadership under FTE Funding

Authors

• Derek Bryant, Mountain Empire Community CollegeFollow

Author Bio(s)

Derek Bryant, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor of Mathematics at Mountain Empire Community College. Dr. Bryant received his Ph.D. from the University of the Cumberlands in 2026.

Abstract

The full-time equivalent (FTE) funding model used by the Virginia Community College System (VCCS) serves as a structural constraint that misaligns financial incentives with the missions of the 23 member institutions within it. This qualitative, descriptive phenomenological study, through interviews with system- and college-level leaders, found that this model underserves part-time, adult, and workforce students while simultaneously contributing to a resource instability that prioritizes enrollment over student success. The study concludes that any reform must require a redesigned funding model that first makes institutions whole, with a stable operational baseline of funding, by incorporating broader enrollment measures that better align incentives with student progression and workforce outcomes.

Recommended Citation

Bryant, D. (2026). Invisible Students, Visible Consequences: Leadership under FTE Funding. Inquiry: The Journal of the Virginia Community Colleges, 29 (1). Retrieved from https://commons.vccs.edu/inquiry/vol29/iss1/1