Heather Hiles will be the new chief executive of California's fledgling virtual community college, the California Community Colleges system announced on Wednesday. The state's ambitious first online community collegehopes to test its first cohort of students in late 2019.

The college, the brainchild of former Gov. Jerry Brown, seeks to reach nontraditional students left behind in the education system — those with some college but no four-year degree, or those who have never been to college at all. The virtual campus will serve primarily adult learners who want to take classes on their own schedules.

The institution will offer postsecondary credentials and certificates to help these students gain a foothold in a changing workplace, said Hiles, who has a background in educational technology, entrepreneurship, and philanthropy.

To continue reading this article by Terry Nguyen, go to: https://www.chronicle.com/arti...-California-s/245639