President's Message, Dec. 2009

Hello students, faculty, and staff. The Mission of Muskegon Community College states that the College helps students meet their educational goals by offering programs “that respond to individual, community and global needs.” As President of MCC, it has become clear to me that these words are truer now than in any time in our history. As we move into the second decade of the new millennium, I would like to share some information about the state of education in Michigan and the nation.

First, a telling statistic: of every 100 Michigan ninth graders, only 18 will graduate within six years of the time that they matriculate or enter college. This clarifies in a meaningful way that all of us, including faculty, staff, and administration need to work with our incoming students to ensure that they are successful. Another statistic: 50 percent of all jobs in the nation to be created by the year 2025 are “middle skilled” positions. These are jobs requiring a high school diploma and up to an associate degree or equivalent. Notably, only 15 percent of jobs created will require less than a high school education. A final statistic: a 2009 study reports that of the 5.5 million workers in Michigan’s workforce, nearly 70 percent will be a part of the workforce in the year 2020.

What do I take away from these statistics?

• Community colleges have a mandate to support the education of our young people.
• At least half of the jobs created in the foreseeable future will require at least some college.
• To remain competitive, we must focus on assuring that our students and workforce are educated, trained and competitive.

What can you do to help?

• Support our students. Work at your best to assure that they know that we care.
• Get involved in on campus activities, including the strategic planning process (email at strategy@muskegoncc.edu).
• Get involved in your community, schools, church, government or related organizations. The more the community understands that we are interested, the more effective we can become.

Finally, as usual, please let me know how I may be of service to you by contacting my office at 231-777-0303 or via email at dale.nesbary@muskegoncc.edu. Enjoy the holidays and the best to you and your families.