President's Message, Feb. 2010

Hello colleagues. The month of February brings the last full month of winter along with a number of activities on campus that are of interest to us all. In my January 2010 message, I made reference to some of the challenges facing community colleges in general and MCC in particular. In this month’s message, I will briefly discuss some related issues and what they may yield.

The Strategic Planning and Master Planning processes are in full swing and available on the MCC website. Those active on strategic planning committees may go to MCC Blackboard (MCC Self Study for Accreditation) to access information while the broader community and general public may go here to receive updates. The architectural firm Tower Pinkster was identified to assist with the master planning process and has begun touring campus and meeting with various campus constituencies. Please welcome them as they go about their duties. I continue to urge you to become a part of the processes and indeed, many of you have. Thank you for your hard work.

Also, there have been a number of web postings and press releases about the direction of the College about issues ranging from possible new construction, to new athletic programs, to new and revised academic programs. Here is key information for you:

• With Board approval, the College recently submitted two proposals to the State of Michigan requesting funding for science ($6.0 million) and art/new media ($7.5 million). The science initiative would help fund laboratory space, an upgrade in the planetarium, and major equipment for the life sciences and related fields. The art/new media initiative would fund visual and performing arts facilities along with general classroom space. These proposals will follow the state capital outlay process, which can last up to eight months. There are no guarantees that these proposals will be approved, however we are confident that they will receive a full and fair airing by the Governor and Legislature.

• The Board also approved a request to add several athletic programs, including men’s and women’s cross country, bowling, and soccer. The programs would cost approximately $47,000 for staffing, tuition discounting, and equipment and up to $10,000 for field upgrades. Revenues generated from these programs would exceed expenses. Like the instrumental music initiative, these programs are expected to provide additional stabilization to our student headcount and new opportunities for our students.