Two years ago, MCC’s chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa honor society took up the national call to increase the college graduation rate. Working with the national PTK, which had adopted increasing college completion as one of its goals, our students created an entire campaign involving multiple clubs and organizations. They settled on a simple but powerful message: Complete to Compete.
Next Wednesday, March 27, for the third year, the Brighton and Damon City Campuses will be filled with student-led Complete to Compete activities from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Our students will be sharing information about the personal and professional benefits of degree completion and asking their peers to sign completion pledges. Throughout the day, they will show the SUNY/CUNY community college video featuring prominent alumni speaking about the value of their education and degrees. The students have organized giveaways and activities to promote awareness and will once again offer a book scholarship to the winner of an essay contest. This year’s theme is “Why Completing an Associate’s Degree is Important to You.”
As this summary suggests, our students have shown true leadership in promoting college completion, and now, they are looking to you for an easy, visible show of support. On March 27, one week from today, they are asking that MCC’s faculty, staff and administrators proudly wear apparel from their alma maters. So, pull out your Brockport yellow and green; your Syracuse orange; your Buffalo white and blue; even your FSU garnet and gold (ahem, Rollo Fisher). Show our students your pride in completing and encourage them to stay the course through their own graduations, when they will proudly turn their black and gold tassels.
Thank you for helping to make every day completion day for our students! And, I look forward to seeing a very colorful MCC on March 27.
Have thoughts to share on "Complete to Compete" and how we can support students in completing their degrees? Leave a comment on the blog.
Anne Kress
Office of the President
03/20/2013 |