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Community colleges are uniquely American creations. While our baccalaureate-granting sister institutions derive from a European model, community colleges were born and raised in America. Just as the Europeans influenced this country's four-year colleges, our community colleges are now influencing higher education models in other countries. Monroe Community College's partnership with Trinidad and Tobago is one example. Higher education leaders in Russia and Canada also look to MCC for leadership. The future of community colleges includes international leadership - bringing our successful community college paradigm to other parts of the world.

Because every community is different, every community college is different. Because the Greater Rochester community - particularly its economy - changes so rapidly, so must Monroe Community College.

Businesses and industries are increasingly looking to community colleges to provide training and education. Whereas the large companies of the old economy could provide in-house training, the small to mid-size companies of the new economy cannot. Nor should they. These new companies know they must focus on their core business and depend on outside resources - namely community colleges - for their training expertise.

How community colleges meet the education and training needs of these companies is changing as well. A prime component in any business plan is the availability of skilled workers. Increasingly, MCC is at the table as businesses build those plans, developing the training and education components that businesses will need. I see those kinds of collaborations increasing exponentially.

The way in which we meet businesses' educational needs is changing as well. The Monroe County/Rochester One Stop Career Center on St. Paul Street is an example of how community colleges are serving as "brokers" of education and training services. MCC does not provide all of the services offered at the One Stop Center. We work with several agencies, each with their own expertise, to bring those services collectively to the community. Through this synergy, the customer/client is better served.

How we provide education is changing too. The future will find us offering more MCC courses via the Internet and developing more and more partnerships with other colleges and universities so that MCC students can earn bachelor's and master's degrees without leaving the MCC campus.

With all that said, let me spend a moment on what will remain constant at America's community colleges.

Another decade or another century will not change the distinctive mission of community colleges. Monroe, Finger Lakes and Genesee community colleges - and the nearly 1,200 other community colleges across the country serving 10.4 million students - will continue to focus on community needs. Commitment to affordability and quality will not waver; an education that is equivalent to that provided in the first two years at a baccalaureate institution is non-negotiable.

MCC's focus as an associate-degree granting institution is resolute. The vast majority of our students count on us to provide a high quality, affordable beginning to their undergraduate study. While I frequently talk about new economies and workforce training, let there be no mistake that preparing students to transfer to other quality institutions will be a prime component of our mission for decades. To that end, we will continue our commitment to curricula that have a strong general education base and to teaching excellence.

In the future, individuals and institutions will look at higher education differently. Education will increasingly be looked at as a lifelong endeavor - from earning degrees to developing skill sets, from individual to business needs. And community colleges will be out in front, ahead of the community-needs curve, paving the community's way. MCC looks forward to these challenges. We plan to be ahead of our community's needs.