As we continue to discuss MCC’s future downtown, I thought it would be valuable to share with you this essay submitted to the Democrat and Chronicle by our DCC faculty and staff. We anticipate that it will be published this Sunday. Their remarks capture the college’s reasons for being downtown, their dedication to achieving this mission for the full diversity of our community, and their vision for a new and expanded downtown campus. The question posed by our DCC faculty and staff has been central to our efforts and the Board’s deliberations, “Which location presents the greatest opportunity to create a permanent urban campus conducive to student success, offers room to grow (especially to grow programs with our invaluable community partners), and is worthy of one of the top community colleges in the nation?” We know the answer: it is the Kodak location. I thank Jim Coffey for his leadership in gathering his colleagues to present their voices on this most important topic.
Please share your thoughts with me on the blog or via email.
MCC DCC Faculty/Staff Support Move to Kodak
February 6, 2012
Monroe Community College in 1992 created a temporary campus downtown with the goal of creating a unique urban experience while giving our students the same opportunities available at the Brighton Campus. We, the faculty and staff at MCC’s Damon City Campus, have been working with students here for nearly 20 years, always committed to the College’s core mission: to “…provide access to high quality education and training programs to a diverse community,” and to ensure that “student success is the College’s highest priority.”
We are proud of the work we do, the impact we have on the community and the prominent ranking MCC has achieved among community colleges nationwide. Of the 1,200 community colleges in the country, MCC is ranked 12th in terms of associate degrees awarded. That statistic alone speaks to our commitment to student success, but our student stories are even more powerful. Consider Ambika who has built upon her MCC associate’s degree with a SUNY Brockport bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in progress, and is now working at DCC, serving students. George launched a career in community development in Rochester after earning his degree at the Damon Campus. We know how to develop even more student success stories like these but we need the tools. That begins with the right environment.
We encourage you to visit the Damon City Campus. If you haven’t been to the Sibley Building in awhile, you will likely be surprised by its condition and the environment. Then consider the Kodak site and ask yourself, “Which location presents the greatest opportunity to create a permanent urban campus conducive to student success, offers room to grow (especially to grow programs with our invaluable community partners), and is worthy of one of the top community colleges in the nation?” We believe that you will agree with us that on every level there simply is no comparison. The Kodak campus on State Street is the site.
Yes, the Sibley Building can be renovated to be a beautiful building. But we’re taxpayers too and can see no reason to pick the Sibley Building over the Kodak buildings when it is $10 million more expensive and offers fewer options for future growth.
Regardless of your opinion of the downtown area, the Kodak campus or the Sibley Building, we simply ask that you consider this move from the perspective we believe to be the most important—to provide our students with the best possible environment to get a quality education. The students are our number one priority and we hope you will join us in providing them with the campus they deserve.
Anne M. Kress
President's Office
02/08/2012 |