We frequently say that MCC is a learning college, and it is helpful to remind ourselves what that phrase means. In his work, Terry O’Banion advises that “the learning college places learning first and provides educational experiences for learners anyway, anyplace, and anytime.” Sometimes, we forget that students aren’t the only learners in a learning college. Peter Senge describes the learning organization, in which “people continually expand their capacity to create the results they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free, and where people are continually learning to see the whole together.” I share this quote because often I think my role is less “president” than it is “learner-in-chief,” and recently, I’ve had the opportunity to participate in projects and discussions that have left me with some important lessons.
Recently, MCC completed its reaffirmation report to the League for Innovation in the Community College. This document is part of the process required to renew membership on the League board following a change in college leadership. The report foregrounds just what makes MCC a truly innovative college, and it says a great deal about MCC that our report was initially far too long! We simply had too many innovative programs, which is undeniably a good problem to have. But, this “problem” led to a discussion about innovation and how we frame this concept at MCC going forward. Typically, an innovation is something new, but what if we were to recast innovation within the context of a learning organization? What if innovating also means re-inventing, re-imagining, re-visioning what we do?
These are not just kicky, rhetorical questions. Recently, the League surveyed its board institutions to learn which of the “Innovation of the Year” programs recognized in the past decade were still in place. At most colleges, very few such programs had passed the test of time. At MCC, the vast majority of programs were still in place. In essence, the League survey revealed something important about MCC: we have built a culture that sustains innovation. However, with the passage of time, innovative programs need refreshing and rethinking to address changes inside and outside of the college. This observation is the driver behind a working definition for innovation that I’d like to propose: at MCC, innovation doesn’t just mean doing new things, it also means seeing and doing things anew.
Learning requires inquiry and assessment, and frequently, the results of this work lead to transformation and reinvention. These transformations might be small or they might be big—but all should help us “create the results [we] truly desire.”
To move this from the abstract to the concrete, let me share an example. We kick off the fall with “All College Day,” which is part celebration of the new academic year, part introduction of new employees, and part state of the college speech. But, there’s a small problem: the feedback I’ve received is that while everyone treasures All College Day, it really couldn’t come at a worse time to deliver a substantial message about the college. Some staff are busily trying to admit, advise, process, and register students; other staff are busily trying to prepare our facilities; and faculty are busily preparing for their classes and students. Any state of the college message is likely to get lost in the hustle and bustle, and this kind of content-heavy speech is really an odd pairing with a kick-off celebration. So, while the day is a beloved tradition, we may need to reinvent it. Maybe we need a different vehicle for delivering the “state of the college” message . . . and given that the “state of the college” is more frequently in transition today than it might have been decades ago, maybe we need more than one “state of the college” message a year . . . and given that MCC now has multiple campuses and faculty who teach more frequently at differing times, maybe we need the message offered multiple times to hit multiple audiences. Whew! You can see where learning leads you! But, out of this tangled thread of re-thinking, a plan has emerged:
1) The college needs a kick off day of celebration that is distinct from a message to the community.
2) All College Day should be a celebration of MCC’s dedicated, talented, and amazing faculty and staff as they prepare for the year ahead. It will be re-imagined to be such a day. (Want to help with this re-visioning? Contact Cynthia Cooper.)
3) We need to create a new event: the Message to the College Community (MCC), to be offered each fall and spring, about a third to a half way through the term. The fall message will offer a look at the strategic and operational directions for the year ahead and address our accomplishments from the previous year. The spring message will be focused on the college’s budget and its impact on our planning for the coming year. I will hold the first of the spring MCCs this term. Date to be announced soon.
4) In recognition of the many disparate schedules, we will hold multiple MCCs, so if you teach in the morning, you can come in the afternoon, or if you work at DCC, you can attend there. The presentations will cover the same content and will always offer time for questions. We’ll also work on streaming or archived video.
By listening to and learning from those with the most invested in the college (that is, all of you!), we may have actually stumbled upon something better. What do you think about the plan? About the reframing of innovation at MCC? Let me know on the blog.
Anne Kress
President's Office
02/24/2010 |