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MCC Daily Tribune Archive

President's Weekly Message


Over the summer, each member of the President’s staff will take over this Message to share his or her response to change, learning, students and community colleges.  They will reflect on how swirling changes in higher education impact their work, their office/division, and their focus on student success.  This week’s message comes from Diane Shoger, Executive Director of the MCC Foundation.

Most people think ‘change’ should have been a four-letter word.

Four-letter words aren’t supposed to be used in polite company. They are widely considered vulgar or offensive and we are encouraged to avoid them by our parents, teachers and the Federal Communications Commission.

Change: Wouldn’t it be nice if we could avoid it at all cost? Declare it illegal? Take pride in the fact that we don’t change?

Hogwash!

In my profession, change has allowed "fundraising"—the function of raising money—to become "development"—the art of strengthening relationships—and, ultimately, "advancement"—a strategic, integrated method of managing relationships to increase understanding and support among an educational institution's key constituents, including alumni and friends, government policy makers, the media, members of the community and philanthropic entities of all types. (Source: CASE Website)

And just as our profession has changed, so too has the MCC Foundation. College Trustees created the MCC Foundation in 1983 to help bridge the gap between public funding and the amount students could afford to pay, a role that is as relevant today as it was then. Over time, the Foundation has dramatically impacted the landscape at MCC with campaigns to create the Richard M. Guon Child Care Center, Damon City Campus, Flynn Campus Center, PAC Field House and Wolk Center for Excellence in Nursing.

Our current initiative, Every Bright Future Needs a Strong Foundation, focuses once again on students, seeking to provide financial assistance to those with unmet financial need, those demonstrating academic excellence and those seeking workforce training. Additionally, it will support program initiatives and unique opportunities for MCC students to learn and thrive.

Our goal is clear: Every deserving student will receive the scholarship support they need to complete their educational and career goals at Monroe Community College.

In describing change opportunities in his article, "Change and the Completion Agenda," Terry O’Banion observes that, “A significant number of college stakeholders recognize the need for change.” Indeed, our community is rich with philanthropic individuals and civic-minded companies that are ready to not only embrace change, but to help fund it. Our goal at the MCC Foundation is to successfully identify, cultivate and capitalize on these relationships to benefit student success and program excellence at MCC.

Change? I think of change as the platform for our success. Bring it on!

Have comments to share? Leave them in the blog.

Diane Shoger
MCC Foundation
09/06/2012