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MCC Daily Tribune Archive

President Kress Responds to the Budget Resource Committee’s Recommendations


In the April 21, 2016 Tribune, we highlighted this year’s work of the Budget Resource Committee (BRC) and presentation of its recommendations to President Kress and her Cabinet (MCC: A Student-Ready College).  As a follow-up to this article, the following summarizes the President’s response to the BRC’s recommendations (Memorandum dated May 13, 2016 to BRC Co-Chairs Darrell Jachim-Moore and Mitchell Redlo).  Each restated recommendation is followed by the President’s response.

*  Recommendation #1: Invest an incremental $30,000 in summer faculty advising to ease student on-boarding and foster the early engagement that is crucial to student success.  The recommendation aligns with the AACC (American Association of Community Colleges) Pathways Initiative and supports this summer’s School Registration Days.

*  The recommendation prompted a further review of the summer advising model which resulted in identification of “an untapped opportunity: moving a “single stop” approach to application, advisement, testing, and registration to local high schools in the month of June. The college will continue to support summer advisement as funds are available, more in line with the BRC proposed budget of $30,000.”

*  Recommendation #2: Reinstitute the Advising Key for certain targeted student populations to positively impact student success.  With the Banner PIN issue now resolved, one of the potential barriers to timely student registration has been eliminated. This recommendation seeks to minimize the risk that new barriers to retention and graduation might emerge as students attempt to navigate multiple sources (e.g., college catalog, degree works, academic program sheets, etc.) for determining the “right” courses and “right” sequencing for meeting program requirements.

*  “A review of MCC’s data on credits accumulated by graduates when the advisement key was in place suggests that the key itself may not be the solution.  Rather, before reinstating the key, the College needs to assure that the advisement students receive aligns with their “school” and is provided by staff with significant subject-matter expertise.  I have asked Provost Wade and Vice President Holmes to work together on assuring the advisement model moving forward with the schools is more effective before we contemplate restoring the key.” 

*  Recommendation #3: Create a dedicated testing center to foster student success and build an opportunity to generate additional income for the college.  The recommendation addresses the need for a campus-wide make up exam test area and would provide space to proctor exams for both current and prospective students.  New revenues could be generated by offering exams to others in the community for a fee (e.g., TASC, the new GED, Pearson VUE, GRE, GMAT, etc.).

*  “My leadership team has been seeking a new home for the testing center for the past academic year, evaluating the best location and most effective use of space.  The center requires significant technology infrastructure, and it should be easily accessible and identifiable both to MCC students and those unfamiliar with the campus.  This is especially important if we hope to build a revenue stream from contract based testing for outside parties.  As you might imagine, these requirements place limitations on the types of spaces we can consider, and this is further complicated because almost every optimal space is claimed by a College stakeholder group that is not eager to move.  I will keep the BRC updated on our progress as the work to relocate the testing center continues.” 

Dr. Kress closed the memorandum indicating her appreciation of the BRC’s work:

“Thank you for your collaborative approach and your willingness to sharpen your focus in this year.  Your recommendations are both informing our work and underscoring that the College is moving in the right direction in its focus on enrollment management, retention, and financial sustainability.  Please accept my gratitude for your efforts.”

On behalf of committee co-chair Mitch Redlo and myself, a special thanks to President Kress and her Cabinet for their consideration of this year’s recommendations and to the BRC committee members themselves who dedicated their time, talent and passion to this important work.

Darrell Jachim-Moore and Mitchell Redlo

2015-16 Budget Resource Committee Co-Chairs

Darrell Jachim-Moore and Mitchell Redlo
2015-16 Budget Resource Committee Co-Chairs
06/20/2016