MCC Daily Tribune
Summer Message
As we conclude this academic year and transition into summer, I extend my sincere gratitude to our campus community. To our faculty and staff, your dedication to students, commitment to academic excellence, and support of our mission have demonstrated the best of what our institution stands for. This year has been filled with achievements, change, and challenges; through it all, you have stayed focused on what matters most: student success and maintaining public trust.
To our students, the ongoing pursuit of your educational goals during times that have often raised more questions than answers is a testament to your perseverance and determination. On behalf of MCC, we are proud of you.
I want to acknowledge the challenging times we're experiencing, marked by complexity, uncertainty, and change. Much of this has weighed heavily on all of us, especially considering the divisive national debate around academic freedom and diversity, equity, and inclusion — issues close to my heart. Let me make this clear: Academic freedom is not just a value shared by faculty; it has been formally protected as a board policy because it embodies our shared institutional values. Our collective voices in defending that freedom, grounded in scholarship, open inquiry, and brave thinking, are both personal and operational.
While I cannot promise what remains unknown or the ultimate fate of specific actions we are championing together, such as federal legislation about Pell Grant funding that could impact an estimated 1,400 MCC students next year, or how Congress will decide the fate of federally funded programs essential to our students' success—programs that also affect the livelihoods and incomes of dedicated MCC employees—I can confidently say, with deep moral conviction, that we are not in "standby mode." We are making our voices heard. Monroe Community College was built for times like these. We are resilient. We are strong. And the clear focus on MCC's Mission and North Star, a hallmark of this administration, continues to guide us toward our shared purpose. The work you and others lead across our college remains central to our success.
As your President, I want you to know that advocacy isn't just something I support others doing; it's something I actively engage in. I am strongly advocating for the value of MCC and community colleges in general. Through my participation in local, state, and national briefings, gubernatorial and national appointments, including service on the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) board of directors, statements and correspondence that I have authored, as well as my involvement in cross-sector collaborations, I continue to emphasize the vital role we play in our region's economic recovery and social mobility. Like a modern-day Paul Revere, I am out proclaiming your story. Thank you for making MCC's story so compelling. You are making a difference every day in clear and impactful ways.
Let us be inspired by the meaningful progress we are making and look forward to the opportunities that await - each one a chance to grow, to lead, and to shape a brighter future together.
Best wishes for a safe and enjoyable summer. Be well.
DeAnna Burt-Nanna
Office of the President
07/01/2025