ACCT Trustee Quarterly | Winter 2011 by Moire Marketing Partners

Fall Events: Congress, Completion, and the White House | The Board Trustee Life Cycle

winter 2011

Service Above Self

From the Air Force to the classroom, ACCT Chair Peter E. Sercer, Sr., knows what it means to serve.

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Board of Directors

2010-2011 Chair

Peter E. Sercer, Sr. Midlands Technical College, SC

From the Chair The Great Idea Exchange of 2011

Chair-Elect Roberto Uranga Long Beach City College, CA

Vice Chair Celia M. Turner Mott Community College, MI

Secretary-Treasurer Denise R. Chachere St. Louis Community College, MO

Immediate Past Chair Thomas M. Bennett Parkland College, IL

Central Regional Chair Jean Torgeson North Iowa Area Community College, IA

Northeast Regional Chair LeRoy W. Mitchell Westchester Community College, NY

Pacific Regional Chair Rebecca Garcia Cabrillo College, CA

Southern Regional Chair David H. Talley Palm Beach State College, FL

Western Regional Chair Robert “Bob” Feit Southeast Community College, NE William E. Coleman, Jr. Mercer County Community College, NJ Colton J. Crane Central Wyoming College, WY Anita Grier City College of San Francisco, CA Jeffrey A. May Joliet Junior College, IL P. G. Peeples Kentucky Community & Technical College System, KY James R. Perry Union County College, NJ James K. Polk Illinois Central College, IL George Regan Robeson Community College, NC John W. Sanders John A. Logan College, IL Roberta “Bobbi” Shulman Montgomery College, MD Dorothy “Dottie” Smith State Center Community College District, CA Robin M. Smith, Diversity Committee Chair Lansing Community College, MI Carmie Lynn Toulouse Central New Mexico Community College, NM

I have a challenge for you: Now that you have opened this magazine, don’t close it until you’ve learned something new that you can bring to your college. Write it down — in an e-mail, on scratch paper, it doesn’t matter — and commit to sharing this idea with your fellow trustees. A good idea is an invaluable asset, but it’s worthless if it is not shared. Here is an example I gave to the 1,000 people who attended the closing session of the 2010 ACCT Leadership Congress in Toronto. I asked those present to imagine that each person in the room had one dollar and, one by one, each person exchanged his or her dollar with every other person in the room. At the end, every person would be left holding only one dollar. Now imagine that each of those 1,000 people exchanged just one idea with the other 999. Everyone would have 999 new ideas and, just as importantly, each idea would be shared with 999 others. It’s a simple metaphor, but an important one. ACCT Congress Keynote Speaker Richard Desich, a 35-year trustee of Lorain County Community College of Ohio and a self-made multi-millionaire, emphasized the importance of sharing ideas. He credits his attendance at the ACCT Congress with the creation of the Lorain County Community College Foundation, one of the most heavily endowed community college foundations in the country. Desich explained that ideas are “the most important thing in the world. The real value is that [trustees] always come back to the college with new information.” You are no different. If your college needs a foundation, you can create one. If it needs funding, you can raise those funds. If you need to improve graduation rates, you can do it. Not knowing how is not a valid excuse — not as long as you are a member of ACCT. It is my honor to serve as ACCT’s Chair for the coming year. One of my major goals is to promote communication and idea sharing, and this starts with your participation. Attend the meetings. Talk with your peers. Ask questions. Share your experiences. Read ACCT’s publications. Give us your ideas, and don’t leave until we have given you some in return. We all know how important it is not to waste resources, and ideas are some of the most valuable resources out there. I look forward to hearing from you throughout the year, especially during the 2011 National Legislative Summit in Washington, D.C., this February 13-16. Thank you for the work you do every day, and for placing your faith in ACCT. PETER E. SERCER, SR. MIDLANDS TECHNICAL COLLEGE, SOUTH CAROLINA

Nancy Watkins Hillsborough Community College, FL Frederick “Fred” Whang Tacoma Community College, WA Roberto Zárate Alamo Colleges, TX

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Trustee

QUA R T ER LY

The Voice of Community College Leaders

From the President & CEO

Winter 2011

Editorial Team EDITOR-IN-CHIEF J. Noah Brown President & CEO

Managing Editor David Conner Marketing & Communications Specialist

Editor Mark Toner CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Jee Hang Lee Director of Public Policy

Narcisa A. Polonio, Ed.D. Vice President, Education, Research & Board Leadership Services

Ira Michael Shepard ACCT Legal Counsel

EDITORIAL ASSOCIATES Julie Golder Alion Elizabeth Alvarado Kit Gray Laura Peters Design & Production www.moiremarketing.com – Washington, D.C. Your Opinion Matters contact:

David Conner (866) 895-ACCT (2228) dconner@acct.org

TRUSTEE QUARTERLY (ISSN 0271-9746) is published three or four times per year as a membership service of the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT). ACCT is a not-for-profit educational organization of governing boards of public and private community, technical, and junior colleges. Membership is also open to state coordinating boards, advisory boards, and state associations. The mission of ACCT is to foster greater understanding of and appreciation for community college boards; support boards in their efforts to develop public policies focusing on meeting community needs; help build board governance leadership and advocacy capacity through in-service education and training programs; and support boards through specialized services and programs. Opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and values of the Association of Community College Trustees. Non-members may subscribe to TRUSTEE QUARTERLY for $60.00 per year (plus postage for international subscriptions). Third-class postage paid at Washington, D.C.

1233 20th Street, NW, Suite 301 Washington DC 20036 (202) 775-4667 FAX: (202) 775-4455 E-mail: acctinfo@acct.org www.acct.org

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Completion is a Commitment When we talk about college completion, we aren’t just talking about finishing something. We are talking about keeping our commitment to our students and our country. It is a commitment that ACCT takes seriously. And we’re not the only ones. I had the honor and pleasure of attending the White House Summit on Community Colleges just weeks before the 2010 ACCT Leadership Congress, and there, too, the message was clear — from President Obama and Dr. Jill Biden to the trustees, presidents, students, and other community college representatives lucky enough to be there for the historic event. Student success is our priority, and student success begins with completion. On October 19, ACCT convened leaders in higher education, including trustees, presidents, educators, state and local governments, state community college systems, nationally recognized experts and researchers, and representatives from national membership associations, to deliberate on challenges and identify the means by which to achieve the goal of improved college completion rates throughout the United States. The all-day Summit on Completion, made possible with support from The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and considerable in-kind support from The College Board, set the tone for a student success-themed 2010 ACCT Leadership Congress — an event attended by more than 1,200 trustees, presidents, and other community college leaders. This issue of Trustee Quarterly is packed with information about these landmark events, as well as information about the new Governance Institute for Student Success. The first two GISS meetings, which were held in Ohio, were a great success, with more than 65 community college trustees and presidents in attendance. This year, the GISS will move to Washington state and Ohio. Read more about this fantastic new initiative on page 28. Believe it or not, this is only the beginning of ACCT’s efforts to help students succeed. I hope that you will join us in the coming months and years as we work toward the goal of increasing degree and credential completion and transfer rates by 50 percent within the next ten years. The next step in the process is the vitally important meetings with legislators that will take place during the Community College National Legislative Summit in Washington, D.C. this February 13-16. The momentum will continue as trustees from throughout the country convene in Dallas this October for the 2011 ACCT Leadership Congress, where we will focus on “Information as Power: Fostering Sustainability and Student Success.” Registration opens in mid-February at www.acct.org. I look forward to seeing you this year as we work together toward our common goal of helping students succeed. J. Noah Brown ACCT President and CEO

Contents

TRUSTEE QUARTERLY | Winter 2011

Departments 8

Advocacy Looking Forward, Many Difficult Decisions Remain Jee Hang Lee

36 LEGAL

Discrimination Claims May Impact

Campus Policies Ira Michael Shepard

in every issue

10 Features 10

White House Summit — The West Wing — Mark Toner

The first-ever White House Summit on Community Colleges was a standout moment in a historic year for community colleges.

Completion Summit — Critical Questions — Mark Toner

At acct’s Summit on Completion, community college leaders and stakeholders focused on strategies and shared values.

41st Annual ACCT Leadership Congress Recap — Indispensable Institutions — Mark Toner

Community college leaders came to Toronto to discuss access, success, and the revitalization of their communities’ economies.

Service Above Self — Mark Toner

ACCT Chair Peter E. Sercer, Sr., knows what it means to serve.

Understanding The Board Life Cycle — Narcisa A. Polonio, Ed.D.

Transition and change are inevitable for boards of trustees.

Q & A: Single Stop USA

Elizabeth Mason and Eduardo J. Padrón discuss how the nonprofit organization and community colleges can break through barriers.

From the Chair

From the President & CEO

News

26 Around the Regions 32 Searches and Retreats 42 Interface 48 Advisor

30%

Cert no. SW-COC-001551

COVER PHOTO BY KEITH WELLER TR U S TEE Q U A RTER L Y w i n t e r 2 0 1 1

2010 ACCT Regional Trustee Leadership Award Recipients CENTRAL REGION: Richard Adams, Edison

Community College, Ohio NORTHEAST REGION: Jeanne-Marie Boylan, Bunker Hill Community College, Mass. PACIFIC REGION: Harold Williams, Portland Community College, Ore. SOUTHERN REGION: Wendell “Winkie” Williams, South Florida Community College District, Fla. WESTERN REGION: Michael Williams, Houston Community College System, Texas

News Annual ACCT Association Awards The 2010 ACCT Association Awards were presented on Friday, October 22, during the Annual ACCT Awards Gala at the Leadership Congress in Toronto. For photos and videos of the Association and Regional Awards, visit www.acct.org/ events/annualcongress/10/.

2010 ACCT Regional Equity Award Recipients CENTRAL REGION: Oakton Community

College, Ill. NORTHEAST REGION: Evelyn Field, Raritan

Valley Community College, N.J. PACIFIC REGION: Guam Community College, Guam SOUTHERN REGION: St. Petersburg College, Fla. WESTERN REGION: College of the Mainland, Texas

2010 ACCT Regional Chief Executive Officer Award Recipients

2010 M. Dale Ensign Trustee Leadership Award Richard Adams Edison Community College, Ohio

2010 Marie Y. Martin Chief Executive Award M. Richard Shaink Mott Community College, Mich.

CENTRAL REGION: M. Richard Shaink, Mott

Community College, Mich. NORTHEAST REGION: Stephen M. Curtis, Community College of Philadelphia, Pa. PACIFIC REGION: Pamela Transue, Tacoma Community College, Wash. SOUTHERN REGION: Gwendolyn Stephenson, Hillsborough Community College, Fla. WESTERN REGION: Jo Anne McFarland, Central Wyoming College, Wyo.

2010 ACCT Regional Faculty Member Award Recipients

2010 Charles Kennedy Equity Award College of the Mainland, Texas

CENTRAL REGION: Joyce Lindstrom, St.

Charles Community College, Mo. NORTHEAST REGION: Robin Musselman, Lehigh Carbon Community College, Pa. PACIFIC REGION: Tom Garrison, Coast Community College District, Calif. SOUTHERN REGION: Erik Christensen, South Florida Community College District, Fla. WESTERN REGION: Ivan Lorentzen, Flathead Valley Community College, Mont.

See INTERFACE on p. 43 for 2010 ACCT Regional Professional Board Staff Member Award Recipients

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2010 William H. Meardy Faculty Member Award Joyce Lindstrom St. Charles Community College, Mo.

2010 ACCT Professional Board Staff Member Award Coral Richards Western Nebraska Community College, Neb.

ACCT and U.K. Colleges Join Forces On October 21, nearly 1,000 community college trustees, presidents, and other leaders witnessed the signing of a historic collaboration between the Association of Community College Trustees and the United Kingdom Association of Colleges (AoC). ACCT President and CEO J. Noah Brown and 2009-10 ACCT Chair Thomas M. Bennett added their signatures to a Memorandum of Understanding for International Cooperation with AoC Chief Executive

Martin T. Doel and Chairman John F. Bingham. “We come in the ongoing spirit of collaboration that epitomizes our relationship,” said Bingham. “Although to a certain extent symbolic,” he continued, “the Memorandum of Understanding does cement the development of the goals and aspirations we both share. The passion and commitment displayed by ACCT and you, as college trustees, is matched by your counterparts in England.”

Let the LAW work for you Timing is everything when it comes to advocacy, but not everyone has time to pay attention to pending legislation day in and day out. ACCT’s Latest Action in Washington (LAW) Alerts do the work for you. Since 2008, over 1,300 people have signed up to receive ACCT’s LAW Alert e-mails — brief summaries of legislative actions e-mailed to subscribers as legislation happens, giving community college trustees, presidents, and other leaders and advocates time to contact their representatives and exert influence before it’s too late.

ACCT and the United Kingdom Association of Colleges (AoC) sign a memorandum of understanding (from left: AoC Chairman John F. Bingham; AoC Chief Executive Martin T. Doel; ACCT President & CEO J. Noah Brown; 2010 ACCT Chair Thomas M. Bennett).

ACCT Launches New Diversity Assessment Services As part of its diversity initiative, ACCT is excited to announce a new Board Leadership Service program to help boards and presidents conduct policy assessments on the effectiveness of their diversity efforts. The first diversity assessment report was recently completed for Bergen Community College in New Jersey. “We appreciate ACCT’s efforts to validate our institution-wide diversity efforts,” says President Dr. G. Jeremiah Ryan. ACCT maintains an extensive library of diversity-related materials in its online Diversity Resource Center, located at www. acct.org/resources/special-initiatives/diversity-1/diversity-resource-center.php. For more information about ACCT’s diversity assessment service, contact Dr. Narcisa Polonio at narcisa_polonio@acct.org or 202.775.4667.

Please encourage your fellow trustees, presidents, and colleagues to stay up to date about legislation that affects their community colleges by joining the LAW E-Alert network. To join, simply e-mail publicpolicy@acct.org with “LAW Alert” in the subject of the e-mail. For more information about ACCT’s advocacy services, visit www.acct.org/advocacy.

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News Acct Founder M. Dale Ensign Saluted At 2010 Awards Gala

Registration and Call for Presentations: 2011 ACCT Leadership Congress INFORMATION IS POWER is the theme for the 2011 ACCT Leadership Congress to be held this October 12-15 in Dallas, Texas. The 2011 Congress will focus on the trustee’s role in fostering student success and sustainability, following through on the completion commitment made at the 2010 Congress in Toronto. (See pages 12-21.) Registration for the 2011 Congress opens in mid-February at www.acct.org/ events/annualcongress/11. ACCT seeks presentations for the 2011 Congress that relate to the following tracks: 1. Financial Realities — Budget strategies, expanded fundraising, partnerships 2. Workforce Demand — Emerging fields, retraining, technology initiatives 3. Institutional Accountability/ Effectiveness — Student success and completion 4. Equity and Diversity — Serving at-risk and underserved populations, remedial education, and ensuring access 5. Sustainability — Ensuring environmental as well as economic sustainability through entrepreneurship, enterprises, and strategic partnerships 6. Effective Governance — Procedures, practices, and policies that work For more information and to submit your presentation ideas, go to www.acct. org/events/annualcongress/11.

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M. Dale Ensign, who was the original founding chair of ACCT in 1972 and served as a trustee at Northwest Community College in Wyoming (now Northwest M. Dale Ensign, one of ACCT’s founding fathers. College), made a special appearance at the 2010 Awards Gala in Toronto. Ensign was instrumental in laying down the groundwork for where the association is today, striving to better meet the needs of community college trustees and establishing the community college as the higher education model of the future. He was greeted by Awards Gala attendees with a standing ovation.

ACCT Facilitates Statewide Workshop for West Virginia Community and Technical Colleges On December 8, 2010, ACCT facilitated a statewide workshop for West Virginia community and technical colleges to explore the best vehicle for defining a statewide advocacy agenda to strengthen the state’s community and technical college system, as well as to find a common voice and direction for board members by examining their roles and responsibilities. The workshop was hosted by the West Virginia Council for Community and Technical College Education and the West Virginia Community and Technical College System and organized by ACCT’s Board Leadership Services. Nine of the ten West Virginia community and technical colleges were in attendance. “Our trustees are excited about becoming more involved as an advocacy voice for our community colleges, and their participation will be very beneficial in moving our community college agenda forward,” said James L. Skidmore, Chancellor of the West Virginia Council for Community and Technical College Education. At the workshop, presidents, chairs, and trustees had an opportunity to discuss the unique West Virginia governance model, board/CEO partnerships, the board’s role in advocacy, and student success. Representatives of state associations — Dr. Lawrence Nespoli, President of the New Jersey Council of County Colleges, Kitty Boyle, trustee of Dallas County Community College, Texas, and John Steinecke, ACCT Search Specialist and former trustee and chair of Prince George’s Community College, Md. — shared individual experiences from their state associations, legislatures, and advocacy. “The meeting in Charleston provided the framework for a strong trustee organization in West Virginia,” said Leslie Baker, ACCT’s West Virginia State Coordinator and chair of the New River Community and Technical College Board of Governors. “It is exciting to know that, as this alliance grows and matures, our combined voices can and will have a huge impact on the issues and concerns of the community college system.” For more information about ACCT’s workshops and retreats, e-mail narcisa_polonio@acct.org.

Courtesy of Apple

WIN AN iPAD! ACCT is excited to announce that one lucky member trustee will win a new iPad during the 2011 ACCT Leadership Congress in Dallas, Texas, this October 12-15. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s our way of thanking you for the hard work you do all year long.

Cut here

By E-mail

HOW TO ENTER To enter, simply send us an e-mail with iPAD SWEEPSTAKES in the subject line or a postcard with the information below to the address at right by Friday, September 16, 2011.* The drawing will be held during the 2011 ACCT Leadership Congress. Only trustees from ACCT member institutions are eligible to win**.

Name college name trustee since (month & year) Preferred mailing address *Preferred phone (REQUIRED) *email address (REQUIRED) *Note: A valid e-mail address and phone number are required to ensure that the winner is notified. **Only trustees from ACCT member institutions are eligible to win. ACCT staff and Board of Directors are ineligible.

Send an e-mail to acctinfo@acct.org with IPAD SWEEPSTAKES in the subject line and the information below in the body of the message.

By Mail Send the information below to: ACCT IPAD SWEEPSTAKES 1233 20th Street NW Suite 301 Washington, DC 20036

advocacy

Looking Forward, Many Difficult Decisions Remain

by Jee Hang Lee

As the new members of the 112th Congress take their oaths of office and prepare for the upcoming year, many tough decisions await them. Congress will have a robust legislative agenda coupled with a presidential election on the horizon, both presenting major hurdles for moving pieces of legislation. But before we look forward, we should reflect on the last year with enormous pride as the national attention and spotlight were centered on our institutions. Community colleges have been more important than ever to state and local communities.

Looking Back at 2010

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As a follow-up to the summit, the Department of Education recently announced that it will hold four regional summits across the country in 2011. These summits will continue to bring national attention to community colleges and provide an opportunity to share strategies for fostering growth in the total number of certificates and degrees awarded and improving student transfers to four-year universities. As the largest sector of higher education, community colleges are a vital component to pushing America back to the top of higher education completion and attainment. The recent 2010 Congressional elections have substantially shifted the political landscape. Republicans gained control over the House of Representatives and won additional seats in the Senate, where the Democrats have retained the majority. The Congress and Administration agendas

will focus on the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s budgetary and funding situation, but they may also deal with important legislative bills such as reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act and the Elementary and Secondary Education Act. It is still unclear how Congress and the Administration will work to address these major issues, but it is expected to be a contentious process.

Appropriations Bills Muddled; Pell Grant Program Continues to Grow After two months in office, the new Congress will have to address FY2011 appropriations bills that are only temporarily funded through March 4. The previous Congress attempted to move an Omnibus Appropriations bill and a longer-term continuing resolution, but it was unable to reach broad consensus on either. Therefore, the 111th Congress

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This past year, we saw the creation of a $2 billion Community College and Career Training Grant program. Funded at $500 million for four consecutive years, CCCTG will be the signature federal community college program, supplementing the hard work of colleges as they provide the education and workforce training needed to change peopleâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s lives and communities. Legislation in 2010 also increased funding for the Pell Grant program, which positively impacted the lives of countless students across the nation. In October, we also witnessed the firstever White House Summit on Community Colleges, a watershed event for our sector (see p. 10). Hosted by Dr. Jill Biden, the summit hosted major federal officials, from President Barack Obama to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Michael Mullen, in addition to leaders from community colleges, businesses, and philanthropic organizations. The summit gave our institutions unprecedented recognition for the work that we have always done while acknowledging the mission that lies ahead of us in meeting the completion challenge.

essentially put off major funding decisions for the current Congress. Furthermore, Congress will need to pass the next annual appropriations bill for FY2012, slated to begin on October 1. The new House majority is looking to reduce funding for discretionary programs, including education programs. While House leaders have stated their desire to cut discretionary funding to FY2008 levels, leadership staff has indicated that the current continuing resolution is a significant roadblock to accomplishing this goal. Therefore, it now appears that House leaders will work to reduce the discretionary programs by $100 billion for the 2011 calendar year ending on December 31. While the House will seek to cut programs and funding, there is one major looming issue: the Pell Grant program, which continues to grow at an unprecedented rate. Only a couple years ago, the program served more than 5 million students. Today, the program has nearly doubled to approximately 9 million students, as the recession and continuing economic downturn have persuaded millions of students to return to the classroom. With unemployment rates near 10 percent, countless students previously ineligible for Pell Grants are now eligible due to changes in their and their families’ financial situations. More than 3 million community college students are now receiving Pell Grants. While the growth of the Pell Grant program has been beneficial to students, it has placed considerable pressure on Congress and the Administration to figure out how to deal with mounting shortfalls. During the 111th Congress, almost $20 billion was provided to counterbalance the Pell Grant shortfall. As more and more students are coming through college doors, the Pell Grant program now faces an estimated $8 billion shortfall for this coming academic year — which could become even larger. Given lawmakers’ focus on reducing domestic spending and the federal deficit, finding an additional $8 billion to address the Pell Grant shortfall may be politically difficult. If the shortfall is not moderated,

students could face a significant reduction in the maximum award available, and thousands of students could become ineligible for Pell Grants. In its FY2011 Budget Request last year, the Administration sought to move the Pell Grant program from a discretionary to a mandatory funding/ entitlement program (like Social Security and Medicare). Congress did not approve this shift to mandatory funding, but it may look at this option again this year. With the funding debate expected to be contentious, the Pell Grant program is apt to dominate the education funding discussion. There will likely be Congressional efforts to reduce funding for a wide variety of higher education and K-12 programs, especially if funding is provided to close the Pell Grant shortfall.

Congress will work to move the bill after the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) has either been reauthorized or stalled. At present, it appears that WIA may be moved first by the Senate, with strong support from Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Chairman Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) and ranking member Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.). While there is strong bipartisan support to move WIA reauthorization, it appears that the major education focus for the 112th Congress will be ESEA reauthorization. Due to a number of factors, including a number of new members of the House Education and Workforce Committee, the ESEA reauthorization process may drag into the late fall. If this is the case, the timing of the presidential and congressional elections may stall action on ESEA.

The Workforce Investment Act

The DREAM Act

Since 2004, multiple Administrations and Congresses have failed to rewrite the Workforce Investment Act (WIA), which supports the federal workforce development system through the Department of Labor and adult education programs through the Department of Education. Currently, community colleges are not integrated with the local workforce development system in many parts of the country, resulting in a diminished overall system. As community colleges are the leading educational and training providers in communities across the country, it would be valuable for WIA to reflect this fact and support their crucial efforts more comprehensively. WIA needs to be restructured to allow community colleges to play a more central role in the training and education of our workforce, and community colleges also need to be represented more prominently on workforce investment boards. A restructured WIA would also hopefully allow community colleges to continue their work through focused grant programs like the Community Based Job Training Grant program and the Career Pathways Innovation Fund. The best hope for WIA reauthorization is that with strong bipartisan support,

This past year, we saw significant movement on the DREAM Act. Just months ago, the House of Representatives passed a version of the DREAM Act. Unfortunately, the Senate failed to gather the 60 votes necessary to break a filibuster on the bill; while the bill received the support of the majority in the Senate, it was not enough to bring up the bill for formal consideration. With the new makeup of Congress, it does not appear that the 112th Congress will consider comprehensive immigration reform or a standalone DREAM Act.

Your Voice is Needed I hope to see you this February 13-16 at the 2011 Community College National Legislative Summit in Washington, D.C. Without your voice, we could experience reduced funding for critical programs that support our institutions and students. Your advocacy efforts are absolutely crucial as we work to ensure that higher education funding is maintained. ACCT Director of Public Policy Jee Hang Lee can be reached by e-mail at jhlee@ acct.org, or by phone at 202-775-4667. TR U S TEE Q U A RTER L Y w i n t e r 2 0 1 1

The first-ever White House Summit on Community Colleges was a standout moment in a historic year for community colleges.

The West Wing By Mark Toner

As community college leaders convened at the White House for a first-of-its-kind summit in early October, the high-profile setting was the most visible reminder that 2010 was arguably the most significant year in the history of community colleges since the movement began. “For years, I have said that community colleges are one of America’s best-kept secrets,” said Dr. Jill Biden, who currently teaches at Northern Virginia Community College. “With the President shining a light on us, that secret is out.” Speaking to an assembled group of leaders from community colleges, foundations, and a broad array of government agencies, President Barack Obama made another point crystal clear — that along with “providing the gateway for millions to a better life,” community colleges have also become a linchpin in the country’s economic future. “We are in a global competition to lead in the growth industries of the 21st century. That depends on a highly skilled workforce,” Obama told summit attendees. Pointing to his Administration’s American Graduation Initiative, which calls on community colleges

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to provide an additional 5 million students with certificates or degrees over the next decade, Obama said that additional federal support and financial aid for students “will help ensure that we lead the global economy, but only if we maintain the support.”

Promises Kept, Promises Made Announced when the President signed the historic Healthcare and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 on the campus of Northern Virginia Community College last spring, the White House Summit on Community Colleges represented another bold step forward, as two new high-profile initiatives to help community colleges with their completion and workforce development missions were unveiled. Obama announced the new Building Skills for America’s Future initiative, an effort to bolster community college industry

partnerships and workforce development initiatives in partnership with the Aspen Institute, which will help attract major industries to the program. “The private sector is eager and willing to help,” said Penny Pritzker, chairman and CEO of Pritzker Realty Group and a member of Obama’s economic advisory board. Accenture, Gap Inc., McDonald’s, PG&E, and United Technologies already have pledged to support the program, which will ensure that every state has at least one “high-impact” partnership between a community college and industry. Melinda French Gates, co-chair of The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, also discussed with summit attendees Completion by Design, a $35 million grant program unveiled the day before by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation to “redesign every aspect of the college experience,” with an eye toward sharing innovative practices such as streamlining enrollment, speeding up remediation programs, and simplifying the transfer process. “The next step for community colleges is to put all the pieces of the puzzle together,” Gates said, stressing the potential of technology to create new hybrid learning opportunities. “We’re committed to community colleges as they do the hard work.” Along with these new initiatives, U.S. Secretary of Labor Hilda Solis stressed the importance of participating in the $2 billion Community College and Career Training Grant Program, which was signed into law as part of the health care reconciliation bill. “It’s about capacity building... about developing programs and curricula that last longer than the funding does,” Solis said.

Setting the Agenda Two messages quickly crystallized during the summit. First, so-called “non-traditional students” — older learners juggling jobs and families — should now simply be considered “21st century students.” “They are the new normal,” U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan reminded attendees. Second, a key strategy for the government and grantmakers alike will be finding ways to help community colleges share best practices as they retool to meet President Obama’s call for 5 million more graduates. “What we have to do is take to scale what’s working,” Duncan said during the summit’s closing session. Summit attendees took a critical first step, breaking into small groups to identify what is working on community college campuses — and what challenges remain — in six critical areas, including: Industry partnerships. Strong strategies include those with a sense of reciprocity between colleges and their industry partners, as well as financial and other support from local governments; those with flexible delivery options, including on-site, online, and non-traditional course hours; and those with a clear and accessible pathway for individuals. Challenges include remediation; funding for capacity building in skills training; differences in state funding models that make it difficult to replicate successful partnerships; and the need to award credit based on the training workers have already received, including apprenticeships. Military and veterans programs. Attendees acknowledged the value of on-campus support systems, such as veterans groups. Challenges include the need to ensure a transition and support

system for veterans leaving active duty, as well as ways to share successful practices put into place at community colleges, including veteran-to-veteran support, priority placement, military spouse career advancement programs, and ways to maximize GI Bill benefits. Completion. Among the challenges in this critical area are the need to communicate the value of a credential or diploma to students; professional development to help community college instructors support students; developmental education programs; technology integration; and the identification of solutions that work across disparate community college campuses. Financial aid. Challenges include the need to simplify the financial aid process, especially for students who may be the first in their family to attend college; address disincentives for working students receiving Pell Grants; consider ways to consolidate different forms of financial aid; and support financial aid officers who have been strained by budget cuts and the increasing numbers of students who need their help. Baccalaureate pathways. Summit attendees cited the need for support and counseling for students considering transferring to four-year institutions; consistency in credit hours and course numbering systems; and articulation programs for career and technical education programs. 21st century community colleges. Challenges include leveraging technology to provide new course offerings, tracking alumni and the transfer of credits, and supporting faculty. It is critical to examine the role both full-time and adjunct professors play as they take on new support roles, in addition to finding ways to leverage private sector partnerships. Dr. Jill Biden concluded the White House Summit by urging attendees to take the same critical look at priorities with strategic partners in their own communities. “Go back to your businesses and your schools, and start this conversation again,” she said. To that end, the White House prepared a special toolkit for community college leaders, which includes information for colleges interested in holding their own local community college summit, which can be downloaded at www.acct.org or at the link in the box below. The U.S. Education Department will host a virtual community college summit later in 2011 to continue the completion dialogue. President Obama put it best at the conclusion of his remarks, when he told attendees: “Let’s get busy.” White House Summit: www.whitehouse.gov/communitycollege Toolkit: www.whitehouse.gov/sites/default/files/uploads/White-HouseSummit-on-Community-Colleges-Toolkit.pdf Building Skills for America’s Future: www.aspeninstitute.org/policy-work/economic-opportunities/skillsfor-americas-future Completion By Design: www.completionbydesign.org

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At ACCT’s Summit on Completion, community college leaders and stakeholders focused on strategies and shared values.

By Mark Toner

Questions

Pictured (L to R) Travis Reindl, program director,National Governors Association Center for Effective Governance; J. Noah Brown, ACCT president and CEO; Dr. Narcisa A. Polonio, ACCT vice president; Dr. Ronald Williams, vice president, The College Board; Dr. Linda Baer, senior program officer for postsecondary success, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; Dr. Byron McClenney, project director, University of Texas at Austin’s Achieving the Dream, co-director of the California Leadership Alliance for Student Success (CLASS), and senior lecturer at UT; and Dr. Kay McClenney, director, Center for Community College Student Engagement (CCCSE) and Sid W. Richardson endowed fellow in community college leadership at The University of Texas at Austin.

With the attention of the White House, governors, policymakers, and philanthropic foundations all focused on increasing the number of Americans who hold a college degree or credential, “suddenly it seems that higher education is really where the action is,” Samuel Cargile, vice president of The Lumina Foundation, observed during ACCT’s Summit on Completion. “With that, it’s also an opportune time to ask some critical questions.” Community college leaders attending the one-day summit in Toronto — immediately preceding and setting the tone for the 2010 ACCT Leadership Congress — did just that, focusing a critical eye on the ways community colleges are working to shift their model from access to success. “It’s vitally important that trustees are involved in this conversation,” said 2010 ACCT Chair Thomas Bennett, a trustee at Parkland College in Illinois.

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Keynote Speaker Philip Berry, President, Philip Berry Associates, LLC, and Vice Chair, The City University of New York.

Moving the Goalposts The ACCT summit was supported in part by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Lumina Foundation, both of which have set ambitious goals for increasing the number of college graduates — goals that mirror President Obama’s American Graduation Initiative, which seeks to increase the number of Americans who hold a degree or certificate by 5 million this decade. “The language may be a little different, but everybody is getting on board and knowing we’ve got to do a better job,” said Linda Baer, senior program officer of The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. ACCT President and CEO J. Noah Brown discussed how the completion agenda has become embedded in a variety of initiatives that ACCT has become involved in, including the Voluntary Framework of Accountability (VFA), Democracy’s Colleges Call to Action, and the Governance Institute for Student Success. “We are very serious about creating the toolkit you need

Samuel Cargile, vice president of grantmaking for Lumina Foundation For Education.

Summit attendees heard presentations before breaking into smaller groups to discuss five priority areas.

to advance this agenda,” he said. Baer described how the Gates Foundation’s Completion by Design initiative focuses on “a pathway model” that creates connections for students from enrollment through completion. Under such a system, “[students] don’t just come through the doors and wander around,” she said. Noting that one in six blue-collar workers lost his or her job during the current recession, Dr. Ronald Williams, vice president of The College Board, stressed the importance of improving completion rates in stark terms. “The middle holds America together,” he said, warning that a declining middle class poses a threat to democracy. From the business perspective, it’s critical that community colleges prepare students for today’s global — and increasingly uncertain — economy, stressed Philip Berry, president of Philip Berry Associates and vice-chair of the City University of New York. “We have to come up with methodologies that help students where they are, not where we want them to be,” he said.

Metrics and Measures Data is crucial to addressing completion issues, stressed Kay McClenney, director of the Center for Community College Student Engagement at the University of Texas at Austin’s Community College Leadership Program. “Community colleges have lived long and pretty comfortably with the anecdote — students whose lives have changed,” she said. “But...[anecdotes] do not tell the story of the typical student experience...what we have to get ready to do is understand honestly what happens to students when they move through our system — or don’t.” While students can point to many reasons for failing to receive a degree, the reality is that poor students, older students, and minorities are much less likely to complete college, McClenney said. “Until the choice not to persist or graduate is equitably distributed across students by race, age, or income level, this is an argument we can no longer countenance,” she said. To tackle persistent completion issues, colleges will need not only systems and processes to track students, but they will also need to disaggregate that data to get a clear picture of how all students are performing, McClenney said.

Based on visits to 1,200 colleges in more than 30 states, Dr. Byron McClenney, project director for Achieving the Dream and a senior lecturer and fellow at the University of Texas at Austin, pointed to a number of practices that support the completion agenda, including: • Leaders who are engaged and pay continuous attention to progress on student success issues; • A shared and enacted vision of a student success agenda; • Planning and budgeting aligned with the agenda; • A culture of evidence; • Broad consensus among students, faculty, staff, and the community; • Integration of other initiatives, including accreditation; and • Focused professional development aligned with student completion objectives. “None of these things comes easily,” McClenney said, pointing to ending late registration, embedding basic skills in career programs, encouraging study groups, and initiating student success courses as promising approaches. As part of its Complete to Compete initiative, The National Governors Association is developing its own metrics to help state leaders track the performance of their higher education institutions. “You can’t have a substantive policy conversation until and unless you have a clear picture of how something’s performing,” said Travis Reindl, NGA Center for Best Practices program director. “To have goals that are lasting and powerful, you have to know if you’re moving towards them.” NGA’s proposed metrics are divided between measurements of student progress — including remediation, entry, success in first year math and English courses, and credit accumulation — and outcomes, including numbers of degrees, graduation rates, and measurements of the time and credits required to attain a degree. While acknowledging that community colleges are facing unprecedented financial pressure as enrollments rise and funding falls, speakers agreed that these challenges would not impede the focus on completion. “There’s no evidence that connects resources to results,” McClenney said, “It’s not how much money we have, but how we spend the money we have.” As an example, McClenney pointed to the Institute for Healthcare Improvement’s 100,000 Lives Campaign, which, by examining data

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ACCT Vice President Dr. Narcisa A. Polonio discusses trustees’ role in the completion movement.

Dr. Byron McClenney, project director, University of Texas at Austin’s Achieving the Dream, and co-director, California Leadership Alliance for Student Success, discusses best practices.

and asking tough questions, successfully reduced the number of preventable deaths in U.S. hospitals.

Moving Forward For much of the day, summit attendees broke into smaller groups to develop recommendations in five priority areas, including: Finance and funding. Institutions and boards must examine four areas: the distribution of student aid, the flexibility colleges have in disbursing aid, whether aid policies can provide students with incentives to continue pursuing degrees, and community awareness of financial aid and students’ ability to apply for it. When it comes to institutional funding, summit participants suggested that it may be time to discuss prioritizing the roles community colleges play in the context of existing financial resources. Boards should also explore new revenue sources, including fundraising and entrepreneurial initiatives, and how those new sources of funding can be increased by targeting specific areas. Student success. Linking access with completion will require a variety of approaches, including stronger alignment between the K-12 curriculum and college requirements through such structures as K-14/16 councils and programs including middle colleges and dual enrollment, that can “stop the leaks in the pipeline,” said Michael Hansen, president of the Michigan Community College Association. Other priorities include strengthening “front-door” student services, such as financial aid and counseling. Curriculum and pedagogy. The focus group stressed the need to develop methodologies focused on helping underserved students and veterans to be more successful in the community college setting. Other priorities include better assessment and instructional models that build faculty capacity to teach, such as the Universal Design for Learning, said Jean Torgeson, board chair of North Iowa Area Community College, as well as the need to develop “stackable” credentials and certifications that allow students to make progress towards a degree. Torgeson also stressed emphasizing the value of rigorous standards, finding new ways to explain expectations and procedures to students, and providing supports to help working parents and other students complete their education. Partnerships and the K-16 pipeline. With the administration’s focus on developing workplace skills throughout a student’s life, helping K-12 students see connections between careers and the

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Dottie Smith, vice-chair of the State Center Community College (Calif.) District Board of Directors, participates in the completion dialogue.

skills they need to attain them will become key. The group cited the examples of community colleges whose counselors visit students to discuss job skills as early as in the 6th grade and the Department of Labor’s careeronestop.org site, which helps identify workplace skills for target careers. Trustees must also be persistent in requesting better and more transparent data on student outcomes and working with policymakers and their peers in K-12 systems to address alignment and curriculum issues. “It’s cradle to career, and we all have a stake,” said Greg Schuckman, trustee at Northern Virginia Community College. Data and metrics. The group stressed the importance of developing a common approach to metrics, including using the Voluntary Framework of Accountability as a way of ensuring congruence as other organizations develop or refine their own measures. Avoiding “chasing certain metrics” at the expense of others and providing support for community colleges and policymakers to develop and disaggregate longitudinal student data were other priorities. “If we’re going to be successful in the budget office, the state capital, or the nation’s capital... we have to understand what the data is saying to us,” said Dr. Dan Phelan, president of Jackson Community College in Michigan.

Shared Values While strategies matter, individual student perceptions and values may matter even more. Kay McClenney observed that 90 percent of incoming community college students are convinced “they have the commitment it takes to succeed.” Once they arrive on campus, however, they often fall victim to low expectations — by the end of the third week of class, 40 percent have skipped class, and 30 percent have turned in an assignment late or not at all. “No one rises to low expectations,” McClenney said. “Our responsibility is to decide what the educational experience is going to be like at every one of our institutions.” To do that will require changing long-held notions. Describing how higher education was formerly considered a collective good following the passage of the GI Bill and the National Education Defense Act, ACCT’s Brown urged attendees to make this a shared value across the nation.” “Let’s make a promise,” Brown said. “We will go out, do what’s necessary, and make a difference.”

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Indispensable Institutions By Mark Toner

41st Annual ACCT Leadership Congress recap Community college leaders came to Toronto to discuss access, success, and the revitalization of their communities’ economies.

The still-struggling economy and the growing

call to focus on student success were two underlying themes as 1,200 community college leaders convened in Toronto for the 41st Annual ACCT Leadership Congress. “We have faced great challenges, and those challenges have opened the door to even greater opportunities,” observed outgoing ACCT Chair Thomas M. Bennett, a trustee at Parkland College in Illinois. “There’s more to come.”

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The international setting served as a constant reminder of the global nature of the ongoing economic challenges that community colleges are tasked with reversing. Opening keynote speaker Dr. Esther Brimmer, assistant U.S. secretary of state, encouraged community college leaders to “think globally and act locally” by creating partnerships to support foreign students in the U.S. and their counterpart institutions abroad as global enrollment in higher education skyrockets. “We cannot achieve our objectives abroad without strengthening education at home,” said Brimmer.

Courageous Conversations 4

5 Left: 1 - 2010 ACCT Chair Thomas M. Bennett; 2 - The Canadian Royal Regiment Band opened the 2010 ACCT Leadership Congress; Above: 3 - 2010 Regional Trustee Leadership Awards recipients (pictured from left: ACCT Chair Thomas M. Bennett; Edward Curry accepting award on behalf of Richard Adams, Edison Community College, Ohio; Harold Williams, Portland Community College, Ore.; Jeanne-Marie Boylan, Bunker Hill Community College, Mass.; Wendell “Winkie” Williams, South Florida Community College District; Michael Williams, Houston Community College, Texas; and ACCT President and CEO J. Noah Brown); 4 President Brown speaks at the opening of the Congress; 5 - Keynote Speaker Assistant Secretary of State for International Organizations Esther Brimmer, Bureau of International Organization Affairs, U.S. Department of State, opens the Congress on Wednesday evening.

Throughout the Congress, talk of strengthening education returned to a single topic: completion. With the election of nearly 30 new governors nationwide, continued work on accountability measures, and the need to prepare college leaders to support student success, “we have a lot of work to do in the next 12 months,” ACCT President and CEO J. Noah Brown told a standing-room-only group of community college leaders at a town-hall meeting. Community college leaders candidly discussed the challenges and strategies needed to maintain momentum on the completion agenda, while maintaining their institutions’ historic commitment to access. One key, speakers said, will be ensuring that boards of trustees and college presidents are on the same page. “If we support each other, we can do the necessary difficult things.” said Thomas W. Malone, a trustee at Seattle Community Colleges. “These courageous conversations are going on in board rooms across the country,” added Karen A. Stout. As president of Montgomery County Community College in Pennsylvania, Stout has replaced her reports on enrollment with a student success report, and she credits her board with patience as faculty redesigned a developmental math curriculum. Increasing leaders’ capacity to focus on student success is one goal of the Governance Institute for Student Success, a joint effort of ACCT and the Community College Leadership Program at the University of Texas at Austin, with support from The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. After participating in a pilot of GISS that brought together community college trustees and presidents from across Ohio (see p. 28), “we’re starting to see conversations

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where you have access and success almost at the same level,” said Lawrence Porter, a trustee at Ohio’s Sinclair Community College. “We’re not there yet, but we’re getting there.” With new governors in statehouses facing severe budget crises, the collection and use of data will become critical, said Travis Reindl, program director at the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices. Repeating a theme emphasized during the Pre-Congress Summit on Completion (see p. 12), Reindl stressed that “we’ve come to the realization that policymaking by anecdote hasn’t worked, doesn’t work, and won’t work. Until we have some really solid metrics behind us, we cannot get about the business of increasing the number of degree and certificate holders the economy needs.”

Accountability Matters In the absence of relevant data, all too often higher education policy is still “focused on the full-time on-campus student,” not the first generation, low-income, and minority students that are increasingly defining the “21st century student,” said Mark Milliron, deputy director for post-secondary improvement at The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. “We are not going to flip the funding model in our favor unless we demonstrate accountability,” Brown added, calling trustees “the best change element” in that process. To that end, U.S. Education Department Deputy Assistant for Community Colleges Frank Chong told town hall attendees that his department is “taking a serious look for the first time in a long time” at revamping the Integrated Postsecondary Data System (IPEDS) reporting procedures. Those discussions, and similar conversations underway at NGA, will take into consideration the Voluntary Framework for Accountability (VFA), a project currently in development by ACCT in partnership with the American Association of Community Colleges and The College Board. “We are hopeful that your work with VFA will inform our efforts,” Amy Laitinen, policy advisor to the assistant secretary in the Education Department’s Office of Vocational and Adult Education, told attendees. The proposed stage-one VFA measures are broken into three major components — student progress and outcomes measures; workforce, economic, and community development measures; and student learning outcomes. The metrics will also likely be broken into sub-cohorts, including students who have demonstrated by their course load or other evidence that they intend to pursue

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6 1 - Panelists discuss community college completion (from left: Travis Reindl, Program Director, National Governors Association Center for Best Practices; Thomas W. Malone, Trustee, Seattle Community Colleges, Wash.; Lawrence Porter, Trustee, Sinclair Community College, Ohio; Karen A. Stout, President, Montgomery County Community College, Penn.; and Mark Milliron, The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation); 2 - Keynote Speaker Mark Milliron, Deputy Director, Post Secondary Improvement, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, moderates a discussion on completion; 3 - 2010 ACCT Chair-Elect Peter E. Sercer, Sr.; 4 - Dr. Joyce Lindstrom, 2010 William H. Meardy Faculty Member Awardee, participates in dialogue during the town hall meeting; 5 ACCT Board of Directors member William Coleman engages in discussion; 6 - (From left) AACC President and CEO George Boggs, President Brown, and Frank Chong, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Community Colleges, U.S. Department of Education, participate in a town hall meeting.

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a degree. “We need to be accountable for all students, but it’s important to get a sense of student intent,” said Kent A. Phillippe, associate vice president of research and student success at AACC. Trustees will be able to use data collected by the VFA to “benchmark against national standards,” said Jeanne-Marie Boylan, board chair of Bunker Hill Community College in Massachusetts. They will also be able to use the data to benchmark and set policies supporting student completion, as well as compare “apples to apples” by looking at similar institutions across the country to identify programs that are working, according to Carolane Williams, president of Baltimore City Community College in Maryland. “We have a broad mission, and our mission is to serve people where they are,” Williams said. “The VFA identifies that, while other measures would lock us into a narrower mission and leave out people on the other end.”

All About Completion

5 1 - Niagara Community College’s (N.Y.) All-College Choir opens the 2010 ACCT Annual Awards Gala; 2 - ACCT and the United Kingdom Association of Colleges (AoC) sign a memorandum of understanding (from left: AoC Chairman John F. Bingham; AoC Chief Executive Martin T. Doel; J. Noah Brown; Thomas M. Bennett); 3 - Barbara Bellissimo, Chief Agent and Senior Vice President of State Farm Insurance in Canada, discusses community colleges and business — “the essential partnership for the future.”; 4 2010 ACCT Diversity Committee Chair Walter Howald presents ACCT Regional Equity Awards; 5 - President Brown presents outgoing AACC President and CEO George Boggs with an honorary ACCT Lifetime Membership; 6 - 2010 ACCT Vice-Chair Roberto Uranga.

Representatives from the U.S. Department of Education told ACCT Congress attendees that the federal agenda mirrors their own completion efforts. “Looking at the federal agenda, it’s all about completion, and it’s had a viral effect down to your campuses,” Chong said. “We know we have to make systemic change.” To that end, the $2 billion in community college workforce training grants signed into law earlier this year can — and should — be used to advance the completion agenda, department representatives stressed. “What does [the Community College and Career Training Program] have to do with completion? Everything,” Laitinen told Congress attendees. “Most trade-impacted students look a lot like your students...When you create programs with those [students] in mind, we hope that [they] will impact many more students...We want to think more broadly.” The grants should be seen as an opportunity to create programs that support workforce and student success agendas, officials said. “The Department of Labor has emphasized over and over that this program is going to be about ‘building the box’,” said Jim Hermes, AACC director of government relations. Department officials have also emphasized the importance of grant applications focusing on reform and innovation. “This is not going to be for mere program expansion,” Hermes said. At the same time, “the connection between employers and colleges is extremely important,” Chong told attendees. For that reason, grant applicants should look at ways to collaborate with

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workforce boards and other local organizations to ensure that programs “meet the education and training needs of the population for jobs in the community,” Laitinen said. Many aspects of the program mirror the Community Based Job Training Initiative, said Judith Cawhorn, executive director of grant development at Mott Community College in Michigan. “That’s a good thing, because we know how to talk about career pathways, working with industry, and identifying needs,” she said. Trustees can play an important role by leveraging their industry and community connections, she added. The program represents “an unprecedented opportunity for community colleges,” added Sunny Morris, executive director of the Arkansas Delta Workforce Innovations in Regional Economic Development at Mid-South Community College, which has won more than $55 million in federal and state money for workforce programs in its economically distressed service area. Partnerships are vital to winning a wide range of grants, he stressed. “Gone is the day that community colleges could compete for these [by themselves],” he said.

A New Day What do insurance brokers and community colleges have in common? Quite a bit, it turns out. Pointing to the impact the Internet has had on the traditional customer-agent relationship, keynote speaker Barbara Bellissimo, chief agent and senior vice president of State Farm Insurance in Canada, stressed the importance of change. “The future success of my business rests on your ability to address my workforce needs,” she told attendees. “I’m counting on you to deliver.” Keynote speaker Richard A. Desich, founder and chairman of Equity Trust Company and a former trustee of Lorain County Community College in Ohio, told Congress attendees how LCCC evolved from one of the state’s first community colleges to a regional economic engine supported by a foundation with $34 million in assets during his 35 years as a trustee. “The missions of colleges should always be changing,” Desich said. “They shouldn’t be stagnant.” Change was what New Jersey’s 19 community colleges set out to do when they created a committee to develop new strategies around capacity building, instructional quality, student success, and business practices. “We decided as a group that we had the brainpower to address the challenges and the one powerful weapon to make change — the weapon of collaboration,” explained Casey Crabill, president of Raritan Valley Community College in New Jersey.

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4 1 - Dallas County Community College District Trustee Kitty Boyle welcomes 2011 ACCT Leadership Congress attendees to Dallas; 2 - Richard A. Desich, Founder and Chairman, Equity Trust Company and 35-year Trustee at Lorain County Community College, Ohio, gives the closing keynote address, “An Entrepreneurial Approach to Trusteeship”; 3 - 2010 ACCT Chair Thomas M. Bennett (right) passes the gavel to 2011 ACCT Chair Peter E. Sercer, Sr.; 4 - Chair Sercer gives Immediate Past Chair Bennett a plaque in recognition of his leadership.

New ACCT Board Members take the Oath of Office: 1 - ACCT Diversity Committee Chair Robin M. Smith, Lansing Community College, Mich.; 2 - Roberto Zárate, Alamo Colleges, Texas.; 3 - ACCT Southern Regional Chair David H. Talley, Palm Beach State College, Fla.; 4 - ACCT Northeast Regional Chair LeRoy Mitchell, Westchester Community College, N.Y.; and 5 - Colton J. Crane, Central Wyoming College, Wyo.

The Kentucky Community and Technical College System has embarked on a six-year strategic plan to ensure that students will be successful in the workplace or when they transfer to a university, said Chancellor Michael McCall. The KCTCS is focusing on developing statewide support services in such areas as career development, job placement, student services, and financial aid. Alabama intends to improve completion in part by focusing on minority males and working with K-12 systems to identify students who need remediation in core subject areas, Chancellor Freida Hill told attendees, while the City University of New York system has developed an accelerated program that boasts a 90 percent success rate. Chong stressed that the U.S. Education Department is looking for solutions that can be shared. “Programs...in workforce development, in working with low-skill adults and getting students through the pipeline are happening at your campuses,” he said. “The challenge is how [to] duplicate and replicate these programs to help other community colleges that might not have the type of resources that you have.” Attendees shared examples of successful programs, including math tutoring labs, counseling programs, working with K-12 students and systems, and combined basic education and workforce skills training. The challenge remains building those programs to scale — and, often, making strategic decisions exacerbated by tight budgets. Pointing to the I-BEST program developed by the Washington State Board of Community and Technical Colleges, Milliron noted that pairing workforce and basic skill instructors is more expensive — yet increases student completion rates significantly. “You’re going to have to have strategic sets of conversations,” he said. Lest anyone doubt that trustees play the pivotal role in shaping those conversations, I-BEST was the brainchild of a trustee at Seattle Community Colleges, Malone said. Pointing to the Democracy’s Challenge Call to Action signed by ACCT and other community college organizations, former AACC President and CEO George Boggs urged community college leaders to sign similar pledges on their own campuses. “It’s going to take all of us, but especially trustees and CEOs, to commit to this,”

he said. And by way of example, Mauri Moore of Edmonds Community College in Washington told town hall attendees that she has pledged to graduate an additional 350 students from her institution each year over the next decade — her college’s share of the 5 million additional degree and certificate holders called for by President Barack Obama. When broken down to the individual college level, that goal “doesn’t sound too scary,” she said.

Game Changers As the Congress drew to a close, incoming ACCT Chair Peter E. Sercer, Sr. stressed the importance of “game-changing” partnerships and initiatives that bring community colleges, philanthropies, and industry together to “reinvent the economic and social compact that will lift our nation to greater heights.” Touching on the ACCT Board of Directors’ Access FOR Success initiative, the new Chair stressed the importance of initiatives that will help “shift us from enrollment-driven policies to a policy of access with student success.” Sercer, a trustee at Midlands Technical College in South Carolina, detailed five “game-changer” ACCT initiatives currently underway in partnership with a range of corporate and philanthropic partners — the VFA, the Governance Institute for Student Success, ACCT’s new partnership with Single Stop USA, an organization that provides community-based financial and legal services and counseling (see p. 38), 10,000 Small Businesses, a Goldman Sachs initiative that helps foster entrepreneurial skills, and the first-ever ACCT Summit on Completion, held immediately preceding the Congress (see p. 12). “All five are game-changers that will help equip trustees with the tools and strategies they need to transform their schools and communities,” Sercer said. Establishing accountability policies for the ACCT Board of Directors, strengthening the State Coordinators Network, and improving communications and accessibility are among Sercer’s other goals for the upcoming year. “Together we will help redefine community colleges as the colleges of first choice and continue to emphasize...that community colleges are among our most important education institutions,” Sercer said.

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From the Air Force to the classroom, ACCT Chair Peter E. Sercer, Sr., knows what it means to serve. By Mark toner

It’s a cold December day in Washington, D.C., and ACCT Chair Peter E. Sercer, Sr., is paying a visit to a former student. The retired U.S. Air Force Colonel walks through the doors of the Russell Senate Office Building, where he is greeted by Senator Lindsey Graham’s staff. Sercer, a trustee at Midlands Technical College in his native South Carolina, knows Graham’s staff members by name. It’s all part of the territory for a veteran trustee with a bent for advocacy, but there’s more here than meets the eye. The Senator, Sercer is told, has a tight schedule, but

KEITH WELLER

just might pop in for a word and a photo with his former college professor. Three decades earlier, Graham was a student at the University of South Carolina in Columbia, where he was a member of Sercer’s Air Force Reserve Officers Training Corps (AFROTC) program. Graham’s mother and father died within 15 months of each other, leaving the 21-year-old college student responsible for his 13-year-old sister as he took classes and was stationed at nearby Shaw Air Force Base. Sercer, who had lost his own father as an infant, watched his former student progress through college, law school, the military, and then politics, ultimately winning the late Senator Strom Thurmond’s Senate seat in 2002. Sure enough, Graham ducks into his office, greets Sercer warmly, and poses for a few quick photos before excusing himself. “[Sercer] is one of the most decent, hard-working people I’ve ever met,” Graham said in an earlier interview with The State, a South Carolina newspaper. “[He] has a gift for motivating young people and inspiring them to bring out the best that the person has to offer. He certainly brought out the best in me. He had more confidence in me than I had in myself.” That’s been Sercer’s defining goal throughout both his careers — a 26-year stint in the Air Force, followed by another 22 years as a high school teacher. It’s also the driving force behind his service to community colleges, which began when Sercer was appointed as a commissioner at Midlands Technical College (MTC) more than two decades ago and culminated when he took the gavel as ACCT Chair in Toronto last October. “The thing I’m proudest about is helping people reach their full potential,” Sercer says. “I had a lot of help along the way, so I’ve spent my life helping others.”

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Chair Sercer with Assistant Democratic Leader Rep. James E. Clyburn (D-S.C.).

Sercer’s military career began as a college freshman at the University of South Carolina, when a friend convinced him to join the AFROTC. Graduating in 1958, he entered the Air Force as an officer in a civil engineering squadron and later became a squadron commander. Soon, the Cold War grew hot, and Sercer signed up to become a missile combat crew commander of an intercontinental ballistic missile detachment for the Strategic Air Command, watching over Titan II missiles in Arkansas before moving into military intelligence. Sercer served in Vietnam, where he earned the Bronze Star, as well as in Morocco and England, and he attended the Armed Forces Staff College, Defense Intelligence College, and Air War College. Sercer, who holds a doctorate in education administration and leadership and an MBA, found himself back at the University of South Carolina in the 1970s, where he led the AFROTC program and taught Air Force management, business administration, and freshman survival courses for four years, meeting Graham in the process. Sercer then served as deputy base commander at Myrtle Beach Air Force Base, where he was promoted to Colonel, and later as Deputy Chief of Staff/Intelligence for the 9th Air Force and U.S. Central Command Air Forces, which was — and still is — responsible for planning and conducting combat air operations in a theater of operations that stretches from North Africa through Asia. While driving home from the U.S. Central Command post on Shaw Air Force Base, he would often pass by Irmo High School, a large suburban school outside of Columbia that was home to a declining AFJROTC program, the high school precursor to the AFROTC program he had led at USC. “The day after I retired from the Air Force, I went to work at the high school,” he says. As head of Irmo’s AFJROTC program, Sercer’s first order of business was cracking down on the behavior and dress and appearance standards for cadets, which had grown lax in the years following Vietnam, he says. Cadets got haircuts, and the ones that were disruptive in AFJROTC courses or other teachers’ classes were dismissed from the program. As a result, enrollment in the JROTC program swelled, and Irmo’s unit went on to win the Air Force Association Sword of Excellence three times. During Sercer’s 22 years at Irmo, the school’s AFJROTC unit was consistently rated

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among the best in the state and the nation. When Sercer retired again from Irmo in 2006, he had left a lasting legacy — and a visible one, in the form of the Celebrate Freedom Gardens and Courtyard. In the heart of the school’s campus, the courtyard and gardens were initially created by Sercer to honor U.S. Marine Corps Captain Dan McCollum, a 1992 graduate of Irmo High School. McCollum was an AFJROTC leader who became the first South Carolina serviceperson to lose his life in the Global War on Terror following a crash of an aircraft he was co-piloting in January 2002. The memorial grew to include 21 gardens, which have since been dedicated “to all those who have served, are serving, or will serve in the future to keep all Americans free and alive.” The year after Sercer retired, the school’s AFJROTC building was named in his honor. He was also awarded the Order of the Palmetto, the state’s highest civilian honor. “He is the epitome of our core values at Irmo High School… and a walking billboard for the Air Force and AFJROTC core values of integrity first, service before self, and excellence in all you do,’” Eddie Walker, the school’s principal at the time, told The State.

‘A Noble Cause’ Having taught at both the college and high school levels, it’s only natural that Sercer’s service would enter the community and technical college realm. But like many new trustees, Sercer admits he was a bit unclear about the mission of Midlands Technical College when the governor appointed him to its Commission in 1989. “The more I got to learn about the college, the more I realized that it was a very noble cause,” he says. In his more than 20 years on MTC’s Commission, Sercer has served as chair twice — from 1995 to 1997 and from 2003 to 2005, providing strategic oversight as the technical college grew to more than 18,000 credit and 30,000 continuing education students across six campuses and a site at Fort Jackson that serves enlisted members of the military and civilians. “Enrollment has increased dramatically, with many students making Midlands Technical College their college of choice,” he says. While more than 70 percent of the courses offered at MTC are in the career program area, the college is also the largest source of transfer students to

Keith Weller

Lesley and Peter E. Sercer, Sr.

Chair Sercer with Rep. Joe Wilson (R-S.C.).

the University of South Carolina at Columbia. A key turning point for MTC was the establishment of a 150-acre Enterprise Campus near the intersection of two major interstates, according to Sercer. “The college had the foresight to acquire the property in 1990,” he says. Located adjacent to the Carolina Research Park, the campus now includes the MTC Business Accelerator and the MTC Center of Excellence for Technology, a 50,000-square-foot training center featuring a fully equipped advanced manufacturing floor, metalworking training, and an array of information technology labs. More importantly, the MTC Enterprise Campus provides space for growing businesses to develop facilities through public-private partnerships that attract startups and growing businesses, including a fuel cell manufacturing company. “Students work in an advanced manufacturing center right on our campus,” Sercer says. The state-overseen Enterprise Campus model has allowed Midlands Technical College to be flexible and accommodate the needs of local business, according to Sercer. “The business world cannot wait,” he says. As Sercer became involved in the South Carolina Association of Technical College Commissioners (SCATCC), he quickly learned the value of collaboration and learning from his peers elsewhere in the country. He became an annual fixture at ACCT events, including the ACCT Leadership Congress and Community College National Legislative Summit, shortly after joining the organization in 1992. “One of the great things about the community college community is that you can attend ACCT Congress meetings and copy or modify what you learn,” he says. “People are so willing to exchange information at the trustee level.” During his tenure as president of SCATCC from 2001 to 2005, Sercer practiced what he preached, helping the state organization adopt the NJ Ambassadors program, which provided a “unified front to legislators,” he says. He also borrowed from the bylaws and constitution of the North Carolina Association of Community College Trustees to help strengthen his state’s own association governance. Sercer was elected to the ACCT Board of Directors in 2005, becoming chair of the Southern Region the following year. Sercer believes that the need for trustees to share information

Chair Sercer with Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.).

and learn from each other has become all the more critical during the current economic downturn. As South Carolina faces a shortfall of $829 million or more in a budget of $5 billion for FY 2011-12, the state share of MTC’s budget has fallen from 50 percent to less than 10 percent, prompting it and other community and technical colleges to increase faculty workloads, and limit course offerings and hours on Friday afternoons to reduce energy costs as they search for new sources of revenue, Sercer says. “Trustees are responsible for their college’s viability, financial stability, and fiscal sustainability,” he explains. “That drives all our missions…and trustees’ roles are directly proportional to their knowledge. Once trustees find out through education how to become a strong advocate, it becomes a team effort.” For that reason, strengthening communication is one of Sercer’s key goals for the upcoming year. The goal includes expanding ACCT’s State Coordinators Network into the 11 states that currently do not have individual coordinators, who are tasked with relaying trustee education and advocacy information to individual trustees. Sercer’s other goals as chair includes focusing on “gamechanging” partnerships and initiatives that bring community colleges, philanthropies, and industry together. After taking the gavel at the 2010 ACCT Leadership Congress in Toronto in October (see p. 16), Sercer outlined five key initiatives currently underway, including the Voluntary Framework for Accountability, the Governance Institute for Student Success (see p. 28), and the ACCT Summit on Completion (see p. 12), as well as ACCT’s partnerships with anti-poverty organization Single Stop USA (see p. 38) and 10,000 Small Businesses, a Goldman Sachs initiative that helps foster entrepreneurial skills. Together, these initiatives “will help equip trustees with the tools and strategies they need to transform their schools and communities,” he told Congress attendees. Married with two adult sons, Sercer will continue advocating for community colleges as they balance their historic commitment to access with the new completion agenda. “My wife says I’m more interested in causes rather than material things,” Sercer says. “I’d like to think I still help people reach their full potential.”

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Around Regions the

central Region Wisconsin trustees are leading a new advocacy effort, bringing together the Wisconsin Technical Colleges’ “We are Futuremakers” campaign and a legislative session project, “Building the Next Generation Workforce.” A new web portal, www.buildingthenextgeneration. org, features issue papers and updates, legislative contacts, a Twitter feed, links to other key resources, and a video primer on effective advocacy. The Wisconsin Technical College District Boards Association has also created an electronic advocacy community, connecting its 144 trustee members with members of the system’s state-level board and staff, college presidents, faculty leaders, and student government leaders. Missouri community college trustees will visit the state capitol during the upcoming legislative session, with trustees, presidents, and college staff present to answer questions about community colleges and meet with legislators. Trustees will also attend a reception for community colleges and participate in a community college rally.

Illinois’ ad hoc Higher Education Finance Study Commission has recommended a shift towards performance-based funding for higher education. Revenue from the sale of $1.5 billion in tax-exempt tobacco revenue bonds will be used to eliminate the state’s backlog of outstanding FY2010 bills. Michigan’s community colleges are preparing for a new administration and legislative leadership team that will face significant challenges in the upcoming budget year. Michigan’s community colleges are funded in the current budget, but the FY 2011-12 outlook is uncertain, as the state will grapple with an anticipated $1.7 billion shortfall. The president of the Kentucky Council on Postsecondary Education is conducting the second leg of a community college tour in January, part of a 16-city trip to assess the condition of facilities and meet with stakeholders.

NORTHEAST Region Facing a $3.5 billion state budget deficit, Connecticut’s 12 community colleges have seen enrollment increases

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of 43 percent over the past decade. The system has eliminated or retooled more than 100 programs to reflect local business requirements, officials said, pointing to a severe shortage of career counselors, with one counselor for every 1,000 students in the system. Aligning with Governor Jack Markell’s energy reduction goals, Delaware Technical & Community College recently launched programs in weatherization, energy auditing, and energy management, and EDA grants helped fund three energy education facilities for these programs. DTCC is also committed to reducing its own emissions by 20 percent this decade. On December 3, The Maryland Association of Community Colleges sponsored the Maryland Community College Completion Summit at Anne Arundel Community College. Building on the October White House Summit on Community Colleges (see p. 10), the Maryland summit brought together more than 220 stakeholders, including students, trustees, administrators, and faculty. Learn more at www.mdacc.org. New Jersey’s community colleges, in partnership with the New Jersey Department of Community Affairs and the New Jersey Business & Industry Association, were approved accredited training providers for courses allowing contractors to meet federal and state requirements while

performing renovation, repair, and painting projects that may disturb lead-based paint.

Pacific Region Facing a $2.6 million reduction in state support, employees at Linn-Benton Community College in Oregon will take pay cuts ranging from 3.16 percent for classified employees to 3.5 percent for faculty through April, when existing contracts expire. The college’s board also approved a $7 per credit hour tuition increase, which went into effect during the winter term. With overall enrollment up 4 percent — and the number of full-time students up 5 percent — since last fall, Lane Community College in Oregon has set new enrollment records above and beyond the 35 percent enrollment growth it recorded from 2007 to 2009. The Commission on the Future, a panel of chancellors, trustees, and faculty leaders convened by the Community College League of California, announced that the state’s community colleges should award an additional 1 million certificates and degrees by 2020, in addition to

providing more opportunities for underserved populations. Washington’s community and technical colleges served a record 161,000 full-timeequivalent students during the last academic year, exceeding the previous year’s record-setting enrollment by 9 percent and ending the year 15 percent above statefunded enrollment targets. Bellevue College in Washington was awarded a $145,000 grant from SkillUp Washington, a regional workforce education collaborative, to support lowincome working adults and disadvantaged youth enrolled in its operating system support specialist training program.

Southern Region Florida community college graduates, on average, earn higher starting salaries than their counterparts from four-year institutions, according to a study of state employment data by the Miami Herald. According to state data, Florida community college graduates earned $47,708 in their first year of employment, compared to the $36,552 and $44,558 public and private fouryear graduates earned, although

bachelor degree holders had higher salary potential later in their careers. The disparity in starting salaries was attributed to community colleges’ focus on practical skills and technical training, as well as differences in age and work experience between community college and four-year students. Preparing for a projected $3.7 billion state budget deficit, the North Carolina Community College System has proposed a combination of tuition hikes, spending reductions, program cutbacks, management flexibility, and new funding formulas to offset a projected 5 to 10 percent reduction in state funding, coming after enrollment in the system has increased 25 percent over the past three years. New River Community and Technical College opened a 93,000 square foot technical training center in West Virginia, The center’s curriculum will focus on current and future developments in energy, green building, weatherization, manufacturing, and technology. West Virginia’s higher education officials are trying to determine how much a college education should cost and whether it is affordable for state residents. Auditors listed five recommendations for the state Higher Education Policy Commission to consider, including developing affordability measures and creating cost-control policies. The South Carolina Technical College System was awarded

a grant by the U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Telecommunications and Information Administration. Nearly $6 million will fund the South Carolina Ready to Educate, Activate, Connect, and Provide Health Information for Success (SC REACH for Success) initiative to expand broadband access and use statewide.

The U.S. Department of Education’s Vocational Advancement and Social Skills Training Department awarded $2.5 million to Houston Community College, one of five community colleges nationwide to receive a grant for programs that create opportunities for students with intellectual disabilities.

Fletcher Technical Community College in Louisiana broke ground on a new $19 million campus in January. To be built on 32 acres, the new campus will feature an 89,000-square-foot complex to accommodate student growth that has exceeded 20 percent in recent years. Scheduled to open in 2012, the Fletcher campus is part of a $173 million state bond package.

United Tribes Technical College, Bismarck State College, and the University of Mary plan to create the Institute for Culture and Public Service in North Dakota. The institute aims to connect students and other members of the community with the culture and various levels of government in the region.

western Region Texas community college enrollment rose 12.2 percent to 692,845 between 2008 and 2009 — nearly three times the growth of the state’s four-year institutions during the same time period. The explosive enrollment growth comes as the state confronts a budget shortfall that could reach $20 billion.

Northeast Mississippi Community College will offer business management classes through a concurrent enrollment program with Freed-Hardeman University. Elizabethtown Community and Technical College in Kentucky designed a five-week program in carpentry, plumbing, and electricity for 50 soldiers headed to Afghanistan. The goal is to train two soldiers per company to build structures, inspect projects, and help Afghan partners rebuild the country’s infrastructure. Gateway Community and Technical College in Kentucky received an $8.5 million grant from the Department of Health and Human Services to help low-income students earn degrees in health care.

Around the Regions provides an opportunity to share what’s happening in the states and around the regions. This section focuses on state legislative and budgetary issues, economic development, and finance. Please e-mail items from press releases or newsletters to ACCT at dconner@acct.org. Fax submissions to 202-223-1297. TR U S TEE Q U A RTER L Y w i n t e r 2 0 1 1

Fostering Community College Student Completion Through Effective Governance

Successful Launch of the Governance Institute for Student Success for Ohio Community and Technical Colleges The Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) in partnership with the Community College Leadership Program (CCLP), College of Education, The University of Texas at Austin (UT), and funded by The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, proudly announce the successful launch of the Governance Institute for Student Success (GISS) with 22 Ohio community and technical colleges having participated in this innovative approach to board involvement in student success. A strong collaboration has been forged as both organizations worked to blend the ACCT Governance Leadership Institute with the CCLP Board of Trustees Institute. Two pilot institutes were held in Ohio during the week of September 19, 2010, with 65 trustees and presidents in attendance. Please visit the GISS website, www. governance-institute.org, and click on the Ohio page to view testimonials from participants, a schedule-at-a-glance and other information about this exciting initiative.

The Governance Institute for Student Success Heads to the States of Washington and Texas in 2011 In 2011, The Governance Institute for Student Success (GISS) inviteS community and technical colleges from the states of Washington and Texas to participate in the GISS initiative. The Washington GISS will be held Sunday, June 26 through Tuesday, June 28 at the Suncadia resort in Cle Elum, Washington. The Texas GISS will provide an opportunity for a selected group of 25 community and technical colleges from throughout the state to participate in the initiative. The Texas GISS is scheduled to take place at the Dallas Fort Worth Marriott Hotel & Golf Club from Sunday, July 31 through Tuesday, August 2. For more information, contact Board Services Specialist Pat Ma at 202.384.5819 (pma@acct.org) or Program Specialist Elizabeth Alvarado at 202.775.4470 (ealvarado@acct.org). Visit www.governance-institute.org for more information about the upcoming Washington and Texas institutes. 28

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Transition and change are inevitable for boards of trustees. Preparation is critical to set the stage for both incoming and outgoing board members.

Understanding the Board Life Cycle BY Narcisa A. Polonio, Ed.D.

here are many more similarities than differences in the way community college governing boards are structured throughout the nation. Whether its members are elected or appointed, it is not unusual in any given year for a community college governing board to have one or two trustees rotating off the board and new trustees joining it.

Part of the life cycle of community college boards throughout the nation, this staggered rotation of trustees can become a major transition with far-reaching implications for the board, the president, and the college. It is important to understand the potential implications and to set the stage for as smooth a transition as possible. Left to chance, the impact can derail the group, resulting in the board becoming fragmented and losing momentum. How outgoing and incoming trustees are treated also reflects the values of the board, the college, and the community. It is important to have in place rituals that will honor the contributions of outgoing trustees and welcome and encourage the contributions of the new trustees.

Second-Order Change A review of the literature on the life cycle of families defines what is called “second-order change” as a major transition that occurs within a system, family, or individual. Almost everyone can understand this in personal terms; for me, I am reminded of the sadness my entire family felt with the recent loss of my uncle. His passing was an acknowledgement that my mother’s generation would not be with us forever, and possibly not much longer. And yet, the sadness was alleviated by the joy brought by the subsequent birth of my beautiful granddaughter. As in families, it is part of the natural order of things for governing boards to have major transitions. And as in families, it is important to understand and acknowledge the impact of the

transition on those who leave and those who remain, as well as the changes in the dynamic brought on by the introduction of “the new kid on the block.” Just as families come together to provide mutual support by sharing their grief, reflecting on the past, and focusing on the future during major changes, it takes trust, commitment, and engagement for a board to plan an effective transition of outgoing and incoming trustees. The first step to achieving a successful transition is to realize that every time a member leaves or a new member joins the board, for all practical purposes, the college has a new board. The dynamics within the board, relationships, perceptions, and energy all change each time a new member comes along. Acknowledging the transition and preparing a strong orientation program for incoming members will go a long way to creating an environment that fosters and maintains board cohesiveness. It is important to have a formal, structured plan to thank outgoing trustees for their years of service. A while back, I received a sad call from an active and committed trustee who was not reappointed to her board. There was no further communication or acknowledgement by the college, the president, or her colleagues. This is not typical — most colleges acknowledge the contributions of outgoing trustees in some way, in the hope that these individuals will continue to support the college. It is important to make sure outgoing trustees are treated with the utmost respect while new trustees are welcomed and assisted as they prepare to be active and productive members of the board.

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For the Outgoing Trustee Some suggestions for acknowledging trustees’ contributions at the end of their term include: • Adopting a formal resolution by the board acknowledging the trustee’s contribution and service. Have the resolution framed, and present it as a token of appreciation. • Presenting the outgoing trustee with the nameplate used during board meetings or a plaque acknowledging service. • Placing photographs of all trustees, including years of service, in an appropriate location on campus. • Issuing a press release acknowledging their years of service and contribution. • Giving an ACCT Lifetime Membership so the trustee can continue to advocate for your college at the national level (see p. 47 for details). • Appointing the outgoing trustee(s) to serve on the foundation board so they can continue to support the college. • Securing a proclamation from local, state, or federal representatives acknowledging the trustee’s service.

For the New Trustee Methods to help new trustees begin serving on the board should include: • Offering a thorough and ongoing orientation and education about trustee and board roles. (See below). • Welcoming incoming trustees at their first meeting by sharing biographical information with the board and public. • Introducing them to the ACCT website (www.acct.org), publications, and other resources to familiarize trustees with their roles and responsibilities and facilitate effective governance. A good starting place is ACCT’s “working with new trustees” resource package, available at www.acct.org/resources/new trustees. This information can help you design a formal orientation process. • Holding a formal swearing-in ceremony. Whether conducted by the appointing authority, the board chair as part of a formal public ceremony, or the president’s executive assistant, the process should reflect the importance of the new role of trustee to be assumed by the individual.

The Role of the Chair The board chair has an important role in facilitating a smooth transition by ensuring that the contributions of the outgoing trustee are publicly acknowledged in all cases, regardless of any past differences of opinion or personal feelings. Setting an example for the rest of the board is critical during a period of transition. It is important to remember that the outgoing trustee will still be an influential and valuable spokesperson on behalf of the college and the community. Maintaining a relationship can be done in many formal or informal ways. For example, the board and president of one college sponsor a holiday dinner for trustees at the end of every year and invite all previous board members and their spouses to attend.

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Some trustees — and even full boards — believe that incoming trustees should sit quietly for a couple of years before making a contribution or speaking up during board meetings. This attitude can result in missed opportunities and set the new board off to a poor start. The chair can set the right tone by welcoming new trustees and encouraging their engagement in board business. Appointing the new trustee to a committee goes a long way in making the individual feel welcome, as well as getting him or her involved as a productive member of the board from the beginning. In collaboration with the college president, the board chair should prepare a welcome packet that includes the following materials: annual status report, recent press releases, minutes from recent board meetings, key financial documents, a meeting schedule, locations, parking arrangements, logistical information, ongoing trustee training opportunities, and policy regarding reimbursable expenses along with any required forms. See page 31 for an example of a welcome letter to incoming trustees, graciously shared with us by Dr. Harry Lenderman, board chair of Cecil College in Maryland.

New Trustee Orientation A good orientation consists of two elements. The first is an orientation to the college provided by the president. The second is an orientation to the workings of the board. This orientation can be led by an outside facilitator if the board wishes and should be handled by — and involve — the entire board. The board orientation(s) by the chair and other trustees should include an overview of the roles and responsibilities of trustees and the board, board strategies and goals, communications protocols, trustee resources including a board manual, mini-sessions on the college budget, a review of the last audited financial statement, the campus master plan, and the most recent presidential evaluation.

Respecting the Cyclical Nature of Governing Boards Different colleges have different methods for introducing new trustees and paying respects to departing ones; one method is not necessarily better than another. The most important thing is to respect the cyclical nature of the governing board and the contributions of individual trustees. These activities are more than symbolic — they are a way to keep the board healthy and vital and to take advantage of the talents, knowledge, and networks of community college governing boards as a way to maintain the overall health of the institution. ACCT Vice President Narcisa Polonio can be reached at 202-775-4670, by cell phone at 202-276-1983,or by e-mail at npolonio@ acct.org.

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Learn About Trustee Roles and Responsibilities (from www.acct.org) · Attend trustee orientation workshops

Dear New Trustee, To be appointed to the Cecil College Board of Trustees is an honor and a privilege. Congratulations! Our current board team is excellent and committed to working together to advance the college’s mission. We all look forward to you joining us. I want to share a few thoughts with you on service as a new trustee that I have learned along the way. I look at my job as a board member as representing students for the best possible educational opportunities in the most supportive environment. This is my personal priority. Advice given to me by our past board chairs is that we should speak as a team, not as individuals. I refer calls to [Cecil College President] Dr. [W. Stephen] Pannill, or plan on speaking for the board only with permission of the board members. This takes a great deal of pressure off members having to come up with an answer to a possibly controversial question. This makes us less likely to be misquoted, gives a chance to provide an appropriate answer, and time for us to investigate and choose the best person to respond. You will receive the board meeting agenda and materials prior to the meeting, which I would encourage you to review. It is obvious to the audience when a member is not prepared beforehand. Most presentations to the board require hours of preparation time in order to present a professional report. We like to make the presenters to the board comfortable, compliment great work, and show our complete attention to their well thought out presentations. We have students, staff, and senior staff present at the meetings, and some seem a little nervous addressing our board in front of others. The most important meeting for you to participate in is the monthly board of trustees meetings. Board members are encouraged to participate in meetings, events, and committees of the college, hiring of senior staff, emergency management, strategic planning, graduation, nurse’s pinning, openings of new facilities, attendance/support at meetings including the legislative session, and many others. It would be a good idea to review the board’s objectives for the year, strategic plan, and other materials which you will receive in your orientation package. Please do not be bashful to ask us for assistance. One of us will be assigned as your mentor to help guide you through the beginning of your service here as a new trustee. The communications and monthly meetings will be great help in catching you up to speed quickly. Congratulations and welcome aboard! Harry Lenderman, Board Chair

Model Swearing In Language It is with the deepest sense of responsibility and conviction that I assume my office as a (trustee, visitor, regent, etc.) of (institution), and solemnly affirm: · That I understand my authority exists only when acting collectively with my fellow board members, and that our authority is derived from, and obliged to serve, the interests of our entire community; · That I will exemplify ethical behavior and conduct that is above reproach; · That I will engage in an ongoing process of in-service education and continuous improvement; · That I will be prepared to participate in open, honest, and civil deliberation with my colleagues, vote my conscience rather than to advance any special interests, and support the decisions and policy we make; and · That I will honor the division of responsibility between the board and the (CEO, president, etc.) and staff, and contribute to creating a spirit of true cooperation and a mutually supportive relationship in support of our community.

(state associations and ACCT). · Peruse trusteeship materials (ACCT’s A Guide to Effective Governance and the ACCT website.). · Read the local trustee handbook, if there is one, or study the board’s policies on the governing board, particularly the code of ethics or standards of practice for the board. · Meet with the president, board chair, and other members of the board to discuss trustee roles and responsibilities. · Learn about the legal and ethical constraints on trustees. · Register for ACCT’s New Trustee Institute or state association programs.

Learn About the College’s Programs, History, and Culture · Work through the president to arrange to tour the college(s) and meet his/her team. · Read key documents, mission statement, accreditation self-study, key planning documents, and annual report. · Attend major events, such as convocations, opening days, and graduations.

Learn About External Trends and Issues · Read local newspapers and listen to the news for trends that might affect the college. · Read about state legislative, fiscal, and other policy issues that affect the college.

Learn About College Planning Processes and Budgets Learn About Board Meetings and Board Operations · Review past agendas and minutes. · Thoroughly read the agenda for each meeting. Visit www.acct.org for more extensive resources.

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Presidential Searches The Board Leadership Services staff and consultants of the Association of Community College Trustees are pleased to have assisted in the search for the following community college chief executive officers.

Allegany College of Maryland, Md. Dr. Cynthia Bambara President

Dr. Kristin Williams President

Former Interim President

Former Interim President and CEO

Central Virginia Community College, Va.

Hazard Community and Technical College, Ky.

Former Vice President of Student Success Lord Fairfax Community College, Va. “Dr. Bambara possesses the leadership skills and qualities that will successfully lead ACM into the future.” — Kim Leonard, Board Chair

Harrisburg Area Community College – HACC, Pa.

“Dr. Williams is an excellent choice for HCC. She has extensive experience and a proven record of success within KCTCS, and she will provide the college and community with the leadership necessary to continue to improve the quality of education in the region.” — Michael B. McCall, President, Kentucky Community and Technical College System

Dr. John “Ski” Sygielski President

Sussex County Community College, N.J.

Former President

Dr. Paul Mazur President

Mt. Hood Community College, Ore. “We are delighted that Dr. Sygielski has decided to join HACC’s team. He brings multi-campus experience, strong workforce development and academic credentials along with excellent planning and fundraising skills as well as a national reputation to HACC. He will help the college continue its excellent progress and growth.” — Donald Schell, Board Chair

Hazard Community and Technical College, Ky. Dr. Stephen Greiner President Former President Brunswick Community College, N.C. “Dr. Greiner’s extensive experience and proven record of success as president of two community colleges in two states will provide this college and community with the strong leadership needed to fulfill its mission of providing education and training to improve regional economic growth and increase opportunities for residents.” — Michael B. McCall, President, Kentucky Community and Technical College System 32

Henderson Community College, Ky.

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Former Vice President for Academic and Student Affairs SUNY Adirondack Community College, N.Y. “The board is confident that we have selected an experienced, talented, and dedicated community college educator to lead SCCC. We believe President-elect Mazur will continue SCCC’s strong tradition of academic excellence.” — Jacob J. Smith, Board Chair

Board SELF-ASSESSMENTS and PresidentIAL Evaluations ACCT would like to thank the following colleges that have taken advantage of our Board and/or President Evaluation Services:

Looking for a New President or Chancellor?

Baltimore City Community College, Md. Houston Community College System, Texas St. Louis Community College District, Mo.

Board Retreats ACCT would like to thank the following colleges that have taken advantage of our Retreat Services. Barstow Community College, Calif. Cecil College, Md. Central Wyoming College, Wyo. Glendale Community College, Calif. Houston Community College System, Texas San Joaquin Delta College, Calif. St. Louis Community College District, Mo. Community and Technical College System of West Virginia, W.Va. Los Angeles Community College District, Calif.

Should you need information, assistance, or just have a question about presidential searches, services for trustees, or even general questions on board operations and procedures, contact ACCT

ACCT Board Leadership Services brings over 30 years of history and experience to every executive search. We have assisted more than 300 colleges and governing boards in successfully fulfilling the responsibility of selecting a new president or chancellor.

OUR STRENGTHS • We understand the needs of community colleges. • We find and cultivate high-caliber talent. • We build a unique pool of candidates for each search to “fit” the college. • We have extensive contacts with women and minorities poised to advance. • We have the advantage of the ACCT membership as a source of contacts. ACCT Board Leadership Services will hold your hand during every step of the selection process.

Vice President for Research, Education & Board Leadership Services, Dr. Narcisa Polonio, at 202.775.4670 (office), 202.276.1983 (mobile), or e-mail narcisa_polonio@acct.org.

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Senior Team Searches ACCT’s Board Leadership Services is now providing assistance to chancellors and presidents looking to identify a new member of the executive leadership team for the college or district. We are pleased to announce the completion of the following searches for provosts and vice presidents.

State Fair Community College, Mo. Dr. Greg South Dean of Career and Technical Education Former Dean of Career, Technical, and Work Force Education Odessa College, Texas “State Fair Community College is committed to increasing our involvement in workforce and economic development across mid-Missouri. We are looking forward to Dr. South’s participation in expanding new markets, supporting entrepreneurship among the faculty, and creating significant partnerships with business and industry in all of the communities located throughout our 14-county service area.”— Dr. Marsha Drennon, President

Looking for a

Vice President, Provost, or Vice Chancellor? ACCT Board Leadership Services brings over 30 years of experience to every executive search. We have assisted more than 300 colleges and governing boards in successfully identifying the best candidates for new presidents and chancellors. ACCT’s services have been expanded to work with chancellors and presidents to identify the most outstanding candidates for vice presidential positions at your college. ACCT Board Leadership Services will guide you through every step of the process.

For more information on ACCT’s expanded services to assist with the placement of vice presidents, provosts, and vice chancellors, please contact Narcisa Polonio at npolonio@acct.org or 202-276-1983.

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Thursday, March 17th, 2011 7:30 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. 8:30 a.m. - 9:15 a.m. 9:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m. 10:30 a.m. - Noon Noon - 1:15 p.m. Q N Q N 5:30 p.m. - 7p.m.

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8 a.m. - 9 a.m. Continental Breakfast B N B N 8IBU 5SVTUFFT /FFE UP ,OPX "CPVU 0VUDPNFT 2VBMJUZ BOE 4UVEFOU 4VDDFTT B N /PPO #PBSE 4FMG "TTFTTNFOU BT B -FBEFSTIJQ 5PPM Noon - 1:30 p.m. Lunch 1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. Board Development

Registration and Hotel Information Contact Christina Sage at 202.775.4462 or csage@acct.org www.acct.org/events/institute/governance-leadership-2011.php

For additional information contact Dr. Narcisa Polonio at 202.276.1983 or narcisa_polonio@acct.org

legal

Discrimination Claims May Impact Campus Policies

by Ira Michael Shepard ACCT General Counsel of Virginia recently ruled that a sixtyyear-old public school administrator had a triable age-discrimination claim when the school superintendant told her that she was being laid off because she lacked “21st century communication skills.” The plaintiff, an experienced director of business and government relations, had worked for more than 20 years with the school board and was replaced by a colleague with six years of experience. The court denied summary judgment to the Chesterfield County School Board, concluding that the superintendant’s comment to the plaintiff, combined with other evidence suggesting age

bias, would allow a reasonable jury to infer that age discrimination was the reason that the plaintiff was selected to be laid off. The court concluded that the superintendant’s comment was not direct evidence of age discrimination, but rather circumstantial evidence of discriminatory motivation. “On the present record, there is evidence that the superintendant may have correlated competency in 21st century skills with age,” the court concluded. Psychological Discrimination: Richard v. DuPont. In an unpublished per curiam decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit affirmed the

“Even though you gave the CEO a kidney, this is a lot of sick days.”

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During the 2010 ACCT Leadership Congress, I was asked by community college trustees about recent litigation that may inform decisions made on their own campuses. A recent series of discrimination claims, including those related to age, psychological disability, leave requests, and website accessibility, have led to varied rulings by the courts and the U.S. Department of Labor. What follows is a list of four recent cases that trustees and community college leaders should keep in mind as they consider policy on their own campuses. Age Discrimination: Marlow v. Chesterfield County School Board. The U.S. District Court for the Eastern District

trial court’s dismissal of a plaintiff’s claim of discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) and wrongful termination under Title VII. The plaintiff, an administrative assistant employed by DuPont, was terminated for poor performance. She alleged that depression and anxiety substantially limited her ability to think and that her employer denied her repeated requests for reasonable accommodations. The plaintiff claimed that the company’s failure to accommodate her exacerbated her problems, leading to her ultimate termination. She also claimed that she had been the victim of discrimination related to pregnancy, alleging that her problems were related in part to her second pregnancy. The court concluded that the employer had no duty to accommodate an employee claiming substantial limitations in thinking without providing substantial evidence of such a disability. In rejecting her claims, the court noted that the plaintiff’s physician testified that she was not disabled as a result of her depression and was competent to function in the workplace. The court concluded that the evidence presented showed that the plaintiff’s concentration level was sufficient to allow her to manage the construction of her new home, manage her household finances, and care for her son. Her two treating physicians did not consider her depression or anxiety to be disabling, and neither suggested that she seek accommodations from her employer. “The record does not support a reasonable inference that plaintiff was substantially limited in the major activities of working or thinking; therefore, the employer had no duty to make reasonable accommodations,” the court concluded. Request for Leave Discrimination: Cobbs v. Blue Mercury Inc. The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia

determined that a plaintiff’s allegation of discrimination following a request for leave was not substantiated. The plaintiff, an employee terminated in a round of layoffs shortly after requesting leave under the Family, Medical and Leave Act (FMLA), could not show a causal link between her request for leave and her termination. Furthermore, the plaintiff lacked an FMLA retaliation or interference claim, as her employer had voluntarily extended her request for leave in the past, prior to her qualification for FMLA leave. The court granted summary judgment to the employer, concluding that the plaintiff could not establish an FMLA retaliation claim, because no reasonable jury could find that her termination was caused by the request made a week earlier for intermittent leave to deal with lingering injuries from an auto accident. The court stated that the undisputed evidence indicated that the employer was in dire financial straits and that it sought to eliminate redundant positions at headquarters. Furthermore, the company controller ranked the plaintiff second in job performance among three employees with the same job title, and the employer terminated nine headquarters employees, including the plaintiff and the thirdranked employee in her position. While the plaintiff argued that the layoffs were a subterfuge for retaliation, the court rejected her argument, concluding that the company had “a planned reduction in force,” which was a legitimate reason for terminating the employee. The court concluded that the employer had voluntarily extended medical leave to the plaintiff for ten months before she met the one-year employment eligibility requirement for leave under FMLA or the local D.C. law, accepting the employer’s argument that it would make little sense to accommodate the plaintiff’s request for leave for almost

a year but fire her because she formally requested leave under the FMLA or the D.C. local act. Website Accessibility Discrimination: U.S. Department of Labor. An official of the Department of Labor’s Job Accommodation Network ( JAN) recently affirmed that employer websites constitute “places of public accommodation” under the terms of the ADA and therefore must meet emerging accessibility standards. Linda Carter Batiste, principal consultant at JAN, concluded that “the Department of Justice is adamant that it wants everyone to know that ADA covers websites.” She also indicated that the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) is scrutinizing accessibility issues on websites maintained by federal contractors. According to Batiste, websites used for recruitment and those where the sponsoring employer is subject either to ADA or the Rehab Act must meet accessibility standards, including the use of text descriptors for visual matters and programs. Such descriptors include textonly alternatives that are supported by a variety of browsers for visually-impaired users who rely on “screen reader” technologies. Websites should also allow for keyboard navigation to improve accessibility for individuals with fine motor vision and cognitive impairments that make it challenging to use a mouse. Several electronic tools can help review websites and provide insights on potential accessibility problems. Among others, the “functional accessibility evaluator” developed by the University of Illinois is available at http://fae.cita. uiuc.edu/. Ira Michael Shepard is a partner with the law firm of Saul Ewing, LLP, in Washington, D.C., and ACCT’s general counsel.

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Single Stop USA’s Elisabeth Mason and Miami Dale College’s Eduardo J. Padrón discuss how the nonprofit organization and community colleges can work together to break through the barriers facing underserved populations.

The goal of Single Stop USA, a revolutionary

Single Stop USA 38

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anti-poverty initiative, is to “slash poverty and increase economic mobility by bridging the information gap that separates eligible low-income families and students from essential benefits and services that remain untapped and inaccessible,” says Elisabeth Mason, the organization’s CEO and co-founder. Originally a flagship program of the New York City-based Robin Hood Foundation, Single Stop USA spun off in 2007 to expand its services to a national scale. In 2009, Single Stop USA launched a community college initiative to provide services at community colleges in four states and established system-wide partnerships with three of the nation’s largest community college systems — City University of New York, City College of San Francisco, and Miami Dade College. To ensure a holistic approach to the diversity of barriers that its clients face, Single Stop provides free and comprehensive social, legal, and financial services and uses existing state and federal resources as a proxy for stipends that have been shown to help students complete school. As an intermediary, Single Stop also builds the capacity of its community college partners and provides valuable resources, training, and technical support while working closely with existing initiatives to enhance available services and ensure coordinated case management. It has also partnered with ACCT to develop a national strategy to build the capacity of community colleges to improve college completion rates. “Single Stop is about more than just service delivery,” Mason says. “At the end of the day, we’re working proactively to change the way America combats poverty by focusing on prevention rather than intervention, by building on best practices, and by shifting the welfare paradigm to utilize existing benefits and services to stabilize families and augment financial aid.” Part of this proactive work is taking place at Miami Dade College in Florida, one of the nation’s largest and best-recognized institutions. Trustee Quarterly spoke with Mason and Miami Dade College President Dr. Eduardo J. Padrón about their groundbreaking collaboration.

Elisabeth mason Single Stop USA CEO and Co-Founder

What brought Single Stop USA and Miami Dade

College together? Why this partnership and why now? MASON: As the largest educational institution in the country, Miami Dade College — its diversity, the role it plays in the Miami Dade area, and its commitment to student success — represents exactly why we find community colleges so compelling. Building on our success in Newark, San Francisco, and New York City, we thought Single Stop could succeed here and that these successes would resonate with education leaders and policymakers nationwide.

Padrón: Approximately 80 percent of new jobs being developed in the current economy require college-level learning. The chance of building a prosperous life without a college education is next to impossible today. Employers in every field tell us they need people who have not only specific and practical skills in their field, but also rich preparation in communication, problem solving, teamwork, cultural awareness, and other relevant areas. And the single greatest deterrent to achieving a college education is economic issues. Close to 40 percent of MDC students live beneath the federal poverty guideline. More than 60 percent qualify as low-income.

Eduardo J. Padrón Miami Dade College President

For us, Single Stop is the proverbial no-brainer. If we help our students economically, we have a much better chance of supporting them through to graduation. And if these low-income students, traditionally underserved in higher education, don’t find their way to a diploma, it is difficult to imagine the U.S. achieving the goals set by the Obama Administration to once again lead the world in the achievement of college degrees.

Single Stop USA is a national anti-poverty

organization that could pursue several avenues to improve access to government services. Why has Single Stop devoted so many of its resources to its Community College Initiative? Mason: Single Stop USA was created to find innovative ways to improve access to government services for families, especially through national and sustainable institutions. Community colleges provide a national network where we can replicate our success. Community colleges serve more students of color, more low-income students, and more first-generation college students than their higher-education peers. In essence, Single Stop and community colleges are serving the same families. At the same TR U S TEE Q U A RTER L Y

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“The more apt question is what’s in it for our students, and the immediate answer is dollars in their pocket. Some $65 billion in federal benefits goes unused by eligible recipients. That extra income can be just enough to help students complete their studies and change the trajectory of their lives.” — Eduardo J. Padrón

time, we recognize that the best way to reduce poverty and increase economic mobility in this country is to increase the number of college graduates. The problem is that so many community college students do not complete the degree and certificate programs they set out to achieve. Low-income students who are high academic achievers are about as likely to finish college as low academic achievers who come from more privileged backgrounds. Luckily, multiple studies by the Manpower Development Research Corporation (MDRC) and others have shown a powerful connection between financial interventions and services for students and rates of retention and completion. With the increased focus on college completion, we thought we could combine the two best anti-poverty tools we have — coordinated access to the nation’s safety net and a postsecondary education — in a campus-based, wraparound service model.

What’s in it for Miami Dade College? Why did you

decide to partner with Single Stop? Padrón: Elisabeth and her colleagues at Single Stop are passionate about this work. They have set out to put an end to poverty, and regardless of who thinks it quixotic or impossible, they are making a difference. I happen to share their passion from a different angle, but the two paths intersect. The more apt question is what’s in it for our students, and the immediate answer is dollars in their pocket. Some $65 billion in federal benefits goes unused by eligible recipients. That extra income can be just enough to help students complete their studies and change the trajectory of their lives.

What does this look like on the ground?

Mason: Single Stop works with Miami Dade College to hire fulltime site coordinators to staff the Single Stop offices on campus. These coordinators work directly with students to identify benefits and services that can help them stay in school, whether it’s help buying groceries and paying rent, filing their taxes, or coaching them on how to manage debt. Right now, we have offices at the two largest MDC campuses, Wolfson and North. Single Stop and MDC partner with local organizations in Miami 40

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to provide free tax preparation, financial counseling, and legal counseling to any student who walks through our door. Our aim is to empower the college to respond to the diversity of student needs with an equally diverse set of services. No student is the same, but all students can benefit from some aspect of the Single Stop model.

What are the barriers to students succeeding at

Miami Dade College? Padrón: The range of challenges is daunting, but most are directly related to the root cause of poverty. Eighty percent of our students work, with nearly half of that number putting in 35 hours a week or more. Our average age is 27, so you know that many students are supporting families already. Most have struggled throughout their public school careers or are returning after several years. Seventy-four percent of our students arrive underprepared for college level work. And more than half are the first in their families to attend college, so they are often lacking the experienced hand to guide them into their college experience. At MDC, this is an intense focus for us — providing the early and constant support to orient students to a much more rigorous learning environment. If family economics add additional pressure, the chance of success deteriorates.

How do Single Stop and Miami Dade College address

the demand for skilled workers? Mason: In the not too distant future, we will fail to provide the skilled workforce that our 21st century economy demands unless we help more students who are in college finish college. A recent study out of Georgetown University projects that America’s economy will require 22 million new workers with college degrees by 2018, but we will fall short by at least 3 million. Single Stop’s Community College Initiative is about keeping students in school so they can acquire the degrees and certificates to compete in the global economy. Our theory of change is grounded in the belief that postsecondary

“At the end of the day, we’re working proactively to change the way America combats poverty by focusing on prevention rather than intervention, by building on best practices, and by shifting the welfare paradigm to utilize existing benefits and services to stabilize families and augment financial aid.” — Elisabeth Mason

education is the best path to a quality job and a fulfilling career.

Padrón: This workforce environment is the most volatile we’ve ever known. We are preparing students for jobs that don’t yet exist. Many that do will be outmoded by the time students graduate. Students must have a toolkit of skills that will allow them to successfully navigate the workforce rapids. They need excellent communication skills and a foundation in the sciences and math — in essence, the foundations of liberal learning, but with a practical, relevant eye for important trends. They need skills to work in teams and solve problems. They need to understand environmental issues and the impact of sustainability measures on a given enterprise. They need technological acumen, an ethical compass, and much more. Our faculty has spearheaded a college-wide commitment to 10 liberal education learning outcomes that are infused throughout the curriculum, as well as a new set of authentic assessment approaches. MDC has also developed more than 70 new degree and short-term certification programs in the past five years. This is the necessary work of higher education today if students are to be prepared for the current workforce environment.

President Obama has called on the United States to

once again lead the world in college degrees by 2020. You both attended the White House Summit on Community Colleges last October. Why is there such a profound interest in community colleges from policymakers, and why is Single Stop a key part of this nascent national conversation? Padrón: If our country is to meet President Obama’s challenge of once again leading the world in the percentage of people with a college education, it will be community colleges that make that possible. And it will be the underserved low-income, minority population that is the game-changer.

For too long, economic mobility in this country has stagnated. Unless low-income earners have the chance to gain a college education, we will continue to see the gap widen between an enclave of high wage earners and a growing base of low-income members of the community. This is the case in far too many urban areas of the country. Single Stop and community colleges form a partnership that can mitigate the effects of poverty and help students complete their studies. That’s the bottom line.

What is the end game?

Mason: I often say to my staff and our partners that Single Stop should be out of business in five years. Community colleges should be implementing a Single Stop-like model at all of their campuses. It’s vital that we challenge the way policymakers, college administrators, and all Americans think about financial aid. To do this, Single Stop has partnered with ACCT and is working to identify multiple systems in which to pilot its model over the next several years. We have been remarkably fortunate to work so closely with J. Noah Brown and ACCT. What began as a shared commitment to student success has grown to a strong and close partnership focused on showing colleges and policymakers that we must reorient our financial aid and student support systems if we are going to connect students to the services they need to succeed in school. We need to augment FAFSA and Pell Grants with access to government services and tax credits. If community college can augment traditional financial aid with a wraparound human service model, more students will complete their education and move up the economic ladder.

Padrón: Change doesn’t occur on a whim. It’s based in understanding — and that’s always the first challenge to accomplishing a major shift. The country is mired in an economic downturn and is just now recognizing the crisis at all levels of education. The simple fact is that we need highly educated people in our country — lots of them — if we’re to compete in an economy that is evolving at an unprecedented velocity. Every student needs a toolkit of skills and understandings to have a viable chance to participate, to build meaningful and prosperous lives. TR U S TEE Q U A RTER L Y

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NETWORK NEWS WINTER 2011

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A publication of the Community College Professional Board Staff Network in cooperation with the Association of Community College Trustees

Professional Board Staff Member 2010-2011 Executive Committee OFFICERS Terri Grimes, President Executive Assistant to the President/Board Highland Community College, Ill. terri.grimes@highland.edu Sherri Bowen, Vice-President Executive Assistant to the President Forsyth Technical Community College, N.C. sbowen@forsythtech.edu Wendy Dodson, Secretary Executive Assistant to the President Sandhills Community College, N.C. dodsonw@sandhills.edu BJ Marcil, Immediate Past-President Assistant to the President/Board of Trustees North Arkansas College, Ark. bjmarcil@northark.edu MEMBERS-AT-LARGE CENTRAL REGION Joan Tierney Administrative Assistant Joliet Junior College, Ill. jtierney@jjc.edu NORTHEAST REGION Sean Fischer Executive Assistant to the President and Director of Board of Trustee Services Atlantic Cape Community College, N.J. sfischer@atlantic.edu PACIFIC REGION Robin Lewison Executive Assistant to the Chancellor San Diego Community College District, Calif. rlewinson@sdccd.edu SOUTHERN REGION Wanda Brown Executive Assistant Randolph Community College, N.C. wcbrown@randolph.edu WESTERN REGION Debbie Novak Assistant to the College President Colorado Mountain College, Colo. dnovak@coloradomtn.edu

A Time of Firsts The annual ACCT Leadership Congress this past October in Toronto brought about many firsts. This was the first time the Congress was held in Canada in many years. Attendance was high, with more than 1,200 presidents, trustees, administrators, Professional Board Staff Network members, and guests present. On a personal level, it was the first time I had been outside the United States since I was 15 years old, when I traveled to Germany with my high school band. During our annual PBSN business meeting, Executive Committee elections took place. I am pleased to report that we have an outstanding Executive Committee this year with both new and familiar faces. BJ Marcil will serve as Immediate Past-President, Sherri Bowen as Vice-President, and Wendy Dodson as Secretary. Three Members-at-Large were reelected to another one-year term: Joan Tierney will serve the Central region, Debbie Novak will serve the Western region, and Robin Lewison will serve the Pacific region. New to the Executive Committee this year are Wanda Brown in North Carolina, who will represent the Southern region, and Sean Fischer in New Jersey, who will represent the Northeast region — our very first male Executive Committee member! Since Sean is the first male Executive Committee member in PBSN’s history, I thought it appropriate that we learn a little more about him. (Watch upcoming editions of Trustee Quarterly for more about each of our new Executive Committee members.) Sean began his tenure at Atlantic Cape Community College in December 2005, working in the resource development office as a program specialist, coordinating the planning of the foundation office’s special events, supporting the foundation board in its fundraising efforts, and serving as the college’s alumni outreach coordinator. This past August, Sean began his current position as executive assistant to the president and director of board of trustee services. He serves as a member of the president’s senior staff and is the day-to-day manager of the president’s office. He assists the president in all initiatives, sits on a number of college-wide committees, and has a role in a number of current projects. Atlantic Cape has identified board development as a priority, and Sean ensures that the board receives timely and relevant information and is briefed on media reports. He also provides information on state-wide sector initiatives, administers the annual board selfevaluation, and organizes the annual board retreat. On a personal level, Sean is engaged and plans to marry in October. Congratulations, Sean! Over the course of the 2010 Congress, we received several suggestions for this year’s workshop. If you have a topic you would like to learn more about or would like to make a presentation, I encourage you to e-mail me at terri.grimes@highland.edu. Our Executive Committee will meet in Washington, D.C., in February, in conjunction with the 2011 Community College National Legislative Summit, to begin planning for the Dallas Congress, which we know will be another great learning opportunity for PBSN members. TERRI GRIMES HIGHLAND COMMUNITY COLLEGE, ILL.

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INTERFACE Recognizing Our Outstanding Peers By Sherri Bowen, Forsyth Technical Community College, N.C.

Vanessa English

2010 Regional Professional Board Staff Member Awards recipients (from left: 2010 ACCT Chair Thomas M. Bennett; Coral Richards, Western Nebraska Community College, Neb.; Natalie Gamble, Trident Technical College, S.C.; Christian Teeter, Coast Community College District, Calif.; Anne Bergamo, Cumberland County College, N.J.; Linda Peltier, Edison Community College, Ohio; and ACCT President and CEO J. Noah Brown).

Five outstanding regional finalists were recognized at the ACCT Leadership Congress in Toronto this past October. Past Professional Board Staff Network President Linda Peltier was the recipient of the Central region award. Peltier serves as executive director of the president’s office and strategic HR at Edison Community College in Ohio. In her current position, she is described as serving as the “strategic link between the president, board of trustees, foundation office, and college community to ensure that organizational goals are incorporated in all aspects of the college.” She serves on the president’s executive team, executive budget team, president’s cabinet, executive negotiations team, executive leadership team, and numerous other college committees, and she was the founding president of the Ohio Association of Community Colleges Presidential Assistants (OACCPA). Peltier has “a professional and positive attitude and is committed, responsible, and self-motivated

throughout all of her responsibilities,” her nomination states. “She values confidentiality; she is truthful and honest.” Christian Teeter, secretary of the Board of Trustees at Coast Community College District in California, was recognized as the Pacific regional award recipient. In his current position, Teeter assists trustees and the chancellor with the development of new board policies, streamlining operational procedures within the board of trustees office, and restructuring the board agenda format. He also serves as the advisor to the district’s student trustee, and as a “conduit” between students and the administration at the district’s three campuses. Teeter was nominated for his “commitment to public service, honesty and integrity, customer service approach, and strong follow-up skills,” as well as his “focus, attention to detail, and work ethic,” which help him meet the day-to-day needs of his board of trustees. Representing the Northeast region was Anne Bergamo, who was nominated by the Cumberland County College (N.J.)

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Board of Trustees. For the past 10 years, Bergamo has served as the college’s official liaison to the board of trustees and as executive assistant to the president. She was instrumental in transitioning the board to a wireless system. Dr. Thomas Isekenegbe, the college’s new president, summed up Bergamo’s abilities by stating, “She is like the chief of staff of the institution. She controls the inflow and outflow of information and plays a big, behind-the-scenes role in shaping the public image of the institution. She has been particularly effective in assuring the flow of information and communications between the board and senior staff, and in the professional development of the board members.” She was further described as “serv[ing] the College’s trustees, administrators, faculty, students and communities with savvy leadership, unlimited dedication, and boundless energy and enthusiasm for 18 years.” The recipient of the Southern region award was Natalie Gamble of Trident Technical College in South Carolina. A first-generation college student on both her mother’s and father’s side, she is a strong advocate of lifelong learning and described as “solidly pro-student.” Gamble’s strongest assets are her work ethic and passion for quality, and she believes in service to students that is “outside the box.” She is a member of the college’s leadership cabinet, and was nominated in part for “her professionalism and efficiency … lead[ing] and/or assist[ing] with numerous events in the life of

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the college.” Perhaps the following quote says it all: “When the chips are down or the ox is in the ditch, she is the one to call.” Coral Richards received both the Western region and the national association award. Richards’ service to the Western Nebraska Community College Board of Trustees, administrators, faculty, foundation, students, and community spans 50 years. She is described as “exemplifying the value of caring, listening, and willingness to do whatever it takes to ensure success for the project or person.” Former WNCC President John Harms stated that “she didn’t miss a day during snowstorms; [her] husband, Don, loaded her pickup with bales of hay; she put it in 4-wheel drive, and was at the college before many city people arrived.” She was specifically nominated for her loyalty to WNCC, as well as her interest and concern for the board of governors and CEO. Richards is described as having “genuine integrity, high moral values, continued good humor, and is willing to learn. She has a purpose in life, and the college is that purpose.” On a personal level, she shares her parents’ philosophy of “It is better to wear out than rust out.” After 50 years in one position, I’d say she is doing pretty well. Congratulations, Coral! You are an inspiration. Each and every one of the 2010 winners is to be congratulated. We invite the winners and other professional board staff members to join us next year for the PBSN meetings in Dallas.

Keith Weller

Professional Board Staff Network Executive Committee. From left: Wendy Dodson, Robin Lewison, Terri Grimes, Sean Fischer, BJ Marcil, Sherri Bowen, Wanda Brown (not pictured: Debbie Novak, Joan Tierney).

A Crucial Learning Opportunity for New Trustees In response to requests from trustees and presidents, ACCT is proud to present an opportunity in 2011 for new trustees to gain a crucial orientation to board governance.

NEW TRUSTEE GOVERNANCE LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE August 3-5, 2011

National Center for Higher Education One Dupont Circle NW | Washington, D.C.

S U M M E R I N T H E N AT I O N ’ S C A P I TA L

TOPICS t 5SVTUFF SPMFT BOE responsibilities t #PBSE NFFUJOHT BOE procedures t 6OEFSTUBOEJOH leadership and group/ team dynamics t #PBSE $&0 SFMBUJPOT t 6OEFSTUBOEJOH UIF Budget and Financial Documents

t %FBMJOH XJUI UIF NFEJB t 5IF EZOBNJDT associated with being “the new kid on the block” t 1BSMJBNFOUBSZ procedures

Agenda Wednesday, August 3rd, 2011

3 p.m. Registration Opens 6:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. Reception - Opening Exercises, Orientation, and Review of Agenda

Thursday, August 4th, 2011

7:30 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. Registration, Breakfast and Networking 8:30 a.m. - 9:45 a.m. Boardmanship 101 — Focus on the Fundamentals of Being an Effective Trustee 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. Gaining Acceptance and Becoming an Effective Voice 12 p.m. - 1 p.m. Working Lunch and T-Shirt Exchange 1 p.m. - 2 p.m. What New Trustees Need to Know About Accreditation 2 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. National Priority: Student Success and Completion 2:15 p.m. - 3:15 p.m. The Board - CEO Relationship 3:30 p.m. - 4:30 p.m. Understanding the Budget, Financial Documents, and Capital Projects 4:30 p.m. - 5 p.m. Robert’s Rules of Order and Operational Procedures

Friday, August 5th, 2011

Hotel and Accomodations at Hotel Palomar 2121 P Street, NW Washington, DC 20037

8 a.m. - 8:30 a.m. Breakfast 8:30 a.m. - 9:30 a.m. What New Trustees Need to Know About Fundraising and Advocacy 9:30 a.m. - 10:15 a.m. Board Self-Assessment and Presidential Evaluation 10:30 a.m. -11:30 a.m.Dealing with the Media 11:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. Guidance and Tips for Working with Board Support Staff 12 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. Lunch 1:30 p.m. - 2:15 p.m. Planning and Next Steps 2:30 p.m. - 4 p.m. Strategies and Conclusion

Registration and Hotel Information Contact Christina Sage at 202.775.4462 or csage@acct.org

www.acct.org/events/institute/2011-new-trustees-institute.php

For additional information contact Dr. Narcisa Polonio at 202.276.1983 or narcisa_polonio@acct.org

ACCT LIFETIME MEMBERS

Edward “Sandy” Sanders, AR Dick Trammel, AR Donald Campbell, AZ Gloria Guzman, AZ Fred Harcleroad, AZ Debra Pearson, AZ Linda B. Rosenthal, AZ Esther D. Tang, AZ Jane Gregory, BC Chuck Ayala, CA Lewis S. Braxton, CA Lois Carson, CA Carole Currey, CA Denise Ducheny, CA Isobel Dvorsky, CA Dorothy Ehrhart-Morrison, CA Paul Fong, CA Paul J. Gomez, CA Walter Howald, CA Worth Keene, CA Bruce Ketron, CA Brenda Knight, CA Marie Y. Martin, CA William H. Meardy, CA Carl Robinson, CA Herbert Roney, CA Armando Ruiz, CA Evonne Seron Schulze, CA Pete Tafoya, CA Leslie Thonesen, CA David Viar, CA John Dent, CO John Giardino, CO George Boggs, DC Ken Burke, FL Jody T. Hendry, FL Nancy Watkins, FL Kenneth R. Allbaugh, IA

Harold Brock, IA* Robert Davidson, IA Joyce Hanes, IA B. A. Jensen, IA Kirby Kleffmann, IA Wayne Newton, IA Wanda Rosenbaugh, IA Linda Upmeyer, IA Mark Fazzini, IL Raymond Hartstein, IL Patricia Jones, IL James Lumber, IL Judith Madonia, IL Robert McCray, IL Michael Monteleone, IL David Murphy, IL Rich Nay, IL Therese G. Pauly, IL Franklin Walker, IL Jerry Wright, IL Robert Burch, KS James D. Hittle, KS Jo Ann Huerter, KS Dick Klassen, KS Ed Nicklaus, KS Jo Ann Sharp, KS Darrell Shumway, KS Lauren A. Welch, KS Mary Beth Williams, KS M. W. “Bill” Wyckoff, KS Joan Athen, MD Daniel Hall, MD Nancy M. Hubers, MD Robert Lawrence, MD Brad W. Young, MD William C. Warren, ME Frank S. Gallagher, MI Robert E. Garrison, MI*

David W. Hackett, MI Fred Mathews, MI Shirley Okerstrom, MI George Potter, MI David Rutledge, MI Denise Wellons-Glover, MI James B. Tatum, MO Troy Holliday, MS James Stribling, MS John Forte, NC Hugh Lee, NC George Little, NC Helen Newsome, NC* Kathleen Orringer, NC Raymond Reddrick, NC C. Louis Shields, NC Lynda Stanley, NC Alwin Arce, NJ Angelo Cortinas, NJ Clara Dasher, NJ Nino Falcone, NJ William T. Hiering, NJ Donald Loff, NJ William McDaniel, NJ* Virginia Scott, NJ Charles Tice, NJ Barbara Wallace, NJ Ronald Winthers, NJ Beatrice Doser, NM Gloria Lopez, NM Robert Matteucci, NM Nancy R. Rosasco, NV Arthur C. Anthonisen, NY David Mathis, NY Donald M. Mawhinney, NY Jean M. McPheeters, NY Richard N. Adams, OH Maureen Grady, OH

Rebecca L. Redman, OH Victor F. Stewart, Jr., OH Ken Bartlett, OK Norma Jean Germond, OR Doreen Margolin, OR* Jim Voss, OR Gene P. Ciafre, PA Morrison Lewis, PA Gene E. McDonald, PA Elizabeth Rocklin, PA Betty K. Steege, PA John Wright, PA E. Stewart Blume, SC Sheila Korhammer, SC Montez C. Martin, Jr., SC William O. Rowell, SC James Smith, SC Elmer Beckendorf, TX Manuel Benavidez, Jr., TX* Kitty Boyle, TX Don Coffey, TX Bennie Matthews, TX Carla McGee, TX Della-May Moore, TX Pattie Powell, TX Lydia Santibanez, TX W. L. “Levi” Smallwood, TX J. Pete Zepeda, TX M. Dale Ensign, UT Frank Mensel, UT Marilyn Blocker, VA Robert W. Harrell, Jr., VA Melanie L. Jackson, VA Ruthann Kurose, WA Naomi Pursel, WA Vaughn A. Sherman, WA Joan Jenstead, WI* Dennis Christensen, WY * Deceased

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They deserve more than just a gold watch. ACCT LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP Do you have board members getting ready to retire? Are you looking for ways to recognize them for their hard work and dedication? Don’t let them go without an ACCT Lifetime Membership!

7 REASONS TO BESTOW A LIFETIME MEMBERSHIP

1 2 3

Giving outstanding and retiring board members a Lifetime Membership to ACCT is a way to thank them for their service, recognize them among their peers, and ensure their ongoing interest in your college. Lifetime Members receive complimentary registration to all ACCT meetings, including the Annual Leadership Congress and the National Legislative Summit, after retiring from their local boards. Lifetime Members receive all of ACCT’s award-winning publications, including Trustee Quarterly magazine, and the Advisor and From the Desk of ACCT newsletters.

4 Lifetime Members are recognized publicly in Trustee Quarterly, on the ACCT Web site, and elsewhere. 5 The Lifetime Membership program supports and promotes ACCT’s continuing trustee education and professional development.

6 Colleges that purchase Lifetime Memberships can deduct the expense from taxes to the fullest extent allowed by law. 7 It’s just a nice thing to do — and haven’t your most exceptional trustees earned it? For applications or assistance, go to www.acct.org/membership/lifetime/honor-trustee.php, contact the ACCT Membership Department by phone at (202) 775-4667, or e-mail acctinfo@acct.org.

advisor 2010 Election Results EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Chair Peter E. Sercer, Sr. Midlands Technical College, SC Chair-Elect Roberto Uranga Long Beach City College, CA Vice-Chair Celia M. Turner Mott Community College, MI Secretary-Treasurer Denise R. Chachere St. Louis Community College, MO Immediate Past Chair Thomas M. Bennett Parkland College, IL

REGIONAL CHAIRS Central Regional Chair Jean Torgeson North Iowa Area Community College, IA Northeast Regional Chair LeRoy W. Mitchell Westchester Community College, NY Pacific Regional Chair Rebecca Garcia Cabrillo College, CA

REGIONAL DIRECTORS (3-year terms)

George Regan Robeson Community College, NC

Central Region Celia M. Turner Mott Community College, MI

Diversity Committee Chair Robin M. Smith Lansing Community College, MI

Northeast Region LeRoy W. Mitchell Westchester Community College, NY

ACCT DIVERSITY COMMITTEE

Pacific Region Roberto Uranga Long Beach City College, CA Southern Region Nancy Watkins Hillsborough Community College, FL Western Region Colton J. Crane Central Wyoming College, WY

Central Region Robin M. Smith, Chair Lansing Community College, MI Northeast Region Cid Wilson Bergen Community College, NJ

Pacific Region Isabel Barreras State Center Community College District, CA Southern Region Randall “Mack” Jackson Midlands Technical College, SC

1-Year Partial Term Roberto Zárate Alamo Colleges, TX

Western Region Clemon Prevost College of the Mainland, TX

DIRECTORS-AT-LARGE (3-year terms) Dorothy “Dottie” Smith State Center Community College District, CA David Talley Palm Beach State College, FL

RETIRING ACCT BOARD MEMBERS Arthur C. Anthonisen Orange County Community College, NY Walter G. Howald Coast Community College District, CA

Southern Regional Chair David Talley Palm Beach State College, FL

Jean Torgeson North Iowa Area Community College, IA

Western Regional Chair Robert “Bob” Feit Southeast Community College, NE

P. G. Peeples Kentucky Community and Technical College System, KY

APPOINTED BOARD MEMBERS

Gregory Schuckman* Northern Virginia Community College, VA Donald L. Singer San Bernadino Community College District, CA *Resigned his seat on the ACCT Board, effective October 23, 2010.

acct deadlines 2011 ACCT Congress Call for Presentations April 30, 2011

Director-at-Large Candidate Nominations July 1, 2011

ACCT Awards Nominations June 24, 2011

Submitting Resolutions July 1, 2011

Amendments to ACCT Bylaws July 1, 2011 48

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A Two and a Half Day Leadership Institute for Trustees and Presidents

GOVERNANCE LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE ON DIVERSITY November 10-12, 2011 Latin Quarter of Historic Ybor City in Tampa, Florida Sponsored by ACCT Diversity Committee | Hosted by Hillsborough Community College Fostering Leadership, Awareness, and Communication to Enable Trustees to Commit Further to an Educational Environnment of Inclusiveness

AGENDA Thursday, November 10, 2011 11:00 a.m. - 12 p.m. 12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. 1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. 2:45 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Registration Lunch Program Overview College-Wide Diversity Planning

Friday, November 11, 2011 \ P I P 12:15 p.m. - 1:30 p.m. 1:30 p.m. - 2:45 p.m. 3:00 p.m. - 4:15 p.m.

5:30 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.

p 0NH PHRMG\O /UDRZ KRDP MKKHRHOU !ZHS p 0NH .D=H DK UNH D\RF MO "DSUHRMOT MWHRSMUZ p D\RF !+ .H=\UMDOSNMI Working Lunch Developing an Institutional Diversity Plan The Lasting Legacy: The African American, (\UMOD SM\O ,\GMÂ&#x203A;G %S=\OFHR \OF *\UMWH American Experience Reception & Exchange

Saturday, November 12, 2011 \ P *DDO 1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m. 2:45 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

0H\P VM=FMOT B ,=\OOMOT /UR\UHTMHS 0N\U 3DRQ \OF HSU ,R\GUMGHS Elements of a Leadership Diversity Plan and Reporting Out Group Consultation and Planning

In response to requests from trustees throughout the nation, ACCT will host a two and a half day leadership institute for trustees and presidents that will focus on college-wide diversity planning to foster diversity, inclusiveness, acceptance, and respect in a multi-cultural society. This unique event will take place in the Latin Quarter of Historic Ybor City, Florida, November 10-12, 2011. This event is a unique opportunity for trustees and presidents to focus on proven practices that encourage engagement, examine values, promote respect, and celebrate differences â&#x20AC;&#x201D; approaches that are imperative in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s increasingly diverse community college settings. The institute will focus on proven practices, tools, and techniques that strengthen and help trustees carry out their leadership roles. GOALS â&#x20AC;&#x201D; The institute will equip trustees with the knowledge to: p !Y\PMOH UNH GDPI=HYMUZ DK \ PV=UM GV=UVR\= GDPPVOMUZÂ&#x201D; p HUHRPMOH MOSUMUVUMDO\= HKKHGUMWHOHSS MO SHRWMOT NMSUDRMG\==Z VOFHRSHRWHF IDIV=\UMDOSÂ&#x201D; p ,RHWHOU \OF RHPHFZ IRHLVFMGM\= FMSGRMPMO\UDRZ DR R\GMSU EHN\WMDRS \OF ID=MGMHSÂ&#x201D; p !OSVRH UN\U SUVFHOUS XM== SVGGHHF MO \O MOGRH\SMOT=Z FMWHRSH XDR=F GDPPVOMUZÂ&#x201D; \OF p ,RDPDUH RHSIHGU KDR \== RHT\RF=HSS DK R\GH GD=DR RH=MTMDO THOFHR national origin, sexual orientation, disability, age, or socioeconomic status.

WHO SHOULD ATTEND? A must-attend for trustees and presidents committed to learning, promoting, and sharing their prespectives on diversity-related issues.

***REGISTRATION OPENS MARCH 7, 2011*** Registration and Hotel Information Contact Christina Sage at 202.775.4462 or csage@acct.org

For additional information contact Dr. Narcisa Polonio at 202.276.1983 or narcisa_polonio@acct.org or Tonya Harley at 202.775.4460 or tharley@acct.org

www.acct.org 1233 20th Street, NW

Suite 301 Washington, D.C. 20036 202.775.4667 866.895.2228

ACCT 2011 AWARDS PROGRAM

ominees N

AND THE

REGIONAL AWARDS ★ Trustee Leadership ★ Equity ★ Chief Executive Officer ★ Faculty Member ★ Professional Board Staff Member

ASSOCIATION AWARDS ★ M. Dale Ensign Trustee Leadership ★ Charles Kennedy Equity ★ Marie Y. Martin CEO ★ William H. Meardy Faculty Member ★ Professional Board Staff Member

ARE...

ACCT’s awards program is designed to recognize and honor outstanding community college trustees, equity programs, presidents, faculty members, and professional board staff members at regional and national levels. In order to be considered for an Association Award, you must first submit a nomination at the regional level. The Awards committees will select and notify the Awards recipients prior to the ACCT Leadership Congress. ACCT’s Awards recipients will be honored at the 2011 Leadership Congress in Dallas, Texas, in October. Visit www.acct.org for specific nomination criteria and to submit nominations online. Call 202.775.4667 with any questions. All nominations must be received by June 24, 2011.

www.acct.org

NOMINATIONS DUE: JUNE 24, 2011