With the new year comes a new semester and a new day - every day a bit closer to the budget reality facing New York state. Cries of "it's going to get worse before it gets better" and "we have no idea how bad the numbers really are" are becoming deafening. New York’s financial difficulties are coupled with an economy in recession and unemployment at twenty year highs. As a result, people are showing up at our doors looking to retrain into high demand careers or to get a greater value on their tuition dollar - enrollment this spring is up 8.5% over the same time last year.
The Governor's proposed budget suggests broad and substantial cuts and community colleges are not immune. His original proposal was offered with the possibility of mid-year cuts as the deficit continued to grow exponentially. It's "pay me now or pay me later" and since no mid-year cuts have been announced, the projected budget cut for community colleges has grown from $230 to $270 per full-time equivalent (FTE) student - reducing our state funding from the current $2,675 to $2,405 per FTE. The potential impact of these cuts would reduce our 2009-10 budget by nearly $1 million.
The New York Community College Association of Presidents has created a white paper and posted it on an advocacy website for the State University of New York - http://www.sunyadvocates.org/index.php. While the white paper is necessary, as every other state supported organization is mounting their lobbying efforts, the overall message of simply "don't cut us, cut something else" will likely do more harm than good. Increasingly, the expectation is that every sector will share in the cuts to some extent.
The dire financial picture demands that we take a hard look at things and transform our college, region, state and country. The budget deficit and proposed reductions create a burning platform for change that requires a fundamental review of how things are done. At the College level, we will need explore all possible alternatives and make some very difficult decisions - decisions that have been taboo. I once worked for a great administrator who said we need to ride this storm to make us better than before - managing it by reducing pencils, pens and paper clips will only weaken us. I agree. We need to find new ways of operating more efficiently, reducing expenditures where we can and re-directing dollars where we must to address the growing needs of our community.
At the state level, this is the time to recognize the potential role of community colleges and maximize the resources, talent and flexibility found in our mission. Many organizations in Oneida County provide services that were typically provided by community colleges where I worked in other states - where community colleges were fortunate to have substantially better state-level funding than we have in New York. These local organizations rely on contracts or significant operating dollars from the state that create a confusing network of duplication for people just trying to increase their skills and get a job. Just as we must take a hard look at how things are done at MVCC, the State of New York must seize this opportunity to change the way dollars flow in this state to better serve our communities. If state funding for community colleges must be cut, redirecting other dollars from wasteful, duplicative spending streams to allow community colleges to realize their potential in this state will streamline government spending and better serve the taxpayers of New York. Just as people are looking to get a higher return on their tuition dollar by attending a community college, so should the State of New York seek to get a higher return on their state budget dollar by looking to community colleges as an integral part of a solution to an unprecedented budget problem.
You can share your thoughts on these matters with me at presblog@mvcc.edu.
Monday, January 26, 2009
Monday, January 19, 2009
Does the mission need critical care?
Our Director of Marketing and Communications, Joan Andrek, recently had a very eye-opening experience that provides great insight to how our daily work, and the choices we make, reflect on our organizational mission. I asked her if she'd be willing to share her experience in a post on my blog. I have included it in complete form here for your review.
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A guest blog by Joan Andrek
I recently underwent a minor but necessary surgical procedure at a hospital. After some initial post-operative issues requiring a three-day stay, I recovered sufficiently to be sent home. However, an unforeseen complication landed me in most urgent fashion at my surgeon’s office after just 16 hours at home. He promptly ordered me to be immediately re-admitted to the same hospital, as round-the-clock care was going to be necessary to resolve the complication. My husband rushed me to the hospital’s front door – and due to their parking regulations – had to leave me there while he moved our vehicle. I knew he would be gone less than five minutes, and in my very weakened state, opted to stay seated in the outside waiting area until he returned with a wheelchair.
In that same outside waiting area was a hospital employee – out on a smoke break – standing just 15 feet from me. I don’t know what this individual did specifically at the hospital – their name badge didn’t clearly indicate their occupation. What I do know is that this person worked there, and presumably embraced the notion of care and compassion for all, as espoused by the hospital’s mission statement. My husband had probably been gone less than a minute when I realized I was going to be violently ill – a condition that I had been experiencing all day. To put this in context, I had had abdominal surgery – and as you might guess, I was in absolute agony every time I became ill. I inched closer to the edge of the sidewalk…and you can guess what happened next. Every wave brought with it my cries of anguish. The hospital employee stubbed out their cigarette, concluded their cell phone conversation…and walked away.
Foolishly, I assumed this person had gone to get help for me. After all, I was less than 20 feet from the entrance and a hospital employee could easily see how sick I was. Foolish, indeed. The next person to help me was my husband who lowered me into a wheelchair and got me inside to the Admissions desk. Once inside, a number of professional people, from the Admissions rep to the nurses, nurse technicians, and housekeeping staff all offered caring, compassionate service, as one would expect in a hospital setting. But what about that same care and compassion 20 feet from the front door? Do we have the right – no matter where we work – to disconnect from our organizational mission while still on organizational grounds? Does a smoke break, coffee break, lunch break mean we can take a break from caring about what we do and the people that we serve?
Mohawk Valley Community College is a service environment. I know many will argue with me that our students bear as much responsibility for their college experience as we do, and that may be true. But we exist to provide excellent education and service for all and that is, in their minds, a 24-7 commitment. Yes, there is always a need for structure, rules, and even mandates that we can’t control. But what we can control is how we deliver on our promises every day. What we can control is our ability to be flexible – to be compassionate – to care -- beyond normal operating hours, or even within them.
My New Year’s resolution, in addition to resolving to work for better personal health, is to renew my commitment to be the best I can be for our students. Believe it or not, I come in contact with many of them every day. Whether I’m giving them directions to a campus office, or advising them on careers in advertising or marketing, I’m going to spend just that much more time to understand what they need and how to help them. Our mission demands nothing less.
----------------------
A guest blog by Joan Andrek
I recently underwent a minor but necessary surgical procedure at a hospital. After some initial post-operative issues requiring a three-day stay, I recovered sufficiently to be sent home. However, an unforeseen complication landed me in most urgent fashion at my surgeon’s office after just 16 hours at home. He promptly ordered me to be immediately re-admitted to the same hospital, as round-the-clock care was going to be necessary to resolve the complication. My husband rushed me to the hospital’s front door – and due to their parking regulations – had to leave me there while he moved our vehicle. I knew he would be gone less than five minutes, and in my very weakened state, opted to stay seated in the outside waiting area until he returned with a wheelchair.
In that same outside waiting area was a hospital employee – out on a smoke break – standing just 15 feet from me. I don’t know what this individual did specifically at the hospital – their name badge didn’t clearly indicate their occupation. What I do know is that this person worked there, and presumably embraced the notion of care and compassion for all, as espoused by the hospital’s mission statement. My husband had probably been gone less than a minute when I realized I was going to be violently ill – a condition that I had been experiencing all day. To put this in context, I had had abdominal surgery – and as you might guess, I was in absolute agony every time I became ill. I inched closer to the edge of the sidewalk…and you can guess what happened next. Every wave brought with it my cries of anguish. The hospital employee stubbed out their cigarette, concluded their cell phone conversation…and walked away.
Foolishly, I assumed this person had gone to get help for me. After all, I was less than 20 feet from the entrance and a hospital employee could easily see how sick I was. Foolish, indeed. The next person to help me was my husband who lowered me into a wheelchair and got me inside to the Admissions desk. Once inside, a number of professional people, from the Admissions rep to the nurses, nurse technicians, and housekeeping staff all offered caring, compassionate service, as one would expect in a hospital setting. But what about that same care and compassion 20 feet from the front door? Do we have the right – no matter where we work – to disconnect from our organizational mission while still on organizational grounds? Does a smoke break, coffee break, lunch break mean we can take a break from caring about what we do and the people that we serve?
Mohawk Valley Community College is a service environment. I know many will argue with me that our students bear as much responsibility for their college experience as we do, and that may be true. But we exist to provide excellent education and service for all and that is, in their minds, a 24-7 commitment. Yes, there is always a need for structure, rules, and even mandates that we can’t control. But what we can control is how we deliver on our promises every day. What we can control is our ability to be flexible – to be compassionate – to care -- beyond normal operating hours, or even within them.
My New Year’s resolution, in addition to resolving to work for better personal health, is to renew my commitment to be the best I can be for our students. Believe it or not, I come in contact with many of them every day. Whether I’m giving them directions to a campus office, or advising them on careers in advertising or marketing, I’m going to spend just that much more time to understand what they need and how to help them. Our mission demands nothing less.
Monday, January 12, 2009
The Answer to How? is Yes...
Last fall I read Stewardship by Peter Block for probably the fifth time in the last fifteen years. It is a book that redefines leadership and provides continued inspiration for me each day. His writing connects with the more intangible aspects of what it means to work in a mission-driven organization like MVCC. As I was revisiting Stewardship and thinking about the conversations we're having at the College, I wondered what else Peter Block had written and came across a most amazing book that he published in 2002, The Answer to how is Yes - acting on what matters.
Block's premise in this book "is that this culture, and we as members of it, have yielded too easily to what is doable and practical and popular. In the process we have sacrificed the pursuit of what is in our hearts. We find ourselves giving in to our doubts, and settling for what we know how to do, or can soon learn how to do, instead of pursuing what most matters to us and living with the adventure and anxiety that this requires" (p. 1). For all the study and experience of change I have over the years, this opening from Block speaks to me in ways that prompt reflection at the individual, community (Mohawk Valley) and organizational (MVCC) levels.
Although I haven't finished the book yet, the applications and connections I've found to our work at MVCC are interesting. Having asked the college community to "start with yes" in my remarks at fall convocation in August 2007, I am pleased with our progress. I have witnessed many examples of starting with yes and despite numerous challenges, committing to figuring out the rest as we go. For us to continue advancing our mission, we need to continue leaving our comfort zones to realize our collective potential. As Block says, we need to replace cynicism with idealism, choose intimacy over virtual experience and depth over speed whenever possible. He continues, "...when we lose idealism, intimacy, and depth, we function at a cosmetic level, pushed along by fashion, out of touch with our center, and we react as if we are the effect of the culture, rather than the cause" (p. 51).
The last line, "...we react as if we are the effect of the culture, rather than the cause" is a powerful one that speaks to our mindset in the face of uncertain times. When offered sincere questions that are intended to solicit input into new processes at the College, immediately jumping to the questions of “what”, “how” and “why” assumes that someone already knows all of the answers. Our overall success will be far greater if we embrace the idealism, intimacy and depth encouraged by Peter Block and actively listen to each other and engage in helping to create (or "cause") the culture we hope to collectively shape for the future. I'd appreciate any insights you have on this topic at presblog@mvcc.edu.
Block's premise in this book "is that this culture, and we as members of it, have yielded too easily to what is doable and practical and popular. In the process we have sacrificed the pursuit of what is in our hearts. We find ourselves giving in to our doubts, and settling for what we know how to do, or can soon learn how to do, instead of pursuing what most matters to us and living with the adventure and anxiety that this requires" (p. 1). For all the study and experience of change I have over the years, this opening from Block speaks to me in ways that prompt reflection at the individual, community (Mohawk Valley) and organizational (MVCC) levels.
Although I haven't finished the book yet, the applications and connections I've found to our work at MVCC are interesting. Having asked the college community to "start with yes" in my remarks at fall convocation in August 2007, I am pleased with our progress. I have witnessed many examples of starting with yes and despite numerous challenges, committing to figuring out the rest as we go. For us to continue advancing our mission, we need to continue leaving our comfort zones to realize our collective potential. As Block says, we need to replace cynicism with idealism, choose intimacy over virtual experience and depth over speed whenever possible. He continues, "...when we lose idealism, intimacy, and depth, we function at a cosmetic level, pushed along by fashion, out of touch with our center, and we react as if we are the effect of the culture, rather than the cause" (p. 51).
The last line, "...we react as if we are the effect of the culture, rather than the cause" is a powerful one that speaks to our mindset in the face of uncertain times. When offered sincere questions that are intended to solicit input into new processes at the College, immediately jumping to the questions of “what”, “how” and “why” assumes that someone already knows all of the answers. Our overall success will be far greater if we embrace the idealism, intimacy and depth encouraged by Peter Block and actively listen to each other and engage in helping to create (or "cause") the culture we hope to collectively shape for the future. I'd appreciate any insights you have on this topic at presblog@mvcc.edu.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Corporate & Community Education
Our new Strategic Plan is gaining significant traction in many areas. With updated vision and mission statements, our work is increasingly focused. With new statements of values and purpose, our work is increasingly collaborative. Part of our Statement of Purpose highlights our endeavors to support community and economic development. One of our five strategic priorities is a focus on creative partnerships with a strategic direction to expand workforce development efforts. To expand our capacity in workforce development, we recently resourced this area with a new organizational structure and staffing pattern in our Center for Corporate and Community Education (CCED) and found a tremendous return on investment. When layoffs happen or workplace technologies shift, CCED gets creatively nimble. Working closely with our faculty and other experts, CCED delivers credit and non-credit learning opportunities where they're needed most.
In 2007-2008, 6,617 students took non-credit classes - that's about as many as the number who took credit classes at MVCC. About 13% of these students took professional development courses like phlebotomy, computer skills, or other training to upgrade their professional value in the marketplace. Another 23% were enrolled through courses and workshops specific to the workplace through training contracts with local employers (nearly 1,500 workers)! The largest portion of the enrollment (64%) came through registrations in community education - everything from ballroom dancing to swimming to yoga. Even the community education arena has taken a workforce development focus, with the addition of 9 career camps in our College for Kids summer programming.
CCED is intended to operate on a "break-even/no loss" basis. In 2007-08, revenues (including grants and contracts) exceeded $1.2 million with a positive margin over expenses of more than $100,000 to the good - a 13.6% increase over the previous year. The Center maintains more than 50 partnerships and serves as a beacon for our creative partnerships priority. With additional staff and their refined roles and responsibilities, I fully anticipate the role of CCED to grow in significance as we find new and meaningful ways to serve the educational and training needs of our community and business partners. If you have any thoughts on workforce or community development, contact me at presblog@mvcc.edu.
In 2007-2008, 6,617 students took non-credit classes - that's about as many as the number who took credit classes at MVCC. About 13% of these students took professional development courses like phlebotomy, computer skills, or other training to upgrade their professional value in the marketplace. Another 23% were enrolled through courses and workshops specific to the workplace through training contracts with local employers (nearly 1,500 workers)! The largest portion of the enrollment (64%) came through registrations in community education - everything from ballroom dancing to swimming to yoga. Even the community education arena has taken a workforce development focus, with the addition of 9 career camps in our College for Kids summer programming.
CCED is intended to operate on a "break-even/no loss" basis. In 2007-08, revenues (including grants and contracts) exceeded $1.2 million with a positive margin over expenses of more than $100,000 to the good - a 13.6% increase over the previous year. The Center maintains more than 50 partnerships and serves as a beacon for our creative partnerships priority. With additional staff and their refined roles and responsibilities, I fully anticipate the role of CCED to grow in significance as we find new and meaningful ways to serve the educational and training needs of our community and business partners. If you have any thoughts on workforce or community development, contact me at presblog@mvcc.edu.
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Design Team Updates
Last year we created six System Design Teams, comprised of more than sixty faculty and staff, with each team examining a key college service or operational system. Each Team conducted research of best practices and then made bold and thoughtful recommendations to strengthen a number of important functions for us. I've recently heard the question asked, "Whatever happened to all those recommendations?" The answer is short - much has happened and even more will happen. Having all recommendations come together simultaneously last spring “flooded the marketplace” with ideas, leaving us much to consider! Fortunately, everything the Design Teams submitted was integrated into the Strategic Plan and many initiatives are underway based directly on those recommendations. Here’s a brief review.
Student Intake and Student Support
Many of the recommendations from these two Teams greatly informed the changes to the organizational structure last spring. Two full-time academic advisors were hired as part of a larger effort to improve first-year experiences for students. The Testing Center was renovated to allow for more consistent and comprehensive services. New student orientation was greatly enhanced including faculty meeting with new students in their program of interest. The Process Review Team is working on the remainder of the recommendations and sorting through the complexities of implementing a true one-stop model.
Adjunct Faculty Support
An adjunct support coordinator position was created and Susan Smith now fills that role, reporting directly to the VP for Learning and Academic Affairs. An adjunct faculty orientation was held prior to the beginning of fall semester, with more than eighty individuals attending. The remaining recommendations provide an action agenda for the coordinator and academic department heads.
Hiring of New Employees
The Affirmative Action Committee served as the Design Team for this charter and they have continued to refine their recommendations. Their initial findings and suggestions were presented to the Senate and refined before being forwarded to the Cabinet. The Cabinet suggested further refinements, which were communicated to the Senate. The final recommendations will be discussed by the Cabinet in the next few weeks and we'll see subsequent action taken after the first of the year. The focus of these recommendations is to simplify the search process and increase dialogue between the hiring supervisor and the screening committee. The recommendations introduce some very new thinking about how we conduct our search processes. Training opportunities will also be an important action item here.
Staff Development
The recommendations for a staff development system were certainly bold and thoughtful. Although interesting, the specific recommendation requiring twelve hours of annual staff development for full-time employees will not be implemented this year or next. Remaining recommendations will help guide a viable approach to staff development that yields successful and meaningful experiences while avoiding the distractions associated with what is or isn’t included, and how much is or isn't required. The Executive Assistant to the President's position has been eliminated. A new position, Executive Director of Organizational Development, with administrative responsibility for professional development has been created - John Bullis was hired in August for this role. David Katz is on partial release from teaching to serve as Coordinator of Faculty and Staff Development. David is developing and coordinating the New Faculty Institute that has been very well received by participants. Looking forward to next year, the proposed College Calendar has a professional development day identified prior to the start of the fall and spring semesters to provide opportunities for more coordinated and comprehensive staff development offerings. The remainder of the recommendations will be addressed by John, David and the staff development committee.
Employee Recognition
The recommendations for this system combine a refinement and expansion of our employee awards with some additional ideas that I believe will provide a great program of employee recognition for many years to come. The final recommendations are still in discussion at the Cabinet level and I look forward to sharing the final decisions with the College Senate after the first of the year with anticipated implementation next fall.
The results from each of these Design Teams were all worthy of immediate implementation. Although action on some of these recommendations may seem slower than some would prefer, I recognize that any action may seem too fast for others. As a result, I've chosen a more considered path of dialogue and process to increase the likelihood for wider understanding and longer-term success. When the charters were created for these Design Teams, I wasn't looking for quick fixes for systems, as some weren't necessarily broken. I was looking for, and believe we have found, a clear and ambitious path that provides a strategic focus toward improving major systems in an orderly and effective manner.
Let me know if this helped answer the question - "what's happening with all those recommendations anyway?" - presblog@mvcc.edu.
Student Intake and Student Support
Many of the recommendations from these two Teams greatly informed the changes to the organizational structure last spring. Two full-time academic advisors were hired as part of a larger effort to improve first-year experiences for students. The Testing Center was renovated to allow for more consistent and comprehensive services. New student orientation was greatly enhanced including faculty meeting with new students in their program of interest. The Process Review Team is working on the remainder of the recommendations and sorting through the complexities of implementing a true one-stop model.
Adjunct Faculty Support
An adjunct support coordinator position was created and Susan Smith now fills that role, reporting directly to the VP for Learning and Academic Affairs. An adjunct faculty orientation was held prior to the beginning of fall semester, with more than eighty individuals attending. The remaining recommendations provide an action agenda for the coordinator and academic department heads.
Hiring of New Employees
The Affirmative Action Committee served as the Design Team for this charter and they have continued to refine their recommendations. Their initial findings and suggestions were presented to the Senate and refined before being forwarded to the Cabinet. The Cabinet suggested further refinements, which were communicated to the Senate. The final recommendations will be discussed by the Cabinet in the next few weeks and we'll see subsequent action taken after the first of the year. The focus of these recommendations is to simplify the search process and increase dialogue between the hiring supervisor and the screening committee. The recommendations introduce some very new thinking about how we conduct our search processes. Training opportunities will also be an important action item here.
Staff Development
The recommendations for a staff development system were certainly bold and thoughtful. Although interesting, the specific recommendation requiring twelve hours of annual staff development for full-time employees will not be implemented this year or next. Remaining recommendations will help guide a viable approach to staff development that yields successful and meaningful experiences while avoiding the distractions associated with what is or isn’t included, and how much is or isn't required. The Executive Assistant to the President's position has been eliminated. A new position, Executive Director of Organizational Development, with administrative responsibility for professional development has been created - John Bullis was hired in August for this role. David Katz is on partial release from teaching to serve as Coordinator of Faculty and Staff Development. David is developing and coordinating the New Faculty Institute that has been very well received by participants. Looking forward to next year, the proposed College Calendar has a professional development day identified prior to the start of the fall and spring semesters to provide opportunities for more coordinated and comprehensive staff development offerings. The remainder of the recommendations will be addressed by John, David and the staff development committee.
Employee Recognition
The recommendations for this system combine a refinement and expansion of our employee awards with some additional ideas that I believe will provide a great program of employee recognition for many years to come. The final recommendations are still in discussion at the Cabinet level and I look forward to sharing the final decisions with the College Senate after the first of the year with anticipated implementation next fall.
The results from each of these Design Teams were all worthy of immediate implementation. Although action on some of these recommendations may seem slower than some would prefer, I recognize that any action may seem too fast for others. As a result, I've chosen a more considered path of dialogue and process to increase the likelihood for wider understanding and longer-term success. When the charters were created for these Design Teams, I wasn't looking for quick fixes for systems, as some weren't necessarily broken. I was looking for, and believe we have found, a clear and ambitious path that provides a strategic focus toward improving major systems in an orderly and effective manner.
Let me know if this helped answer the question - "what's happening with all those recommendations anyway?" - presblog@mvcc.edu.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Make Today a Masterpiece
To provide me with a change of pace from various readings on leadership and organizational development, a long and fruitful conversation with a respected colleague here led me to "Reflections on Coaching and Life" by John Wooden, the UCLA men's basketball coach whose teams won 10 national titles in 12 years. I expected to get lost in reading about winning in basketball and found the book to be much more about life in general with applications to me as an individual, as well as what I hope to see happen at the College.
My favorite part of the book was a little section where he talked about making each day a masterpiece. Wooden wrote, "Too often we get distracted by what's outside our control. You can't do anything about yesterday. The door to the past has been shut and the key thrown away. You can do nothing about tomorrow. It is yet to come. However, tomorrow is in large part determined by what you do today. So make today a masterpiece. You have control over that" (p. 11). He has a simple rule for making this happen - apply yourself each day to become a little better. If you do that, over time, you'll become a lot better. When I think about all the continuous quality improvement efforts in business and higher education - and their associated complex frameworks...I like Coach Wooden's take on things - just get a little better every day and commit to that over a long period of time and you'll be amazed at what you accomplish. This idea has a great deal of power in its simplicity when I think of our Strategic Plan and how the next five years may unfold for us at MVCC - we just need to work at it each and every day and try to get a little better as we go.
I was also struck by his indirect approach to focusing his teams. He underscored the fact that winning was not their goal - rather, it was a by-product of their primary focus, which was playing well together as a team. I quickly gravitated toward this notion. I don't see increases in enrollment, graduation or retention rate as our primary focus. I see the pursuit of our vision by fulfilling our mission through the animation of our core values as the focus and, like winning ten national championships, all of the other accomplishments and successes are natural by-products from a collective focus on what matters most.
Perhaps inspired by Dr. Eannace in her last post, I'll close with a poem that Coach Wooden inserts from sportswriter Grantland Rice. I think it applies to sports, theatre, work and life in general.
How to be a Champion
You wonder how they do it,
You look to see the knack,
You watch the foot in action,
Or the shoulder or the back.
But when you spot the answer
Where the higher glamours lurk,
You'll find in moving higher
Up the laurel-covered spire,
That most of it is practice,
And the rest of it is work.
As ever, I'd appreciate your thoughts and insights - presblog@mvcc.edu.
My favorite part of the book was a little section where he talked about making each day a masterpiece. Wooden wrote, "Too often we get distracted by what's outside our control. You can't do anything about yesterday. The door to the past has been shut and the key thrown away. You can do nothing about tomorrow. It is yet to come. However, tomorrow is in large part determined by what you do today. So make today a masterpiece. You have control over that" (p. 11). He has a simple rule for making this happen - apply yourself each day to become a little better. If you do that, over time, you'll become a lot better. When I think about all the continuous quality improvement efforts in business and higher education - and their associated complex frameworks...I like Coach Wooden's take on things - just get a little better every day and commit to that over a long period of time and you'll be amazed at what you accomplish. This idea has a great deal of power in its simplicity when I think of our Strategic Plan and how the next five years may unfold for us at MVCC - we just need to work at it each and every day and try to get a little better as we go.
I was also struck by his indirect approach to focusing his teams. He underscored the fact that winning was not their goal - rather, it was a by-product of their primary focus, which was playing well together as a team. I quickly gravitated toward this notion. I don't see increases in enrollment, graduation or retention rate as our primary focus. I see the pursuit of our vision by fulfilling our mission through the animation of our core values as the focus and, like winning ten national championships, all of the other accomplishments and successes are natural by-products from a collective focus on what matters most.
Perhaps inspired by Dr. Eannace in her last post, I'll close with a poem that Coach Wooden inserts from sportswriter Grantland Rice. I think it applies to sports, theatre, work and life in general.
How to be a Champion
You wonder how they do it,
You look to see the knack,
You watch the foot in action,
Or the shoulder or the back.
But when you spot the answer
Where the higher glamours lurk,
You'll find in moving higher
Up the laurel-covered spire,
That most of it is practice,
And the rest of it is work.
As ever, I'd appreciate your thoughts and insights - presblog@mvcc.edu.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Academic Affairs Structure Review
The President’s Think Tank recently encouraged me to write a post with an update on the status of reorganization considerations in the Academic Affairs area. I asked our VP for Learning and Academic Affairs, Dr. Maryrose Eannace, for a sense of where she is in leading the process. Dr. Eannace subsequently provided me with the following, that I think serves as a wonderful perspective on process as well as spirit – I rightly have left it in tact for your review.
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EXHORTATION AND INVITATION
A Guest Blog by Dr. Maryrose Eannace
How do we go about re-organizing the Academic Affairs Unit? With the collaborative and creative input of involved community members! With courage, positive anticipation, maybe a frisson of fear and a dose of caution. Alice Walker, in a commencement address to the graduates of the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco (May 2002), shared the following Hopi exhortation:
We have been telling the people that this is the
Eleventh Hour
Now we must go back and tell the people this is the
Hour
And there are things to be considered:
Where are you living?
What are you doing?
Are you in right relation?
Where is your water?
Know your garden.
It is time to speak your truth.
Create your community.
Be good to each other.
And do not look outside yourself for the leader.
This could be a good time!
There is a river flowing now very fast
It is so great and swift that there are those who will be afraid.
They will try to hold on to the shore.
They will feel they are being torn apart and they will suffer greatly.
Know the river has its destination.
The Elders say we must let go of the shore, and
push off and into the river, keep our eyes open, and
our head above the water.
See who is in there with you and Celebrate.
At this time in history, we are to take nothing personally.
Least of all, ourselves.
For the moment that we do, our spiritual growth
and journey comes to a halt.
The time of the lone wolf is over.
Gather yourselves!
Banish the word “struggle” from your attitude and
your vocabulary.
All that you do now must be done in a sacred manner
And in celebration.
“We are the ones we have been waiting for…”
--The Elders, Hopi Nation, Oraibi, Arizona
As quoted in Walker’s We Are the Ones We Have Been Waiting For, New Press 2006.
For the past four months, I have been gathering thoughts, ideas and opinions about effective and exciting potential structures for our Academic Unit from members of our college community, colleagues in the SUNY community college network and many others. A small design group has been busy researching and constructing models of what might work for us. The timeline is pressing, driven by strategic indicators (our vision) and an ever challenging budget (our current realities).
This month and next, I will be holding conversation forums with unit faculty and staff. All interested community members are welcome. The first conversation is scheduled for Monday, November 24th from 12:30-2:00 in IT225 and the second is slated for Thursday, December 4th from 2:30-4:00 at PH300. I am also happy to meet with individuals and groups at other times. The goal during this stage is to generate lists of possibilities that we can craft into workable, effective models for richer academic engagement and strategic goal fulfillment.
In January 2009, we will examine a proposed re-organization model for the Academic Affairs unit, with an expectation of feedback and refinement. By early February, we will be putting budget numbers to the model, with anticipated adjustments based on budget dictates. By March, I would expect to take the proposal to the President’s Cabinet. If all goes well, the Board of Trustees should have the final proposal in hand for their review by April. By May, we should start planning for transition.
Phew! It feels something like a gallop! But I’m inspired by Margaret Wheatley’s exhortations, in her Leadership and the New Science, concerning change and restructuring. She encourages us to “analyze wholeness,” recognizing how change will affect the whole and she suggests that “If we can’t analyze wholeness, how then do we learn to know it?”(140). I delight in her suggestion that appreciating system dynamics and individuals is a “dance of discovery” (143).
As we move forward together, in our ever-changing, ever-responsive college community, I invite you to think about replacing “struggle” with “celebration.” I invite your creativity, your “huzzah moments” (which I define as bigger than an “aha moment” and closer to an epiphany—but less overworked.) I also respectfully suggest that we honor the history that brought us to this strong place of potential and change—and that we not let that history tether us to the banks. “The river has its destination.” We are on our journey together—with our eyes open, our head above water—in celebration of the journey and the destination.
If you have any thoughts on her commentary, you can contact Dr. Eannace at meannace@mvcc.edu.
---------------------------------------------
EXHORTATION AND INVITATION
A Guest Blog by Dr. Maryrose Eannace
How do we go about re-organizing the Academic Affairs Unit? With the collaborative and creative input of involved community members! With courage, positive anticipation, maybe a frisson of fear and a dose of caution. Alice Walker, in a commencement address to the graduates of the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco (May 2002), shared the following Hopi exhortation:
We have been telling the people that this is the
Eleventh Hour
Now we must go back and tell the people this is the
Hour
And there are things to be considered:
Where are you living?
What are you doing?
Are you in right relation?
Where is your water?
Know your garden.
It is time to speak your truth.
Create your community.
Be good to each other.
And do not look outside yourself for the leader.
This could be a good time!
There is a river flowing now very fast
It is so great and swift that there are those who will be afraid.
They will try to hold on to the shore.
They will feel they are being torn apart and they will suffer greatly.
Know the river has its destination.
The Elders say we must let go of the shore, and
push off and into the river, keep our eyes open, and
our head above the water.
See who is in there with you and Celebrate.
At this time in history, we are to take nothing personally.
Least of all, ourselves.
For the moment that we do, our spiritual growth
and journey comes to a halt.
The time of the lone wolf is over.
Gather yourselves!
Banish the word “struggle” from your attitude and
your vocabulary.
All that you do now must be done in a sacred manner
And in celebration.
“We are the ones we have been waiting for…”
--The Elders, Hopi Nation, Oraibi, Arizona
As quoted in Walker’s We Are the Ones We Have Been Waiting For, New Press 2006.
For the past four months, I have been gathering thoughts, ideas and opinions about effective and exciting potential structures for our Academic Unit from members of our college community, colleagues in the SUNY community college network and many others. A small design group has been busy researching and constructing models of what might work for us. The timeline is pressing, driven by strategic indicators (our vision) and an ever challenging budget (our current realities).
This month and next, I will be holding conversation forums with unit faculty and staff. All interested community members are welcome. The first conversation is scheduled for Monday, November 24th from 12:30-2:00 in IT225 and the second is slated for Thursday, December 4th from 2:30-4:00 at PH300. I am also happy to meet with individuals and groups at other times. The goal during this stage is to generate lists of possibilities that we can craft into workable, effective models for richer academic engagement and strategic goal fulfillment.
In January 2009, we will examine a proposed re-organization model for the Academic Affairs unit, with an expectation of feedback and refinement. By early February, we will be putting budget numbers to the model, with anticipated adjustments based on budget dictates. By March, I would expect to take the proposal to the President’s Cabinet. If all goes well, the Board of Trustees should have the final proposal in hand for their review by April. By May, we should start planning for transition.
Phew! It feels something like a gallop! But I’m inspired by Margaret Wheatley’s exhortations, in her Leadership and the New Science, concerning change and restructuring. She encourages us to “analyze wholeness,” recognizing how change will affect the whole and she suggests that “If we can’t analyze wholeness, how then do we learn to know it?”(140). I delight in her suggestion that appreciating system dynamics and individuals is a “dance of discovery” (143).
As we move forward together, in our ever-changing, ever-responsive college community, I invite you to think about replacing “struggle” with “celebration.” I invite your creativity, your “huzzah moments” (which I define as bigger than an “aha moment” and closer to an epiphany—but less overworked.) I also respectfully suggest that we honor the history that brought us to this strong place of potential and change—and that we not let that history tether us to the banks. “The river has its destination.” We are on our journey together—with our eyes open, our head above water—in celebration of the journey and the destination.
If you have any thoughts on her commentary, you can contact Dr. Eannace at meannace@mvcc.edu.
Monday, November 10, 2008
Student Success & Community Involvement
A colleague of mine recently asked me about my blog - "how do you ever find enough to write about every week?” Sometimes it comes from just experiencing all MVCC has to offer. In the past few weeks, I've seen how our mission of promoting student success and community involvement through a commitment to excellence and a spirit of service takes shape beyond our classes.
Cultural Series
I had the opportunity to attend the fall musical, Fantasticks. The hard work of the faculty and students was clear to see in such wonderful performances after just a few weeks of the semester. Last week, I had a chance to join some criminal justice students and faculty to meet New York Times and syndicated writer Randy Cohen prior to his lecture at the Utica Campus. I'm looking forward to meeting Jean Kilbourne when she visits the College this Friday. All of the Cultural Series events are open to the public, many are free while some performances have a small admission fee (usually around $5) and provide our students with outstanding experiences. For more information, visit http://www.mvcc.edu/culture.
Athletic Success
At MVCC, student success and learning happens outside of class in meaningful ways. In addition to the cultural series, our 20 athletic teams provide hundreds of athletes with tremendous learning opportunities. I recently watched our men's and women's cross country track teams qualify for the national competition. Being that this was the first cross country meet I'd ever attended, I was fortunate to have the full experience. I was told that it was a perfect, standard day for a cross country meet in New York - persistent rain, a chilling breeze and about 52 degrees. That didn't stop our teams from qualifying and going on to have the women's team take the national championship and the men's team place second. This past weekend, I watched the men's and women's basketball championship games in the 8th annual Torcia Classic. Both of our teams lost solid leads in the second half, only to learn what it means to never give up and pull together for dramatic victories in both games. In addition to the success they experience in competitions like these, our student athletes are committed to community involvement through volunteering for different fundraisers and participation in community events.
Smarter than a Fifth Grader
A great example of promoting student success and community involvement was the recent “Smarter than a Fifth Grader” competition. WUTR organized the event and MVCC was the presenting partner. Nine finalists along with their adult teammates competed in the 2nd annual event. The questions ranged from geometry to geography, with U.S. presidential trivia and a few Nickelodeon fifth grade pop culture questions mixed in. I confess that several of the questions sometimes gave one pause as to whether or not you actually were smarter than a fifth grader. All of the finalists received laptop computers, an MVCC backpack/carrying case and the winner won a large flat screen television and a two-year full tuition scholarship to MVCC. By the time that scholarship comes due in 2016, I can only imagine all of the ways in which our significant mission will come to life beyond the great things we see today.
Cultural Series
I had the opportunity to attend the fall musical, Fantasticks. The hard work of the faculty and students was clear to see in such wonderful performances after just a few weeks of the semester. Last week, I had a chance to join some criminal justice students and faculty to meet New York Times and syndicated writer Randy Cohen prior to his lecture at the Utica Campus. I'm looking forward to meeting Jean Kilbourne when she visits the College this Friday. All of the Cultural Series events are open to the public, many are free while some performances have a small admission fee (usually around $5) and provide our students with outstanding experiences. For more information, visit http://www.mvcc.edu/culture.
Athletic Success
At MVCC, student success and learning happens outside of class in meaningful ways. In addition to the cultural series, our 20 athletic teams provide hundreds of athletes with tremendous learning opportunities. I recently watched our men's and women's cross country track teams qualify for the national competition. Being that this was the first cross country meet I'd ever attended, I was fortunate to have the full experience. I was told that it was a perfect, standard day for a cross country meet in New York - persistent rain, a chilling breeze and about 52 degrees. That didn't stop our teams from qualifying and going on to have the women's team take the national championship and the men's team place second. This past weekend, I watched the men's and women's basketball championship games in the 8th annual Torcia Classic. Both of our teams lost solid leads in the second half, only to learn what it means to never give up and pull together for dramatic victories in both games. In addition to the success they experience in competitions like these, our student athletes are committed to community involvement through volunteering for different fundraisers and participation in community events.
Smarter than a Fifth Grader
A great example of promoting student success and community involvement was the recent “Smarter than a Fifth Grader” competition. WUTR organized the event and MVCC was the presenting partner. Nine finalists along with their adult teammates competed in the 2nd annual event. The questions ranged from geometry to geography, with U.S. presidential trivia and a few Nickelodeon fifth grade pop culture questions mixed in. I confess that several of the questions sometimes gave one pause as to whether or not you actually were smarter than a fifth grader. All of the finalists received laptop computers, an MVCC backpack/carrying case and the winner won a large flat screen television and a two-year full tuition scholarship to MVCC. By the time that scholarship comes due in 2016, I can only imagine all of the ways in which our significant mission will come to life beyond the great things we see today.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
Empowerment and Action
I firmly believe that individuals achieve their greatest successes when they become part of something larger than themselves. I also believe that we achieve our best when we succeed as a community. Community, no matter how you define it (global, national, city, neighborhood, campus), can only succeed if those involved are committed and empowered. Certainly our country’s most recent national elections prove that point.
As I sat in the Commons of the Academic Building earlier this week, trying to encourage others to participate in our mock presidential election, I enjoyed my interaction with students. I also enjoyed the social experiment element, in terms of gaining a window on what motivates people to participate. What are the intellectual and emotional processes that drive individuals to turn toward an unknown direction or untested proposal? Why do some people want to engage in and learn more about new ideas, while others act like they don't hear or see the call to gain their attention? Reflecting on an historic presidential election - the first in fifty years without an incumbent President or Vice President on either ticket - I think about those who chose not to vote; not to engage; not to participate. While tens of millions of Americans fulfilled their obligation to vote last Tuesday, millions of others stayed home.
What is the price that comes from choosing to sit idly while afforded opportunity passes by?
I've been thinking about that question a lot lately, both in terms of the election and in terms of how our faculty and staff engage in the life of the College. If opportunities offered faculty and staff are not engaged, how is the institution’s direction affected? When does the accumulation of missed opportunities lead to institutional stagnation or, worse, willing complacency?
The American Heritage Dictionary definition of empowerment is, "to equip or supply with an ability; to enable." If people don't believe they are empowered, feel empowered or act empowered, how do they move forward? What advantage is there to providing opportunity for engagement if those involved are unable or unwilling to trust the validity of the offer?
Because our mission is so critically important to individual students and our greater community, success or crisis on campus is – or should be - a shared commodity. The triumph or failure of one department should prompt the pride or concern of all. We should all be proud then when, each year, hundreds of smiling associate degree and certificate holders cross our commencement stage on their way to achieving their life goals. In the same breath, we should all be concerned when one student fails to thrive!
As an institution dedicated to the realization of human potential, our sense of connection comes only when we engage in things beyond the j-o-b. This type of engagement comes only through individual empowerment. I recognize that the primary condition that allows individuals, offices, and departments to feel and act empowered is multi-level leadership that understands how to support opportunities that enable. It also requires balance, dialogue, teamwork, and...oh, I almost forgot...time.
I believe MVCC stands at a point of demarcation - a point at which a cultural shift has the opportunity to occur. For that to happen, we all need to nurture it every day we come to work, through actively empowered engagement! I'd appreciate your thoughts on empowerment and the journey ahead. Share your thoughts with me at presblog@mvcc.edu.
As I sat in the Commons of the Academic Building earlier this week, trying to encourage others to participate in our mock presidential election, I enjoyed my interaction with students. I also enjoyed the social experiment element, in terms of gaining a window on what motivates people to participate. What are the intellectual and emotional processes that drive individuals to turn toward an unknown direction or untested proposal? Why do some people want to engage in and learn more about new ideas, while others act like they don't hear or see the call to gain their attention? Reflecting on an historic presidential election - the first in fifty years without an incumbent President or Vice President on either ticket - I think about those who chose not to vote; not to engage; not to participate. While tens of millions of Americans fulfilled their obligation to vote last Tuesday, millions of others stayed home.
What is the price that comes from choosing to sit idly while afforded opportunity passes by?
I've been thinking about that question a lot lately, both in terms of the election and in terms of how our faculty and staff engage in the life of the College. If opportunities offered faculty and staff are not engaged, how is the institution’s direction affected? When does the accumulation of missed opportunities lead to institutional stagnation or, worse, willing complacency?
The American Heritage Dictionary definition of empowerment is, "to equip or supply with an ability; to enable." If people don't believe they are empowered, feel empowered or act empowered, how do they move forward? What advantage is there to providing opportunity for engagement if those involved are unable or unwilling to trust the validity of the offer?
Because our mission is so critically important to individual students and our greater community, success or crisis on campus is – or should be - a shared commodity. The triumph or failure of one department should prompt the pride or concern of all. We should all be proud then when, each year, hundreds of smiling associate degree and certificate holders cross our commencement stage on their way to achieving their life goals. In the same breath, we should all be concerned when one student fails to thrive!
As an institution dedicated to the realization of human potential, our sense of connection comes only when we engage in things beyond the j-o-b. This type of engagement comes only through individual empowerment. I recognize that the primary condition that allows individuals, offices, and departments to feel and act empowered is multi-level leadership that understands how to support opportunities that enable. It also requires balance, dialogue, teamwork, and...oh, I almost forgot...time.
I believe MVCC stands at a point of demarcation - a point at which a cultural shift has the opportunity to occur. For that to happen, we all need to nurture it every day we come to work, through actively empowered engagement! I'd appreciate your thoughts on empowerment and the journey ahead. Share your thoughts with me at presblog@mvcc.edu.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Building the Brand
Brand. We all know it when we see it. The curved checkmark embraced and modified by Nike to now be known as the “swoosh.” The white script on red background that will always spell out Coca-Cola. The team of draft horses and catchy jingle that for years represented Budweiser (and still does at holiday time). Think about where and when you’ve seen these brands – and in what context – and you are likely reflecting on the process of integrated marketing.
The American Marketing Association defines integrated marketing as “a planning process designed to assure that all brand contacts received by a customer or prospect for a product, service, or organization are relevant to that person and consistent over time” (Brand is defined as a product's attributes — name, appearance, reputation, and so on — taken collectively and abstractly).
Integrated marketing begins with branding. While we can relate visually to Nike’s swoosh, we are also relating subliminally to all the characteristics that the swoosh represents – physical fitness, excellent athletic apparel, exceptional sports performance are just a few. These are the attributes of Nike’s brand, and consumers expect these attributes and a lot more every time they come in contact with Nike marketing, such as purchasing a Nike product, watching a Nike-sponsored sporting event, or hearing from an athlete who endorses Nike apparel.
If we were to define a brand for MVCC, what attributes would be included? Excellent education? Friendly and welcoming atmosphere? Convenience and flexibility? What would our brand look like? Tea leaves? A hawk? What would our brand promise be?
The college’s Marketing and Communications department, with my support, will be conducting focus groups across the college, to collect faculty, staff and student opinions on branding, through an exercise known as the Brand Platform. The Brand Platform is a five-step process designed to elicit our best thinking about brand purpose, values, positioning, personality and promise. Working with many of the current college committees, we will try to survey as many of you as possible so that our brand development is as informed as it can be. Our goal is to complete the surveying process by December, so that branding – the first step in achieving truly integrated marketing – can be developed and finalized during the spring.
I know many of you have clear opinions on what the college should represent to our students, and what it should not. Please share your answers to the questions above by emailing me at presblog@mvcc.edu.
The American Marketing Association defines integrated marketing as “a planning process designed to assure that all brand contacts received by a customer or prospect for a product, service, or organization are relevant to that person and consistent over time” (Brand is defined as a product's attributes — name, appearance, reputation, and so on — taken collectively and abstractly).
Integrated marketing begins with branding. While we can relate visually to Nike’s swoosh, we are also relating subliminally to all the characteristics that the swoosh represents – physical fitness, excellent athletic apparel, exceptional sports performance are just a few. These are the attributes of Nike’s brand, and consumers expect these attributes and a lot more every time they come in contact with Nike marketing, such as purchasing a Nike product, watching a Nike-sponsored sporting event, or hearing from an athlete who endorses Nike apparel.
If we were to define a brand for MVCC, what attributes would be included? Excellent education? Friendly and welcoming atmosphere? Convenience and flexibility? What would our brand look like? Tea leaves? A hawk? What would our brand promise be?
The college’s Marketing and Communications department, with my support, will be conducting focus groups across the college, to collect faculty, staff and student opinions on branding, through an exercise known as the Brand Platform. The Brand Platform is a five-step process designed to elicit our best thinking about brand purpose, values, positioning, personality and promise. Working with many of the current college committees, we will try to survey as many of you as possible so that our brand development is as informed as it can be. Our goal is to complete the surveying process by December, so that branding – the first step in achieving truly integrated marketing – can be developed and finalized during the spring.
I know many of you have clear opinions on what the college should represent to our students, and what it should not. Please share your answers to the questions above by emailing me at presblog@mvcc.edu.
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