In its newly released 2024-2025 Annual Year in Review, “Together We Transform Lives,” Montgomery County Community College details a year defined by academic excellence, student and employee achievements, community engagement and economic growth. From earning regional reaccreditation with accolades to launching an innovative Hospitality Institute, MCCC continues to demonstrate its leadership in higher education and an unwavering commitment to student success.

“Montgomery County Community College’s value extends far beyond our campuses,” said Dr. Vicki Bastecki-Perez, MCCC President. “We are a gateway to opportunity, providing access to high-quality education, preparing a skilled workforce and driving economic growth. The College remains deeply committed to empowering all learners, transforming lives and strengthening the region for generations to come.”

During the 2024-2025 academic year, MCCC achieved a major academic milestone with full reaccreditation by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. The College received 13 commendations in the evaluation team report, with zero recommendations or reporting requirements.

“Our more than two-year re-accreditation journey provided a meaningful opportunity to reflect on our progress, reaffirm our commitment to continuous improvement and demonstrate our  dedication to exceeding standards of excellence for the success of our students,” said Dr. Bastecki-Perez.

In addition to this academic milestone, College celebrated the opening of a state-of-the-art Hospitality Institute on the Blue Bell Campus as part of its 60th anniversary commemoration. The building features modern kitchens and a custom wood-burning pizza oven, as well as live learning laboratories, Bakery 340 and Bistro 1964, which are open to the public on limited schedules. The new facility will prepare students for high-demand occupations in the restaurant and hospitality industries, supporting workforce needs across Montgomery County and the region.

The report also recognizes the achievements of the Class of 2025, which included 1,263 graduates who collectively earned 1,299 degrees and certificates. Among them were 462 first generation students, 98 nursing graduates, 60 education majors, 30 veterans, 23 Municipal Police Academy graduates and four All-Pennsylvania Academic Team members. Mechanical engineering graduate, Joshu’wa Reid, was the recipient of the prestigious national Jack Kent Cooke Foundation Scholarship, receiving up to $55,000 annually up to three years to complete his bachelor’s degree (the second recipient in the past two years).

The report also features employee achievements during the academic year, including the international 2024-2025 Innovation of the Year Award by The League for Innovation for MCCC’s “Virtual Reality for Public Speaking Skills” project. This initiative uses virtual reality glasses to help students overcome their fear of public speaking. The project involved the collaboration of several employees: Dr. Shuktara Das, Research Director; Meredith Frank, Communication Studies Assistant Professor; Dr. Bridget Haines-Frank, Executive Director of Institutional Effectiveness; Matthew Kilbride, Academic Technologies Innovation Specialist; and Jeslin Mathew, Communication Studies Assistant Professor.

The Annual Year in Review demonstrates MCCC’s economic impact and return on investment for students and the communities the College serves. According to a Lightcast Economic Impact study, for every dollar invested, students gain $4.70 in lifetime earnings, taxpayers gain $2.30 in added tax revenue and public sector savings and society gains $9.30 in added income and social savings. The College has added $817.1 million in total income in 2021-2022 to the region and supported 9,139 jobs.

To learn more about YOUR community college, read the full Annual Year in Review at mc3.edu/yir.