Montgomery County Community College started the 2021-2022 academic year celebrating accomplishments and looking ahead to a 'Year of Outcomes.' Screenshot by Eric Devlin
Montgomery County Community College’s Opening Day on Aug. 31 was a day to celebrate the successes of the 2020-2021 academic year and look ahead to an exciting Year of Outcomes.
The event started with Frank X. Custer, Chair of the MCCC Board of Trustees sharing a message of thanks and appreciation.
“I wanted to convey from myself and the Board the gratitude we have for all of your creativity, innovation, hard work and flexibility, especially during COVID,” he said during the virtual ceremony. “All in support of our ultimate goal of supporting students’ success.”
He also said the Montgomery County Commissioners appreciate the many community efforts Montco has done throughout the year.
MCCC President Dr. Victoria Bastecki-Perez warmly welcomed and thanked everyone for their collective contributions to making 2020-2021 a successful year.
“I am extraordinarily humbled, privileged and proud to serve as your sixth president,” she said. “Some of the things I think about and the lessons I learned through this journey last year was empathy, hope, grace, ingenuity and creativity, compassion, taking risks, caring, reprioritizing, not just surviving but thriving and coming together with you, stronger together, to build a brighter future for all whom we serve.”
She said one of the many points of pride for 2020-2021 is the Statement of Values, which was established through an inclusive, interactive and transparent process involving dialogue with the entire college community.
“I’m proud of this statement because it is evergreen, it reflects our half-century past, acknowledges where we are today in the present, and also is poised for the future success of Montgomery County Community College,” she said. “This statement is who we are, what we value and are our core principles moving forward.”
In the September edition of the President’s Report, everyone will be able to reflect upon and celebrate our collective accomplishments from the past year in the Annual Report. The report looks at the holistic support of our students with various partners in our communities and highlights the safe return to our campuses and new facilities project.
This academic year, Montco will focus on the Year of Outcomes. The focus for 2019-2020 was the Year of Belonging, making sure everyone felt at home at Montgomery, and, for 2020-2021, it was the Year of Learning, keeping at the heart of that learning to be equity-minded, inclusive, and culturally responsive, particularly to our students and their needs.
The Year of Outcomes will be focusing on racial equity change efforts and improving student success through an asset-focused lens. Divergent thinking and perspectives will be vital to make plans for today and the future. Working together, the goals for 2021-22 are:
- College Mission, Vision, and Equity Statement Revisions
- 2023-2027 Strategic Plan
- 2023-2033 Facilities Master Plan
- Faculty and Support Staff Negotiations
- Year 1 of the Strategic Employee Workforce Plan
- Strategic Approach for 2025 MSCHE Reaccreditation
Montco’s Equity Statement, “Montgomery County Community College is committed to ensuring that all students receive what they need to be successful through the intentional design of the college experience,” will be key to Montco’s collective work in the year ahead. Working together, we will continue our efforts to ensure that we are truly Montco for All. For more details, see MCCC's Opening Day Welcome Message.
Opening Day continued with the presentation, “Racial Equity Detours,” and discussion based on the article, “Avoiding Racial Equity Detours,” and an Academic Affairs Welcome by Dr. Gloria Oikelome, Vice President of Academic Affairs.