The Conversation on the College’s Future Continues

President Donald Guy Generals convened the first of several planned All-College meetings on October 13, as he pledged to keep College faculty, administrators and staff informed on key issues and promote transparency.

In a memo to employees, Dr. Generals said the purpose is to “continue the conversation about the future” of Community College of Philadelphia. The presentation was video-streamed online to allow participation by employees at the Northeast, Northwest and West Regional Centers.

During the hour-long forum, Dr. Generals covered a range of topics offering updates on Middle States accreditation, enrollment management, emergency response planning, ongoing efforts to support degree and credential completion, the importance of the 50^th anniversary and new data driven analytic tools from Civitas Learning Inc. that can guide and inform decision-making.

Recently, Community College of Philadelphia received recertification as a Leader College for Achieving the Dream, a national nonprofit dedicated to helping more students earn a college certificate or degree. Since the College earned this designation based on recent advancements in student performance, Dr. Generals led the audience in applauding this achievement and congratulating those who had worked hard to support student success.

He, again, shared his vision for developing a community of learners, where stakeholders commit to professional growth and benefit from shared endeavors. He shared a definition of learning from Professor of Psychology Barbara Rogoff of the University of California at Santa Cruz: “Learning occurs when the community participates and engages in shared endeavors stemming from a common belief system as it relates to social, cultural and educational roles.”

In addition, Dr. Generals shared other goals:

• Expand course offerings and services available on the Main Campus on Saturdays starting in Spring 2015.
• Identify a common hour in which there are few classes so that more students can participate in clubs and activities, and faculty and staff can meet and engage in critical dialogues.
• Hire a professional emergency management firm to inventory security and crisis communication needs and help update the College’s plans and protocols.
• Promote, organize and systemize the College’s efforts to promote civic engagement and participate in service learning and experiential learning opportunities.