Annual Report 2015-16

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i appointed faculty and staff co-chairs and a Cabinet representative to each of the
seven Self-Study subcommittees and over 100 individuals from across the College
accepted my invitation to serve as a member on one of these committees. i anticipate
that members of our Board of Trustees will, for the first time, also play an active role
on these committees.
we are currently engaged in the two-year Self-Study process, which began with a
preparation visit by Middle States vice President Dr. ellie fogarty in April. At the
conclusion of her visit, Dr. fogarty commended the College’s Steering Committee for
the quality and comprehensiveness of its Self-Study Design document. She went on
to compliment the College for the plan’s inclusive approach, the early launch of a
reaccreditation website, and the fact that we already have student representation on
our committees. Dr. fogarty also praised the intended outcomes developed by the
seven working groups as being sufficiently descriptive and analytical enough to guide
each committee’s work. in July, we were advised that MSCHe had approved our
Self-Study Design Plan, entitled “rough education Comes Transformation and
economic empowerment.” e College is now progressing along the timeline toward
its Self-Study evaluation team visit, scheduled for the spring of 2018. it is also notable
to mention that we have already initiated use of a new tracking software that will serve
to keep this project organized and running smoothly. e Self-Study website
(available at will be
frequently updated as the Self-Study progresses over the next two years. is work is
continuous and, as President, i will ensure that we vigorously maintain the integrity of
the College and the education we provide.
Achieving the Dream
is past spring, Suffolk County Community College was chosen to participate as a
member of Achieving the Dream’s 2016 cohort. Using a process of reflection and
discussion similar to that which is required of institutions undergoing Middle States
reaccreditation review, Achieving the Dream (AtD) partners with select community
colleges across the country to successfully affect institutional changes that serve to
enhance student success and completion.
AtD’s focus on using evidence-based, student-centered approaches as a method for
infusing values of equity and excellence throughout an institution is not a new
initiative, but is an additional layer to the work already underway by various
committees across the College and through our MSCHe Decennial Self-Study.
To align and monitor progress on these related work efforts, i have asked Dr. Jeffrey
Pedersen, vice President for Planning and institutional effectiveness, and Professor
Paul Basileo from the Ammerman Campus education Technology Unit to lead the
College’s AtD core team as we move forward through this three-year partnership.
e teaching and learning environment leaves the greatest single impression on our
students’ experiences with, and opinions about, this College. it is my goal to see the
AtD effort further refine that student experience.
when the college community returns in the fall, we will begin the Suffolk AtD
conversation by examining data and engaging in deep conversations that address
challenging questions related to our institutional mission and the concept of student
success and equity for all members of our diverse student body, and how best to
ensure that all students finish what they start here at Suffolk. e AtD coaches that
have been assigned to facilitate our participation will visit the College in october
2016 to discuss the initial planning stages. our collective effort will be critical to
smoothing the pathway our students must travel as part of their academic journey.
2015-2016 Review of Accomplishments ❘ 8