April 9, 2008

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

MCCC RECOGNIZES NATIONAL
COMMUNITY COLLEGE MONTH

College to Participate in Community College Day Activities at Capitol on April 15

MONROE, Mich. – April is National Community College Month, and MCCC and its sister community colleges throughout the state are celebrating the integral role two-year colleges play in the preparation and development of the state’s workforce.

On Tuesday, April 15, MCCC President Dr. David Nixon, Director of Marketing Joe Verkennes and student Marge Wynn will join lawmakers and representatives and students from community colleges statewide in a gathering at the Capitol in Lansing to honor the state’s 28 two-year institutions.

The event, Community College Day in Michigan, will take place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Speaker’s Library at the State Capitol building.

Since 1914, community colleges have striven to provide affordable and convenient higher education opportunities to Michigan residents – serving both traditional and nontraditional students. Today’s community colleges play an integral role in the preparation and development of the state’s workforce.

Wynn, a resident of Monroe, is a nontraditional student who enrolled at MCCC after a lengthy career in public relations and advertising to pursue a new career path:  elementary education with a focus on art.  In addition to her studies, she also works as a student assistant in two offices at MCCC – the Office of Institutional Advancement and the Office of Instruction.

With a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Michigan State University, Wynn is one of the many college graduates across the county who are turning to more-affordable community college programs to maximize the return on their educational investment.

“This is an exciting trend that we’re seeing at Monroe County Community College and at community colleges across the nation,” said Dr. David Nixon, president of MCCC, noting that surveys show that more than half of all students taking courses at a community colleges already hold four-year degrees.

“So many people who have earned their bachelor’s degrees are coming back to colleges like ours to receive ongoing training that community colleges are evolving into the graduate schools of the future.  It has really created significant new opportunities in our commitment toward lifelong learning.”

A recent economic impact study by CC Benefits, Inc. quantified the economic returns of MCCC and the role it plays in preparing the local workforce.  A few highlights include:

• Every dollar invested by a student means $10.20 in higher future earnings for the student over his or her career.
• For every tax dollar appropriated, taxpayers see a cumulative return $6.70 over the course of each MCCC student’s working career.
• Close to 20 percent of Monroe County’s economic growth comes from the productivity of MCCC’s students and alumni, as well as the college’s operations and capital spending.
• For every credit a student earns, the state and local community avoid $14 in social costs.