MCC - Penn Valley is engaging the community in several new initiatives, President Bernard Franklin announced in a Community Meeting held Thursday afternoon, October 5. Dr. Franklin addressed an audience of about 75 staff, faculty, and community members in room 005 of the Humanities building, then answered questions and moderated discussion.
"We're in the process of doing the assessment, trying to determine whether we think this community will give up a certain dollar amount, probably somewhere in the area of $20-25 million," said Franklin.
He said a grant proposal was already being worked out with the Kauffman Foundation for up to $5 million, in addition to negotiations with the state that should yield at least $6 million.
Inviting input on how the funds could be invested at the Pioneer and Penn Valley campuses, Franklin said a survey (or pre-test) would be online later this month, which he hopes everyone will fill out. An evaluation, or post-test, will follow once the grant monies are received, he said.
"Projects have been submitted; the officers are having a full-day retreat on November 7 to look at all the projects, narrow them down, and come up with a plan," said Franklin.
The Nursing and Allied Health Sciences Facility is one project that is still in the planning stage. Franklin said it will be only 3-4 more months before final decisions are made on the plans they're looking at, but that those decisions will take Penn Valley 25-30 years into the future.
 Franklin at Meeting |
"I believe we can have another strong program in this area," he explained, comparing the proposed facility to the one currently operated by Johnson County Community College on the Kansas side of the state line.
Plans for a new Enrollment Center are temporarily on hold while student services are reviewed and coordinated, said Franklin. The Center would enable students to stay in a single location while enrolling in five easy steps, which would be the same on any campus in the district.
"I think it'll be worth the wait, when we get it," Franklin said.
He also said that the new Strategic Planning Group will be assuming more leadership roles in the coming year.
"I'm really proud to lead this group of people that represents a cross-section of the campus working together, collaboratively," said Tracy Hall, Associate Dean, when introduced by Dr. Franklin.
As part of the district's strategic plan, Franklin said, Penn Valley will be getting more involved in the K-12 (kindergarten through high school) process.
"If we're going to get students we want, we're going to have to engage K-12 in that process," he said.
A program called KC Prep, which has received a grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, will partner with Penn Valley in improving health education in the pre-college grades, said Franklin.
He said that he and a leadership group of Penn Valley staff had met with local high school administrators: "It was very clear to us that we needed to have this conversation, since there was a disconnect between us and them over what we need students to know by the time they get here."
"Students need more than ninth grade math if they want to have health careers, and they come here," he said.
The effort is meant to redesign curricula so that they mesh together, and make teachers aware of what students will need at the higher education level. Franklin said that the new superintendent of the Kansas City, Missouri School District, Mr. Anthony Amato, seemed willing to help, but also has high expectations of Penn Valley.
"This is a very bright superintendent who wants to engage the public, and has lots of ideas," Franklin said. "I look forward to working with him, and to the day, five or ten years from now, when students can get through our school without a lot of remediation."
Franklin said another new way of reaching out to the community would be the Alumni Banquet, to be held the following evening, Friday, October 6. "We need them, we need their voices, especially when we start the capital campaign," he said.
Franklin also announced that an African-American Leadership Luncheon would be held later this month. He said there is a feeling in the community that Penn Valley has disconnected somewhat with the black community, and his idea is to start a genuine dialogue.
"We want to talk about mentorship, about support, about ways we can connect with students already on campus," he said.
"We also plan to have a luncheon for the Latino community," he added. He said he understood that Latinos especially have felt disengaged from Penn Valley, and he hoped, among other goals, to connect with Latino students who currently go across state lines for education.
Food service has greatly improved at Penn Valley, Franklin continued. "There are still things we can do, and that we are pressing them to do. We're going to work on that, but I still need you to tell them as well. Tell Treat America you'll come back if they do this, or clean up that."
Franklin said he appreciated everyone's patience in helping to provide handicapped parking on the Penn Valley campus. He said it might be an inconvenience for some, but it's been a great help to many, giving them access they need.
An open discussion on a range of topics then followed. A general consensus emerged on the obligations of Penn Valley in service to the greater metro area, especially with its health sciences training programs.
Addressing feelings that Penn Valley is somehow a "rougher" campus because of its location, Franklin said, "It's a misguided, misinformed perception...a perception problem. Other campuses, such as Maple Woods, are far more spread out, more difficult to control."
He pointed out that the statistics on Penn Valley crime were no worse, and in some areas better, than other campuses. Concern was voiced about negative attitude in some students, but several teachers seemed to agree that while there might be more urban clothing and behavior at Penn Valley, the response should be more tolerant than judgmental.
Noting that it's a hot button topic, Franklin suggested that more time be set aside very soon to focus specifically on this and related diversity issues. He said a higher approach is required, since while many students may be in their early twenties, they're in many ways "still children, in a state of arrested development."
Dr. Karen Curls, Social Sciences Chair, said she had taught at all the MCC campuses, and Penn Valley was not the problem. "A student who has a problem at Penn Valley is the same as one who has a problem at any of the other campuses," she said. "Students react to the culture we provide for them."
Dr. Franklin said as a new community member himself, he agreed that "we probably ought to have some conversations about the culture and building we provide."
He concluded by saying, "We'll do that. We'll get a meeting on the book." He said he wants to engage the community to help build a "really fine institution, for students of all backgrounds to come and do well here. So I need you to work together, to be a family together, be a team!"
Before the meeting adjourned, Dr. Al Dimmitt, Dean of Instruction, remarked, "There isn't another college in the district that has a group of people, a community, working with a vision in mind, as ambitiously as this community is."
"There's no better campus to be at than Penn Valley at this time," he said, and the audience applauded.
Copyright 2006 Metropolitan Community College