The start of fall is always a great time to be at Tallahassee Community College. The campus is busy with students again! Some of you are returning and, hopefully, ready to get back in the swing of things. Some of you are taking your first steps onto a college campus and starting a new chapter in your life. Either way, we are excited you chose TCC as part of your journey and can’t wait to see how far you’ll go….
Tuesday marked an important milestone for nonprofits in our community. The Institute for Nonprofit Innovation and Excellence officially opened in its new permanent home at the TCC Capitol Center. It’s been a long journey to get here. I remember shortly after I became president at TCC being approached by several area nonprofit leaders about the lack of advocacy efforts for their sector in our area. Having served on multiple boards, I already knew the impact that nonprofits have on our…
At the TCC District Board of Trustees meeting on Monday, we had a very productive workshop and unanimous vote of approval on the College’s 2016-17 operating budget. I am very pleased to share that all eligible full-time TCC employees will receive a 2 percent increase in base salary starting in October. Our trustees agree with the administration’s recognition that you all deserve this pay increase for the quality work you do. In addition to the pay increase, the College is…
To TCC Faculty and Staff: I want to update you on the current state of affairs concerning some full-time faculty colleagues who are proposing to form a union at Tallahassee Community College. Everyone should be aware of the facts around the situation so they can make educated decisions moving forward. TCC is an incredible institution. I credit this to a shared passion we all have to see our students succeed. Our faculty members are key to this success and it is…
One day last week I happened to look out my office window and saw a familiar sight for this time of year – a student dressed in full graduation regalia taking pictures with her friends in front of the Tallahassee Community College sign. That day had been a particularly demanding one, but as I witnessed the soon-to-be-graduate’s pride in her achievement and her alma mater all my concerns were momentarily set aside. She didn’t know it, but she had instantly…
As most of you know, 2016 is our 50th anniversary as a college. Over the course of those 50 years we have grown and changed, sometimes in response to changing needs and often as a result of inspired leaders whose vision and leadership guided the college through periods of great challenge. As we moved into our 50th anniversary year, I learned things that have been especially moving for me. In the past three months, I’ve heard stories from our rich history that…
Taking time to be retrospective is a wonderful exercise. Months ago when we started preparing for TCC’s 50th Anniversary year we spent a lot of time looking back, from the foundation of the College to today, and who helped us along the way. The photos and documents we pulled from the archives, some of which dated back years before the doors even opened, were a wonderful reminder of our rich history and the significance of our institution. With our anniversary…
Every organization has a certain amount of inertia or velocity with which it moves steadily forward. This forward momentum is almost never the result of one massive push, but rather many small and determined pushes that are motivated by a collective desire for progress. I have the honor of being at the helm of Tallahassee Community College as we celebrate our landmark 50th anniversary. This institution has seen some of the most hardworking, most dedicated people come through its doors…
As we approach our winter break and the end of another calendar year, I would like to take a moment to share just some of the many highlights from 2015 and express my heartfelt gratitude to all those who make this College a success each and every day. TCC was one of 16 colleges nationwide to be named among the 2015 Promising Places to Work in Community Colleges by the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development and “Diverse: Issues…
Last week, I took part in an open forum with our classified staff and noticed an underlying theme of much of the discussion was change – in our enrollment, in our business processes, in our organizational structure. I also heard a lot of anxiety, and understandably so. We’re setting ambitious goals and deadlines for ourselves right now with many different projects and transitions happening simultaneously. For example, our newest leadership addition, Provost Feleccia Moore-Davis, has proposed a number of ideas…