November2014•IssueFour
SEEING
IMPACT MCC
THE
AT
AnInformationalNetworkofFriendsFromFlintJC,FCC,GCCandCSMCC.
Mott Community College welcomes new President
Dr.BeverlyWalker-GriffeajoinedMottCommunityCollegeasournewpresidentonAugust27,2014.
Dr.Walker-GriffeaservedastheSeniorVicePresidentforStudentServicesatMontgomery
CollegeinRockville,MarylandbeforeacceptingtheMCCpresidentposition.Shehasalsoworked
asvicepresidentforstudentaffairsatThomasNelsonCommunityCollegeinHampton,Virginiaand
priortothatasdeanofstudentdevelopmentatHoustonCommunityCollegeSystem–CentralCollegeinHouston.Herachievementsincludeincreasingstudentenrollmentandenhancingretention
andgraduaterates.Sheisalsocommittedtosupportingtherevitalizationofthecommunity.
“With19yearsofexperienceworkinginacommunitycollegeenvironment,Dr.Walker-Griffea
possessestheskillsneededtobuildonMottCommunityCollege’sstandingasoneofthetop10
communitycollegesintheUnitedStates,”saidLenoreCroudy,ChairoftheMCCBoardofTrustees.
“Herunderstandingofworkforceandeconomicdevelopment,commitmenttocommunityengagementandherabilitytoworkcloselywithfaculty,staffandstudentstoachieveMottCollege’sgoals
willhelpourcollegecontinueits90-plusyeartraditionofexcellence.”
Dr.Walker-GriffeaholdsaPh.D.inChildDevelopmentfromTexasWoman’sUniversity,a
Master’sdegreeinguidanceandcounselingfromVirginiaStateUniversityandaBachelor’sdegree
injournalismandbroadcastingfromOklahomaStateUniversity.
AstheseventhpresidentsinceMCCbecameacounty-widecommunitycollegein1969,sheis
makinghistoryasMCC’sfirstwomantoserveaspresident,aswellastheinstitution’sfirstAfrican
Americanpresident.
Inaddition,Dr.Walker-Griffeawasrecentlyelectedpresident-electfortheAmericanAssociationforWomeninCommunityCollegesNationalBoard.Shewillserveaone-yeartermaspresident-electfollowedbyatwo-yeartermas
presidentfrom2015to2017.
MCC Student Life Center naming ceremony
OnSept.25,theMCCcampuscommunitygatheredtohonorthegenerous
supportofTheFoundationforMottCommunityCollegeboardmemberRajagopalShantaram,andthenamingofthecollege’sStudentLifeCenterinhonor
ofhisparents.
Thenewnameforthefacilityis:theG.Radhabai(pronouncedRA-daboy)andA.V.Rajagopal(pronouncedRAJ-a-go-pal)StudentLifeCenter.
Shantaramwasjoinedbyahostoffamilyandfriends,MCCPresidentDr.
BeverlyWalker-Griffea,MCCBoardofTrusteesChairLenoreCroudy,The
FoundationforMottCommunityCollegePresidentLennettaConey,FMCC
Boardmembers,MCCadministrators,faculty,staffandstudentsforaribbon-cuttingatthenamingceremony.
“Theirparentsinspiredthemtolookateducationasapathwaytosuccess
andthepathwaytoanewfuture,”LennettaConeysaid.“Thatiswhatwe’re
doinghereatMottCommunityCollege.”
FMCC President Lennetta Coney, Shantaram family, Dr. Walker-Griffea
and MCC Board Chair Lenore Croudy.
Continued next page.
Continued from previous page.
ThemissionoftheG.RadhabaiandA.V.RajagopalStudentLifeCenteratMCCistocomplementandenhancetheacademicprograms
oftheCollegeandtocontributetothegrowthoftheindividualstudent.MCCstrivestoprovideanexcellentopportunityforstudentstomake
themostoftheircollegeexperiencebyencouraginginvolvementinavarietyofactivities,studentclubsandorganizations,associationsand
events–bothonandoffcampus.
Dr. Shantaram and wife, Chandrika are joined by MCC President Dr. Walker-Griffea and
their daughter Anoopa Todd near the plaque bearing the likeness of Dr. Shantaram’s parents
The Shantarams after the naming ceremony
FMCC supports new projects, great ideas with Innovation
Award grants
Whetherit’sanideatodevelopanonlinestudytoolfeaturingphotosoftheskeleton,orgatheringinformationtoteachthe
basicsoftheAfricanAmericanEnglish(AAE)verbandtense
system,TheFoundationforMottCommunityCollegehasbeen
theretohelp.
TheFaculty/StaffInnovation&StudentSuccessAwards,
coordinatedbyMCC’sOfficeofProfessionalDevelopment&
ExperientialLearningwithfundingprovidedbyTheFoundation
forMCC,supportfacultyandstaffwithinnovativeprojectsand
programs,specificallydesignedtoenhancestudentsuccessat
MCC.Theprojectssubmittedforconsiderationtendtoinvolve
novelwaysofapproachingorconveyingacademicsubjectmatter,
combiningtheelementsofingenuityandnewideas,keepingwith
theever-importantgoalofincreasingsuccessfuloutcomesfor
MCCstudents.
ThisFall,JenniferFillion,Coordinator/ProfessorofAnthropologyatMCC,ledateamoffacultymembersthatincluded
BobRentschler,PhotographyProgramCoordinator/Photography
InstructorandRobertBenard,Coordinator/InstructorofInformationTechnology,indevelopingastudywebsite--accessibleto
bothcomputerandmobiledevices–thatallowsstudentstoquiz
themselvesontheplacementofboneelementsandanatomical
structurestheyarerequiredtolearnintheAnthropology210and
Biology151coursesatMCC.Fillionbelievesthenewwebsite
willgoalongwaytowardimprovingstudents’gradesinthose
courses.
“Studentsusingthistoolwillbeabletoimprovetheirgrades
inANTH210andBIOL151inapositiveway,”shestated.“This
Dale Weighill, Executive Dean of Professional Development
and Experiential Learning at MCC
willtranslateintobettersuccessintheclass.Itwillalsohelp
studentsstayengagedintheirlearningmaterialsoutsideofclass
whichwillencouragethemtosticktoalearningstrategy.”
EnglishProfessorLauraTobiasbecameinterestedinAfrican
AmericanEnglish(AAE)afterreading“TheLogicofNon-StandardEnglish”byWilliamLabovwhenshewasingraduate
school.ShehasadeeprespectforAAE--adialectofAmerican
Englishcharacterizedbypronunciations,syntacticstructures,and
vocabularyprimarilyusedbysomeNorthAmericanblackpeople.
InanefforttoreachstudentsinDevelopmentalEnglishcoursesat
MCC,shesoughttodoastudyofliteratureavailableontheteach-
ingofAAEgrammartoitsspeakersandothernativespeakersof
EnglishtodetermineifstudyingtheAAEdialectformallywill
haveaneffectontheirmasteryofStandardEnglish. TheoverarchinggoalofthisprojectisforAAEspeakers
andnon-AAEspeakersaliketogainmasteryofStandardAmericanWrittenEnglish.Asaresult,studentsuccesswillimproveas
morestudentschoosetoadopttheformsofStandardAmerican
WrittenEnglishinacademicwritinganddoso,notwiththeir
owndialectrelegatedtoaninferiorstatusbutoutofachoiceto
switchfromdialecttodialectwhenappropriateandnecessary.
“IthinkmanypeoplefeelthatAAEisslang,”Tobiasstated.
“Linguistically speaking,thisissimplynottrue.Thehistorical
provenanceandrichnessofthedialectthatmostinourcommunityspeakis somethingweshouldall,butespeciallyAfrican
AmericanswhospeakAAE,recognize.WeneedtogiveAAE
authenticityandstatusalongsidemainstreamEnglishasalegitimate,rule-governeddialectascomplexasanyother.”
TobeconsideredforaFaculty/StaffInnovation&Student
SuccessAward,anyMottemployeemustfirstrespondtoa
RequestforProposals,outliningtheproject’spurposeandgoals,
detailingwhytheprojectisinnovativeandhowitwillimprove
studentsuccess.Aselectioncommitteemadeupofanequal
numberoffacultyandstaffthendetermineswhichprojects
receivetheawards.Whatconstitutesinnovationtypicallyare
effortsthatarebeingnewlyattemptedandimplementedbythe
facultyorstaffmemberthatgoaboveandbeyondwhatisconsideredtheirexistingday-to-dayjobduties,orwhattheyhave
beenassignedtodoaspartoftheirworkatMCC.
DaleWeighill,ExecutiveDeanofProfessionalDevelopmentandExperientialLearningatMCC,seestheFaculty/Staff
Innovation&StudentSuccessAwardsasawin-winforfaculty/
staffandstudents–anexcellentwaytostimulatefacultyand
staff,encouragingthemtostartthinkingoutsidethebox.
“The bottomlineisthatwewanttostimulateadditional
studentsuccessbyprovidinginnovative ideaswithseedmoney
sotheycan getofftheground,”hesaid.
2014-15 Calendar of Events
Medical Alumni Connection
ForMCCalumniworkingatGenesysorHurley
Genesys–12/4/147-8:30am;11:30-1pm;5-6:30pm
Hurley–12/8/147-8:30am;11:30-1pm;5-6:30pm
Alumni Reception & Concert
FeaturingtheMCCJazzBand&Combos
6pmDec.9,2014FreeConcert•7pmAlumniReception
intheMMBAuditorium
Martin Luther King Jr. Tribute Dinner
FeaturingRabbiKarenCompanez
6pmJan.15,2015•RiverfrontBanquetCenter•$50/$500
MLK Jr. “Moving Beyond Prejudice” Movie Night
6pmJan.19,2015atDavenportUniversity-Room#103(4318MillerRd.)
Movie:“TheLastWhiteKnight”•NoRSVPrequired
MCC Night at The Palace of Auburn Hills
Jan.27,2015/Allwelcome–Alumni,Donors,Friends,Students!
Pistonsvs.ClevelandCavaliers!Tickets$60withowntransportation,$70
forbus.
Concert and Alumni Reception
Feb.23,2015,6pmConcert,7pmReception
MCC Night at The Palace
Feb.27,2015/Allwelcome–Alumni,Donors,Friends,Students!
Pistonsvs.TheNewYorkKnicks!Tickets$60withowntransportation,
$70forbus.
Black History Month
Feb.19,2015,11:30am-12:30pmatApplewoodCafé
Alumni&DonorsWelcome!Cost$25•RSVPto(810)762-0534
Women’s History Month
March19,201511:30am-12:30pmatApplewoodCafé
Alumni&DonorsWelcome!Cost$25•RSVPto(810)762-0534
Updateyouremailaddressforthe
AlumniRegistrybycontactingus
atalumassoc@mcc.edu.
Arizona Alumni Chapter Event
Noonto3pmonThurs.,April16,2015•Free
TempeCenterfortheArtsfeaturingLunchandGallerytour
Distinguished Alumni Award Ceremony
5:30-8:30pm,April23,2015•EventCenter•$50
Checkusoutat
facebook.com/MCCAlumniAssociation
Haven’tbeentocampuslately?
Thereisalotgoingon!
Takealookhere.
Concert and Alumni Reception
April27,2015,6pmConcert,7pmReception
Breakfast with the Graduates
CominginearlyApril
Unless noted otherwise, RSVP to mcceventsonline.com
or call (810) 762-0425.
Non-Profit
U.S. Postage
PAID
Flint, MI
Permit No. 480
1401EastCourtStreet
Flint,Michigan48503-2089
Office:810-762-0425
Fax:810-762-2503
The Foundation Staff
LennettaConey,President
MaryBrown,AccountingSpecialist
SharonCampbell,CommunicationsSpecialist
VeraJenkins,AdministrativeAssistant
KaceySeay,WomenInEducationCoordinator
AnoopaTodd,Development/MarketingSpecialist
MaryYarbrough,DevelopmentAssistant
MCC Night at The
Palace of Auburn Hills
January 27, 2015
All welcome – Alumni, Donors,
Friends, Students!
Pistons vs. Cleveland Cavaliers!
ThankstothehugesuccessoftheinauguralMottCommunityCollegeNightatThePalaceofAuburnHillseventsheldduring
the2013-14season,TheFoundationforMCCandtheMCCAlumniAssociationinviteyoutoenjoyaDetroit
PistonsbasketballgamefromtheluxurioussuitelevelatThePalace.ThisexcitingeventisscheduledforTuesday,Jan.27insidetheexclusiveClub300,anupscalesportsbarlocatedonThePalace’ssuitelevel.Club300opensat6p.m.andthegamestartsat7:30p.m.withthe
PistonstakingontheClevelandCavaliers.Ticketsare$60providingyourowntransportationor$70,whichincludesbustransportationfrom
theMCCmaincampustoThePalace.
AmenitiesfeaturedatClub300includeprivategameseating,multipleflatscreenTVs,twobars,
privaterestroomsandmuchmore.Yourticketwillalsoincludeadinnerbuffet,craftbeertastings
andcashbar.AportionoftheproceedsfromticketsalesbenefitMCCAlumniAssociationprograms.
RSVPsarerequestednolaterthanJan.13,2015asseatingislimited.PleasecontactWhitneyHenryat
ThePalaceofAuburnHillsatwhenry@palacenet.comtoreservetickets,orformoreinformation,call
AnoopaToddatTheFoundationforMCCat(810)762-0326.Checksshouldbemadepayableto
DetroitPistonsandcanbemailedto:ThePalaceofAuburnHills,Attn.WhitneyHenry,6
ChampionshipDrive,AuburnHills,MI48326.