Any community college worth its salt should be: A dynamic, ever evolving entity; strongly connected to the community it serves; and an asset without which the community would not be complete.
In the 50 years since its founding, Cayuga Community College has accomplishments in all these aspects. While I cannot cite every instance of the college's progress in that long stretch of time, I can speak to the last 10 years.
I have seen a college which has approached change as something to be embraced rather than resisted. Some of these changes, such as the creation of the NASA-sponsored Institute for the Application of Geospatial Technology, have been dramatic and unique. Combining that institute with the one-stop Cayuga Works Career Center and our Business and Industry Center in a new building - the James T. Walsh Regional Economic Center - accentuates the college's vital role in the economic and workforce development of the region.
Change has also come in the form of unparalleled growth. In the past five-year period the student population of the college increased 50 percent, a remarkable growth spurt in anybody's book.
Some of that growth can be attributed to the college's new branch campus in Fulton, but the college has also seen amazing growth in the number of students taking courses over the Internet as well as an increase in the number of high school students attaining college credit through the Cayuga Advantage program.
The college's connection to the community has also strengthened over the past decade. Faculty and staff have served on numerous local boards including church boards, school boards, the Chamber of Commerce and the United Way. Community and business leaders serve on advisory boards for college programs, and surveys are continually in progress to ascertain the community's higher education needs. Just as important, the Cayuga County Legislature has been very supportive in its role as the college's sponsor.
Finally, the Cayuga Community College boasts a superb faculty and staff who have been responsible for the institution's reputation for excellence in academics and student services. Indeed, it was that reputation which attracted me to the college 10 years ago. Given the number of positive comments about the college that I have received from the community over the decade, it is apparent to me that the college is regarded as a gem to be treasured.
And that's exactly the way it should be.
I have seen a college which has approached change as something to be embraced rather than resisted. Some of these changes, such as the creation of the NASA-sponsored Institute for the Application of Geospatial Technology, have been dramatic and unique. Combining that institute with the one-stop Cayuga Works Career Center and our Business and Industry Center in a new building - the James T. Walsh Regional Economic Center - accentuates the college's vital role in the economic and workforce development of the region.
Change has also come in the form of unparalleled growth. In the past five-year period the student population of the college increased 50 percent, a remarkable growth spurt in anybody's book.
Some of that growth can be attributed to the college's new branch campus in Fulton, but the college has also seen amazing growth in the number of students taking courses over the Internet as well as an increase in the number of high school students attaining college credit through the Cayuga Advantage program.
The college's connection to the community has also strengthened over the past decade. Faculty and staff have served on numerous local boards including church boards, school boards, the Chamber of Commerce and the United Way. Community and business leaders serve on advisory boards for college programs, and surveys are continually in progress to ascertain the community's higher education needs. Just as important, the Cayuga County Legislature has been very supportive in its role as the college's sponsor.
Finally, the Cayuga Community College boasts a superb faculty and staff who have been responsible for the institution's reputation for excellence in academics and student services. Indeed, it was that reputation which attracted me to the college 10 years ago. Given the number of positive comments about the college that I have received from the community over the decade, it is apparent to me that the college is regarded as a gem to be treasured.
And that's exactly the way it should be.