MCC featured in January 8th issue of Industry Week

Monroe Community College (MCC) ranks as one of the most productive two-year colleges in the United States, according to a report recently released by Community College Week, a bi-weekly higher education newspaper.

The multi-campus college awarded 2,620 associate degrees in 2012-13, which places it among the top 2 percent of community colleges nationwide in terms of the number of graduates.

The college is 21st among the nation’s two-year colleges in the number of associate degrees awarded, up from 23rd last year. MCC has ranked among the nation’s top 100 community colleges for the past two decades. Data for the report comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s National Center for Educational Statistics.

“Significantly, CC Week recognizes colleges purely by number of degrees awarded, regardless of institution size,” said MCC President Anne M. Kress. “While MCC is a large community college in New York, it is far smaller than many others across the country. That we rank so high on this list speaks to the quality of our College and the commitment of our faculty and staff.”

There are 1,132 community colleges that offer associate degrees in the United States, according to the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC).

The State University of New York has five community colleges on the annual Top 100 list: Suffolk County Community College (ranked 10th); Nassau Community College (12th); MCC (21st); Erie Community College (32nd); and Hudson Valley Community College (44th).

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Media Contact:
Cynthia Cooper
Marketing and Community Relations
585-292-3022
ccooper@monroecc.edu

Scholarship awards make college education affordable and accessible.

Starting in fall 2014, Monroe Community College will provide scholarships to economically disadvantaged high school students enrolled in dual enrollment courses taken at their high schools.

MCC’s new Inspiring Every Day scholarship program assists students in Monroe, Genesee, Livingston, Ontario, Orleans and Wayne counties who are eligible for free or reduced lunch and participate in the dual enrollment program, which enables students to earn transferrable college credits while still in high school. MCC offers dual enrollment courses at 52 school and BOCES locations across the counties.

The scholarship awards cover students’ MCC tuition and fees for the semester. Students residing outside of Monroe County must complete a Certificate of Residency form as the scholarship does not cover out-of-county tuition charge.

Students interested in taking dual enrollment courses are advised to consult with their high schools before registering. Registration opens Sept. 10 through Oct. 1.

The scholarship program aims to increase opportunities for more high school students to get a jump-start on college. Upon high school graduation, students can use earned credits to accelerate their studies at MCC or at other colleges and universities. Research has shown that high school students who complete college coursework are more likely to graduate from high school and continue their college studies.

For more information about dual enrollment, call MCC at (585) 292-2135.

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Media Contact:
Hency Yuen-Eng
Marketing and Community Relations
585-292-3063
hyuen-eng@monroecc.edu

WHAT: As part of Opportunity Agenda, Monroe Community College’s accelerated precision tooling certificate program is enabling 15 residents in the city of Rochester and the nine-county region to gain education and hands-on training in advanced manufacturing, earn a certificate in half the time, and find employment within a year.

Opportunity Agenda is a coordinated approach to address the needs of high-poverty communities within the region. The MCC training program was among the priorities identified in the Finger Lakes Regional Economic Development Council proposal that won state funding in 2013.

The training program strategically addresses the problem of lingering poverty in Rochester as well as area manufacturers’ pressing need for skilled workers. Rochester has the highest percentage of families living in poverty of any city in the state. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate for the City of Rochester was 9.5 percent in 2013 and has been persistently higher than the averages for New York state and Monroe County since 2001.

WHERE: MCC’s Applied Technologies Center, 2485 W. Henrietta Road in Brighton.

WHEN: Classes begin Sept. 8 and continue through Feb. 27, from 4 to 10 p.m. Monday through Friday.

DETAILS: The six-month accelerated certificate program was developed in partnership with the Rochester Technology and Manufacturing Association (RTMA) in 2013. Eligible participants are unemployed or underemployed individuals, including military veterans, who have at least a high school diploma or equivalent. Upon completing the program, they receive job placement assistance from RTMA.

Of the 13 displaced workers and military veterans in the nine-county region who completed the program in 2013, 10 found employment. Among this year’s participants who completed the program in August, so far 73 percent have been hired; others are in the interview process or enrolled in MCC.

The program received more than $96,000 in state funds to cover students’ educational expenses.

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Media Contact:
Hency Yuen-Eng
Marketing and Community Relations
585-292-3063
hyuen-eng@monroecc.edu

BRIGHTON, N.Y. –Aug. 26, 2014- Monroe Community College is among 37 SUNY campuses that will receive state funding to educate and train students for high-demand careers, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced today.

MCC will receive more than $42,000 to expand its curriculum for cloud computing, allowing students to complete courses online toward a cybersecurity certificate. Students studying cloud computing learn to build, test, operate and maintain cloud-based, mobile-enhanced networking and security systems.

The funds are in addition to last year’s state award of nearly $170,000 to develop curriculum for cloud computing and to outfit an existing information and computer technologies laboratory with hardware and software needed to provide the education and training.

The curriculum is embedded in a cybersecurity certificate program that prepares students for employment as specialists in information assurance, network security and cybersecurity.

People who benefit from MCC’s cloud computing courses are students seeking to immediately enter the field as IT technicians, incumbent workers who want to upgrade their skills, and displaced workers looking to change careers. The courses also enable IT professionals to build on their skill sets and stay current with the growing demands and challenges of mobile technologies on computer networks and security.

The Finger Lakes region is projected to have approximately 410 job openings each year in areas related to computer security and information assurance.

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Media Contact:
Hency Yuen-Eng
Marketing and Community Relations
585-292-3063
hyuen-eng@monroecc.edu