Chancellor James Receives National ATF Award

Chancellor Mark James was presented with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Citizenship Award on Wednesday at ATF’s 15th Annual Awards Ceremony in Washington, D.C. The event honored ATF agents and employees, law enforcement officers and citizens for acts of heroism, service and commitment to public safety.

The ATF Citizenship Award recognizes extraordinary acts of bravery involving the risk of serious injury or death performed by private citizens while assisting Federal, State or local law enforcement. Chancellor James was honored for his heroic actions when he subdued a student who attacked Dean Al Dimmit at MCC-Penn Valley last September.

“Chancellor James has a stellar legacy of public service”, said Michael P. Gleysteen, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF Kansas City Field Division. “His heroic actions demonstrate how he continually puts others before himself.”

Prior to joining MCC in 2010, James’s law enforcement career began with the Missouri Highway Patrol before becoming an ATF Agent in 1987. He was the Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Kansas City Field Division when he retired from ATF in 2004. Following his retirement, James continued his public service after being appointed by then-Missouri Governor Matt Blunt as director of the Missouri Department of Public Safety and Homeland Security.

Missouri legislators convene with MCC leaders, good will meeting

Missouri legislators meet with MCC leaders to discuss Missouri academics

Metropolitan Community College is keeping its students' needs on the minds of Missouri legislators by bringing Representatives Shannon Cooper, Brent Lasater, and Noel Torpey onto campus to discuss Missouri higher education.

Chancellor Mark James, Blue River Interim President Joe Seabrooks, and Deans Cheryl Carpenter Davis and Jon Burke shared a discussion of the issues surrounding community colleges with our state legislators over lunch.

Afterward, the group took a walking tour of the MCC-Blue River campus, peeking in on the Mac design lab, the Public Safety Institute, and the new Student Development Center.

The state representatives were actively engaged in the discussions and in this opportunity to take a closer look at higher education in our community.

Chancellor: Search for MCC-Blue River president officially begins

Chancellor Mark James visited the MCC-Blue River campus today to announce the beginning of the official national search for a new campus president. Primary qualities sought in this individual shall be that he or she is dynamic, experienced in the field of education administration, demonstrates an understanding of budgetary concerns and knowledge of how to achieve success on the financial side of the position, and a variety of other noteworthy skills and abilities.

Concerns about budgetary struggles came up near the end of the meeting, and the chancellor approached them with all due concern, stating that our pragmatic approach to increasing revenue would include creating more programs that bring the school additional income. The I.W.I. program which has already experienced great success in forming over fifty lucrative business contracts was used as a great example of new opportunities and revenue streams at MCC.

Other plans may include expanding our collegiate district’s footprint and finding ways to serve college-bound individuals in the St. Joseph area whom will no longer find A+ and associate’s degree programs at Missouri Western that were available in previous years. Missouri Western’s recent move to become a university has engendered a number of opportunities for MCC in the St. Joseph area.

Mark James visits MCC-Longview

With Chancellor Mark James visiting MCC-Longview Tuesday afternoon, it was a chance for faculty and staff to showcase some of the distinguished honors the campus has collected since his last visit.

But it was also a chance for employees to ask some tough questions of the college CEO regarding changes to A+, a combined graduation ceremony for MCC and the importance of shared governance among faculty, staff and administrative groups.

James took the most heat when asked about plans to combine all off MCC's graduation ceremonies into one ceremony.  James said the decision was created out of a meeting he had with students leaders who, he said, had expressed an interest in a single ceremony.

As he shared his reasons for moving forward with a combined ceremony, he also added that many of the logistic and plan details still needed to be ironed out and that he has been consulting student groups, faculty and staff through the process.

During the two-hour question-and-answer meeting, James said there had been some failures to effectively communicate new initiatives and that issue continues to be something he is dedicated to working on with everyone at MCC.

The meeting with MCC district leaders also gave Longview faculty and staff a chance to show off some of the recent accomplishments from campus.

Writing Across the Curriculum coordinator Mary McMullen-Light offered a report on the success of the first national WAC conference held at MCC-Longview this past week. The conference brought several dozen community college representatives to campus to learn about starting their own successful WAC program.

Several students also took the opportunity to talk about how MCC has helped them and even offered suggestions to the chancellor about how to make MCC great for the next generation of students.

ATF sets off IEDs at MCC-Blue River bomb training

An explosive finale capped off a month of ATF training sessions held at MCC-Blue River in May. Most recently, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) offered instruction on improvised explosive devices to area law enforcement officers. ATF took advantage of the Public Safety Institute at MCC-Blue River’s facilities for the training.

Bomb experts from more than twenty local agencies attended the ATF sponsored knowledge sharing sessions. At the end of several days of instruction, ATF chemists concocted six explosive mixtures based on recipes that may be encountered in the field. These six improvised bombs were set off at the Kansas City Police Department’s explosive range

MCC Chancellor visits Penn Valley on day of announcement of new president

MCC-Penn Valley was anxiously looking forward to welcoming MCC Chancellor Mark James for his campus visit Tuesday. The visit was part of the chancellor's yearlong luncheon meetings with students, staff and faculty at each of the district's five campuses. But this visit was definitely far from ordinary because it was held moments after Penn Valley's new president, Joe Seabrooks, was announced.

"The vision was there. The passion was there," James stated as he explained his decision to appoint Seabrooks to the presidency.

James also praised Seabrooks for his open, honest communication style. "He's not going to tell you what you want to hear," said James. "He's going to tell you what you need to hear. And he has the courage to make decisions."

Seabrooks expressed gratitude for the appointment and excitement for leading Penn Valley. "We are so poised for greatness," he said. "We've been great for so long. Now we need to be phenomenal."

James also shared that he will make policy recommendations to the board on May 12. "In the end, I will do what's best for MCC in the long haul. It's a stark reality that we have to make serious changes to the way we've operated."

The chancellor said the decisions he will make will not be easy, but are necessary for MCC's future. "Failure is not in my vocabulary," the chancellor stated. "Student success is what MCC stands for. We need to make sure we're focusing on success at an excellent level."



Penn Valley President Joe Seabrooks shares his vision for guiding Penn Valley to new levels of excellence.

Chancellor James expressed his confidence in new president Joe Seabrooks.

Chancellor Mark James visits MCC-Business & Technology

Chancellor Mark James visited MCC-Business & Technology on March 29 to have lunch with employees, administrators and students. He talked about MCC's budget looking forward and answered employee and student questions. James will be at MCC-Penn Valley April 26 as part of his informal lunch discussions with each campus this semester to communicate important information and hear feedback about MCC. 

 

Message from the Chancellor - Budget Website Launched

Dear MCC Colleagues,

As you know, MCC’s current budget outlook is challenging. While the officers, with the input of individuals and teams from across the district, are working to find solutions to our sizable budget deficit, I want to be sure all of you are informed about the various factors related to budgetary decisions.

We have created a website called MCC Budget Source where you can access all of this information. If you have questions about changes related to the MCC budget, take a few minutes to look through this site, which includes an FAQ section. If you have additional questions, email them to budget.source@mcckc.edu . While we cannot respond to each question individually, you can watch for responses to frequently asked questions to appear on MCC Budget Source. Also, please continue to direct feedback and questions to your Budget Response Team representatives, who are listed by name on the MCC Budget Source site.

As additional budget information becomes available, we will continue to update the site, so feel free to check back often for additional information.

Please use MCC Budget Source to stay informed and provide input into these important decisions. I believe that we can meet the challenges we now face and continue our mission of preparing students, serving communities and creating opportunities.

Mark James

Chancellor

Chancellor Mark James visits MCC-Maple Woods

Chancellor Mark James visited MCC-Maple Woods on Jan. 25 to have lunch with employees, administrators and students. He talked about MCC's budget looking forward and answered employee and student questions.

James is planning informal lunch discussions with each campus this semester to communicate important information and hear feedback about MCC.

Seabrooks and Boyd oversee MCC-Penn Valley

Joe Seabrooks, president of MCC-Blue River, has been appointed interim president of Penn Valley. Seabrooks will retain his position as president of Blue River during this interim assignment with additional assistance from Blue River’s deans and leadership team. Bernard Franklin tendered his resignation as president of Penn Valley this week.

Margaret Boyd, executive director of the Institute for Workforce Innovation (IWI), has been appointed as the interim executive director of the Health Science Institute (HSI). Boyd has been charged to work with Director Sandy McIlnay to create opportunities and build bridges between allied health, nursing programs, and area health care employers. She will also retain her position with IWI.

AC Annual Holiday Lunch

Each year, the AC Staff Association organizes a holiday lunch for all Administrative Center employees. The last few years, all the administrators have pitched in to buy the main course, while employees bring in a side dish for all to share. Thank you administrators!!

Roger Banbury usually organizes some fun sing-alongs, and he pulled through once again this year with his versions of Santa Claus is Coming to Town (Chancellor James is Coming to Town), Jingle Bells (a song about retirees) and White Christmas (I’m dreaming of a Chiefs playoff).
To watch the video of Chancellor James is Coming to Town, click the video below.

Chancellor James is coming to town

Metropolitan Community College Chancellor, Mark James, launched the first of several campus tours in August, beginning with MCC-Blue River. He has since visited BTC, Penn Valley and Longview. James uses these visits as an opportunity for students, faculty and staff to ask questions and chat with him about things happening at the campuses and across the district.

Visits have been scheduled through June 2011:
Jan. 25 - MCC-Maple Woods
Feb.22 - MCC-Blue River
March 29 - MCC-Business and Technology
April 26 - MCC-Penn Valley
May 31 - MCC-Longview
June 28 - MCC-Maple Woods

Mark your calendars. Meetings are scheduled from 12:30 - 1:30 p.m. Reminders will be sent out from your campus president's office.

Chancellor Mark James congratulates MCC-Longview students, encourages more campus success

Chancellor Mark James and MCC-Longview president Fred Grogan listen to questions and stories from faculty, staff and students during a special Tuesday lunch meeting in the Mel Aytes Education Center.


Meeting with faculty, staff and students Tuesday afternoon, MCC Chancellor Mark James said he was thrilled to see the dozen or more students who turned out to ask questions and share their own success stories from the classroom.

Students from the honors program, Phi Theta Kappa and even student government shared their individual stories about how a dedicated faculty and staff at MCC have helped launch them into new academic heights.

"These are the stories I love to hear," James said in his lunch meeting with MCC-Longview faculty, staff and students. "I love to hear about those successes and achievements directly from our own students. It is what keeps me going here."



The meeting was part of James' overall effort to visit all five MCC campuses and answer questions.

On Tuesday he sat down at MCC-Longview over wraps and chips to not only hear about some of the great milestones from students, but did answer some tough questions.

Faculty members questioned why it took so long for adjunct faculty to get paid at the beginning of each semester - sometimes six to seven week after classes start.

James admitted that the answer to the question was not perfect, but did spend a good amount of time trying to explain the whole process and how Vice Chancellor Tuesday Stanley and her staff were working to correct it.

Faculty members also asked about new ways to hire adjunct faculty members, which has become more difficult over time. Vice Chancellor Paul Long said the administrative staff have started a process that will pool all of the adjuct faculty from all five campuses into one database divided by subject. This will give department heads and hiring committees a chance to see all of the candidates from around the Kansas City region and possibly even find a few from other campuses that could fill in from time to time.

That process, Long said, is still in the works, but is moving forward steadily.

In the end, James spent close to two hours answering questions and hearing stories at MCC-Longview. James also promised to return to Longview for more Q and A sessions.

"We will be back," he said. "Believe me this is not just a one and done kind of commitment."

For more photos from Mark James's visit, click through to our Flickr page.

Missouri Cyber Security Education moves forward

The first meeting of the six-college Missouri Cyber Security Education Consortium.

On Wednesday, Nov. 10, Melissa Napper (MCC-Blue River) and Ed McCarty (MCC-Business and Technology) hosted the first meeting of the Missouri Cyber Security Education Consortium (MOCSEC) at the Blue River campus. The consortium will develop course materials for cyber security classes to form a new CSIS AAS degree in Cyber Security to serve students, military personnel at Missouri's bases, local and state government personnel and the business community in each college's service area.

Members of MOCSEC include MCC, St. Louis Community College, Ozark Technical Community College, Moberly Area Community College, Mineral Area Community College and State Fair Community College. The consortium will create a common curriculum leading to a degree program offered by all six colleges. Naper and McCarty will be coordinating the grant activities, and MCC will provide instructor training for the other five colleges at the Blue River campus.

Chancellor Mark James attended to express his enthusiasm for the project and to pledge his help and support for the consortium’s efforts. Sheryl Hale, Manager of Innovative Programs, Research and Development for the Oklahoma Department of Career and Technology Education, presented information on the multi-state NSF grant that Missouri is now part of through MCC's leadership.

United Way - Message from the Chancellor

Good morning MCC,

Just a quick reminder that our United Way Campaign will soon be drawing to a close and unfortunately we are not where we need to be in terms of our goals for this year. I know many of you have done yeoman's work this month with all kinds of fundraising activities and I appreciate the time and effort you volunteers have put into this worthwhile cause.

There are still a few more days left in the month if you have not yet made a decision or pledge commitment. This is a great opportunity for us as a group to give back to our community and help those who are in need. Even $5, $10, or $20 a month collectively adds up to a significant amount if enough people chip in. Thank you for your consideration of this request and thank you to those who have already contributed.

Have a great day,

Mark
I'm committed to creating opportunities - are you?

MCC-Penn Valley welcomes MCC chancellor

MCC Chancellor Mark James recently met with MCC-Penn Valley faculty, staff and students. During the lunch chat, James addressed student, budget, teamwork and safety issues.

Chancellor Mark James looks to the future at in-service presentation

Chancellor's in-service presentation 2010

View more presentations from mcckc.

MCC Buildings Win Regional Design Awards

Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City and architecture firm Gould Evans have been recognized by the Central States Chapter of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) for architectural achievement on three of MCC’s storm shelters.

The MCC-Penn Valley Education Center, MCC-Maple Woods Campus Center and MCC-Longview Cultural Arts Center, which serve their respective campuses and surrounding communities as FEMA-certified shelter environments, each received a Merit Award for Excellence in Architecture at an AIA event last month in St. Louis, Mo. The three buildings, which opened in 2009, were designed by architects from Gould Evans’ Kansas City office.

“We take great pride in this recognition from the AIA,” said Mark James, MCC chancellor. “These buildings are not only beautifully designed but they serve a significant function in the event of severe weather.”

FEMA shelters must be able to withstand an F5 tornado and must be within five minutes’ walking or driving distance from everywhere on the campus.

“We are delighted with the design solution for each campus location and how well they serve their separate programs,” said Anthony Rohr, AIA, Gould Evans national managing principal. “The entire team never thought of these buildings as shelters, but as architecture.”

The Central States Chapter of AIA represents professionals in Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Oklahoma and Nebraska.

The Kansas Chapter of AIA also recognized the same three buildings last month, presenting a Citation Award for Excellence in Architecture at their annual design awards ceremony in Topeka on September 16.

Message from the Chancellor: United Way Campaign kicks off

Dear MCC Colleagues:

Throughout October, MCC joins thousands of other businesses in the annual United Way Campaign. I suspect that we all have friends, neighbors, and family who have faced perilous challenges. While I know there are many demands on your resources and many requests for your generous support, I hope you can consider helping our community through the United Way.

United Way allows us to make a single contribution benefiting over 400 programs provided by more than 150 agencies in our region. 100% of our contributions stay within our community. We also have the option of tailoring our contributions to specific agencies, or the types of services we prefer. As you consider making your United Way pledge/contribution, you should know that your pledge can be directed to three funds that will specifically benefit MCC students. These three funds are prominently displayed on the MCC pledge form for your convenience as follows:

1) MCC Health Science Institute Fund – Supports specialized equipment, medical labs and programs necessary to operate a state-of-the-art facility for training nursing and allied health students.

2) MCC Student Book and Emergency Fund – Assists students at any of MCC’s campuses when emergencies occur, including financial assistance with books and other related expenses.

3) MCC Rainbow Kids Fund - Financially assists students who have child care expenses at the Francis Child Development Institute.

MCC Foundation – You can also “write-in” MCC Foundation on the line in Section D for a general contribution to the MCC Foundation to be used as needed for the benefit of our students.

In closing, United Way is an effective way for us to share our resources. As “One MCC” our individual contributions become one significant larger contribution that truly impacts those in our community who are in need. Thank you for considering this request.

Mark

A Message from MCC Chancellor, Mark James

Dear Students and Colleagues,
As we push past what was a very challenging week for us all, I am pleased to report to you that Dean Dimmitt returned home late last week and is recovering well. I would like to say he is resting, but showing his usual dedication, he insisted on participating in a meeting by phone with his colleagues very early Friday morning. We are grateful he is doing so well and anxious for his return to MCC-Penn Valley.
As we get back to our regular activities we will continue to be vigilant in reviewing our safety processes and plans. I am personally heading a top-down review of all of our security plans, technology, and notification processes. This week, I will also personally lead an after-action “hotwash” of the pre-event planning and actions taken in response to the Penn Valley incident.
My goal is to develop action items to enhance MCC’s security through a series of plans extending from improvements we can make within the next 30, 60, and 90 days. Some actions may take longer to implement. We are reaching out to external safety, security, and mental health experts to ensure we receive objective input and benchmarks for our activities. We will also be convening student leaders as well as the governance group leaders for their input. I am receiving comments and ideas and remind you that you can email them to Denise Prather in my office at Denise.Prather@mcckc.edu.
In the end, the best safety and security measures a public institution can have are those which are simple, communicated, known, understood, and most importantly - regularly rehearsed. We will not “knee-jerk” react or impose an armed encampment mentality hiding behind metal detectors but will focus on ensuring student and employee awareness of what to do, when to do it, and how to do it.
Finally, I want to thank all of you for pulling together as one MCC community. This is a great place to work, study, and train.
Sincerely,
Mark