MCC graduate Miguel Solis of Harvard played on the soccer team, gave tours to new students as a student orientation leader and he got to know the instructors and staff by working part-time in the Advising office. He’s an example of how students succeed when they are actively engaged in college and make the most of their education.
McHenry County College administrators want all students to find success, whether it’s a degree, certificate or skills to enhance their life. To help first-year students ease through the transition between high school and college and feel a sense of belonging, they are bringing together faculty, staff and new students for the College’s first-ever Convocation from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Aug. 18, to enlighten and inspire first-year students who begin their college journey on MCC’s campus beginning the Fall 2011 semester.
The 2011 Fall Convocation will take place in the MCC Conference Center, beginning with some pageantry that features Board of Trustees members and select administrators dressed in regalia. Students will hear stories from three former students about how MCC impacted their lives and watch MCC’s award-winning Forensics Team perform “An Overview of College Life.”
Festivities will also feature a “presidential challenge” from MCC President Vicky Smith, encouraging students to take advantage of the variety of opportunities and resources available to them, followed by a picnic lunch and college resource fair. A special highlight for the first-year students will be prize drawings for a $500 and two $300 gift cards to the MCC bookstore.
The Convocation will conclude with mini workshops offering students a chance to delve into MCC’s technology, ask questions to a student panel or discover what faculty expects from students.
“The convocation is a celebration of first-year students’ educational accomplishments and embrace them into the MCC community,” said Flecia Thomas, Ph.D., dean of Student Success, “It’s also an opportunity for us to affirm MCC’s excellence in teaching and learning.
According to Dr. Thomas, research shows that several factors make students successful in college, including a sense of belonging, interacting in a collegial manner with faculty and timeliness in selecting a major of study.
“This kick off convocation helps students understand MCC’s mission. It’s not 13th grade; it’s an important transition in their lives and it’s a time for students to pledge their commitment to their own educational success and for the college to pledge its commitment to the students,” Thomas said.
The Convocation is one aspect of the College’s efforts toward ensuring a student’s successful first year. In addition to the day-long event, first-year students attend a one-day orientation that includes a campus tour and meeting with academic advisors as a group to select their courses. First-year students take placement tests for reading, math and English and enroll in MCC 101, a required course that provides a foundation for college success and lifelong learning.
Juletta Patrick, assistant vice president for Academic and Student Affairs, echoed Thomas’ comments by saying, “We want to inform students about their own possibilities for achieving academic and career goals. A big piece of success is to help students build a sense of community. When we acquaint our students to faculty and staff, they feel more comfortable, more engaged and tend to stick around,” she said.
“Because more people are coming to a community college as a viable option to a four-year university, we need to show early on the value of a community college education, so students view it as a milestone, not just a transition,” said Christina Haggerty, director of marketing and public relations. “We want students to know that MCC has many resources to help them succeed.”
