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Dr. Alan Harris
Paul D. Camp Community College
P.O. Box 500
271 Kenyon Road
Suffolk, VA 23434
Telephone: 757-925-6306
Fax: 757.925.6371
Email: aharris@pdc.edu
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John F. Kennedy once said, “Our progress as a nation
can be no swifter than our progress in education. The human mind is our
fundamental source.” The work that is done by Virginia Community College System
(VCCS) employees makes a huge impact, on the individuals that we help and our
communities, but also to the progress of our nation. The number of people
affected by our work is staggering. According to the highlights about VCCS on
its webpage, three out of five of Virginia’s public undergraduates were enrolled
in Virginia’s Community Colleges in fall 2008. Currently, over a quarter of a
million students are enrolled in Virginia’s Community Colleges. Partnering with
VCCS, the Virginia Community College Association (VCCA) strives to meet the
professional needs of those within VCCS and provide leadership opportunities.
What is VCCA? The VCCA is an organization of like-minded individuals who believe
in the value of higher education and the value that an educated populace brings
to their colleges, communities, and to the state as a whole. VCCA is the only
organization within the Virginia Community College System that is open to anyone
who shares in the commitment to the community colleges: administrators, faculty,
classified staff, part-time employees, students, or friends of Virginia’s
community colleges. Nowhere else can employees gather with others who believe as
you do, who believe in the mission of the community colleges in Virginia, and
who seek to gain new perspectives in their professional development. VCCA is the
longest serving professional development venue in our 43-year history.
How does VCCA benefit me? First, our association offers some of the finest state
conferences available, rated outstanding by attendees year after year. Second,
we offer grants for many professional development opportunities across the
state. Third, we have formal commissions that address concerns throughout our
colleges that include Faculty/Instructional Affairs, Learning Resources, Student
Services, Public Relations and Publications, Support Staff, and Black Concerns.
Some of these commissions are supported in having their own conferences, such
as, the Black Concerns Conference and the Support Staff Commission Summer
Workshop. Fourth, with such a diverse array of professionals representing all
components of the college, we offer unique opportunities to share, network, and
work together to contribute to our college and communities. Fifth, we provide
the opportunity to recognize and honor achievement through our faculty and
classified showcase and media awards. Last, is the opportunity for personal
renewal.
We are all impacted by our national and state budget crisis. With burgeoning
enrollments coupled with downsizing and the shifting of job responsibilities,
the need for personal renewal should be among our strategies to guard against
burnout. Will it be possible for our colleges to fiscally support as many or any
members to our conference this year? For many of us, the answer to that question
remains to be seen.
But, I want you to know that our chancellor, Dr. Glenn DuBois, supports our
mission and has communicated his support of VCCA to the college presidents. The
executive committee is working diligently to provide the same quality personal
and professional development opportunities that our members have come to expect.
Plans are in full swing for our twenty-eighth annual conference, which will be
held September 30 - October 2nd at the beautiful Renaissance Portsmouth Hotel
and Waterfront Conference Center, featuring the best speakers, presenters,
vendors and venue that we can provide. Take a few minutes to take an e- tour of
the hotel by going to:
http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/orfpt-renaissance-portsmouth-hotel-and-waterfront-conference-center/
. We have also included information about the quaint, historic seaport city of
Portsmouth in the newsletter. Mark your calendar and plan to join us!
One of the ways that you can help us is by joining or renewing your membership
in the VCCA. If you are not familiar with the organization, each college has a
point of contact that you can go to find out more about us. You can visit our
website at
http://www.vccaedu.org/ and see highlights from past conferences, an
electronic copy of Inquiry: The Journal of the Virginia Community Colleges,
grant proposal forms, and the like. Dues are still only $15; the cost has not
been increased in over fifteen years! So, when your campus contact person comes
knocking at your door please join. We need your membership, your support and
your participation.
Look forward to seeing you on September 30th in Portsmouth!
Alan M. Harris, EdD, President
Virginia Community Colleges Association
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