VGCC hosts noted expert on student success


Dr. Kay McClenney addresses VGCC faculty and staff. (VGCC photo)

Dr. Kay McClenney addresses VGCC faculty and staff. (VGCC photo)

Vance-Granville Community College recently welcomed a nationally-known consultant and researcher in the field of student engagement and success. In January, Dr. Kay McClenney addressed a convocation of all VGCC faculty and staff.

McClenney, a former community college educator and administrator herself, discussed the findings of research on what students need in order to be successful. She lauded the sharp focus of VGCC’s “Vanguard Vision” strategic plan and noted that the college is “on the right path.”

Looking broadly at the nation as a whole, McClenney noted that data show that the middle class is shrinking, wages have stagnated, and the U.S. no longer has the commanding position it once held in educational attainment over other countries. “If we are going to reverse those trends and reclaim the American dream, a lot of the heavy lifting to do that will happen in America’s community colleges,” she said. “If we are going to step up to that challenge, we are going to have critically examine the ways in which we design and implement educational experiences for our students. We need to change our systems to align what we provide with what students need.”

McClenney said that when community college students are surveyed, they consistently say that the most important service their school provides is academic advising and planning. She applauded VGCC for making that the focus of the institution’s current Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP), called “Advising in 3D.” “Students say it is incredibly important for them to have a goal and a plan that shows them a way toward that goal, with milestones that show them they are making progress,” McClenney reported. At the same time, the “most fundamental thing that keeps a student in school is a meaningful connection with a faculty or staff member,” she said.

Dr. McClenney was the founding director of the Center for Community College Student Engagement (CCCSE) from 2001 through 2014, and also served during that period as a faculty member in the Program in Higher Education Leadership at The University of Texas at Austin. She currently serves as Senior Advisor to the American Association of Community Colleges and as Senior Associate for CCCSE. McClenney previously served for 10 years as vice president and chief operating officer of the Education Commission of the States. She has been a consultant to education institutions, state higher education systems, state government, and professional associations in 47 states and internationally. She received the 2002 PBS O’Banion Prize for contributions to teaching and learning in America, the 2009 Mildred Bulpitt Woman of the Year Award from the American Association of Women in Community Colleges, the 2009 International Leadership Award from NISOD, and the 2011 National Leadership Award from the American Association of Community Colleges.