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What role, if any, do you think diversity
education should play at OCC?
What issues are most pressing for OCC,
and how would you
address those issues?
OCC is and will be the beneficiary of monies through last year's millage. The
funds need to be used as wisely as possible. First, the physical plants for the
OCC campuses need to be repaired, including buildings, parking facilities and
grounds. OCC must also use the infusion of funds to adapt to the learning en-
vironment of the 21st century. This includes development of cybertechnology
whereby students can take courses, via computer, from other institutions. It in-
cludes facilitating students so that they need not sit in a classroom to take cours-
es. OCC must market itself to businesses and industries in southeastern Michigan.
Working with companies in this area to train their present or prospective work-
ers will benefit OCC students in obtaining good jobs, generate revenues for OCC,
and enable Current employees to advance themselves within their companies .
OCC should not function solely as a vocational or training school. The school is
funded by the public in large measure and, therefore, it has a responsibility to
the entire community. It must offer education that is sensitive and responsive
to the wishes of its benefactors, i.e., residents of Oakland County. Courses should
be offered in areas where there appears to be reasonable interest in the partic-
ular topic. This includes courses in areas as wide-ranging as music, cooking,
gardening, art, home repair, scuba diving, etc. As a community college, OCC
should embrace the notion that learning is a lifelong experience. It should afford
Oakland County and other residents the opportunity to acquire knowledge in as
many facets of life as possible.
Major healing has to take place regarding the bad press OCC has received in the
last two years related to the dispute between administration, board and the fac-
ulty. The millage (.8 mill) that was approved last June needs to be realized as a
short-term financial gain for the college. The board needs to plan and prepare for
the day thatthe millage will eventually expire. Respectively, addressing issues: Im-
proving the relationship between the administration, the board and faculty where-
by a mutual exchange of information for one another's expertise is values to benefit
all parties involved. Concomitantly, once the healing has begun, a major public-
relations campaign between the media, the business community and the college
should be implemented. With a renewed public relations campaign, the college
will build a stronger community-based connection and support at which time vot-
ers may consider renewing the millage for another short-time use.
As Richard Thompson, chancellor of OCC, recently reported, Oakland County
alone is represented by approximately 114 nations, ethnic or cultural heritages.
Ultimately this is just a small portion of the nation's population. OCC needs to
identify relevant cultural-specific issues that deal with race, gender, ethnicity,
socioeconomic and religious factors. OCC can then facilitate their values and
significance in helping relationships grow in the workplace and in the classroom.
We can learn from each other and move forward comfortably into the 21st cen-
tury with this new-found knowledge. OCC can be a positive change agent in the
role of diverse education to meet the needs of its own student population, which
reflects the nation's population.
Oakland Community College's most pressing priority is the same it has been
since 1964, that is providing quality, affordable, accessible, meaningful educa-
tidn to our community. To do this, the board must deal with the fact that sup-
port from traditional funding sources is declining as a percentage of the annual
college operating budget. State funding to 0.C.C. in 1996-7 is $19,176,115 or
18.9 percent of our operating budget (the average community college statewide
receives 34.1 percent). County taxpayers shoulder the major support for the col-
lege and there is a definite limit as to how much the college can ask the com-
munity to do. They have a right to expect the college board to be responsible for
making sure a process for planning and assessment is in place. This ensures
accountability of tax dollars and guarantees they are spent to make sound ed-
ucational and employment opportunities a reality.
OCC has a long history of valuing the diversity of its students and community. Di-
versity education at OCC is an ongoing process of awareness, acknowledge-
ment and programming that addresses the positive and unique differences of
individuals and groups that make up the college community. Our commitment
to becoming a more diverse institution is actualized through our staff, students
and programs. The staff and student population at OCC is remarkably diverse.
There are differences in age and generation, ethnicity and cultural, professional
and educational background, marital status, gender, political party and religion.
The English Language Institute, Learning Disabilities Center, Learning Resource
Center of Tutoring, Community Awareness Institute, day care centers and Inter-
national Education Institute are resources available to help our students and com-
munity be successful in bringing people together to work for a common goal.
I view that one of the major issues or priorities is strategic planning for the fu-
ture, the 21st century. The OCC board should act as a cohesive force with pur-
pose, goals and strategies that are coherent and well defined in planning the
future direction of OCC.
Oakland Community College has been, and I am sure will continue to be, sen-
sitive to cultural diversity, being responsive to the entire community's needs,
serving a rich mixture of students.
,
We must maintain OCC as a student oriented college, providing affordable ed-
ucation to equip workers for the jobs which are available now and in the fu-
ture. To do so, I would encourage curricula and programs that serve those needs,
focusing on making the college a creative learning center. We need to keep at
least one step ahead of advances in technology, and to do so I would work to
build and solidify relationships with business and industry leaders. We need to
use our financial resources wisely, so I would monitor the budgeting and plan-
ning process closely to assure our funds are being well managed. And I would
make myself accessible to listen to the concerns of students, support staff and
administrators as well as serving as a watchdog on behalf of the taxpayers of
Oakland County.
Diversity education is very important, especially in schools such as OCC We are
a multicultural community and, as such, our community college must recog-
nize and empower people from all areas of our society. We must pay close at-
tention to programs and curricula, to scholarships and financial assistance, to
faculty and support staff, to assure that diversity is properly addressed at OCC
on an ongoing basis.
A major issue I see for OCC is providing affordable educational programs and
technological skills that our students will need for the 21 st-century employment
market. This will require excellent leadership, qualified faculty and staff, and am-
ple financing. I would address their needs by setting policies that will effective-
ly monitor the fiscal management of college funds, so that the programs and
Diversity education at OCC, as in any other educational institution, is a must.
We live in a very diverse, multicultural society and our school population is a
reflection of this diversity. In order to assist this diverse student body in reach-
ing their educational goals, the faculty and curriculum must be selected
equipment will be available to our students. Also, careful selection of the col-
lege's top administrators would be imperative so that these policies can be im-
plemented.
with this diversity in mind. This will strengthen the overall mission of the col-
lege, which is to provide affordable education to all members of the com-
munity.