Judith G. Bulin, Ph.D.

Professor, Business Administration

A consultant to MCC from Sage Consulting commented to me many years

ago that this was a unique place because the faculty here “don’t have the
traditional CC inferiority complex”. I told him it was because we aren’t
inferior. Those of us who have built this college have a great deal of pride
and respect for what we have created. My Ph.D. is in Higher Education, so I
understand the post secondary system from a perspective that is national,
international, philosophical, and practical. The field I teach here is
Management, so I get that too. I want to speak particularly about Standards
and Processes.

Standards in Higher Ed have been increasing. Credential requirements have

increased for all positions. Rochester, NY has a highly educated population
and some of the most respected academic institutions in the country. MCC is
one of those. We have earned that through the application of rigorous
standards to those we teach and to those we hire to do the teaching and
administration in this institution. If we are to continue to be one of the keys
to economic recovery in this area, we have to maintain our standards, our
accreditation, and our reputation with our transfer school partners. MCC
needs a President with an earned Doctorate and the demonstrated
experience in higher ed to lead (as well as manage) this very large, very
complex, and very vital institution.

We are a public institution required to adhere to standards in our processes.

We, as faculty, have been required for many years to develop clear and
documented processes, especially in hiring, tenure, and promotion that
adhere to EEO and Affirmative Action requirements. We have always tried to
hire people with the best credentials and experience we could find. That’s
also what I’ve been teaching my students this past week. The core
requirements of a job dictate the skills, knowledge, and experience standards
we set in our job descriptions, not just because it’s legal, but because that’s
what you need to do the job well. That’s what has made us outstanding and
unique enough to be featured in the NY Times and a longstanding member of
the League for Innovation in the CC. We need someone who understands the
role of the Community College President from years of doing it. Someone
who can “hit the deck running”.

In the 30 years I’ve worked here, I’ve always had great respect for our Board
of Trustees and believed in their integrity. I’ve believed that they have the
best interests of the College and the community driving their actions. Until
recently, it has been a Board that represented more than one political party.
We have not, for many years, had to deal with a key administrator whose
primary goal was serving a political party, holding a sinecure, or letting
contracts to the politically connected. During my time here, the faculty has
twice considered votes of no confidence in the President of the college. I
hope I don’t see another. I hope this Board will not betray the standards and
processes it has itself put in place and will take the recommendations of the
established search committees.

We need someone who has the credentials and experience to meet our
academic partners in Rochester, transfers schools, and the community as a
respected and well-qualified academic. We need a leader with a philosophy
of education and the vision that will foster for faculty, for students, and for
the future of MCC.