The diversity data released by MCC this fall parallels the accusations made last spring by the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).

The report, compiled as part of regulatory compliance and internal consideration, discloses the racial and gender makeup of the college’s employees.

According to the report, only 152 of 999 employees at Metropolitan Community College (MCC) are African-American. Eleven are American-Indian, 17 are Asian, and 32 employees are Hispanic. Racial minorities, as a whole, total 212, only 20 percent of MCC’s employee base.

The national composition for racial minorities is 34 percent. MCC’s composite is 27 percent. At Longview, 23 of 212 employees are minorities, about 10 percent.

A few key positions in the district are staffed by African Americans—a seat on the board of trustees, a president’s position at Penn Valley, and a president’s position at Blue River—but the major administrative positions at MCC are largely held by Caucasian employees. Out of 63 officers and administrators, only seven are minorities. Longview has no minority officers or administrators.
Faculty representation at MCC is also sparse. Out of 294 instructors, only 46 belong to racial minorities. At Longview, only eight out of 86 instructors are members of minorities, about 10 percent.

During spring 2010, the diversity data from a similar report provoked criticism from and spawned an equal employment opportunity complaint by the NAACP.

“For you it is okay for blacks to work in the system, but not lead the system,” said Clinton Adams, Jr. of the Kansas City Urban Summit, a group of city leaders whose mission is “to enhance the business community, economic growth and quality of life in the Urban Core.”

When then-Vice Chancellor Mark James was promoted to chancellor, the NAACP suspected that some African-American candidates for the position had been overlooked. An out-of-town African-American woman applied for the chancellor position and had superb qualifications and a doctorate degree, according to Adams, while a white male with only a master’s degree was hired for the position.

Adams also said that two experienced African-American males applied for positions in MCC’s Public Safety Department, but were not interviewed, and later received letters that the position was filled.

The NAACP requested the district’s diversity data, according to Julia Hill, local NAACP board member.

“After we saw the material, we had to file a complaint,” Hill said. “We found that the minorities were in the lower level jobs.”

The “MCC Diversity Summary” is compiled and presented every semester, and while the numbers do present concern, even after the heat of the initial complaint, district representatives are hopeful. Then-Chancellor Jackie Snyder said that she and the administration and board are committed to a diverse institution, a sentiment echoed by African-American board member Richard Tolbert.

Longview President Fred Grogan agreed. “MCC is committed to reflecting diversity in the student body, staff, faculty, and administrators,”Grogan said last spring. “The process has been slow to everyone else, but it has been progress.”

MCC has a Committee for Inclusion and Diversity, which trains new employees, looks at recruitment plans, and supports diversity organizations in the community. The district’s equal employment opportunity office participates in the hiring process.

Update, 12 Jan. 2010
Between the time this story was published in print and online, Penn Valley President Bernard Franklin resigned. He was replaced by Blue River President Joseph Seabrooks. The resignation reduces the number of African-American officers in the district by one.

Carol Gatlin contributed to this story.

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) announced to MCC’s Board of Trustees that it has filed a complaint with the EEOC.

At the Feb. 17 meeting of the board, NAACP Kansas City President Nancy Russell presented a statement saying, “Since this Board of Trustees refuses to involve the community in the selection of a chancellor and some other high-level positions, the NAACP has filed a complaint with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) for alleged discriminatory hiring practices.”

The board recently named Vice Chancellor Mark James, who is white, to replace retiring chancellor Jackie Snyder, who is white.

The organization requested information on the “racial composition” and gender of all students and employees before the March 17 board meeting. The college distributed a response saying, “MCC has worked diligently to improve its diversity and inclusiveness and will continue to do so” and listing the information requested by Russell.

Also attending the meeting was Clinton Adams of the Urban Summit, who presented a statement asking Missouri legislators and Congressman Emanuel Cleaver to “withdraw all support for the allocation of federal and state funds to this institution until you change your discriminatory practices.”

Vice Chancellor/Chancellor Designee Mark James

Missouri College Media Award: Third Place, Newswriting

Jackie Snyder, who has served as chancellor of Metropolitan Community College-Kansas City since 2005, has announced that she will retire on June 30, 2010.

The college’s Board of Trustees announced that the Vice Chancellor Mark James has been named to succeed her. 

“Dr. Snyder is an outstanding leader,” said Longview President Fred Grogan. “I’m sad to see her leave that role, but glad she now has time to focus on enjoying life.” 

During her 15 years at MCC, Snyder said she has worked to facilitate improvements in the enrollment process and Student Services, and most recently was a major supporter for the development and construction of the Health and Sciences building opening this semester at Penn Valley as well as the Institute for Workforce Innovation. 

Kim Darbonne, a Student Services Assistant, said that she understands why Snyder has elected to retire. “Everyone either moves on or moves up,” Darbonne said. 

With a nearly half a year left before Snyder’s departure, her successor Mark James is working closely with the chancellor, both to ensure a smooth administrative transition and to gain a stronger understanding of his new position. 

Before coming to MCC in 2008, James served as Director of Public Safety and Homeland Security for the state of Missouri. The Board of Trustees selected James in part for his financial expertise and direct experience with state and federal government appropriations. 

Even so, James said he is intent on continuing Snyder’s commitment to the students of Metropolitan Community College. 

“For me, personally, the bottom line of every conversation and every decision we end up making is processed upon the question, are we doing the best for our students? That will guide my thoughts and my decisions,” he said.

Chancellor Snyder held a town hall meeting at Longview (Bryan Gentry/The Current).

by Bryan Gentry

The current economic crisis has hit Metropolitan Community College, with a three-percent reduction to the 2008-2009 budget so far. Reductions may grow larger over the next few years.

At a Longview town hall meeting on the budget, Vice Chancellor Mark James said, “The focus has always been to take care of our students and employees.”

The three percent reduction is across the board, meaning it will affect each division of each campus equally. District cuts will total about $3 million, of which $2 million will be cut from the Administrative Center’s budget. Longview’s three percent is roughly $350,000.

“We’re not letting people go. However, we’re not filling empty positions,” Longview
President Fred Grogan said.

One way of overcoming the cuts is by using lapsed salaries. When the college keeps a job unfilled instead hiring someone, the budgeted salaries are used to save money. Currently, 76 percent of the district’s budget goes toward salaries, and 105 positions are empty in the district. At Longview, eight positions currently are vacant. These empty positions are estimated to represent close to $200,000 in pay.

“We’re in a good place with the budget” considering the state of the economy, MCC Chancellor Jackie Snyder said.

The 2010-2011 budget will have a total reduction of seven and a half percent, according to Grogan. However, only four percent of that will be across the board. This budget will still not directly impact students.

Despite these economic shortcomings, the college is growing. This semester has shown a growth of 4-5% relative to the fall semester. Part of the growth has been because of reverse transferring, or students transferring to Longview from a university.

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon has proposed legislation that would hold tuition in the state flat. This bill will soon be considered by the Missouri General Assembly. If a tuition freeze passed, the state would in return provide the same level of funding to colleges and universities as in the past.

To combat flat tuition, however, Missouri colleges may add fees elsewhere.

“Here at Longview, the ABLE programs may see additional fees and possibly the automotive program as well,” Grogan said.

The college would like to avoid making cuts to programs or asking for too much from their students, but if the hard times continue it may come to that.

“I think we can get through next year,” Grogan said. “If you go beyond next year, we may have to reduce what we provide for students, or ask for more revenue from them.”

Considering economic woes and the naturally increasing student body, is it economically a good idea attempt to increase enrollment?

“We have more students but less money,” Snyder said. “We need to look at what we can afford to do.”

BilLy Crudup as Dr. Manhattan in "Watchmen" (MCTCampus).

Watchmen is based on the award-winning graphic novel illustrated by Dave Gibbons and published by DC Comics, set in an alternative 1985 America where we are at war with Japan and tensions are rising between us and the Soviet Union. The Doomsday Clock is set five minutes to midnight. While the rest of America looks on, one of the masked heroes is murdered in order to cover up an even bigger devious plan. Walter Kovacs, aka Rorschach (Jackie Earle Haley), is a masked superhero with a disturbing past who seeks to find the killer of the former fellow superhero and uncover who’s trying to kill or discredit them and precedent superheroes. He enlists the help of past colleagues to help him on his mission, only one of which has true superpowers.

Each character has their own pasts to overcome as the plot unfolds. Laurie Jupiter, aka Silk Spectre II (Malin Akerman), has followed in the footsteps of her mom, Sally Jupiter, aka Silk Spectre (Carla Gugino). Laurie finds out she has even bigger ties with the murdered superhero, Edward Blake, aka the Comedian (Jeffrey Dean Morgan). Jon Osterman, aka Dr. Manhattan (Billy Crudup), is the character with powers. Adrian Veidt, aka Ozymandias (Matthew Goode), is the world’s smartest man, who thinks humanity will self-destruct themselves. Dan Dreiberg, aka Nite Owl II (Patrick Wilson), is afraid of the mask he used to hide behind, but finds strength to persevere in a close friendship.

The opening credits are a good start to a great movie. The soundtrack is both funny and truthfully raw. The action scenes are like those of director Zack Snyder’s 300, where it’s delayed action. It works well to make the scenes pop. Quite a few scenes are gory, like one when two dogs were fighting over a young girl’s flesh bare leg, and a scene when a superhero was slain, lying in her own blood next to her lesbian lover, is raunchy in nature. Snyder does not shy away from nudity in this movie, or in any previous ones. It’s refreshing that he can do this and not be over the top. Graphics and special effects definitely really add to the movie’s comic book appeal and make it stand out among the rest.

The economy is taking hits and everyone is feeling the crunch. MCC is no exception, and Chancellor Jackie Snyder has released the news that MCC will be cutting back.

For one cost-saving move, Longview campus students may want to begin bringing light jackets or sweaters to class. The temperature outside has dropped and it is time for the heat to be turned on, but to save a little pocket change MCC will not be turning it up as high as usual. Classroom temperatures are usually maintained between 68 and 72 degrees. By lowering the thermostats by one degree to 67 to 71, MCC can potentially save thousands more to contribute to the deficit.

Currently the MCC fiscal year’s deficit is $3.5 million with risks of becoming $5 million next year. As a result, budget cuts are necessary. MCC has decided to roll back spending by 3 percent across the board, providing an additional $3.1 million toward the current deficit. Each department will feel the 3 percent reduction in their individual budgets, but will have the freedom to choose where those cutbacks will be focused.

Snyder has reassured employees and students that MCC will continue to adhere to its mission, “Preparing students, serving communities and creating opportunities.” While many ideas for decreasing costs and increasing revenues are being examined, reducing current employees is not one. Snyder points out that in order to maintain the solid education MCC provides to students, they must maintain their faculty and make sure the student body is the priority.

Longview President, Fred Grogan echoes Snyder’s comments and affirms that Longview will do its part to cut the budget. Additionally, Grogan asks his staff to keep their minds open to any ideas they may have. Creative plans to get through this financial squeeze are welcomed, and Grogan has already begun discussions with the campus administrators.

by Edith Erickson

Recently the Chancellor of Metropolitan Community Colleges, Dr. Jackie Snyder, has put forward the initiative that all of the MCC campuses should become smoke-free. The leadership at Longview is considering the pros and cons of a smoke-free campus. They know this may cause strong reactions on both sides of the issue, and they want to hear the opinions of students.

Currently, the leadership of MCC is in the process of researching the experiences of college students at campuses that are smoke-free.

Keet Kopecky, advisor of Longview Student Government Association, said, “About half of Missouri’s community colleges are already smoke-free, so MCC would join a growing list of smoke-free colleges if this initiative passes.”

One of the main things they are asking is what is the most efficient way to do that? There is also a concern for employees that do smoke, especially because they are required to be on campus all day long.

Dean Janet Cline said, “We support education. For us to continue to allow smoking that we know is harmful is irresponsible on our end.”

It has been suggested that if MCC chooses to switch to a smoke-free environment, it will lose its smoking students. As a comparison, Cline brought up the fact that the school has never allowed alcohol on campus. Also, there are many places that are already smoke-free. She said, “The College would be just one more place; they should be used to it.”

The overall concern and reason behind the push is the welfare of the students. Cline sees this as “an opportunity to help them learn, grow, and change.” While Cline is not looking forward to the possibility of disciplining students who would get caught smoking, she certainly cares for students and desires to provide resources that will help students deal with the smoking habit.

According to Eugene Fenster, a nutrition teacher, “Cigarettes and tobacco, when used, are a directive kill.” This means that from the first puff or first chew, these products begin killing you. Even secondhand exposure to smoke is harmful to an individual if it is continuous. It is especially harmful for those with respiratory and allergy problems.

A smoke-free campus would benefit virtually everybody. The goal is not only a smoke-free campus, but rather more smoke-free students. The MCC leadership is aware that they are going to deal with people with strong addictions to smoking.

Longview President Fred Grogan takes this problem seriously. Having been a smoker himself for 20 years, he knows that it is hard to quit. In fact, he did not stop until the birth of his first child. It has now been almost 30 years since he quit smoking. Since he understands, he fully intends to provide programs that will help students quit, should the time come when Longview becomes smoke-free.

Chancellor Snyder cares a lot about the students’ opinions.

Seth Alley, who is part of the Longview Student Government, said, “On Sept. 9 we were given a survey that was distributed throughout all the MCC campuses. These surveys will then be collected at the end of September, and the results will be known.”

The Student Government exists to mediate between the MCC students and its leaders. They are looking forward to getting their hands on the survey. Alley said, “Right now we are in the mode of finding different, effective ways of helping students with this. The goal is not to repeat any mistakes that may have been made in the past by other groups who have tried to go tobacco free.”

This is a possibility for an important change in the future at Longview. Input of the students is crucial for the decision that is coming up.

Success: it’s a word that is so often used that it has somehow lost its meaning. At a community college, success means getting a higher education and meeting goals, including graduating.

That was the message sent out by Dr. Jackie Snyder, Chancellor of the Metropolitan Community Colleges, toward the end of the “Toast of the Town” Celebrity Waiters Breakfast held at the downtown Marriott. “You can do it today. You can help them graduate,” she told the audience.

The Celebrity Waiters Breakfast is a fund-raising event focused on making money by the tips collected by the local celebrity waiters. These tips are collected to provide much-needed scholarships for those who don’t have the money to go to college. All proceeds go to the MCC Foundation. Dr. Beth Lindquist, Dean of Instruction at Longview and one of the waiters, said the MCC Foundation has a “serious commitment to funding student scholarships.” Lynn Flaherty, Special Events Coordinator for the MCC Foundation, added that, along with scholarships, there are many other reasons for the event. “Scholarships, programs, program needs, campus improvements – anything that supports the mission of the Metropolitan Community Colleges,” she said.

Carl DiCapo, a 1944 graduate of Kansas City Junior College and the event’s honorary Maitre D’, advocated the mission of MCC. “We give kids a chance,” he said.

Dr. Fred Grogan, President of Longview and one of the waiters, drove this point farther by emphasizing the importance of scholarships and the mindset that comes with getting them. “You find an extra reason to be persistent and an extra reason to try that much harder,” he said.

In total, over $30,000 was raised, according to early estimates. Grogan was pleased with the results. “I was pleasantly surprised with the enthusiasm … and the amount of money that was made,” he said. This money will affect the MCC colleges “in a very significant way,” he said. He added that the total tally for the money made provided more than about a quarter of the annual scholarships the colleges give out.

Lindquist was happy with the way the event unfolded. “I thought it was successful. From my observations, I thought people were enjoying themselves and giving generously,” she said.

DiCapo pointed out that current students of Longview and the other MCC campuses should be glad that they have the fortune of getting a higher education. “Be proud,” he said. “Be proud of where you came from and where you’re going.” Grogan added to this by acknowledging that there is a large rift between students who can afford going to college and those who can’t. “There tends to be a gap for a lot of students – the scholarships are for those who have a need,” he said.

Flaherty said another reason for holding the breakfast was to further MCC’s appeal to the masses. “It was the first special event of this magnitude,” she said, “and we wanted to tell our story to a broader audience.” Flaherty said the target audience was the leaders of the community. “We wanted to get to know other civic and corporate leaders,” she said, “and let them know why it’s important that we’re here and what we provide to the community.”

Snyder reemphasized to the audience – both to students and members of the community alike – that MCC is there to serve. “We’re for this community … this college will always be there to serve you,” she told the audience.

DiCapo believes the MCC campuses will continue to grow stronger in the years to come. “No one understands that in 20 years, we’ll be the major force of the Kansas City area,” he told the audience. Grogan added to this point by recognizing the importance of the Celebrity Waiters Breakfast for the coming years. “The hope is to further grow and develop that event in the future,” he said.

The Celebrity Waiters Breakfast was a success, but Grogan realizes that, although it does help, there is still work that needs to be done. “It’s not the answer to everything, but it’s a big step in moving forward,” he said.

To add levity to the proceedings, the waiters had to dress up in costumes. Among the other waiters were Gary Sage, President of MCC – Business & Technology; Dr. Joe Seabrooks, President of MCC – Blue River; Dr. Bernard Franklin, President of MCC – Penn Valley; and Al Tunis, Vice Chancellor of MCC.

by COURTNEY KUNS

The incident began on Wednesday, August 22nd at 8:30 a.m. when a female employee of Penn Valley Community College reported a man in the women’s restroom.
According to PVCC security manager, a retired policeman of 29 years, the employee’s detailed description of the suspect enabled an off-duty officer (the officer’s name was withheld) working at PVCC that morning to pinpoint a suspect just outside the Campus Center. When the officer tried to approach the suspect in order to question him, the man began to walk briskly toward the parking garage. After reaching the shelter of the garage the suspect broke out into a run.
Approaching the suspect, who by that time had hopped into a stolen Ford Explorer, the officer opened the car door in an attempt to remove the man from the vehicle. As the officer was trapped between the open door and the car, the suspect threw the SUV into reverse, hitting a concrete column. Immediately the suspect lunged the car forward, while the officer’s legs, trapped underneath the car, frantically struggled to keep up with the vehicle. Again the suspect put the car in reverse as the officer drew his gun and reportedly shouted “Police, let me see your hands,” The man is said to have shouted “No” and “I’ll kill you if you don’t get off my car!” in response.
In the officer’s continuing efforts to free his feet from beneath the car, he fired one shot to the suspect’s right arm. The man screamed “You shot me!” as he lunged the Explorer forward yet another time, slamming the officer’s leg into a parked car. In the commotion the officer managed to put the vehicle into park as well as detained the suspect by wrestling him to the ground.
“Everyone including the officer was grateful that [the incident] was not any more serious than that,” said MacMahon.
The suspect, 22-year-old Billy J. Ray, who according to PVCC President Jackie Snyder was never attending or employed at PVCC, has been charged with first-degree assault of a law enforcement officer, armed criminal action, third-degree assault, and tampering. The charge of third-degree assault was brought when Ray made the choice to “put his shoulder into a nurse in effort to escape [from Truman Medical Center where he as well as the police officer were being treated after the incident],” said KCPD public relations officer Steve Young.

“The nurse was not trying to stop him, but was just in his path,” Young said.
Ray’s escape was short-lived, however, when two KCPD officers later found him hiding in the parking lot fifteen minutes later. Young did not give details regarding the suspect’s escape from his bed, but he commented that “from time to time [suspects such as Ray undergoing medical treatment] do need to be uncuffed in order to receive treatment.”
The report of a man occupying the women’s restroom at PVCC had been the fourth of its kind in four weeks. The officer reacted promptly in the attempt to question the suspect. Of the four incidents this was the first one to provide a relevant description of the trespasser. Though during one of the reported incidents a woman received a peep show of the trespasser’s rear end as he was pulling up his pants as he exited, there is no known suspect or motive to the nature of these occurrences. MacMahon commented that Billy J. Ray, “is not charged with that of occupying the women’s restroom. We do not know whether or not he was in the restroom, but only that he matched the physical description and the clothing description of the suspect.” The incidents have ceased, however, since Ray has been held for the past two weeks on a $300,000 bond.
“Incidents like these could happen anyplace,” said MacMahon. “I talked to a lot of students after these incidents happened last week, especially female students. I have a daughter who went away to college and I had all the same concerns that the students and parents do today. I tell them all the same thing as I told my daughter when I sent her away to college. Whether you’re in school, whether you’re in town, no matter where you are going, be careful. Watch what’s going on around you. These incidents could have happened anywhere. Unfortunately it happened to us,” further stated MacMahon.
MacMahon feels that there is no need at this point to transform PVCC into a closed campus. In fact, with all of the community programs allowing many people other than students and faculty onto the campus, this would be a highly impractical solution. As security manager he also feels that his department receives great support as well as adequate resources needed in order to maintain the safety of the college as a whole. One of those resources is KCPD’s off-duty officers.

Chancellor Wayne E. Giles released a statement saying, “Safety is a top priority at the MCC and Penn Valley. Because of this, MCC hires Kansas City, Missouri, off-duty police officers to assist MCC security.”
Penn Valley has been using one or more KCPD off-duty officers every shift since December of 2000. “I think that by not telling the exact truth about what our regular security could and could not do would be a great disservice [to the school],” said MacMahon.
The fact is that Penn Valley security does not have the power to arrest people or physically restrain them. MacMahon states, “Off-duty officers are a very nice addendum to what we’ve got. My boss has told me that the staff and faculty have commented that they are glad to see the officers, because if something really bad does happen here we now at least have the resources to take care of it.”
MacMahon’s Longview counterpart Lyle Koch confirmed that Longview’s security, like PVCC, does not have the power to arrest or physically restrain someone.