Commitment:  MCNY President Vinton Thompson and  members of the Yes We Must Coalition commit to producing 500 additional college graduates by 2020 and another 500 additional graduates by 2025 for a total of 1000 additional graduates by 2025.

NEW YORK, NY – Today, 12/4/14 — Metropolitan College of New York’s President Vinton Thompson will be participating in the 2nd College Opportunity Day of Action at The Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center today (12/4).  The Summit will bring together colleges and universities, business leaders, nonprofits and others that are committed to supporting more college opportunities for students across the country.

“President Obama has taken a special interest in the quality and affordability of higher education,” said President Vinton Thompson. “We share the same interest.  MCNY is committed to serving the under-served in New York City and particularly, in the South Bronx.  We have confidence in the vitality of this community and a long-term commitment to provide enhanced educational opportunities.  We are building a Bronx Campus in the heart of this community.  We are invested in the success of the future of our students.  

As a member of Yes We Must Coalition, we along with all of our partner colleges and universities, are committed to working with the President to increase the number of students successfully completing college programs.  Our goal is to produce 500 additional college graduates by 2020 and another 500 additional graduates by 2025 for a total of 1000 additional graduates by 2025.”

Action Plan

The Yes We Must Coalition is a three year old organization of small, non-profit, private colleges and universities where 50 percent or more of each campus undergraduate enrollment is Pell-eligible whose purpose in organizing is to share resources, information and promising practices to improve the success of low-income and first generation students and to be a voice for our students in the policy arena.

To help schools in their coalition reach their completion goal, Yes We Must commits to working with coalition campuses to develop an Institute to assist campus teams in developing implementation plans and outcome measures focused in three key areas in order to identify and share successful strategies necessary to build greater support and capacity to disadvantaged students.  The Coalition will:

  • Explore financial models, including financial aid, revenue generation and cost cutting, for small, underfunded institutions in order to streamline costs, control student debt and stabilize institutional financial health;
  • Improve the curriculum to career connection from the beginning of the academic journey and strengthening the career services offered to students throughout their college career; and
  • Develop more streamlined and deliberate pathways to graduation and using learning outcomes assessment relevant for our student populations which research demonstrates will increase the likelihood of graduation by low income and first generation students.

Key researchers and facilitators in the Coalition will assist campuses in researching evidenced-based practices in each of the three areas and the Institute will provide the opportunity to share, discuss, and adopt promising and effective practices across campuses. The Coalition anticipates seeing changes resulting from their work through the Institute to be implementation ready for students entering in the fall of 2016 with anticipated increases in graduation outcomes from 2020 onward. 

This year’s summit will focus on building sustainable collaborations in communities with strong K-12 and higher education partnerships to encourage college going, and supporting colleges to work together to dramatically improve persistence and increase college completion, especially for first generation, low-income, and underrepresented students.

For interview opportunities with President Thompson, please Teresa Lyles-Holmes, UniWorld Group (212) 219-7239 (o), (914) 282-5317 (m) Teresa.Holmes@uwgny.com

 

About Metropolitan College of New York

Audrey Cohen, educational visionary and activist, founded the Women’s Talent Corps in 1964. Through development and training for new professional positions, the Talent Corps created employment for thousands of people. It became The College for Human Services, later Audrey Cohen College, and today Metropolitan College of New York (MCNY). MCNY, now celebrating its 50th anniversary, continues the tradition of offering highly motivated learners an education that combines applied skills and professional knowledge to effect personal transformation and positive change in the workplace and community. MCNY is a not-for-profit, accredited, independent college. Full year-round offerings accelerate degree completion, and a unique approach to learning permits close integration of workplace activities and study. MCNY is conveniently located in Soho/Tribeca at 431 Canal Street, New York, NY 10013 and in the Bronx at 529 Courtlandt Ave Bronx, NY 10451. For more information on MCNY, visit www.mcny.edu or call 800.33.THINK.