Spring Break
Scott: NCC keeps doors open
Paola Mero
Issue date: 9/1/07 Section: News
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NCC President Dr. Arthur L. Scott addressed the faculty and staff in Lipkin Theatre just days before fall classes began. He reflected upon the college's accomplishments, often looking back at "State of the College" messages from our past presidents, and praised how far NCC has come in its 40 years as an academic institution.
Accessibility and affordability were the focal points of his message and, at the forefront of the new year is the "Achieving the Dream" initiative. Funded by The Lumina Foundation, ATD was created to aid and support the success of community college students with special concern for traditionally disadvantaged students. "It is not enough to get students in the door; we must make sure they succeed once they have entered," Scott told the audience. More about this new prospect can be found online at Northampton Now, http://www.northampton.edu/news/topstories/luminagrant.htm.
NCC also has the highest participation rates for high school graduates among the community colleges in Pennsylvania. Current participation rates are 25 percent for Northampton County and 17 percent for Monroe County, says Scott. Affordable education is one thing that makes NCC an attractive choice to high school graduates and financial aid was not left out of the picture. Although NCC awarded more than $16 million in aid for the 2006-2007 school year, "cost still remains a barrier for many of our students," Scott said. "We may be low cost when compared to other sector of higher education, but we are not low cost for many of the families we serve."
The closing of the president's message correlated the community college institution with democracy. "Educational opportunity for all should be a moral imperative in this country," he said. "We need to keep the door wide open to higher education. To do otherwise will endanger our democracy."
Accessibility and affordability were the focal points of his message and, at the forefront of the new year is the "Achieving the Dream" initiative. Funded by The Lumina Foundation, ATD was created to aid and support the success of community college students with special concern for traditionally disadvantaged students. "It is not enough to get students in the door; we must make sure they succeed once they have entered," Scott told the audience. More about this new prospect can be found online at Northampton Now, http://www.northampton.edu/news/topstories/luminagrant.htm.
NCC also has the highest participation rates for high school graduates among the community colleges in Pennsylvania. Current participation rates are 25 percent for Northampton County and 17 percent for Monroe County, says Scott. Affordable education is one thing that makes NCC an attractive choice to high school graduates and financial aid was not left out of the picture. Although NCC awarded more than $16 million in aid for the 2006-2007 school year, "cost still remains a barrier for many of our students," Scott said. "We may be low cost when compared to other sector of higher education, but we are not low cost for many of the families we serve."
The closing of the president's message correlated the community college institution with democracy. "Educational opportunity for all should be a moral imperative in this country," he said. "We need to keep the door wide open to higher education. To do otherwise will endanger our democracy."
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