Legacy 2017 Miami: Top Black Educators Issue | Page 10

10BB
AN INDEPENDENT SUPPLEMENT BY MIA MEDIA & COMMUNICATIONS GROUP TO THE MIAMI HERALD
MONDAY, JULY 17, 2017
Cover story
Miami Dade College Presidents Bring Wealth of Professional, Personal Experience
A Vision of Collective Wisdom and Ownership at MDC
By Audrey Jaynes
A college president’s responsibili�es are
endless, ranging from strategic planning to
fundraising to overseeing all academic and
administra�ve func�ons. Drs. Jeanne Jacobs
and Malou Harrison have approached the
posi�on with grace, passion and true
dedica�on, each devo�ng their en�re career
to higher educa�on—and much of it to
Miami Dade College (MDC).
“For me, my greatest achievement has
been to create a very diverse, student-
centered environment and a culture that
really does say yes we can help every
student who walks through our doors,” said
Jacobs, who has been president of MDC’s
Homestead Campus since 2005.
Harrison has been president of the North
Campus since 2013. As part of MDC’s recent
reorganiza�on of presiden�al leadership,
she recently added the InterAmerican
Campus to her por�olio. For Harrison, the
move doesn’t change her vision.
“My vision is that our learning
environment will con�nually be poised to
transform the lives of the students we
serve,” said Harrison, who holds a doctorate
in Community College Leadership from
Walden University..
Before landing a posi�on as an
administra�ve assistant at MDC in 1989,
Harrison worked with underrepresented
students at one of many Federal TRIO
Programs, which are designed to support
individuals from disadvantaged
backgrounds. While teaching ESL classes at
night, she advanced from an administra�ve
assistant to chief of staff to the college
president. Harrison credits her Jamaican
heritage for giving her the perseverance to
reach her professional goals.
“I con�nue to live by the principle of
discipline, which is something I had always
been taught from my early years in
Jamaica,” Harrison said. “Hard work, respect
and service to others.”
When MDC opened in 1959 as Dade
County Junior College, it was the first
integrated junior college in south Florida.
Now, with an enrollment of over 165,000
students, MDC is the second largest
educa�onal ins�tu�on and has the highest
minority student enrollment of any college
or university in the country. That student
popula�on is spread over eight campuses:
Hialeah, Wolfson, Homestead, Kendall,
West, Medical, North and InterAmerican.
“I believe in shared vision, and a shared vision we all have for
the campus is to con�nue to build on the great work we’ve
been doing, and that is to be a recognized leader in student
learning, achievement and success,” said Jacobs.
Jacobs began her career at Calhoun Community College in
Alabama, where she progressed to associate dean of human
resources and legal affairs before moving on to a posi�on as
dean of arts and sciences and then vice president for
instruc�on at Sinclair College in Ohio. She holds a
doctorate in Administra�on of Higher Educa�on
from the University of Alabama.
While Harrison and Jacobs took different
paths to get to MDC, there are similari�es in
their approach to leadership. Both women
refer to the power of hard work and
discipline. It’s clear from their journeys
that they are the ul�mate role models for
their students, embodying the
quintessen�al skills necessary for success.
“I think what I really love most is
experiencing the success of our students,”
Dr. Jeanne Jacobs,
said Jacobs. “Because I o�en say, when
President of MDC's
our students are successful, that is our
Homestead Campus
greatest reward as a campus. And that’s
what makes you get up every morning and
want to be here.”
Jacobs believes in shared vision and
collec�ve wisdom. She speaks about
“leaning into the circle,” in other words,
leading from the inside as part of, rather
than separate from, the group. Similarly,
Harrison stresses the importance of
empowering faculty and staff toward crea�vity
and innova�on and promo�ng a dynamic learning
environment.
“My mo�o is ‘students first’,” said Harrison, a
mother of four, who enjoys cooking for her children
when she’s not at work. “It’s a determina�on to support
every single student who wants an educa�onal
opportunity.”
MDC enrolls many first-genera�on college students.
The median age is 25. And most students work
part-�me. That said, a vital piece of the school’s
mission is to support those who otherwise might
not have the opportunity for educa�onal
advancement. In that regard, Jacobs and
Harrison said MDC provides students with
wrap around
programming to promote reten�on,
which includes advisement, mentoring
and tutoring supports.
“We meet our students where
they are,” said Harrison. “It is not sink
or swim.”
Dr. Malou Harrison,
President of MDC's North
and InterAmerican Campuses