Kellogg Community College recently announced the four finalists in the college’s presidential search, who will visit KCC in the coming weeks to meet with students and staff.
Each candidate will also be formally interviewed by the KCC Board of Trustees in a public interview held in the Roll Building Board Room, on campus at 450 North Ave. in Battle Creek. The first candidate to visit KCC will be Dr. Bruce Moses, who will be interviewed by the board beginning at 4 p.m. Monday, Oct. 28.
A public forum just for students to meet Moses will begin at 1:45 p.m. Oct. 28.
Moses currently serves as associate provost at Pima Community College in Tuscon, Arizona. He is an experienced educational administrator and consultant and has 30 years of experience in higher education. He has earned bachelor’s degrees in finance and administrative management, a master’s degree in educational leadership from Eastern Michigan University, and a doctorate in community college leadership from Ferris State University.
We asked Moses some questions about what his presidency at KCC would look like. His answers are below.
The Bruin News: What are you going to do to maintain affordability for tuition and textbooks at KCC?
Moses: The implementation of Guided Pathways (GP) by KCC: GP helps eliminate students taking courses not required for degree completion and ultimately reduces the cost of their education. There are other strategies that can be implemented to keep textbook cost and tuition down.
Online Educational Resources (OER)/etextbooks: Working with book publishers and faculty to develop OER in classes where ebooks are an option. Long-term working with faculty to transition to full certificate and degree programs in an OER format. Faculty would develop the resources and no textbook would be required.
Implementation of an organized rental program: Rental option to rent books through the college. The college buys the textbook and then rents them to students each semester over the course of 2 to 3 years to save students money and recoup their investment. Students would make the commitment to take extreme care of the book so that their peers can use it the next semester. This would require faculty engagement and commitment to use the same textbook for multiple years.
All-inclusive pricing for certificate and degree programs: The college would package tuition/fees, textbook and OER cost for an entire program and provide students with an all-inclusive price for their certificate or degree program.
Lastly, if a tuition increase was necessary, students can be assured that it will be informed by analysis of data and the necessity to continue to provide quality programs and services.
The Bruin News: Why were you drawn to KCC?
Moses: KCC is a great fit for me and my family. It is a stable institution that is on the forefront of implementing innovative academic pathways, programs and proven solutions for student success. I want to come in and continue and enhance those efforts. Also, KCC is moving into the beginning stage of reaffirmation of accreditation and will be involved in a process that is a new process to the college but not new to me. This is an area that I excel professionally.
Finally, I’m a Michigan native, I love my state, my hometown Detroit and value my alma maters EMU and Ferris State. It would be an honor again to be a part of making a difference in the lives of Michiganders through higher education as the president of KCC.
The Bruin News: What are your main short-term and long-term goals for the campus and students? What will be your top priorities at KCC?
Moses: My short-term goals are to ensure reaffirmation of accreditation with the HLC in 2021 and to ensure initiatives already in progress are successfully implemented that enhance a climate of continuous improvement. Long-term goal (3 to 5 years) is to increase persistence, retention and completion rates of students pursuing certificate and degree programs at KCC. The college should focus on improving the 15% graduation rate by 5% in the next five years. The next strategic plan developed by KCC will have a laser-sharp focus on student success and completion.
The Bruin News: What will be the first thing you do once you start?
Moses: The first thing I will do is to walk throughout the college and introduce myself to everyone. I will also plan separate meetings with all the constituent group leader’s faculty, staff and students for a meet and greet.
The Bruin News: What is your attitude toward student-led and campuswide events?
Moses: My attitude towards student-led and campuswide events is positive and supportive. Students have the power to enact positive change in the community and within the college community. Student-led events are important to the sustainability of social justice, politicking and the development of future leaders.
The Bruin News: How are you going to support clubs and their activities?
Moses: I consider clubs and other student organization activities as an important asset to college life and encourage their formation. I am committed to the provision of a comprehensive program of student activities and will support them with monetary resources where appropriate.
The Bruin News: What is your plan to prioritize diversity, inclusion and equity for student success?
Moses: Building on the work that has been implemented over the last couple of years, I plan to prioritize and support high-impact practices of diversity, inclusion and equity for student success. Practices such as engaging KCC in ongoing campus dialogues around diversity, inclusion and equity. Particularly, leveraging the knowledge and expertise of our faculty, staff and students to lead respectful dialogue where concerns, suggestions and strategies for action are taken seriously. Also, investing resources in events and inviting nationally recognized keynote speakers to come to KCC to intentionally educate the college and share best practices on defining student success through the lens of diversity, inclusion and equity.
For more information
The Bruin News published answers to the above questions from the other presidential candidate finalists in advance of their visits to KCC. Click through the links below to view answers from the other finalists.
- Click here to view our interview with candidate Dr. Paul Watson, who was interviewed at KCC on Oct. 31.
- Click here to view our interview with candidate Dr. Adrien Bennings, who visited KCC on Nov. 4.
- Click here to view our interview with candidate Dr. Paula Pitcher, who is visiting KCC on Nov. 6.
For more information about KCC’s presidential search, visit www.kellogg.edu/transition.
