Hardworking staff makes JCC successful

I read about Jefferson Community College's record enrollment and the reasons given by President Carole McCoy. I'm sure that the state of the economy and the cooperative programs helped, but I believe there is a more fundamental reason for the increase and the overall success of JCC, and that is the people who make up the college. It's not the buildings, the landscaping, the technology and even if the economy is growing and there are no cooperative programs, there would still be a successful JCC.

JCC has been blessed from the beginning to have a dedicated and hardworking teaching staff, nonteaching staff, and nonprofessional staff. The faculty go beyond the classroom to provide in-depth information to the general public about their programs; the nonteaching professionals inform the public about what the college offers and provide important services to the students, and without the valued and valuable nonprofessional staff, there would be no JCC.

I would especially like to raise the awareness of one department that isn't heard from all that often and that is the admissions office. Under the able leadership of Director Rosanne Weir-LaPlante, these staff present the college in its best light to the high schools in Jefferson and surrounding counties and honestly and clearly present all the programs to the students and staff of the schools. They work long hours as well as evenings and weekends to be sure everyone in the area has a clear idea of what JCC is all about.

Rosanne was born in Watertown. She knows the area, she knows the people, she knows the competition, and she knows how to best represent JCC to its constituents in a professional and informative manner.

In this day and age many community colleges nation-wide are dropping the word "community" from their name. But community colleges are what higher education in the United States is all about. Rather than trying to look like something they aren't, they should highlight the name community instead of dropping it. These colleges are all about the people who work in them and the public they serve.

To understand the success of JCC, you don't need to look any further than everyone who works there.

John G. Phillips

Punta Gorda, Fla.