Ayesha Adnan: Hello, everyone, my name is Ayesha Adnan. I’m Editor in Chief of The Advocate Montgomery College. And today I have the immense pleasure and great honor of being joined by Dr. Jermaine F. Williams, the President of Montgomery College. How are you, Dr. Williams?

Dr. Williams: I am fabulous. I’m so very much looking forward to our conversation. Thank you for the invitation.

Ayesha Adnan: Of course, thank you so much for making time. First of all, I would like to congratulate you on completing one year at Montgomery College. My question to you is, how has the college treated you so far? How has your year been here?

Dr. Williams: My year has been absolutely fantastic. Congratulations to you as we started around the same time. It’s been an extremely fulfilling year. You know, getting to know our fantastic students and hearing about their goals and seeing their passion, being able to realize their passion is absolutely palpable, when I’ve had an opportunity to talk with students, it has just been really fantastic.

I am so impressed by our students, their level of ambition and dedication, their desires to impact the societies and communities where they live and where they seek to reside. And with that, I would also mean the dedication of our faculty and staff to really help support our students and those who we seek to serve, to gain access to Montgomery College, to thrive during their time at Montgomery College and to provide students with the tools that are going to help after they transition from Montgomery College.

Ayesha Adnan:  Talking about student accomplishments and goals, I am aware that the Strategic Plan Refresh is being discussed and worked on and it’s something that’s very close to your heart as well. And it’s so important considering how we’re just coming out of the pandemic, so many things in the world have changed. What are some crucial points you’re hoping to address in the Refresh?

Dr. Williams: I really appreciate that. You mentioned coming out of the pandemic, there’s been so much that has occurred since the pandemic, and we don’t have the time to get into all those components of the life altering situations that have occurred that I’m sure that you know.

So based on that hearing from our internal and external constituents, there are some common themes. Our Strategic Plan was created before the pandemic, and then actually implemented during the pandemic. So, there was really an immense desire around refreshing, not creating something completely new. But let’s keep what is working really well.

We’ve had lots of feedback from forums; internal and external. All very thoughtful contributions. It’s still a work in progress. But it looks like right now, the broad areas of attention relate to; connections between Montgomery College and our regional community, cultivate a sense of belonging for everyone at the college; our students, faculty, and staff. Innovation and organizational effectiveness as we look at our economic impacts, or our students and our community.

Ayesha Adnan: Thank you so much, we really appreciate the effort. Coming towards constituent concerns. I and a few other senators volunteered at the Community Colleges for International Development conference (CCID engages and empowers an international association of community, technical, and vocational institutions to create globally engaged learning environments). We noticed that the participating colleges had variety of resources for their international students.

We have international students from over 160 countries. A concern that is raised every time is that there are not enough international student resources.  Is that something under the administration’s focus lens or something they are willing to focus on in the near future?

Dr. Williams: We look at all students and ensure that everyone has equitable opportunity. We must listen to the voices of our students. And, and as you mentioned, we are very diverse, and you have representation at Montgomery College and we to strive to make the international student experience a positive one.

I know we have our International Student Office that really is helping with the visa documents and also helping students adjust to the college life. They also host events to help international students and other students. I have attended new student orientations in the International Office in both fall and spring.  And I know our international student coordinators work with students on a one-on-one basis to help them meet their educational and social goals. I think that’s important holistically, really partnering with students. And we think about that, that partnership and helping our students. I am familiar with the International Student Connections, which is a group founded with the international student coordinators office to support international students.

So there, there’s a lot that is occurring, in terms of supporting international students. Though, I hear what you are sharing is that there’s still some opportunity for us to support our international students, I would say, I’d love to go to hear that voice from you and from other international students. So, we love to continue to hear the student voice so that we can continue to provide equitable experience for all of our students. That’s our goal.

Ayesha Adnan: Thank you so much for your candidness. My next question is that at the Town Hall you talked about how enrollment has increased. And we know that the rate had really decreased in the past years, even for four-year college transfers, who are seeing a lower rate. What are some factors that contributed to the increase of enrollment in spring 2023 in Montgomery College, and how can we maintain this upward trend?

Dr. Williams: We are very excited about that, there was a round of applause at the recent Town Hall that you just referenced. We’re about 1% up in the number of students enrolled as compared to the spring 2022. And that hasn’t happened in about 10 years. The last spring increase in enrollment was in Spring 2012. So, this is a very encouraging sign to see it again in 2023.

When we look at the pattern, the why behind this, we see a couple of items. Our students on average are taking more credits, we also know that there is a diversity of classes that are being offered. So, 63% of classes are offered face to face, 21% are distance learning and are asynchronous, and 16% are remote. It’s really interesting to look at that and ask, you know, what are some factors or what could be continued?

You know, I think when we have such diverse and continuum modalities, that really speaks to listening to the student voice, and providing educational opportunities that the students want, that the students are seeking. Moving forward, that is something that we would continue to focus on, providing the educational opportunities, whether it be at the course level, program level, department level, and so on. And that may be different, for students who are in different situations where you like, the same course could be offered but a different modality based on other factors.

And as a lifelong learner, I think there’s always more to learn and room to grow. So, because continuing to focus on that really positive effort of us listening to the student voice, ensuring that we’re looking at the student experience, and placing the student experience, front and center. And then I would also share, it’s also ensuring that we’re providing faculty and staff, with the tools with the learning opportunities, so that they can provide the fantastic educationally purposeful experiences, both in the classroom and outside of the classroom, that they are able to, share and create with our students.

Ayesha Adnan: What is some advice you would like to give to current students and also students who are transferring out at the end of the semester?

Dr. Williams: We had our Wraps with Williams, in Rockville just last week, and a couple of students were asking about advice in general. And I think in terms of advice I was sharing with students, I would encourage the students to think about really getting to know yourself, what is it that that stresses you out? What is it that makes you procrastinate, what is it that makes you anxious, and, and how, based on who you are, based on your likes, your dislikes, based on the world that’s around you, and all the opportunities and challenges you face? And I think that’s a really personal approach, because what may work for one person no may work for others. Make sure that you’re dedicating time to self-care.

And in terms of the transfer process, plan for success. Meet with your advisor early, reach out and connect with students. Play into your professional goals and think about how to get there. Really consider how you can take chances, both in your academics, and your social life. How you can take chances that are going to help you explore new horizons experience and new situations. And it’s okay that paths change and you have to take an alternate route.

And one last thing I would share is really asking for help. I’ve learned over the years being able to identify when you need help, is powerful. And you know whether it’s tutoring or counseling, we do so much together and with the support of other individuals, and I just can’t overstate how important it is to be able to have individuals in groups who you can rely on.

Ayesha Adnan: Thank you so much for all of the wonderful advice. We always refer our concerns to you, but I would like to tell you that I moved to the US in September 2021 and joined MC in Spring 2022. I’m graduating this semester. The one and a half year I’ve spent at MC has been nothing short of amazing. The college is inclusive, I have seen it firsthand, and the environment is such a safe space that every single person tries to uplift you. Whether they are professor’s the public safety people, staff, counselors, every single person is just trying really hard to make sure that students succeed. So, I thank you for that. I thank the college for that. And I hope that my Montgomery College stays that way and continues to get better.

Dr. Williams: Thank you so very much, Ayesha for this conversation. Thank you for sharing your personal story. That is exactly what we strive to do. You mentioned the word uplift. It just makes me smile and I’m really thankful for the opportunity to have this conversation with you today. So, thank you.