Eduardo J. Padrón
President
Office of the President
300 N.E. Second Avenue
Miami, Florida 33132-2297
305-237-3316
epadron@mdc.edu
Message From the President
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Welcome to a New Academic Year at MDC
Welcome to the 2012-2013 academic year at Miami Dade College. This year promises to be a very rewarding and challenging one for all of us as we continue to move the College in a new direction.
Last year we successfully launched the MDC³ Student Success and Completion Initiatives and this year we will move into the first of our two-year MDC³ implementation phase. The hard work and dedication of everyone across the College has resulted in an implementation plan that has been praised by external reviewers and is one that we can be truly proud of.
Our MDC³ implementation is already off to a very solid start. This summer, more than 7,000 first-time-in-college students participated in mandatory orientations and advisement, and will continue to receive continuous guidance from assigned advisors during their first year at MDC. Also, nearly 2,500 students took advantage of our test-prep classes to help them prepare to take the PERT examination. We will have the results of the effects of the classes on the students in September, but the early results show that students made great strides in bridging academic skill gaps through these courses.
In addition to all of the exciting work we are doing with our Student Success and Completion Initiatives, the College will continue to expand our renowned academic programming, including new Bachelor of Science degrees in Early Childhood Education and Biological Sciences, and innovative workforce programs in areas including transportation, logistics and supply management, seasonal ranger training, and engineering and technology. A rich season of arts and cultural programming also awaits us, with highlights such as Miami Book Fair International, MDC Live Arts, MDC Galleries of Art + Design and Miami International Film Festival.
This academic year gives us much to look forward to and a lot of work to do. I know that together we will accomplish what no other college or university has done before, so let's roll up our sleeves and continue our quest to bring success within reach of all who have the passion to learn and the drive to achieve their dreams.
Thank you.
Eduardo