Dear Colleagues,

As the first week of the academic year at Miami Dade College comes to a close, I am energized to begin this new and exciting chapter at MDC. With this fresh new start, I am launching a weekly “Friday Five” communications update designed to keep our college community informed on how MDC is continuously reimagining student success, accelerating academic excellence and innovation, valuing a culture of care to enhance student outcomes, fueling the talent needs of a global economy and securing our future.

Welcome Back Sharks

It brings me great joy to see Miami Dade College come alive with students from all backgrounds who are filled with renewed energy to learn. I had the opportunity to visit our campuses this week, where I connected with our world-class faculty and staff who continue to go above and beyond to foster a culture of care for our students, welcoming them with a variety of activities and events to create a sense of belonging.

Paving a Pathway to Greatness

The impact our dual-language Honors College program makes in our community is being featured on a national level. This month the higher education news outlet EdSurge published a great article highlighting the success stories of three MDC students who recently earned associate degrees and will transfer to MIT this fall.

Expanding Cybersecurity Pathways

As we stay committed to creating a pipeline for talent, MDC was awarded $2 million from the Florida Department of Education and the Florida Center for Cybersecurity. The investment is aimed to help increase the local talent workforce in cybersecurity. The College will use these funds to offer accessible training options, create meaningful pathways from high school to college, and support Miami’s transformation as a tech hub by bringing and hosting relevant cybersecurity conferences and competitions to Miami.

Named National Finalist for 2022 Examples of Excelencia Award

MDC was recently recognized for its commitment to creating accessible pathways for our Hispanic community. The College was named a finalist for the 2022 Examples of Excelencia distinction for its Connect4Success program, a collaboration with Florida International University to establish a guided transfer pathway that facilitates the admission of MDC graduates with an associate in arts degree to FIU baccalaureate programs. This week Miami Today published an article highlighting the program which aims to personalize student support and ensure success for every student.

Creating International Connections

As the College embraces its responsibility to serve as an economic, cultural, and civic leader for the advancement of our diverse global community, this week I had the pleasure of meeting with Consul Generals from both Suriname and Barbados. These opportunities for close collaborations, provide MDC with an international perspective on how we can continue fueling the talent needs of our global economy.

Photo of the Week

This is just the start of our progress this year. Together with our talented faculty and staff, I'm confident we will attain the remarkable goals we are setting for ourselves, and I look forward to highlighting our momentum as we collectively optimize for the future.

With gratitude,

Madeline