Presidential Update

More about MCC's New President, Dr. Vicky Smith

Dr. Vicky R. Smith was the President of Neosho County Community College, a two-campus, comprehensive community college in eastern Kansas. While at NCCC, she has initiated new academic programs in health care, "green" construction, computer science, and sustainable energy, as well as developed collaborative partnerships with K-12, business and industry, four-year colleges and universities, and other community colleges. Under her leadership, NCCC had been the fastest growing community college in Kansas for the last seven years, rising from 18th out of 19th in size to 12th in size through increasing student retention, expanding on-line education, and implementing successful student support services and programs.

Before working at Neosho County Community College, Dr. Smith served as the Vice-president for Academic Services at Monroe Community College in Rochester, NY, where she oversaw the Damon Center urban campus and the suburban Applied Technology Center as well as the academic and student services operations on the main campus. Under her leadership the enrollment grew by 17% to a total of 25,000 student headcount; the college became the leader in on-line, asynchronous learning in SUNY LearnNET with 21% or 3000 of all New York State students enrolled in the program; and a $26 million Public Safety Training Facility was constructed in partnership with the City of Rochester and the County of Monroe.

Prior to Monroe Community College, Dr. Smith was the president of a small community college in the Minnesota State Colleges and University System—Austin Community College. While there she developed the first new degree programs the College had initiated in 10 years, oversaw the renovation of the campus and construction of a new library/LRC, computer classrooms, a Center for Student Success, fitness lab, dance studio, and general classrooms. In addition, she was instrumental in the successful merger of her institution with the adjacent technical college campus to become Riverland Community College.

Dr. Smith is passionate about community colleges and their role in changing peoples’ lives. She has devoted her career to ensuring that students are learning and that an environment is created where they can succeed at whatever they choose. Her favorite time of the year is graduation, where she has the honor of shaking the hand of each graduate as they cross the stage after receive their degree or certificate.

A native of Illinois, Dr. Smith was raised on a grain farm outside Decatur, Illinois. She received her Doctorate in Education (Ed. D.) from Northern Illinois University, her Educational Specialist (Ed. Spec.) and Bachelor in Education (BS. in Ed) degrees from Eastern Illinois University, and her Master in Science (MS) from the University of Illinois.

View the press release on this new appointment. PDF

8/24/10