A student was one semester away from completing his associate’s degree at Cleveland State Community College, but when he had car trouble, he had to put his money toward that and delay completing his degree … or so he thought.
The CSCC Foundation chipped in, and he was able complete his degree.
Lee McChesney, CSCC director of development and interim director of the CSCC Foundation, told members of Bradley Sunrise Rotary Club of this and other efforts by the Foundation to assist students as they further their education.
“People ask me, ‘What does the Foundation do for Cleveland State?'” McChesney started at the club’s Thursday, July 13, meeting.
Among many things, he said its purpose is to “support the College’s students, faculty and staff programs.”
Noting CSCC has a budget acquired through tuition fees, state funds and elsewhere, the Foundation seeks to go beyond the confines of the budget.
“There are always things that come up that are unexpected,” McChesney said. “There’s always a need a student has, there’s something that breaks down, there’s new things that a faculty member needs for their class, and that’s what the Foundation is there for — to provide that support.”
The Foundation’s website states, “Governed by a Board of Trustees, the Foundation secures private contributions and bequests and manages monies or properties given to the Foundation for the financial support of the College’s strategic mission.”
McChesney said the average scholarship total awarded annually over the past couple years has been half a million, with around 650 to 700 students served.
One of the most common questions he said he receives is: “With Tennessee Promise, why do you need to provide scholarships?”
Acknowledging such questions are “valid,” he went on to note that Tennessee Promise is only eligible to students who go directly from high school to CSCC.
If a student chose to work for a year after finishing high school before starting college, then Tennessee Promise would not be available to them, he said.
“Probably a third of Cleveland State’s enrollment is what we think of as a ‘traditional student,’ that graduates from high school and comes right straight into college,” he said.
Dual-enrollment high school courses as well as adults, aged 35 and up, he said, make up the other two thirds.
With a smile, he said, “We’ve got folks there that are old, like me, who have decided to do something different and want to enhance their education.”
Over the past year, McChesney said five endowed scholarships, each with $10,000 or more of funding, have been established to help meet the needs of students at various points in their life and academic career.
There are scholarship funds contributed to by alumni of CSCC, as well as faculty and staff.
He said the Foundation also raises funds through fundraisers like the Community First Awards, which will have its eighth ceremony on Sept. 19 this year.
“This year, I’m very pleased to announce we had 58 nominations, which is the largest number of nominations we’ve ever had for these awards,” McChesney said. “So our selection committee had quite a task to try to narrow that down.”
Nominees are to be from the counties served by CSCC and exemplify a community first outlook as they give back to the place they call home.
The winners will be announced soon in eight categories, including:
• Public service
• Student leadership
• Philanthropy
• Education
• Non-profit leadership
• Arts
• Volunteer service
• Healthcare
With the 2022-23 fiscal year behind them, McChesney was pleased to share the Foundation had raised $860,000 to support the college, and he described this as the most successful year to date, excluding a few years when the Foundation was raising funds to build the new science building.
He praised the commitment he sees in “all levels of faculty, administrative and staff” who support the students to “help them meet their needs, and help keep them in college so that they can reach the degree that they’re striving for.”
During the question and answer portion following McChesney’s remarks, one Rotarian asked if McChesney had an explanation for the recent resignation of CSCC former president, Dr. Ty Stone.
Stone submitted her resignation on June 22, with her final day as president being June 30.
“I was as shocked as everyone else when I received the email from her that she was resigning from her position, and I don’t really know a whole lot of detail,” McChesney said. “What I have heard, I would say is fourth- and fifth-hand information, and I just don’t think it’s worth trying to repeat.”
He added, “I enjoyed working with Dr. Stone. She’s a great supporter of what we’re doing at the Foundation, trying to serve the students. I’m not sure why her reason was to leave, but I just wish her the best and wish her well.””There are always things that come up that are unexpected,” McChesney said. “There’s always a need a student has, there’s something that breaks down, there’s new things that a faculty member needs for their class, and that’s what the Foundation is there for — to provide that support.”
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