The roughly $56 billion budget approved by Massachusetts legislators this summer includes $20 million to launch MassReconnect, a program that will allow commonwealth residents over 25 and anyone pursuing a nursing degree to attend community college for free. On Thursday, the leaders of community colleges across Western Massachusetts are gathering with state leaders at Greenfield Community College to celebrate the new initiative. Among them is Ellen Kennedy, the head of Berkshire Community College. Headquartered at its Pittsfield campus, BCC has an enrollment of around 1,500 students. WAMC spoke with Kennedy about MassReconnect and other education provisions passed in the budget, as well as about a campus visit from Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll scheduled this afternoon.
KENNEDY: We are thrilled to pieces to be announcing in Western Mass the launch of MassReconnect, which is a program for individuals who are 25 years and older who do not have a college degree to attend Massachusetts community colleges free of charge. And we’ll take transferring credits from our own institutions or other institutions, or people can start from the very beginning. And we're very, very excited and are seeing a lot of interest already.
WAMC: Now, what kind of impact do you think this will have on Berkshire Community College?
A positive one, where we are already seeing students through the door. And I know I've had the opportunity to chat with my fellow presidents at the other three Western Mass community colleges, and all of us are seeing a lot of interest in this program. And a lot of people who are figuring out very quickly how to change their lives in such a way to take advantage of this program. You need to take six or more credits to qualify for the program.
What is your pitch to folks in the Berkshire community who are able to take advantage of this new opportunity? Why should they?
We have supports in place to help students think through what they need to do to make this a reality, both from the support services for their academics and to deal with the issues in their own lives that can sometimes, they have to work through to make this work. The finances are there, there's additional financial support to help with books and other materials. So, there's just so much in place to make this a reality, and it's really how we all make sure we can actively participate.
BCC has also sent out a communique this week praising the Massachusetts legislature for other programs alongside MassReconnect that were passed in this year's budget. Break it down for me- What are some of those other programs, and why is BCC bullish on them?
We think we’re- This is a moment for community colleges, a real recognition of the role that Massachusetts community colleges – Berkshire Community College right here – plays in helping people find the right support. So, we have additional funding for a nursing program, we have additional funding for high demand degree programs, we have additional funding for our SUCCESS Program. The SUCCESS Program supports our students by providing them coaching, all kinds of services that helps them be successful in the classroom and outside of the classroom. And that was a program supported by the Massachusetts legislature, and we're so grateful to our very own Berkshire legislative delegation for all the support they provided to make all of these programs a possibility right now.
Now, earmarked in the budget was $12 million for Free Community College for All, something of a self-explanatory title. As the president of one such community college, what does it mean for you that Massachusetts is gearing up for this future where possibly community college will be free to all students as early as next year?
We think that the free community college opportunities would bring many people who are sitting on the sidelines, who have started and stopped their college journey, into community college, and then moving on, both completing a degree at a community college and then going on to complete a bachelor's degree and beyond. So, it will expand the number of people attending and completing higher education degrees in Massachusetts. It's really a huge moment for Massachusetts and its recognition of the role community colleges play, but also the role of higher education and its importance in the economy of Massachusetts.
BCC is welcoming Lieutenant Governor Kim Driscoll to its campus for a visit. Tell us about that visit- What is bringing Lieutenant Governor Driscoll out to Pittsfield?
We're just thrilled that she is coming to Pittsfield. I’ve had the opportunity to meet with her a number of times, particularly over these last few weeks with these various announcements, and we’re delighted that she could carve out some time, and our own Mayor [Linda Tyer] was willing to share her time and allow her to come up to our campus and check out what's happening on our campus. We're going to show her our One Stop and hoping there'll be some students and potential students here who are probably participants in the MassReconnect who could chat with her, as well as to see the projects that are underway and some of the work we're doing in workforce development. So, very excited to be hosting Lieutenant Governor Driscoll here today.
