Cheryl Dawson: Candidate profile

Bio

Name: Cheryl Dawson

City: Harvard

Office sought: McHenry County College trustee

Age: 56

Family: Husband, Scott; Sons Eric, 23 and Alec, 21

Occupation: Product Stewardship Manager

Education: Associate of Science Degree, McHenry County College; Bachelor of Arts Degree, Biology, Judson University; Master of Science, Management, National-Louis University

Civic involvement: 11+-year volunteer with the McHenry County Department of Health's Medical Reserve Corps. Past member of the MCDH Environmental Citizen's Advisory Board. Previous elected offices held: None

Issue questions

Describe your vision for the primary role of a community college.

The community college should serve, by definition, the community. Its primary role is to provide District 528 residents higher education AND continuing education opportunities. The community college has been traditionally tasked with providing local students the opportunity to earn an affordable Associate degree, as well as to provide the academic challenge required to equip students with the knowledge and abilities to successfully transition to 4-year colleges and universities. The role of the college has evolved from the geographic district to the broader "community" by offering continuing education and workforce development programs, as well as serving the spectrum of residents from preschoolers to retired adults.

How well is your community college fulfilling that role? What changes, if any, need to be made?

At the present time, McHenry County College offers six associate degree programs, 29 Applied Science degrees and 61 certificate programs, not including an array of curricula for adult learners. The college recently ranked fourth in the state for student success rates and affordability by CNN Money and College Measures, so it's doing a great job preparing our students at an affordable cost. MCC offers classes enabling high-school students to obtain college credits at an affordable cost and offers classes to help members of the community obtain their GED or learn English. There really is something for everyone at MCC, and I firmly believe an educated community is a successful community.

Are you currently employed by or retired from a school district, if so, which one? Is any member of your direct family - spouse, child or child-in-law - employed by the school district where you are seeking a school board seat?

No, to all of the above.

Is a tax rate increase needed and, if so, how do you justify it?

I am not in favor of a tax rate increase. The college is a business, and all businesses are tasked with continually identifying and minimizing expenses while increasing productivity and quality. This includes performing ongoing cost-benefit analyses on new and existing programs to maintain the best educational opportunities for our students at the lowest cost to the students and the taxpayers. Increasing the tax rate should be the last resort, and MCC's success and affordability ranking shows that what they are currently doing is working. The college has done a great job in the past controlling costs and finding alternative revenues, and we need to continue building on that momentum.

Community colleges provide many services to a diverse population. Is there a service your college should be providing that it is not, or reaching a segment of the population that it is not?

MCC provides a broad spectrum of educational services aligned with our county demographics. For example, preschool and child care services are available so parents can attend classes. Continuing education programs such as RAP (Retired Adult Program) allows seniors to broaden their educational horizons and stay up-to-date on current issues and technology. MCC serves a broader population than what we think of as the "traditional" college student. Our community is strengthened through "English as a Second Language (ESL)" training and Citizenship classes, and MCC also offers high school equivalency exam preparation through the college's GED program. The Liebman Science Center recently opened, allowing the college to expand coursework in the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) curricula, greatly increasing the opportunities for our graduates to obtain employment in highly compensated careers.