Gail Mellow, President of LaGuardia Community College, on the skills and experience the faculty at LaGuardia Community College bring to their students and mentees.
"I think the best teaching happens when faculty are challenged to reach a student body that does have a life experience different than their own."
Students from more than 145 countries come to LaGuardia Community College each year, and 77 percent of those living away from their parents have an annual family income of less than $25,000. With over 45,000 students, and a faculty whose doctoral degree attainment is twice the national average, LaGuardia is considered a critical voice on behalf of the national community college system.
In this video, LaGuardia Community College president Gail Mellow reflects on the valuable skills and experiences that her faculty bring to their diverse student body as they broaden access and strengthen engagement in the humanities for undergraduates. “There really still exists a pretty profound bias against the kind of education that happens at community colleges,” says Mellow. “When I look at the faculty at LaGuardia, they’re extraordinary in what they bring...having taught to a very different kind of student.”
