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Roxbury Community College is considered by blacks in Boston to be a very important institution. Its buildings stand majestically along the Southwest Corridor, a tribute to the competence of the black architectural firm of Stull & Lee. A majority of the administration staff and one third of the faculty are African American as are almost half of the student body. Such involvement of African Americans does not exist at any other state institution of higher learning.
Blacks have long had a dream to have a community college to serve the educational needs of the Greater Roxbury area, but that dream has often been a nightmare. In the beginning there was the difficulty of finding a suitable home for the college. Since 1972 one president followed another in quick succession as the school foundered in mismanagement and a lack of direction. Then four years ago the named Grace Carolyn Brown president, and for the first time RCC had a firm hand at the helm.
Dr. Brown correctly perceived that her first task was to establish sound management systems without which no business or college can survive. She established for the first time effective computerized systems for Inventory, Vendor Management, Accounts Payable, Personnel, Payroll, and other areas.
With control systems in place, Dr. Brown then set about to run a fiscally sound institution. For the past two years she has balanced the RCC budget. This is the first time that has happened in the entire history of the school.
Another major task was to be certain that RCC is board certified. Without certification the academic credits of the students would not be readily accepted by other schools. Again Dr. Brown was monumentally successful. Instead of a conditional two-year certification, which is all that UMass-Lowell could achieve, RCC was granted a full tenyear accreditation.
At a time when budgets were tightening, Dr. Brown has demonstrated extraordinary ability to raise funds for educational programs. She obtained a $1.9 million grant to equip the computer technology labs with modern equipment in collaboration with the RCC Foundation she has obtained a $650,000 grant from the Balfour Foundation to develop innovative program. Another $100,000 grant from the state will equip a multi-media lab. Another $148,000 was obtained for the 100 careers program.
In the context of the history of RCC, Dr. Brown’s achievements have been legendary, but there is still much to do. Unfortunately, a disgruntled member of the Board of Trustees has ignominiously violated his duty of confidentiality and leaked selective documents to the Boston Globe to put Dr. Brown’s achievements in an inaccurate and unfair light.
Much has been made of the fact that some students, mostly Russian immigrants, have enrolled, obtained Pell Grants, and then discontinued their studies after completing the English language segment. Since Pell Grants are not to be used for non-diploma study, RCC has been cited by Federal auditors.
Nonetheless, given Dr. Brown’s record of extraordinary achievement, it is absurd for a Globe editorial of Sept. 20 to call for her resignation for mismanagement. Such an unwarranted attack places an undeserved cloud over the rest of the trustees, who are competent professionals. It should also be noted that the other members of the Board have honorably met their fiduciary obligations, unlike the trustee who passed along confidential information.
RCC is now more sound than ever in its history. And with the $17 million Reggie Lewis Track & Athletic Center operating smoothly, it has become a target for takeover. The Board has the backing of the people and ought not be pressured by the white media. Resolve the difficulties with the president and build an even stronger RCC for the community.
