Shaun McKay Named to Serve on Two Major Committees

 Dr. Shaun McKay is an esteemed member of the higher education industry. So much so that he was named under two major committees during his time as President of Suffolk County Community College. Shaun McKay recently discussed the two committees and what it means to be a part of them.

Dr. Shaun McKay was first chosen to be a member of the Steering Committee of the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC). He was also selected to serve on an implementation team to work on the AACC’s Initiative #2, “Re-imagining Student Pathways.”

The goal of the Steering Committee and Shaun McKay as a member will be to coordinate the work of several implementation teams and determine what progress is being made amongst them. The desired implementation strategies have been outlined in a 21st-Century Commission report on the Future of Community Colleges.

Shaun McKay will serve as an integral member of the Steering Committee, helping the organization determine where community colleges across the country are succeeding and where they are not.

“As a member of the Steering Committee, it is my goal to help create a road map of avenues that community colleges must adopt to enhance the quality of education and success of students. The success of individual students is reflected in the university itself,” he said.

The individual work of Shaun McKay as a member of the Re-Imagining Student Pathways Implementation Team will be to define certain methods to help increase student completion rates. It will also shorten the gaps associated with student gender, income, ethnicity, and more. 

Shaun McKay will thoroughly evaluate the effectiveness of individual community college programs and student services. The goal is to end practices that are ineffective and enhance ones that have proven to be successful.

“Students are continuously facing a growing number of economic, racial, and gender-related difficulties. They need community colleges to provide services to help them succeed,” Dr. Shaun McKay said. “We need to be creative in creative, cost-effective measures to help increase student success.”

Dr. Shaun McKay added that he would like to create cost-effective solutions that are easy to adapt and be implemented at community colleges across the state and the country. 

As a member of the Steering Community and the Implementation Team for Initiative #2, Shaun McKay will help change the future of community colleges in numerous ways. The AACC is thankful to have him as a member and a critical part of creating positive change in the industry of community colleges.