Message for HCCC Parents

Dr. Ronald F. Williams, President

To Our Parents and Family Members at HCCC:

Welcome to the Herkimer County Community College family!  We promise we will do our very best to provide your HCCC student many opportunities for learning about their chosen career path as well as providing them experiences that will allow them to learn more about themselves and meet others unlike them who can teach them new things, too! As parents and guardians, your students will look to you for advice on how they can manage the new challenges college presents to them. In addition to the guidance and support you will provide to them, I would like to share my advice with them (and with you as parents and guardians to whom they will look for help) for succeeding in college:

Point 1: Attend Class
Students take note: Your future is what you make of it. Attending classes and not just ‘showing up,’ but becoming actively involved in the learning process, is critical to your success—and solely in your hands. Engage your teachers in dialogue. Encourage your peers by your personal example. Look at old situations in new ways. Remember, what you do today is going to impact your future. Make a lasting, positive impression with your teachers and your peers. Take advantage of every opportunity for learning that comes your way—both inside and outside of the classrooms here at HCCC.

Point 2: Get Involved
This semester, there are more than 100 campus activities scheduled with students in mind—take advantage of special events, athletic competitions, community involvement, and any chances you have to get involved and grow at HCCC. There are close to 40 student clubs and organizations here—there is something for you, whatever your interests may be. Your out-of-the-classroom experience will be valuable as well since these opportunities for learning and leadership will teach you valuable life skills that will benefit you well after you’ve left the walls of this institution. Volunteer on campus or in the community. Stop by the Counseling Center or the Student Activities Office. Both are great resources for you if you want to be involved in the campus or local communities.  Let us know what you’re thinking. Get involved with Student Government—or at least share your opinions with campus leadership.

Point 3: Get to Know Faculty/Staff Member(s)
We hope you walk through the many doors of learning and opportunity at HCCC that are open to each and every one of you. The administrators and staff you will meet, like your professors, are interested in you—and your success here. The faculty and staff here are a distinguished group of scholars, practitioners, and specialists in their respective fields. They share a common bond—the desire to help students succeed. That means you. Take time to get to know them. If there is anything they can do to help you have a very positive experience here at HCCC, I assure you, they will do whatever they can.