Jianping Wang was inaugurated Friday as the college's sixth president
WEST WINDSOR -- Mercer County Community College President Jianping Wang laid out a vision for student success as she was formally installed to her new post on Friday.
Though community colleges are increasingly becoming a popular and cheaper alternative for students, she said they face unprecedented challenges including declining enrollment, decreasing public funding and increasing demand for higher graduation rates, a better prepared workforce, more student support services, and more technology.
"It is our time to reexamine what we teach and how we teach to make sure our students are ready to be productive employees and engaged citizens," said Wang, who took office July 1. "It is our time to reexamine how, when and where we serve our students.
"We must explore and create effective pathways for those students who come to us underprepared with different learning capacities, styles and even interests," she continued. "All these require us to change, adapt and innovate, and most important of all, collaborate."
Wang said the college's new strategic plan focuses on three goals for the next five years: ensuring student success, expanding innovative partnerships and investing in professional and organizational effectiveness.
Friday's inauguration ceremony also marked the beginning of the college's 50th anniversary.
"Mercer County Community College is poised to pursue a new vision of student success and to embrace unprecedented challenges as historic opportunities," she said.
Wang was named the college's sixth president following the retirement of Patricia Donohue, who served for eight years.
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