The Post-Standard (Syracuse, New York), March 1, 2007, Thursday

Copyright 2007 Post-Standard
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The Post-Standard (Syracuse, New York)

March 1, 2007 Thursday
MARCH /APRIL EDITION

SECTION: THE GOOD LIFE CENTRAL NEW YORK; Pg. 39

HEADLINE: PRESIDENT DR. DEBBIE SYDOW ONONDAGA COMMUNITY COLLEGE;
TOP OF THE CLASS

BODY:


Journey through a maze of construction in the administration building at Onondaga Community College, and it becomes quite evident that OCC is literally bursting at the seams.

Four new dormitories opened last fall and freshman applications are up 16 percent (as of September 2006). The calm at the eye of the updating storm is Dr. Debbie Sydow, who oversees over 1,000 employees from her modest, yet comfortable, Stickley-furnished office that overlooks the southeast end of the campus.

A Virginia native, Sydow began her career at Southwest Virginia Community College as an English professor where, she was awarded the Faculty-Scholar Award. Later, as dean of the humanities and social sciences division at the same college, she initiated successful programs in faculty development, outcomes assessment and distance education. Sydow served as lead researcher and writer for the Virginia Community College System's highly acclaimed professional development program. Just prior to assuming the presidency at OCC, she served as vice president of academic and student services, and for a time as acting president, at Mountain Empire Community College.

"As a first-generation college student, I am acutely aware of the power of learning to transform a life," Sydow said at her July 1, 2000 OCC induction ceremony.

Q: What work did your mother and grandmothers do?

My maternal grandmother raised eight kids in the Appalachian mountains of Virginia during the Depression. My mother was influenced by the level of poverty in which she was raised. When she was school-age there was one school within 100 miles. Families had to provide their own transportation. Both grandfathers were coal-miners and farmers and died young. My paternal grandmother lived in a depressed area of the Appalachians in eastern Kentucky. She, too, struggled to survive. In addition to raising their families, the women in my family quilted, a tradition I enjoy today.

Q: Would you recommend your job to young women coming up through the ranks? What are the pros and cons?

As I contemplate my career choices from the 20-year marker, it is very clear that I have been blessed with an ample supply of smart mentors and dumb luck. It was a cadre of mentors in the form of college professors, colleagues and supervisors who helped me to sort out my skills and determine how best to apply them in the workplace. And it was luck that enabled me to secure positions suited to my skill set and personality.

A college presidency is definitely not the right job for individuals who seek normal work hours, predictable work days, or minimal exposure to risk and conflict. The life of a college president is deeply rewarding, however, for those who thrive on working collaboratively with a diverse group of people who share the belief - and often the passion - that education is "next in importance to freedom and justice ... [and] without which neither freedom nor justice can be permanently maintained" (President James A. Garfield). I recommend, then, that young women identify their skills and values, then seek a career to match.

Q: What challenges/problems have you solved on the job?

According to a recent report of the Commission on Higher Education appointed by Secretary Margaret Spellings, "Of the nation's 14 million undergraduates, more than four in 10 attend two-year community colleges ... and 90 percent of the fastest-growing jobs in the new knowledge-driven economy will require some post-secondary education." Clearly, community colleges, given their core mission of access and excellence, play a primary role in preparing our nation's citizens to pursue higher-level degrees or to enter the workforce as skilled employees.

My challenge at Onondaga Community College has been, and will likely continue to be, debunking the myths about community colleges. For most local students, Onondaga should be the first choice for their freshman and sophomore years because we provide a highly supportive environment for students to explore their options prior to settling on a major, our professors are renowned for their teaching skills, and we're affordable. Given that enrollment at Onondaga Community College is at an all-time high, I believe we're making progress in conveying the phenomenal value of an OCC education.

Q: How do you spend your free time?

I enjoy spending time with my family and quilting. I made two quilts recently for my 2 1/2-year-old granddaughter.

Q: What would you like to see happen in your corner of CNY in the coming year?

Onondaga Community College both contributes to and benefits from a strong local economy. The greater Syracuse region has all the necessary resources - human, physical and fiscal - to outpace other cities and regions in economic growth. We have an enormous asset in our diverse array of colleges and universities alone. Therefore, I would like to see continued collaboration among local economic development leaders toward achieving a bold vision for economic development.

Onondaga Community College

Dr. Debbie L. Sydow

Hired July 1, 2000

Seventh president in OCC history; first female.

9,400 students

About: Sydow earned a bachelor of arts degree in English from the University of Virginia's College at Wise, a master of arts degree in English from Marquette University, and a doctorate in English from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. She completed post-graduate work in community college administration at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, and she is an alumna of the American Council on Education's Fellows program. Sydow serves as chair of the board of directors of the Institute for Community College Development at Cornell University, and is past chair of the American Council on Education's Commission on Leadership and Institutional Effectiveness. She is president of the Association for Presidents of Public Community Colleges in New York and serves on several community boards, including the Greater Syracuse Chamber of Commerce, the Metropolitan Development Association, ProLiteracy Worldwide and the M&T Bank Syracuse Regional Board.

Family: Sydow's husband, Harry Sydow, teaches in the Education Department at State University College at Cortland. They have one daughter and one granddaughter.

Last book read: "Teacher Man: A Memoir," by Frank McCourt.

Favorite music: Bluegrass.

Tip for success: "Recruit talented, creative, enthusiastic employees, trustees and volunteers who share a passion for the college mission, then actively support them."

Website

www.sunyocc.edu