DHL 2023 – Dr. Falecia D. Williams

Daring To Be Extraordinary: Transforming the Structure of How We Work.

u003cstrongu003e“My journey crystallized the belief instilled by my mother and grandmother that a good education — a higher education — opens doors to better opportunities. This realization led me to the postsecondary education sector fueling the vision of providing everyone with an authentic opportunity to ‘Dare to be Extraordinary.’”u003c/strongu003e – u003cemu003eDr. Falecia D. Williams, President, Prince George’s Community Collegeu003c/emu003e

Dr. Falecia D. Williams’ lecture spoke to the reality community colleges faced emerging from the pandemic era. She pointed to the myriad of challenges facing the post-secondary sector in the early 2020s — and provocatively asked whether the pandemic would ultimately be seen as a catastrophe or a catalyst for change that could transform colleges’ ability to serve all of their students well.

Much of her work was grounded in her own lived experience, which she described: “Growing up in the old citrus belt of Florida, where college was not the norm for Black individuals, I faced material poverty but was extremely rich in spirit and culture. I was raised by a blind mother and equally amazing grandmother whose strong work ethic and selflessness influenced me profoundly.”

Dr. Williams declared that community colleges must respond to the emerging challenges “to their model and work with “thoughtful, strategic and innovative frameworks, models and operational practices that position us for
remarkable change and progress.”

Prince George’s Community College had embraced this need in its strategic plan, “Dare to be Extraordinary.”

The plan focused on enhancing equitable access, optimizing student success pathways, creating optimal learning conditions and fostering workforce innovation through comprehensive campus models, targeted support services and strategic partnerships.

Dr. Williams recommended several questions to kickstart a similar process for other colleges: First, “What worked? What didn’t work?” and second, “What do we need to renew? What do we need to let go of?”

Summary provided by Nation Hahn, Advisor, John M. Belk Endowment
& Joshua Perrin, Founder, Sound and Sense Communications