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2024-2025 Faculty Handbook

About Montgomery College

graduation

 

History

Montgomery College has been changing lives in Montgomery County for more than 70 years. Founded in 1946, Montgomery College began as an evening college at Bethesda-Chevy Chase High School, serving an initial student body of just 186 students.

By 1950, the College acquired the buildings and land previously occupied by the Bliss Electrical School. This Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus location became the College’s first campus. Rockville Campus opened in 1965, and the Germantown Campus opened in 1978.

Today, the College is a multi-campus institution that serves nearly 60,000 students annually, through a combination of credit and noncredit continuing education programs.

Chartered by the state of Maryland and governed by a ten-member Board of Trustees, Montgomery College is widely recognized for the quality and scope of its academic programs in liberal arts, humanities, sciences, business, and technologies. 

Campuses are located in Germantown Campus, Rockville Campus, and Takoma Park/Silver Spring Campus, complemented by Workforce Development and Continuing Education centers and other off-campus sites throughout Montgomery County.

More than 100 degree and certificate programs prepare students to earn an associate’s degree, transfer to a four-year college or university, enter the job market, upgrade career skills, complete an apprenticeship, or enhance life through enrichment experiences.

A highly accomplished and innovative faculty provides individualized instruction and a supportive learning environment. Affordable tuition and various extracurricular activities-such as athletic programs, performing arts, student clubs and multicultural organizations, and student government-create a complete college experience for the county’s culturally diverse student population.

Courses and student services are provided year-round for day, evening, and weekend students.

See About Montgomery Collegenew window web site for more information.

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Accreditation

The state of Maryland oversees all public higher education in the state, including community colleges. Like all community colleges in Maryland, Montgomery College and its Board of Trustees are legally accountable to the state and to the county for the operations of the College. Montgomery College operates under the authority of the Maryland Higher Education Commission. The Commission has the authority to establish minimum requirements for associate degree–granting institutions and to establish general policies for the operation of postsecondary education.

Montgomery College was first accredited on April 28, 1950. The College has remained on the accredited list of the Middle States Commission on Higher Education ever since, with accreditation reaffirmed in 1957, 1968, 1978, 1987, 1992, 1997, 2003, 2008, 2013, and 2018.

In addition, related professional societies or accrediting agencies accredit some specialized programs. Visit the accreditation webpage for more information.

Mission, Vision, and Core Values

More than just words, our mission, vision, and values reflect, in an inspiring way, who we are as an institution and why we are so dedicated to our students and their success. These aspirational standards set our priorities and drive our actions every day.

Mission Statement
Montgomery College is where students discover their passions and unlock their potential to transform lives, enrich the community, and change the world.

Vision Statement
Montgomery College will serve as the community’s institution of choice to transform the lives of students and Montgomery County.

Values Statement
At our core, we believe in welcoming all students and all employees into a community that emphasizes belonging. We believe in giving every individual what they need to succeed (Equity and Inclusion). We believe in conducting our teaching and service duties with distinction (Excellence) in an ethical and trustworthy manner (Integrity). We are dedicated to being a transformational institution seeking social justice and are continuously updating and improving all our learning environments, the curriculum, and student services (Innovation) to meet the changing needs of our community (Adaptability). We make decisions about our operations in a way that respects and sustains the environment (Sustainability). We conduct ourselves with civility, courtesy, and professionalism in all our interactions (Respect).

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BUILDING A VISION ON A LEGACY OF LEARNING

For more than 70 years, Montgomery College has dedicated time, resources, and countless hours of professional development to improve and refine the quality of instructional and support services for our students. Faculty-developed initiatives and the vast and dynamic offerings of the Office of E-Learning, Innovation, and Teaching Excellence have helped to create a rigorous and learning-centered academic culture. The creativity, dedication, and high expectations of our faculty have provided the leadership to embed a student-oriented, dynamic, learning-centered culture. Strong general education courses and substantive curricula in the arts, sciences, and humanities promote both liberal learning and practical skills for success. Career and workforce development, as well as continuing education, are solidly integrated into our local community.

Learning changes lives at Montgomery College. As a community, we dedicate ourselves to assuring that every individual learner is changed and enriched with new life skills. Every learner will have a broader, deeper, and more compassionate community perspective, and a more acute sense of self. Facilitating learning is the responsibility of every member of the College community, including support and professional staff, faculty, administrators, and members of the Board of Trustees.

As a community, we base our decision making and our resource allocations on the enhancement of learning.

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An Equal Opportunity Employer

With students enrolled from every continent and from nearly 160 different countries around the globe, Montgomery College is a community of diverse students, faculty, staff, and alumni that are citizens of the world. As a community open to all, the College embraces its extraordinary diversity and it is committed to creating learning environments and opportunities that prepare our students to contribute to and participate in a global society and marketplace.

At Montgomery College, we are committed to ensuring an environment where all persons are provided opportunities for employment and/ or participation in academic programs and other College activities. The Montgomery College Board of Trustees has established policies to assure that College maintains educational and employment environments free from ethnic, cultural, and racial hostility, violence, or harassment. It is the policy and practice of the College to prohibit discrimination in its programs and activities against a qualified individual with a disability or on the basis of age, citizenship status, color, covered veteran status, gender identity, genetic information, marital status, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. This policy is consistent with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; Title IX of the Educational Amendments Act of 1972; the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, Section 504; the ADA Amendments Act (ADAAA 2008); and other applicable laws and regulations. Inquiries regarding compliance with these laws may be directed to the Director of Employee Engagement and Labor Relations, Carol Kliever, 9221 Corporate Boulevard, CT/E101, Rockville, MD 20850, Carol.Kliever@montgomerycollege.edu, 240-567- 4435; Kristen Roe, Director of ADA Compliance & Title IX Coordinator, 9221 Corporate Blvd., Rockville, MD 20850, Kristen.Roe@montgomerycollege.edu, 240-567-4279; or to the Office for Civil Rights, Department of Education, Washington, DC 20201. Under provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act, this material is available in alternative formats by contacting the Disability Support Services Office at 240-567-5058.

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Student Population

STUDENTS IN CREDIT COURSES

In fall 2024 there were 18,835 students enrolled in credit programs at Montgomery College—the largest credit enrollment of any community college in Maryland, and the largest undergraduate enrollment among all colleges and universities in Maryland. Montgomery College is a popular choice among local residents, as approximately 60 percent of Montgomery County public high school graduates who stay in-state for college choose to attend Montgomery College. The College also has great international appeal, as approximately 150 countries are represented in Montgomery College’s diverse student body. See the Office of Institutional Research & Effectivenessnew window web site fore more information. 

STUDENTS IN NONCREDIT COURSES

The College’s Workforce Development & Continuing Education (WDCE) programs are offered year-round at campus, community, and business locations. Courses are not conducted on a “semester” basis, so enrollments are reported by month or by academic year. During Fiscal Year 2023, WDCE had an enrollment of 17,780. See the Office of Institutional Research & Effectivenessnew window web site fore more information.

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Montgomery College Board of Trustees

The Board of Trusteesnew window of Montgomery College is the institution’s legal governing body and is composed of citizens of Montgomery County who volunteer their time. The Board derives its authority from Title 16 of the Education Article of The Annotated Code of the Public General Laws of Maryland, which provides the legal basis for the control and administration of Maryland’s community colleges. The Board conducts its meetings in accordance with the Maryland Open Meetings Act using Robert’s Rules of Order.

The Board of Trusteesnew window exercises general control over the College. It is empowered to establish the salaries and tenure of the president, faculty, and other employees; to acquire and dispose of property; to arrange for cooperative use of facilities with the Board of Education; to apply for and receive gifts and grants; to establish entrance requirements and approve offerings consisting of two-year transfer programs, career/technical programs, and continuing education programs; to set student tuition and fees; to sue and be sued; and to solicit bids and make contracts. The Board is also authorized to enter into a collective bargaining agreement with duly elected bargaining agents of College faculty and staff.

The Board consists of 10 members, all of whom, except for the student member, are appointed to staggered six-year terms. The student representative fills a one-year position on the Board. The College president serves as secretary-treasurer of the Board.

A nominating committee of five Montgomery County residents—with two people appointed by the county executive, two by the County Council, and one by the Montgomery College Alumni Association—solicits recommendations to fill vacancies on the Board of Trustees. The committee forwards the names of at least two, but not more than four, selected candidates for each vacancy to the governor, who then officially appoints someone to occupy that seat. With the exception of the student Board member, all of the governor’s appointments must be confirmed by the State Senate.

For more information, please visit the Board of Trusteesnew window web site.

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