GCC will celebrate 10 years in Medina with open house Oct. 23

Posted 11 October 2017 at 3:26 pm

Press Release, GCC

MEDINA – For 10 years, Genesee Community College’s Campus Center in Medina has been educating and changing lives. On Oct. 23, in recognition of this milestone, the college is hosting a public celebration on site at 11470 Maple Ridge Rd.

The Medina Campus Center will host an open house from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. The public is welcome to come meet the staff and faculty and enjoy some refreshments, and also tour the 9,000-square-foot facility and see the state-of-the-art science lab, computer lab, video-link classroom and five SMART classrooms.

At noon on Oct. 23, Associate Dean Jim Simon will kick off a commencement ceremony by introducing James M. Sunser, president of GCC. Sunser will share the story of the campus center’s establishment and speak about the critical role GCC plays today in the Orleans County community. Also in attendance will be members of the Albion and Medina Advisory Committee. The public is invited to attend the ceremony as well.

Established in 2007 in response to the significant enrollment growth at the Albion Campus Center, the Medina Campus Center became GCC’s second college location in Orleans County. Its opening propelled one of GCC’s priorities: to expand access to educational opportunities for residents in Genesee, Livingston, Orleans and Wyoming counties, which encompass GCC’s designated service area.

Since its opening a decade ago, the Medina Campus Center has served more than 2,500 students in credit classes. In addition, over the last 10 years, the facility has hosted over 3,500 community members from local businesses and organizations in on-site gatherings and non-credit BEST Center courses. It has also hosted numerous community events, Civil War encampments, history lectures, summer biotech camps and art gallery displays and it was one of the many stops on the Orleans County Heritage Festival for the past two years.

“It has always been and will continue to be critical for GCC to provide college close to home through its campus centers by offering not only educational, but also cultural experiences and business development services to the communities in the GLOW region,” Simon said. “We are excited to do even more in the next ten years!”

Today, with its beautiful campus centers, high-tech environment, online learning options, as well as the friendly and dedicated staff and faculty, GCC welcomes over 25 percent of the college-bound high school graduates in Orleans County.