{"id":6420,"date":"2023-04-19T01:08:21","date_gmt":"2023-04-19T01:08:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/?p=6420"},"modified":"2023-04-19T01:08:21","modified_gmt":"2023-04-19T01:08:21","slug":"michael-a-baston-formally-inaugurated-as-tri-cs-fifth-president","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/index.php\/2023\/04\/19\/michael-a-baston-formally-inaugurated-as-tri-cs-fifth-president\/","title":{"rendered":"Michael A. Baston formally inaugurated as Tri-C&#8217;s Fifth President"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong><em><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-6421 alignright\" src=\"http:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/BASTON-METAL-copy-300x191.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"191\" srcset=\"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/BASTON-METAL-copy-300x191.jpg 300w, https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/BASTON-METAL-copy.jpg 700w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>Ceremony celebrates College\u2019s 60-year legacy, looks toward vibrant future<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>CLEVELAND, April 14, 2023: The Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C<sup>\u00ae<\/sup>) Board of Trustees entrusted <em>Michael A. Baston<\/em> with the College\u2019s leadership and mission during a formal ceremony April 14. Board Chair Helen Forbes Fields installed Baston as Tri-C&#8217;s fifth president at the Metropolitan Campus Auditorium in Cleveland.<\/p>\n<p>Baston received the presidential medallion and academic mace before an audience of students, faculty, staff, representatives from across civic and educational institutions, and a number of his own family members.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAn inauguration is an important tradition, a time to celebrate the past and envision the future,\u201d <em>Forbes Fields<\/em> said. \u201cSince opening the doors in 1963 as the first community college in Ohio, Tri-C has served more than 1 million individuals seeking education and training to help them build a more purposeful and prosperous life. Today, we celebrate Tri-C&#8217;s proud heritage as we look to the future.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-6422 alignleft\" src=\"http:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Baston-2-300x234.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"234\" srcset=\"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Baston-2-300x234.jpg 300w, https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Baston-2.jpg 700w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>Baston joined Tri-C on July 1, 2022, immediately meeting with government, industry, business and education leaders to gather feedback about the institution.<\/p>\n<p><em>He outlined four promises that will define his presidency:<\/em><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>A commitment to building an effective community college<\/li>\n<li>A commitment to expanding the College\u2019s reach and influence<\/li>\n<li>A commitment to properly purposed leadership<\/li>\n<li>A commitment to post-college success.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>\u201cAt its core, this will be the focus of my presidency \u2014 what I hope will one day be my legacy,\u201d Baston said. \u201cEvery student who comes through our doors will leave with an education and a path to a better life for themselves and their families.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>More than a dozen college presidents from across the country attended the ceremony, including Cleveland State University President Laura Bloomberg. Other guests included Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb and Randy Gardner, chancellor for the Ohio Department of Higher Education.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cIn many ways, we\u2019re the new kids in school,\u201d said Bloomberg, who, like Baston, assumed office last year. \u201cI think about facing and advancing higher education with you ready to help make access to education a civil right.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-6423 alignright\" src=\"http:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Baston-TRIC-300x194.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"194\" srcset=\"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Baston-TRIC-300x194.jpg 300w, https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/Baston-TRIC.jpg 700w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>\u201cI saw firsthand the commitment that Dr. Baston has for our community,\u201d Bibb said. \u201cWe talked about the importance of this institution as it continues to be a pathway for folks to achieve their potential and how we can disrupt workforce development to ensure underserved communities of color can build wealth in our city. Count me as a partner and a friend as we make sure that our city can be a model for America and that the American dream is alive and real in Cleveland.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cToday is a celebration of what\u2019s right about higher education in Ohio,\u201d Gardner said. \u201cTri-C\u2019s success is not just helpful to Northeast Ohio\u2019s and Cleveland\u2019s future \u2014 it is necessary and fundamental. I stand ready to work with you every day.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><strong>Inaugural address<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Baston\u2019s address began with a celebration of Tri-C history before ending in a clear call that the work to ensure educational access and equity must continue.<\/p>\n<p>He spoke about the College\u2019s founding in 1963 during an era of civil unrest; to its expansion in the 1970s and \u201880s as a \u201cbeacon of hope\u201d; to an era of technological revolution in the 1990s and 2000s; and, finally, to its focus on access and completion during the COVID-19 pandemic.<\/p>\n<p>Baston also acknowledged the faculty, staff and students who have contributed to the College\u2019s success through the years and pledged to honor them by \u201cbuilding momentum.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe will measure our success not by numbers of students or degrees conferred, but by how much someone\u2019s life was improved by their time at Tri-C,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n<p>To close out his remarks, Baston implored attendees to serve those most in need.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOur efforts have inspired and provided hope to many,\u201d he said. \u201cTri-C has always been a gateway to higher education for countless individuals who may have otherwise been unable to pursue a college degree. Tri-C has made it possible for many to achieve their dreams of obtaining a college education.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhen we say that this College will be for everyone, this College will be for everyone.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><em>Photos courtesy of Cuyahoga Community College<\/em><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-6424\" src=\"http:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/5K6A0160-family-photo-copy.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"700\" height=\"301\" srcset=\"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/5K6A0160-family-photo-copy.jpg 700w, https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/5K6A0160-family-photo-copy-300x129.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 700px) 100vw, 700px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Photo by Mychal Lilly<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Ceremony celebrates College\u2019s 60-year legacy, looks toward vibrant future CLEVELAND, April 14, 2023: The Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C\u00ae) Board of Trustees entrusted Michael A. Baston with the College\u2019s leadership and mission during a formal ceremony April 14. Board Chair Helen Forbes Fields installed Baston as Tri-C&#8217;s fifth president at the Metropolitan Campus Auditorium in Cleveland.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6421,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_rtcl_gb_attr":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"wf_post_folders":[138],"class_list":["post-6420","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles"],"aioseo_notices":[],"rttpg_featured_image_url":{"full":["https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/BASTON-METAL-copy.jpg",700,446,false],"landscape":["https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/BASTON-METAL-copy.jpg",700,446,false],"portraits":["https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/BASTON-METAL-copy.jpg",700,446,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/BASTON-METAL-copy-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/BASTON-METAL-copy-300x191.jpg",300,191,true],"large":["https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/BASTON-METAL-copy.jpg",640,408,false],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/BASTON-METAL-copy.jpg",700,446,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/BASTON-METAL-copy.jpg",700,446,false],"rtcl-gallery":["https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/BASTON-METAL-copy.jpg",700,446,false],"rtcl-thumbnail":["https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/BASTON-METAL-copy-320x240.jpg",320,240,true],"rtcl-gallery-thumbnail":["https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/BASTON-METAL-copy-150x105.jpg",150,105,true],"psacp-medium":["https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/BASTON-METAL-copy.jpg",500,319,false],"rpwe-thumbnail":["https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/04\/BASTON-METAL-copy-45x45.jpg",45,45,true]},"rttpg_author":{"display_name":"LaPrensa Newspaper","author_link":"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/index.php\/author\/laprensa\/"},"rttpg_comment":0,"rttpg_category":"<a href=\"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/index.php\/category\/articles\/\" rel=\"category tag\">Articles<\/a>","rttpg_excerpt":"Ceremony celebrates College\u2019s 60-year legacy, looks toward vibrant future CLEVELAND, April 14, 2023: The Cuyahoga Community College (Tri-C\u00ae) Board of Trustees entrusted Michael A. Baston with the College\u2019s leadership and mission during a formal ceremony April 14. Board Chair Helen Forbes Fields installed Baston as Tri-C&#8217;s fifth president at the Metropolitan Campus Auditorium in Cleveland.","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6420","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6420"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6420\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6425,"href":"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6420\/revisions\/6425"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6421"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6420"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6420"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6420"},{"taxonomy":"wf_post_folders","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/laprensanewspaper.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/wf_post_folders?post=6420"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}