Jill Biden to Deliver Commencement Address

If you’re a community college student — or a parent of a community college student — and you think a community college education is important to the future of the United States, you have allies in the White House.

Jill Biden, wife of Vice President Joe Biden, will present a commencement address to the largest graduating class in Montgomery County Community College history at 7 p.m. on May 19 at the Valley Forge Convention Center in King of Prussia.

According to Courtney O’Donnell, Biden’s communications director, the encouragement to boost community colleges came from the highest level: President Barack Obama asked Biden to help promote community colleges as a means to increase the number of U.S. college graduates.

Biden was a natural choice. An educator for more than 30 years, she spent 18 years teaching English at community colleges, according to information provided by MCCC Spokeswoman Alana J. Mauger.

Biden taught at a community college in Delaware and still teaches at a community college not far from the White House. She also taught English at a public high school and at a psychiatric hospital for adolescents.

Since arriving at the White House, Biden has promoted community colleges as being uniquely positioned to graduate more Americans with the skills that businesses need to compete in the 21st century. She earned her doctorate in education from the University of Delaware in January 2007 and holds two master’s degrees. Her dissertation was on maximizing student retention in community college.

“Montgomery County Community College is honored to represent community colleges across the nation in providing a platform for Dr. Biden to share her passion for education and her vision for the important role that community colleges will play in the economic recovery and long-term well-being of our country,” said MCCC President Karen A. Stout.

Like Biden, Stout is passionate about the community college mission and has dedicated her career to advancing and advocating for community college students at a national level.

O’Donnell said a number of factors contributed to the selection of MCCC for Biden’s commencement address.

“As a community college professor and advocate, Dr. Biden is always eager to visit community colleges to meet with students and teachers — and she wanted to speak at a community college commencement,” O’Donnell, Biden’s rep, said. “We have been hoping to visit Montgomery Country Community College for some time now. We have heard about some of the great programs there, she has Philadelphia roots, and the date worked well as it is after her own semester of teaching is done.”

Mauger said MCCC became the first community college in Pennsylvania to sign the “College Completion Challenge” pledge, with the full support of the college’s Board of Trustees. The pledge is part of a national effort spearheaded by the American Association of Community Colleges and the American Association of Community College Trustees to help support community colleges in increasing college completion rates.

As of April 17, 1,426 students are listed as graduating in May. “This number will likely increase in the next few weeks, as our spring semester is still in session. This is already the largest graduating class in the college’s history and is 13.2 percent higher than last year,” Mauger said.

All security details will be handled by the White House in coordination with local and state police. The college’s public safety officers will also assist as needed, Mauger said.

In addition to MCCC’s Class of 2011, Biden will address the 61st graduating class at Salve Regina University in Rhode Island on May 15.