Tidewater Community College’s 56th graduation exercises are being held on Wednesday, May 8th, at 7 p.m. at the Ted Constant Convocation Center in Norfolk. Watch the event broadcast here.

HAMPTON ROADS, Va. (April 4, 2013) – Edna V. Baehre-Kolovani, who became Tidewater Community College’s fifth president in July, will be inaugurated on May 3 at 1 p.m. at the Virginia Beach Convention Center.

The inauguration is the first of several events celebrating TCC’s 45 years in Hampton Roads. TCC was established in 1968 and has since grown to encompass four campuses, several regional education centers and a performing arts center. It serves nearly 47,000 students.

Glenn DuBois, chancellor of the Virginia Community College System, will officially install the president and present her with TCC’s mace and medallion. Stuart Steiner, president emeritus of Genesee (N.Y.) Community College and a mentor and colleague of Baehre-Kolovani’s, will present his personal reflections about the president.

During her inaugural address, Baehre-Kolovani will share her ideas on the meaning of education and the power of servant leadership and discuss TCC’s depth and breadth of programs.

“It’s an honor for me to lead one of the most dynamic community colleges in the nation,” Baehre-Kolovani said. “As we observe our 45th anniversary this year, I am dedicated to sustaining TCC’s excellence and ensuring its future.”

The inauguration will be streamed live to TCC’s campuses in Norfolk, Portsmouth, Chesapeake and Virginia Beach. Students, faculty and staff are invited to share in the event on campuses or at the Convention Center.

Invited guests include college presidents from across the Commonwealth, members of the State Board for Community Colleges, the TCC College Board, and the TCC Educational Foundation and Real Estate boards. Elected officials at the city and state levels as well as local school representatives have also been invited.

Baehre-Kolovani came to TCC from California, where she was president and superintendent of Napa Valley College. For 13 years, she was president of Harrisburg (Pa.) Area Community College. (Complete bio.)

Baehre-Kolovani holds doctorate and a master’s degrees in German and comparative literature from the State University of New York at Buffalo. She received her bachelor’s degree in elementary education from Pädagogische Hochschule in Heidelberg, Germany. She is trilingual in English, German and French and is acquiring Spanish proficiency.

TowneBank is the presenting sponsor of the Forty-Fifth Celebration and Inauguration. Sponsors are Barnes & Noble at TCC, Noah Enterprises, Inc., Sentara Healthcare and STIHL, Inc.

Tidewater Community College’s 55th graduation exercises are being held on Thursday, December 20th, at 7 p.m. at the Ted Constant Convocation Center in Norfolk. Watch the event broadcast here.

In higher education today a great amount of learning and growth takes place outside of the classroom. Students are faced with a variety of new issues and concerns and can benefit from a helping hand in achieving their educational pursuits. This workshop provides a structured approach for higher education professionals to help students become more fully integrated into the college experience, set goals, and become more responsible for their own success.

From the moment students arrive on campus colleges need to do everything possible to help them get integrated into the experience of higher education. Frequently the first people a prospective student encounters when arriving on campus are non-academic institutional support staff. The welcome and guidance provided by these individuals can serve as a positive introduction to the college and begin the bond with the institution. This session will present an overview of the nature of students arriving on college campuses today as well as key information regarding the nature of student retention. Participants will be provided with a variety of suggestions to help them feel more comfortable in welcoming and working with new students arriving on campus.

Today’s changing society is placing a tremendous demand on the institution of higher education to train and educate the workforce of tomorrow. At the same time colleges are increasingly being scrutinized for less than stellar graduation rates and an acceptance of many students that being mediocre is good enough. Passing the buck only goes so far and educators are realizing that they need to be more intrusive and demanding in helping to ensure student success. There needs to be upfront and continuing initiatives available to students to help them learn how to achieve success. This workshop will present an overview of the factors involved in student attrition and provide ways for both individual and institutional responses to promote retention in higher education. Participants will have the opportunity to share concerns and promote ideas to help students succeed.

Tidewater Community College’s 54th graduation exercises were held on Friday, May 11th, at 7 p.m. at the Ted Constant Convocation Center in Norfolk. Watch the event broadcast here.

Tidewater Community College’s 53rd graduation exercises will be held on Friday, Dec. 16, at 7 p.m. at the Ted Constant Convocation Center in Norfolk. More than 2,100 students are candidates for associate degrees, certificates or diplomas.

Commencement Speaker

Deborah M. DiCroce, a South Hampton Roads native and lifelong Virginian, has devoted her career to public service. A proven leader in forging partnerships for the public good, DiCroce has been at the helm of TCC for nearly 14 years. She previously served for nine years as president of Piedmont Virginia Community College in Charlottesville.

During her tenure, TCC’s enrollment has nearly doubled with unprecedented programmatic expansion in both the college transfer and career/technical areas and a capital building program approaching $500 million. This past year, the college served almost 46,000 students ranking it among the largest and fastest growing community colleges in the nation.

A strong advocate for education as the great equalizer, DiCroce’s work in expanding the reach of higher education across workforce, gender, racial and cultural boundaries has led to TCC’s growth in areas such as African American graduation rates, now 10th in the nation, and service to the military, where TCC ranks in the top five in the nation.

Recognized widely with numerous awards, her recent honors include receiving the 2011 Darden Award for Regional Leadership from the Hampton Roads Civic Leadership Institute and being named an “Influential Woman of Virginia” in 2010 by Virginia Lawyers Weekly. DiCroce regularly makes the list of regional “power brokers,” this year appearing on Inside Business’s “power list” of 75 people who shape and influence Hampton Roads. In 2008, The Chronicle of Higher Education profiled her as one of 10 “Presidents Who Make a Real Difference.”

President DiCroce has served on state-wide commissions and committees under five Virginia governors. She is a past trustee of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and a past chair of the Presidents Academy of the American Association of Community Colleges. A few years ago, she was elected chair of the Virginia Council of Presidents – marking the first time that a community college president has held the post. In 1995, DiCroce was invited as one of 20 college and university presidents nationally to meet with the president of the United States at the White House for a discussion on higher education.

Active in the community, DiCroce chaired the regional board of the Hampton Roads Chamber of Commerce in 2006 and the United Way’s 2002 regional campaign. She is currently completing a three-year term as chair of the Urban League’s Board of Directors. On July 1, she became chair of the Board of Directors for the Hampton Roads Partnership.

DiCroce holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in English from Old Dominion University and a doctorate in higher education from The College of William and Mary. Retaining her faculty roots, she has held adjunct faculty appointments at the University of Virginia, The College of William and Mary and ODU.

In March of next year, DiCroce will step down as president of TCC and retire from state service. Calling it her “second act,” she will become president and CEO of the Hampton Roads Community Foundation.

Tidewater Community College’s 52nd graduation exercises will be held on Friday, May 13, at 7 p.m. at the Ted Constant Convocation Center in Norfolk. More than 1,600 students are candidates for associate degrees, certificates or diplomas.

Virginia Secretary of Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security Terrie L. Suit, a TCC alumna, will deliver the commencement address.

Marie V. McDemmond, Chair of the Lumina Foundation for Education and President Emerita of Norfolk State University, will deliver the commencement address.

Commonwealth of Virginia Delegate S. Chris Jones will serve as commencement speaker for Tidewater Community College’s 50th graduation exercises. Commencement will take place at the Ted Constant Convocation Center in Norfolk on Friday, May 14th, at 7 p.m. Additional speakers include TCC President, Dr. Deborah M. DiCroce and culinary arts student, Naikia Cherry-Hill.

University of Virginia President John T. Casteen III will serve as commencement speaker for Tidewater Community College’s 49th graduation exercises on Friday, Dec. 18, at 7 p.m. at the Ted Constant Convocation Center, Norfolk. More than 1,700 students are candidates for associate degrees, certificates or diplomas.