Each year, Cheryl Hyman would discuss the progress and challenges of the Transformation initiative in remarks at the City Club of Chicago.
2016
“Reinvention has been about facing reality: facing what employers demand, facing what universities expect, facing our fears of change, facing the challenges of pushing outside our comfort zone, and facing the reality of our resources.”
“The truth is that we will only realize Reinvention’s full potential if, collectively, from City Colleges administrators, to students, faculty, the public and the media, we shed a legacy of excuses and, instead, figure out how to make it work.”
“I graduated from City Colleges of Chicago on my way to a career in technology and business and today as leader of that same institution. That’s how my story ends so far; I want to make sure as many students as possible also get to write their own ending.”
“I believe some people think having such high aspirations, considering where we are coming from, is wishful thinking. But as I tell our students, and as someone told me, you can’t let history or circumstance dictate your destiny. If I did that, I would not be here today.”
“It is incumbent upon us to operate with the accountability of a business – who wouldn’t expect a $600 million institution to be managed responsibly like any business? The only difference is that we are in the business of student success.”
“Community colleges have not been the primary focus of educational reform. Now that we are being relied upon to meet the needs of the 21st century economy, it is clear that many of us are not prepared to meet this need. … while our students may have greater challenges, we should aspire to the absolute best for them, regardless of external circumstances.”
