RCC President elected to Board of Trustees at Teachers College, Columbia University

Teachers College, Columbia University has announced that Dr. Michael A. Baston, President of Rockland Community College, has been elected to the College’s Board of Trustees for a term of three years. Teachers College, Columbia University, based in New York City, is the first and largest graduate school of education in the United States, and offers over 150 programs for students to earn graduate degrees conferred by Columbia University.

Dr. Baston was named president of Rockland Community College in 2017. Under his leadership, RCC launched a Hospitality and Culinary Arts Center, a new Guided Pathways influenced academic school model, Career and English Skills Academies to address middle-skills workforce needs and secured over $30 million in grants including back-to-back Title V Developing Hispanic-Serving Institution awards, the largest in RCC’s history. Dr. Baston’s groundbreaking “Steps Beyond Statements” Initiative has helped to signal specific steps that educational institutions can take to foster inclusive excellence.

Dr. Baston was named one of the country's most Notable Education Leaders of 2017 by Diverse: Issues in Higher Education. He serves as the 7th President of Rockland Community College and is a national thought leader amplifying the role community colleges play in redefining educational success, leading diversity, equity, and inclusion campus-wide reform efforts, and developing executive leadership teams.

Dr. Baston began his career as a public interest lawyer representing various educational institutions and social justice organizations. His work with academic clients led him to pursue a second career in academia as both a professor of legal studies and business, and as a student affairs administrator. Prior to serving as President of Rockland Community College, Dr. Baston was Vice President for Student Affairs and Associate Provost at LaGuardia Community College in Long Island City, NY.

Dr. Baston holds a B.A. from Iona College, a J.D. from Brooklyn Law School, and an Ed. D from St. John Fisher College. He received the National Council on Student Development’s Terry O’Banion Gold Prize in 2015 and the NAACP Community Leadership Award in 2010.

“I am so proud to serve in this role as a trustee for Teachers College at Columbia University. Their mission to create a more equitable and peaceful world, aligns with my goals of ensuring that everyone has the same opportunities to define their own success and become the best version of themselves,” states Dr. Baston.

About Rockland Community College, State University of New York

Rockland Community College, State University of New York, offers a safe, supportive learning environment for thousands of students from diverse backgrounds who appreciate small class sizes and personal attention from a distinguished, award-winning faculty that includes Fulbright scholars and SUNY Distinguished Professors. Thanks to the school’s affordable tuition, students who begin their career journey at RCC and then transfer to a four-year college can save up to $100,000 on their education. RCC is also proud to provide career training and professional development to adult learners looking to change careers or upgrade their skills through its new Career Skills Academy. More information can be found at www.sunyrockland.edu.