2024 District 3 Pacesetter
Peter Provenzano Jr.
Chancellor
Oakland Community College
Auburn Hills, MI
How has Chancellor Provenzano made a significant difference in positioning and advancing Oakland Community College (OCC)?
Chancellor Provenzano has repositioned OCC for growth during a time of national enrollment declines. Under his leadership, OCC is investing in campus infrastructure, improving student experiences and improving graduation rates – all while maintaining one of the lowest tuition rates in Michigan. At every turn, OCC is strengthening its collaborative partnerships with businesses, K-12, higher education, state and county partners, and its community.
How has Chancellor Provenzano supported OCC’s media relations efforts?
Chancellor Provenzano adeptly and consistently uses media relations to promote OCC’s key messages about the benefits of community college, the support OCC provides students to help them reach their academic and career goals, and the numerous ways OCC helps students earn their certificate or associate degree without incurring college debt. Messages are repurposed with key stakeholders.
Local news media often reach out to Chancellor Provenzano as a subject matter expert, providing insights on the current state of community colleges and the educational trends that advance student success. In 2023, he led a three-part series on Detroit’s ABC-affiliate, WDIV-Local 4 television’s “Live in the D” discussing “breaking community college myths” and “the benefits of dual enrollment at community colleges.”
How has Chancellor Provenzano?helped advance community colleges regionally and nationally?
In July 2024, Chancellor Provenzano was named chair of the Michigan Community College Association, an organization that champions the strategies necessary to achieve equitable student success and fosters collaboration, connection and partnerships among community colleges and stakeholders. As state-wide chair, Chancellor Provenzano plays a key role in working strategically with state leaders to increase the number of residents with a skills certification or college degree to make Michigan a more prosperous state.