BCCC Leadership: McCurdy to Depart Dec. 31

Debra McCurdy will leave her role as president of Baltimore City Community College on December 31.

McCurdy, who assumed leadership in 2019, informed faculty and staff via email on Friday evening that she is vacating the position at the end of the year. She stated that she has spent months deliberating her tenure, noting that she accepted the role during a period when the institution required change and realignment. The college board intends to share a transition plan with the campus community in the coming days to maintain momentum.

A legislative audit from earlier this summer revealed that BCCC distributed more than $250,000 in financial aid to fictitious students. This finding emerged while the college faced a nearly 20-year decline in student body size, a trend that runs counter to national growth in community college enrollment. McCurdy acknowledged that faculty and staff voices pushed the administration to reexamine its priorities and decisions.

The college, founded in 1947, operates a main campus in Northwest Baltimore near Mondawmin Mall. It offers 30 associate degree programs and enrolled approximately 3,700 students last year. According to U.S. Department of Education data, two-thirds of the student body are Black, and 48% receive Pell Grants for students with exceptional financial need.

Tensions rose last year when University of Baltimore President Kurt Schmoke, then chair of the BCCC board, proposed consolidating the community college under the University of Baltimore. The proposal surprised faculty and led to a backlash that prompted Schmoke to resign from the board. He plans to retire from UBalt on June 30.

This year, BCCC employees ratified their first union contract, securing a 9% wage increase and new protections. In her email, McCurdy described the decision to step down as a process involving great heaviness and thought. She expressed gratitude for the collegial relationships built while keeping students as the primary focus.