WORCESTER—A longtime Quinsigamond Community College business professor known for her student-centered teaching and campus leadership has received one of the nation’s top honors for community college faculty.
Jean McLean, who has taught at QCC for more than 30 years, has been named a recipient of the Dale P. Parnell Distinguished Faculty Award by the American Association of Community Colleges, according to a college announcement released Feb. 9. The national award recognizes faculty who demonstrate excellence in teaching, a deep commitment to students and leadership aligned with the community college mission.
McLean was recognized for her emphasis on real-world learning, mentoring and academic innovation, as well as her work expanding career and transfer pathways for students.
“As a first-generation college student raised by a single mother who was deaf, I learned early that education is the surest path to independence,” McLean said in the release. “I have devoted my career to creating opportunities for students, especially those who needed someone to believe in them.”
In the classroom, McLean focuses on building critical thinking, confidence and practical skills, helping students connect coursework to career goals and transfer opportunities, according to the college. Her support extends beyond graduation, with ongoing mentoring as students pursue further education and professional paths.
Outside the classroom, McLean has played a key role in strengthening QCC’s academic offerings. Working with colleagues and industry partners, she helped develop certificate programs in insurance and logistics, expanded transfer options through articulation agreements with four-year institutions, and secured Perkins funding to support business tutoring services, the release stated.
Her service to the college has included extensive leadership roles. McLean currently chairs the Academic Policy and Standards Council and has been deeply involved in college governance. She previously served eight years as vice president of the Faculty Senate, founded QCC’s chapter of the Alpha Beta Gamma Business Honor Society, and mentors new faculty members in curriculum design, assessment and student-centered teaching practices.
“Jean McLean exemplifies everything the Dale P. Parnell Distinguished Faculty Award represents,” QCC President Dr. Luis Pedraja said in the release. “Her unwavering commitment to students, her leadership across the college and her belief in the transformative power of education have left an indelible mark on our institution and the hundreds of students she has served.”
Editor Charlene Arsenault can be reached at carsenault@theworcesterguardian.org
