www.ConnectionsNewsletter.net
Volume 5, Issue 3, May 2009 |
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AACC President and CEO
Dr. George Boggs
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Governor Signs Amendment 50 Implementation Bill While General Assembly Finds Ways to Spare Higher Education from Massive Cuts
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Governor Ritter signs the Amendment 50 implementation legislation as student, staff and board VIPs from across the system look on.
Two important events happened in April that affect the funding of our community college system.
First, on April 22, the Colorado House and Senate gave final approvals to the 2009-10 state budget bill, which weighs in at about $18 billion, the majority of which is cash and federal funds. Because of declines in state revenue, the General Assembly intends to shore up the general fund with fund transfers, fees and changes in tax exemptions.
Thanks to the efforts of community college supporters, the governor and the General Assembly, it looks like a formula has been developed to avoid over $300 million in additional general fund cuts to higher education this year. In fact, if the current solution the General Assembly has developed stands, the FY 2009-10 budget keeps colleges and universities at about the same spending level as 2008-09 with the help from federal stimulus funds.
Finally, on April 21, Governor Ritter signed House Bill 1272, the law designating how funds generated from the extended gaming authorized by Amendment 50 will be spent. This funding is estimated to bring in an estimated $15 million to our system of community colleges in the first year of implementation and more than $100 million over the next 5 years.
These funds will help mitigate funding challenges CCCS may face during and after the 2010-11 Academic Years.
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State Board for Community Colleges
and Occupational Education
Gets Two New Members
 
Meg Porfido (left) and Maury Dobbie (right)
In April, Dr. Nancy McCallin, president of the Colorado Community College System announced two new members had joined the State Board for Community Colleges and Occupational Education (SBCCOE), the governing board for the system which is comprised of 13 community colleges throughout the state.
The Governor appointed and the Senate confirmed Maury Dobbie and Meg Porfido to serve on the board. Dobbie, of Ft. Collins, will represent the 4th Congressional District and Porfido, will represent the 2nd Congressional District. The board consists of nine voting members with a representative from each congressional district and two at-large seats. In addition, there is a faculty representative and a student representative on the board.
Dobbie is currently the president and chief executive officer of the Northern Colorado Economic Development Corporation, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to stimulating economic development by strengthening existing primary employers, supporting expansion projects and marketing to new primary employers. She also serves on the board of directors for the Economic Development Council of Colorado. She has started and owned many small businesses throughout her career and has received such prestigious awards at the “Top 10 Women Making a Difference”, a national award given by Office Depot and the “Women in Business Champion” awarded to her in 2007 by the Small Business Administration.
“The Colorado Community Colleges are an important success factor for our state as we work collaboratively with each other to create a skilled work force. It will take K-12, higher education, workforce centers, economic developers, chambers of commerce, non-profits, citizens, the public sector and the employers of this state partnering in an urgent time in this economy with a focus on reskilling and getting people back to work,” said Dobbie. “I look forward to serving our state on the state board for the Colorado Community College System. I will do so with passion and with a collaborative focus.”
From September 1998 to December 2008, Porfido was part of the management team at Level 3 Communications, a global company, based in Broomfield, Colorado, providing communications services over one of the world’s largest fiber-based networks. For the last two years, she served as Level 3’s Chief Human Resources Officer. Prior to joining Level 3, Porfido served as Chief of Staff to Governor Roy Romer. In that role, she managed a sixteen-person cabinet, which oversaw all state government operations and services. Prior to that position, she served as the Governor’s chief legal advisor and his legislative liaison. She has also practiced law at the private law firms of Brownstein, Hyatt in Denver, Colorado, and Skadden, Arps in Washington, DC
“Colorado’s community colleges help prepare students -- of every demographic – for the jobs that drive our economy, today and into the future,” said Porfido. “In today’s economy, many workers need affordable, flexible training to help them re-tool their skills for new jobs and new careers. And, our communities require educational services that build the skills needed for long term economic growth and stability. Community Colleges are primed to help on both counts, and I appreciate the chance to join in this work.”
“We are excited to welcome our new members and appreciate the thoughtful decision by the Governor to select two individuals that have such a strong knowledge of the economic development and private industry needs of our state,” said McCallin. “Our colleges truly provide the educational opportunities that create a well-educated and highly skilled workforce to meet employers’ demands.”
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After Extensive Community Outrach
Felix Lopez Appointed Interim President of Trinidad State Junior College
In late March, CCCS President Dr. Nancy McCallin announced her appointment of Felix Lopez as the Interim President of Trinidad State Junior College (TSJC). Lopez is currently the executive vice president and chief financial officer of TSJC. He will assume his new responsibilities on July 1.
Current president, Ruth Ann Woods, is retiring effective June 30.
McCallin did extensive community outreach in determining this appointment. “I have had many conversations with interested parties in the Trinidad and Alamosa communities and made several trips to Trinidad in considering this appointment. I am excited to say that, from my discussions with the administrative staff, the faculty, the advisory council, the foundation board members, and the students, there was overwhelming support and enthusiasm for this appointment,” said McCallin. “Felix has been an integral part of the college and the community for many years and will take the college forward and build on its successes.”
Current president Ruth Ann Woods said “Felix has a commitment to our students and their success that I admire and highly respect. We have worked together for seven years now. I cannot think of a better person to take the reins of the college and continue all the great work that we have accomplished these past years. My congratulations and heart felt best wishes to my colleague.”
“It will be an honor to work with the faculty, staff and administration in both Trinidad and the San Luis Valley who are committed to serve the students at the capacity of excellence we have established,” said Lopez.
“I believe that all of us at TSJC stand side by side contributing ideas for the betterment of the college family and I will continue the tradition of creating outstanding partnerships that so clearly have contributed to and benefited the college so greatly," he added.
Lopez joined TSJC in 1994 as director of fiscal services and director of purchasing. In 2002, he was promoted to vice-president and chief financial officer. Prior to this, he was a franchise supervisor for Colomex for numerous years. He successfully completed training as a Colorado state trooper and served Trinidad in that capacity for a short time.
Lopez started his higher education experience with an associate of arts degree in accounting and business administration from TSJC in 1983 and continued on to the University of Southern Colorado to earn his bachelor of arts in social sciences in 1999, and then went on to Colorado State University in Ft. Collins to obtain his master’s degree in human resources and education in 2002. Lopez will remain Interim President for one year and will be evaluated for permanent presidency at that time.
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FRCC Brings in Leaders to Develop Leaders
Since 2007, Front Range Community College has been conducting an annual “Roadmap to Achievement” leadership development program designed for faculty and staff who would like to become more effective in their current jobs or who would like to advance to other positions. In 2008-09, 27 FRCC faculty and staff are participating in the program.
“Roadmap to Achievement” focuses on leadership development in the context of local and national community college issues that impact community colleges today.
Additionally, it enables participants to learn about their own leadership style and strengths, and improve their knowledge and skills in political awareness, budgeting, strategic planning, community stewardship, and emerging national issues.
Notably, participants are paired with a mentor, keep a journal of their experiences, and create an individualized professional development plan.
Those enrolled in this year’s “Roadmap to Achievement” program got to participate in: a very frank and insightful conversation with CCCS President Dr. Nancy McCallin about the system office and particularly the system’s role in state politics; an overview of national issues from three current out-of-state college presidents and Dr. George Boggs, the president and CEO of the American Association of Community Colleges; a review of the details and complexities of the FRCC budgeting process from Acting FRCC Chief Administrative Officer and CFO Mike Kupcho; and, reflections on leadership and stewardship from other presidents and vice presidents from across the Colorado Community College System.
When Boggs visited the group on March 13, participants interacted with him and three other presidents from Texas and California as they focused on “Emerging National Issues in the Community College.” Boggs and the presidents addressed such questions as: “What three issues have impacted you as a community college leader?”; “How have the best community colleges achieved excellence in classroom instruction?”; “How do you ensure excellent instruction at your institutions?”; “How do global issues impact community colleges?”; and “How can faculty and staff prepare 21st century learners for a 21st century workforce?”
“Roadmap to Achievement” participants also worked on their own self assessment of their leadership styles, learned about leading teams, and began to prepare their own career plans. This year, the first and second-to-last sessions were facilitated by Dr. Pam Fisher, Chancellor Emeritus of Yosemite Valley Community College. Fisher brought an invaluable perspective on leadership development from her own personal journey as well as her experience organizing leadership programs and mentoring staff.
This year’s 25 participants have come from all campuses and departments of the college, and include full and part-time faculty, department chairs, department assistants, student services coordinators and advisors. Feedback has been consistently positive and several participants have already put the program to use. For example, Amy Nunnally, Biology faculty at the Westminster Campus and program participant, recently helped start a new mentoring and teacher development program for new faculty on her campus.
Roadmap to Achievement is one of three parts of FRCC’s Career Enrichment Academy, a comprehensive employee training and development program that began in 2007. The program was developed in response to CCCS initiatives on succession planning and the college’s own self-assessment of its need for more training and development of staff. The other two parts of the academy are: (1) Roadmap to Success, which includes a variety of short term and medium term basic skills training for staff, ranging from computer skills training to basic supervision skills, and (2) Roadmap to the Future, an intensive small group leadership development program for faculty and staff interested in higher level leadership positions.
Anonymous feedback received about the program has included:
"I have thoroughly enjoyed this program. All three sessions have been great, and I am excited for it to continue! I have spoken to a few faculty members who are interested in participating next year. I am so excited about the next step in the program for myself. "
"This session was awesome. I really enjoyed the “national” perspective and listening to existing programs/solutions to problems that we may have at FRCC."
"I was glad to learn about big picture issues from Dr Boggs. It was not surprising but very good to learn our issues are shared all over the country. "
The Career Enrichment Academy is coordinated by a collegewide committee consisting of faculty, staff from all constituencies and campuses, and includes the Human Resources Director and a cabinet representative. Roadmap to Achievement was organized by a four person committee chaired by Kris Binard, Dean of Students, Larimer Campus and Matt Jamison, Dean of Students, Boulder County Campus, Chico Garcia, Director of Advising, Westminster, and Mary Sokol, Math Faculty, Boulder County.
Connections thanks Andy Dorsey, FRCC Vice President-Westminster Campus, for contributing extensively to this report.
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Section B –
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In a photo from 2006, former CCD students
(from left to right) Niabi Hart, Patrick Jiner and Julia Montijo show off the CCD food bank. The students have since transferred to CU-Denver.
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Storage shelves at the CCD Food Bank.
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On March 2, Community College of Denver and its Director of Student Life Jerry Mason were featured in a USA Today article by Jessica Durando entitled, “Students get a crash course in economics.”
USA Today is the second most widely distributed English language newspaper in the world, after The Times of India, averaging 2.25 million copies every weekday.
In the article, Mason discusses how CCD has offered a food bank to students for over 15 years. He tells USA Today that concurrent with the recession, in the past year, the food bank has experienced a substantial increase in its use and is having trouble keeping up. To help address the added demand, Mason tells the newspaper that the CCD Student Government had to double the food bank’s annual funding from $3,000 to $6,000. The Food Bank is available to all CCD students and open on Wednesdays and Thursdays. When students visit, they are allowed to select six different food items to help get them through the week.
Regarding being in one of the world’s largest distributed newspapers, Mason explains to Connections:
I have been interviewed previously by several other news organizations, including the Associated Press, about CCD’s Food Bank. As a result, the request from Jessica at USA Today was really not a surprise. There has been a significant increase in the discussion of food banks on college campuses over the past year. I think for most higher education institutions, this is a new endeavor.
For more information, contact Mason at 303.556.8164.
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OJC SPONSORS ITS
Janae Phillips, Cheraw High School, was named the Peoples’ Choice for a High School student for her clay sculpture “Inspiration”.
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Dante Gutierrez, Lamar
Middle School, was named
the Peoples’ Choice for a Middle School student for
his graphite drawing “Abraham Lincoln.”
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A. Robert Hill, a nationally published novelist, judged the Creative Writing competition for the 53rd
Annual Otero Arts Festival.
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In early April, Otero Junior College sponsored its 53rd annual Otero Arts Festival at their McDivitt Center Gym. The festival showcased creative writing, sculptures, pottery, paintings, drawings, and other works of art and crafts submitted by middle and high school students from throughout southeast Colorado.
This year the theme of the Arts Festival was “Color My World with Creative Writing and Visual Arts.” Returning for the third year to judge the creative writing entries was nationally published novelist and author, A. Robert Hill, who lives 90 minutes southeast of OJC in La Veta.
Despite inclement weather, the festival hosted an impressive number of entries over its three day run. In the Creative Writing division there were 312 general entries and seven Creative Writing Senior Portfolios. In the Art division there were 1459 general entries and 32 Art Senior Portfolios.
The Otero Arts Festival is the longest-running event for public school student-artists and writers in southeastern Colorado.
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New Health Clinic Gives PCC Students Access to Affordable Services
Pictured are Dr. Sil Arguello and Nurse Practitioner Brenda Wallerstedt. Photos courtesy of PCC’s Gary Franchi
Last November, the grand opening of a new Health Clinic at Pueblo Community College represented a giant benefit for its students. Beginning with that fall semester, the Health Clinic began providing primary care medical services that many students previously didn’t have access to because they could not afford health insurance.
To receive free office visits anytime throughout a semester, PCC students enrolled in six or more credits pay a $20.55 fee. Those taking less than six credit hours pay a $25 office visit fee. Basic services include general office visits, physical exams,
well-women exams, minor injury treatment, flu shot immunizations and prescribed medications.
All students then pay a reduced fee for extended services that include lab work, any vaccines other than flu shots and miscellaneous testing for such items as throat cultures, urinalysis, pregnancy tests, etc. Students needing long-term service are referred to their
personal physicians, and those with serious immediate concerns that the clinic is not equipped to serve are advised to seek emergency attention.
The Health Clinic has its own resident physician – Dr. Silviano Arguello, who maintained a medical practice in Pueblo for 23 years before coming to PCC. The Pueblo native is a 1970 graduate of Pueblo East High School, earned his bachelor’s
degree at the University of Southern Colorado and attended medical school at the University of Minnesota. He did his residency at St. Mary-Corwin Medical Center before opening his practice.
Besides Dr. Arguello, the health clinic staff includes nurse practitioner Brenda Wallerstedt and a receptionist. Additionally, the clinic provides needed clinical opportunities for students in PCC’s health programs.
“We feel very fortunate to have our own excellent doctor right on our Pueblo campus,” said Sue Kochevar, PCC’s Dean of Health Professions. “This clinic gives all of our students much-needed access to quality health care in a convenient, comfortable setting.
It is another example of how we always put students first at PCC.”
The Health Clinic is located in PCC’s Medical Arts & Technology Building in offices that were remodeled by the college’s Facility Services staff. Its hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday.
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Congratulations to 2009 SSAC Rising Star Award Winners
On April 8, the Colorado State Student Advisory Council (SSAC) presented its annual 2009 Rising Stars Awards Luncheon at Front Range Community College.
Representing the 107,000 CCCS students, the SSAC serves as an advisory body to the Colorado State Board for Community Colleges and Occupational Education.
With the exception of a College President of the Year Award, and an Advocate of the Year Award, the prestigious Rising Star awards are presented to students from the 13 system colleges who exhibit a high level of leadership and involvement in student activities. This year’s recipients are:
Arapahoe Community College: Angela Wissmueller and Daniel Houck
Colorado Northwestern Community College: Darcey McQuiston
Community College of Aurora: E.L. Groves and Iris Jones
Community College of Denver: James Boyce and Alia Thobani
Front Range Community College: Priscilla Carlson, Eric Erickson and George-Ann Glynn
Lamar Community College: Ogooluwa Adegboye and Uyanga Nergui
Morgan Community College: Ashley Horton
Northeastern Junior College: Dalton Hindmarsh and Samantha Sheets
Otero Junior College: Kendra Sutton and Milo Graham
Pikes Peak Community College: Deborah McDonald and Michael Pugh
Pueblo Community College: Frank Cowgill III
Red Rocks Community College: Angelina Gabaldon and Ben LaFalce
Trinidad State Junior College: Rebecca Nolan and Chris Turner
Additionally, Community College of Aurora Director of Student Life and Student Conduct Officer Angie Tiedeman was honored as the SSAC’s “Advocate of the Year” and Otero Junior College President James T. Rizzuto was recognized as the “President of the Year.” To read what these outstanding honorees did to deserve their awards click here. To view photos from the Rising Stars Awards Luncheon click here.
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Tim Vickery accepts the Coca Cola Gold Scholar Award. Left to right: State Rep. Sara Gagliardi, State Board for Community Colleges and Occupational Education Vice Chair Bernadette Marquez, State Rep. Sue Shafer, Vickery, State Rep. Andy Kerr and RRCC president Dr. Michele Haney.
RRCC Student Named Coca Cola Scholar
Red Rocks Community College student Timothy Vickery has been selected as a 2009 Coca-Cola Gold Scholar based on scores he earned in the All-USA Academic Team competition for community college students. The program, sponsored by the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation, is administered by the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. As a gold scholar, Vickery will be provided with a certificate, gold medallion and a check for $1,500.
Vickery has overcome adversity to become successful. In 2005, recently released from prison, Tim entered RRCC's Construction Technology program. He simultaneously started as a general contractor carpenter. Working full-time, Vickery was promoted while he maintained a 4.0 GPA. Combining his carpentry skills with construction technology and business curriculum, he recently became a partner with a general contractor. Vickery volunteers his time to mentor at-risk youth and transition paroled felons to help them develop work skills. As a general contractor, Vickery gives former felons job opportunities that they might not otherwise have. He has also opened his home to a young veteran of the Iraq war who is struggling to overcome substance abuse.
Vickery thanks RRCC for helping him to gain the self-confidence to make such a difference in the lives of others.
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Section C –
50 Employers Attend
Arapahoe Community College Career Fair
Scenes from ACC's April 2009 Career Fair - Photos courtesy of John Scarffe
Fifty employers representing a wide variety of careers and a Peace Corps representative were available to meet with students and community members at an Arapahoe Community College Career Fair held in early April.
Fifty employers from government, financial, healthcare, retail, security, insurance, sales, military, non-profit, marketing, hospitality and other sectors were represented at the job fair, which was sponsored by the ACC Career Center. Information and advising on ACC career, degree and certificate programs were also available to job seekers.
This free job fair enabled ACC students and the general public to meet one-on-one with recruiters and human resource staff members from a large number of employers. ACC asked attendees to dress for success and bring copies of their resumes.
At the Career Fair, Clara Morris of the Peace Corps also presented: “Think Global: Serve your Country and the World.” This free, public seminar gave participants a glimpse of what serving in the Peace Corps entails.
Besides career fairs, the ACC Career Center also sponsors monthly six-hour Career Planning Seminars for those undecided on a career goal or wanting to make a career change and students and community members are encouraged to attend. For more information about ACC Career programs contact ACC Career Center Coordinator Jan McLees at 303.797.5805.
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CNCC Dental Hygiene Program
Scenes from the Spring 2009 Semester of CNCC's Dental Hygiene Program
Colorado Northwestern Community College’s Rangely-based dental hygiene program has a great reputation. A reputation that has been built over time.
“It’s like any institution that develops into kind of a gold standard,” said Mark Patterson, director of the CNCC dental hygiene program on the Rangely campus, “it doesn’t happen overnight. But over time, it develops a legacy and a reputation. Our alumni have gone on to great and wonderful things. You build on one success to the next.” The dental hygiene program has been around since 1962, back when the school was known as Rangely College.
“We have been around for almost 50 years,” said Patterson, who has been with the program for 25 years. “We’ve had an opportunity to grow and evolve and improve, and that’s certainly what we’ve done.”
That reputation is what attracted Kristi Jurney to enroll in the CNCC dental hygiene program. “I knew a couple of ladies who had gone through the program, who work in Craig,” said Jurney, a second-year student from Craig. “I had heard it was the best school around. So I really wanted to go here.”
And the program hasn’t disappointed. “I like it a lot,” Jurney said, who will graduate in May and hopes to land a job in the Steamboat Springs area. Jurney said she knew since she was a sophomore in high school that she wanted to enter the dental hygiene field.
“It’s good job security,” she said. “You can get a job wherever you go.” CNCC’s dental hygiene program has a 100 percent job placement rate for students who successfully complete the two-year program.
“The only graduates of the program not working are the ones who choose not to,” Patterson said. “If you average it out over the time I’ve been here, we’ve had 95 to 100 percent job placement. Our emotional contract with the student doesn’t end on graduation day. It’s kind of like the extended warranty you might get on a car.”
Students who go through CNCC’s dental hygiene program have a similar success rate on first-time attempts taking the clinical and written national board exams. For the small number of students who don’t pass the board exams the first time around, they are virtually guaranteed to pass the next time.
“We have absolutely 100 percent success rate if anyone needs to take it a second time,” Patterson said. “If a student is unsuccessful on the first exam, we have a support system built in, tutoring them to get prepared for the second attempt.”
Second-year students, like Jurney, took the national written board exam on March 24. “It’s an all-day exam that is comprehensive of the entire two-year curriculum,” Patterson said. “It’s a very difficult exam. Usually, they get the results about a week or two after graduation. This was the last year for the written exam, as far as doing it in a pencil and paper format. Next year, we’ll go to an online exam and students will have to go to a testing center.”
Clinical tests for the second-year students will be conducted May 1-3 on the CNCC campus. “We’re a remote site, so they will send a team of examiners out here,” Patterson said. “Students will have to screen and provide a patient, in advance, who meets specific clinical parameters. Most of the students already have a patient screened and selected. They will have to do an assessment of a patient and then present a treatment selection to examiners. Then, they have three to four hours to provide treatment.”
Everything the second-year students have been taught during the last two years has been focused on preparing them for the national exams. “We begin to acclimate them in this process very early on,” Patterson said. “It’s a way to set different benchmarks through the program. They have to do a kind of mini version of a board exam at the end of each clinical semester. So, for four semesters, we are getting them geared up for having to do it for real. It’s worked really well. They are not allowed to sit for final exams if they haven’t met those benchmarks. They have to show the performance, show the competency at all of these various levels.”
There are 54 students currently enrolled in the CNCC dental hygiene program; 27 first-year students and 27 second-year students. Of those students, there is only one male student. “We have had classes with as many as four male students in one class,” Patterson said. “Lately, we seem to average one male student every other year. It pretty much reflects the demographic of the general population in dental hygiene.”
Two of the major factors in the rise of the CNCC dental hygiene program are faculty stability and improvements in the program’s facilities and equipment. “When we added a fifth full-time instructor and a clinic manager in 2004, we increased enrollment in the program,” Patterson said.
“We went from 20 to 27 in a class, and we’ve been filling the classes every year since. We went from 40 to 54 students in one year. That was a significant increase. It was estimated, the impact of the additional students on the local economy would be about $160,000 a year.”
In 2003, the dental hygiene program was awarded a $600,000 grant from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs, with the funds going toward a $1.7 million renovation of the program’s facilities.
Having a dedicated and stable faculty and staff, who take their role seriously, means the CNCC dental hygiene program will continue to produce competent and qualified graduates, Patterson said. “When you have the right folks, and the chemistry is right, and people are in this community because they choose to live here, not because it’s the only place they could find a job, that makes a big difference,” Patterson said. “We see ourselves as the gatekeepers to the public, making sure no one exits this program who has not met the minimum requirements, and giving assurance to the public that they will receive quality care.” Story and photos courtesy of the Rio Blanco Herald Times.
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Governor Ritter Recognizes CCA Pact with Regis University
to Create Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Film
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Governor Ritter recently recognized a collaboration between CCA’s Colorado Film School and Regis University’s College of Professional Studies to create a new transfer program. The program will enable CCA students to transfer to Regis to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree (BFA) in film and video production.
According to Regis University’s website, “In this new cutting edge program, students will conceptualize, plan, write, produce, analyze and edit film and video products which will visibly impact the boundaries of technology and creative expression in the 21st century.” Regis goes on to explain that the new BFA program has:
An emphasis on ethical and critical thinking skills which encourages students to be creative, innovative and promote diversity in a global marketplace, The intermingling of a strong theoretical foundation with practical applications utilizes the newest technologies in the expression of the visual arts to: develop storytelling abilities; contribute to the development of the whole person; and, prepare students for leadership roles while providing highly qualified and experienced faculty and state of the art facilities and equipment.
According to Colorado Film School Director Frederic Lahey, students at CFS engage in real-world productions under the tutelage of working industry professionals. In addition to the above stated competencies in critical thinking and story telling, Lahey says students in the new program will expand their visual literacy and creative problem solving abilities. Lahey explains that general education requirements will be met in classes available at CCA’s Lowry Campus, online, and at Regis campuses around metro Denver.
Slated to start in May, the BFA program provides for emphases in writing/directing, writing/producing, cinematography/videography, post-production, and acting for the screen. All film/video classes in the BFA program are offered at CCA's Colorado Film School on the Lowry Campus.
In a letter endorsing the CCA and Regis venture, Governor Ritter wrote:
It is my pleasure to congratulate the Community College of Aurora (CCA) and the Regis University communities on the launch of their new collaboration that provides CCA film & production students with the opportunity to complete a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree at Regis. With the demand for information ever increasing, the need for skilled professionals to deliver that information has never been greater. I applaud this effort because it sits at the heart of the P-20 Council, which I convened to better align school curriculums from kindergarten to graduate school. At the end of the day, the purpose is to create a better plan for preparing students for the workforce. Regis University and CCA, both have rich and successful histories of producing students that are not only workforce ready, but who willingly seek to positively improve the communities they live in. The kind of thinking around the development of this collaboration is why both institutions continue to be leaders in education. Congratulations again, and thank you for the contributions you put forth to make Colorado the great state it is.
Each year, students at Colorado Film School create more than 1000 original short projects and assignments. A faculty jury selects the top work in each class for inclusion in either the School’s fall or spring student show. A number of these selections may be seen online at http://www.YouTube.com/ColoradoFilmSchool. For more about CCA’s Colorado Film School, visit http://www.coloradofilmschool.net.
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Lamar Community College Offers
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New
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This semester, Lamar Community College began an innovative program in Elementary Education using their "FASTTRACK" model for accelerated course delivery.
LCC designed their "FASTTRACK Elementary Education" Associate of Arts degree program to occur in the evening, one accelerated course at a time, to allow working individuals the flexibility to participate. Courses run in five or eight week
cycles, for three hours per session, exclusively on Monday evenings. Additional coursework is done online, allowing additional ease in scheduling study-time for program participants.
An A.A. in Elementary Education will allow the program's graduates to work as paraprofessionals or teacher’s
aides in school districts as well as in child care facilities or preschools. The A.A. is also transferable to most four year colleges toward a Bachelor’s Degree for those interested in going on to become teachers.
Working students will especially appreciate how the degree is aligned with Adams State College’s Rural Education Access Program (REAP) which will allow them to continue with a cohort in Lamar taking on-campus and distance delivery courses toward a BA in Interdisciplinary Studies and elementary teacher licensure.
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NJC Automotive Program
for High School Students
Students in the high school track of Northeastern Junior College’s Automotive Technology program were happy to show off some of their projects during an open house recently held at their program’s facility.
The program, which allows high school students from throughout NJC’s service area to be on the college’s campus to get some technical hands-on training in the area of automotive service and repair, is a collaborative effort between the college and local school districts.
Parents of students in the program, prospective students, alumni, area school officials and even individuals who have donated vehicles to the program were at the open house. Re-1 School District Board President Carol Brom attended the event and spent time with some of the students and was briefed about what they are learning.
Pictured with Brom are Sterling High School juniors, from left to right: Kaleb Kurtzer, Jeff Milheim, Kyle Schneider, Tony Larson and Cameron Dolan. Kurtzer showed Brom the V6 engine he recently took apart and cleaned to be reassembled. Kurtzer explained to Brom that students spend time at random stations in the shop where they are able to take things apart and view various aspects of an engine or other car component. When it comes time to actually work on projects, Kurtzer said they do “live” work on some engines owned by the program, their own vehicles or cars owned by others that have been brought into the program for repair.
The students also have two race cars that are part of the program. One of the cars was on display in the shop. The two students who have the top academic scores in the program are given first option to drive the race cars during competition at a track in Julesburg. While Richard Moon is director of the program, 20 years ago he was a student in it.
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Section D –
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A scene from PPCC's Virtual Tour on Colorado Community Colleges.com
The system’s student recruitment site, Colorado Community Colleges.com, experienced a 35 percent increase in unique visitors in the month following the publication of its address in a callout graphic in a March 24 Denver Post article versus the month prior. The article, “Idled workers off to low-cost colleges for new career path,” profiled how people who are losing their jobs because of the economic downturn are re-tooling at CCCS institutions.
Also notable, the number of pageviews for Colorado Community Colleges.com has increased to 11,072, up 59 percent over the previous month’s total of 6,940.
For those not familiar with the site, Colorado Community Colleges.com presents prospective college students with a resource to discover where across Colorado they can study over 400 different fields and disciplines. CCCS launched version 2.0 of the site last August. The site enables potential students to engage in “one stop shopping” to compare the offerings and amenities of CCCS’ 13 colleges.
The site also aims to let people across Colorado and beyond know about the career-bound learning opportunities, from aerospace to zoology, that are available in their backyard, or, if they want to go away to school, it helps them learn about the programs they can study at the system’s residential colleges. For instance, a potential student from Littleton who wants a residential college experience can learn that TSJC offers one of the few gunsmithing programs in the country. Conversely, an older prospective adult student in Trinidad, who aspires to work in the funeral business, can discover that they can study in one of the nation’s handful of mortuary science programs at ACC in Littleton.
The site was designed to be an easy to navigate information-packed resource that potential students would find useful in evaluating their options at CCCS. Decisions to include the various types of information on the website were driven by CCCS student surveys.
The website is organized into five sections which seek to answer questions potential students may have about Colorado’s community colleges. They include: why apply; what’s available; college locations; how to pay; and, getting started.
Highlights of the site include grids in the “what’s available” section that show potential students at which colleges the system’s 400 academic and career-oriented programs are offered.
In the “college locations” section, prospective students can watch 3-minute virtual tours which give them a taste of what it is like to be at student at any of the 13 colleges (including what it’s like to live on campus where applicable). Most of the virtual tours feature the college president or professional voice talent describing the advantages of the particular institution. The tours are set to a barrage of interesting photographs and backed by music.
The site also features information on financial aid options, successful alumni of community colleges and the cost and earning advantages of community colleges as well as the many transfer opportunities that exist to four-year schools.
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Section E –
Dahms-Talton Foundation
Seated: MCC Foundation Vice President Sharon Kauffman, donors Polli and Alan Dahms; Back Row: MCC President Dr. Kerry Hart, MCC Foundation President Jeff Bieber and Dahms-Talton Foundation trustees Bill Anderson and Ed Zorn
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Philanthropists Alan and Polli Dahms of Fort Morgan are resolved to share their good fortune in ways that make life in Northeastern Colorado the best it can be. That conviction explains their generous donations to education and healthcare through their private Dahms-Talton Foundation. As 2008 came to a close, the MCC Foundation received its third major gift from the Dahms-Talton Foundation in the amount of $50,000 with a simple directive that it is to be used where it is most needed. Dahms said, “We have every confidence for MCC to make the call in how the money is spent.”
MCC Foundation President Jeff Bieber remarks about this latest gift, “We are totally pleased and see this gift as evidence of a growing long‐term relationship between the Dahms‐Talton Foundation and MCC.” Previous gifts, including another $50,000 check, were earmarked for the building of MCC's new Cedar Hall for Adult Basic Education.
The Dahmses, both retired educators who used to teach in Denver, “are considered partners in the learning process in Morgan County,” according to MCC President Dr. Kerry Hart. “Their gifts to MCC reinforce their commitment to education and the importance of sustaining the college and supporting its students,” he added. Further, explains Hart, “Their gift touches me personally and profoundly since I was once a student of Alan Dahms’ at the Metropolitan State College of Denver.”
Alan Dahms said of their gift to the college, “Morgan Community College is key to keeping students in this area.” In addition, the Dahmses and their foundation trustees, Bill Anderson and Ed Zorn, are hopeful their gift will inspire others to financially support MCC.
“In light of the economy in crisis mode, community colleges are getting good press as educational institutions that can make an immediate difference in people’s lives because they are affordable and easily accessible," remarks Hart.
“MCC’s strategic direction embraces this concept by pledging to ‘provide access to educational programs and services that strengthen the economic, cultural, and social life of the many diverse communities we serve’,” he continues.
Hart believes that major gifts are more important than ever at sustaining the excellence at MCC in light of the funding challenges facing higher education because of the recession.
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Since 2007, Pikes Peak Community College Has Conducted
Members of PPCC’s Culinary Arts Club
pose after recently constructing their Community Garden Project which was the recipient of seed money from a PPCC Foundation Innovation Grant
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In 2007, the Pikes Peak Community College Foundation pioneered an “Innovation Grants” program to support college projects that are designed to encourage student success and foster academic innovation. Specifically, the program has sought to support projects that broaden academic life for faculty, students, and staff and allow the college community to solve problems, promote worthwhile activities and reach for unique opportunities.
Since its inception, according to PPCC Foundation Development Officer Jennifer Stafford, the program has awarded $40,000 for a variety of projects. Stafford says these projects have included: the creation of a "Second Chance" Program for Math students who need to improve their grades in developmental math classes in order to progress in school; purchasing equipment for physics classes; helping to create a tutoring lab for biology students; and, sponsoring Interior Design students to participate in a state-wide competition.
“This program came about because our faculty and staff are doing so many wonderful, innovative projects that support student success and encourage academic innovation and we wanted to create a learning environment that fosters greater innovation,” explains Stafford. She continues, “These grants are made possible by the generosity of our staff and faculty, through their donations to the Colorado Combined Campaign, which are designated to the PPCC Foundation.”
The PPCC Innovation Grants committee solicits proposals from across the college and then evaluates them for funding. The committee consists of Stafford; PPCC Foundation Executive Director Jon Stepleton; Executive Assistant to the President and Ombudsman Kimberly Barnett; and Faculty Member/Director of PPCC’s Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning Mary Piering.
In the Fall semester, the committee awarded $8,000 of the $20,000 it anticipated to award in Academic Year 2008-09 to deserving campus programs and departments after receiving a total of $24,460 in grant requests from areas across the college. Grants awarded include:
- $685 to the HENPS (Health, Environmental, Natural and Physical Sciences Division) to create an "Immediate Need Scholarship" program, which will provide technical clothing and equipment to the Natural Resource Technology and Adventure Guide Program.
- $1,500 to the Culinary Arts Club to provide seed money for a “Community Garden Project.”
- $800 to the Math & Tech Division for “Semester Break’s Second Chance” program to provide software to assist struggling math students.
- $1,093 to fund the “Construction of a Terrarium” for Biology students.
- $895 to provide the Student Crisis Counseling Office with “The Heartmath on Campus Stress Project” which will help students to manage stress.
- $1900 to the Library to fund “Adjustable Study/Computer Tables” for students with disabilities.
- $750 to the Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (CETL) for the creation of a video called “Mind the Gap,” to address the challenges of the transition from high school to college.
In April, the committee met again and funded the following projects:
Design for Hope - Sponsorship of an Interior Design Competition, featuring PPCC Interior Design students designing rooms, a la "Design Star," in partnership with CASA of the Pikes Peak Region.
Nothing is Impossible - Helped to fund the production of PPCC's annual Japanese Language Play, performed by students in the Japanese Language program.
SkillsUSA and HOSA Conference - Supported the travel expenses for faculty advisors (due to the out-of-state travel freeze) so that our AVP students could attend the national conferences for SkillsUSA and HOSA.
Project Promise Retention Conference - Funded faculty members to attend a conference on student retention.
Assisted Differences in Learning - In coordination with the OASIS Office, Multicultural Male Retention Specialist and Reading Department, the Foundation will be funding a pilot project, which pays for psycho-educational assessments for multicultural male students who are struggling in developmental reading and English courses. If a disability is identified in the assessment, the students will be referred to OASIS and will be able to receive learning accommodations.
For more information about the PPCC Foundation Innovation Grants program, contact Stafford at 719.502.2247.
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Colorado Community College System
9101 E. Lowry Blvd. Building 959
Denver, CO 80230-6011
Joe Marquez, Manager of Communications
CCCS Connections Archive
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