
| May 2008 |
Volume 3, Number 5 |
2008 Innovation of the Year Award Winners
From the League
Established 26 years ago, the League’s Innovation of the Year Award was devised as a way to recognize significant innovations reflecting capstone achievements and the continuing renewal of the spirit of innovation and experimentation upon which the League was founded. The award recognizes staff at member colleges who have designed and implemented a significant innovation. The award also provides a venue for showcasing these innovations and the dedicated community college educators who are working to create new programs, improve processes, and enhance the opportunities available in their communities.
Criteria. Selection of award recipients is based on the following criteria established by the League:
- Quality. Students and staff agree that the innovation increases quality in the course, program, office, or institution.
- Efficiency. The innovation contributes to more efficient processes.

- Cost Effectiveness. The innovation adds value to the institution while containing or reducing costs.
- Replication. The innovation can be replicated at other institutions.
- Creativity. The innovation is original and creative.
- Timeliness. The innovation is not more than five years old in the institution, allowing plenty of time for it to be tested.
Nomination. To begin the nomination process, each college announces the Innovation of the Year award competition at its institution. The individual college forms a local committee to establish college-specific criteria and select the college’s award winner. The League encourages participating colleges to seek nominations from all areas of the college, including full- and part-time instructors, student services staff, administrators, and support personnel. The award celebrates the innovation as well as those who designed and implemented it; therefore, a single nomination will include both the innovation and the people who developed it.
Selection. Each participating college determines the selection process it will use and follows that process to select its Innovation of the Year award recipient. The college shares information about the winning innovation with the League, including a brief description of the innovation and the names, job titles, and a photograph of the personnel who developed the innovation. The League presents an Innovation of the Year award to each participating college’s winning innovation.

Honoring Local Award Recipients. Participating colleges celebrate their local winners and further emphasize the value of innovation in community college education. Some colleges plan special award ceremonies, recognition programs, receptions, or dinners to honor and celebrate their award recipients. A number of colleges provide each member of the winning team with funding to attend a League conference. Participating colleges often issue news releases announcing the award, and some publish pamphlets or booklets featuring the winning innovation.
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2008 Innovation of the Year Award Winners. In 2008, 54 awards were granted in seven categories: (1) workforce preparation and development; (2) learning and teaching; (3) student services and activities; (4) research, assessment, and accountability; (5) resource development; (6) basic skills and developmental education; and (7) leadership and organization. Click on the links below to learn more about the winning innovations in the 2008 Innovation of the Year competition.
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Anne Arundel Community College Parenting the Middle School Child Lou Aymard, Colleen Eisenbeiser, and Cari Endicott |
Lake-Sumter Community College Teacher Certification Program Expansion Tom Kubala, Diane Edwards, and Glenn Ricci |
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Barstow Community College District Student Success and Readiness in Basic Skills Robert Pacheco and Penny Shreve |
Lane Community College Back on Course (BOC) Melinda Dunnick, Debby Ganser, Anthony Hampton, Beth Landy, Shirley Lukacs, Geneva Martin, Mary Parthemer, Casandra Rhay, Devin Robel, Christina Salter, and Doug Smyth
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Baton Rouge Community College Integrated Online Planning and Budgeting System Administration and Finance, Institutional Advancement and Information Technology |
Lethbridge College Portable Call Centre Project Faron Ellis and James Manis |
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Burlington County College Student Opinion of Instruction Surveys in Online Courses Martin A. Hoffman Sr. |
Luzerne County Community College Custom-Designed and Programmed Staff Intranet Site Robert Dushok |
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Central Ohio Technical College The Gateway Bonnie L. Coe and Ann Donahue |
Miami Dade College Covenant of Student and Faculty Commitment to Miami Dade College’s Learning Outcomes MDC Faculty and Students |
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Central Piedmont Community College Career Services Video Series Pat Nash |
Monroe Community College Women on the Move Ivan Matthew, Jesica Miller, Corinne Mulhall, Julie White, and Patricia Williams |
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Century College GPS (Goals + Plans = Success) LifePlan Larry Litecky |
Montgomery County Community College POWER Program Diane Haar, Lori Schreiber, Pam Kennedy, and Dianne Johnson |
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College of Menominee Nation Podcasting in Education Nathan Fregien, John Ochsner, William Van Lopik, and Maria Escalante |
Moraine Valley Community College International Sports Exchange Program Bill Flinn, Charles Bales, and Gloria Coughlin |
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Community College of Baltimore County PORTAL: Your Door to World Languages and Cultures Seham El Gendi, Don Elliott, Patricia Harrigan, Rachele Lawton, Soumaya Long, Thu Schaeffer |
Mt. San Antonio College Interactive Website for Students in the French Program Barbara Vigano |
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Community College of Philadelphia The Center for Law and Society Kathleen M. Smith, David Freeman, Thomas J. Doyle |
Northern Albert Institute of Technology eLearning Strategy Eleanor Frandsen, Bill Dushenko, Helga Kinnaird, John Kent, Margaret Rhodes, Bill McMullen, Garry Bridge, Sandi Barber, and Missing: Alison Wynne |
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Cuyahoga Community College Improving Operational Efficiency of the Curriculum Development/Approval Process and the Curriculum Office Kathy Telban, Cheryl Kovach, and Tani Ali |
Northeast Iowa Community College Career Connections Wendy Mihm-Herold, Kathy Weber, and Gena Gesing |
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De Anza College Sustainability Management Plan (SMP) College Advisory Environmental Group |
NorthWest Arkansas Community College East Empacts Marvin Galloway and Regina Ryel |
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Delta College Delta Prism Alliance Stuart Barbier |
Nova Scotia Community College Reach Out to Nova Scotia Sara Napier and Craig Collins |
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Eastfield College Tutor Blast POD/VOD Casts Anastasia Lankford and Michael Forshee |
Pitt Community College Effective Distance Education in Nuclear Medicine and Positron Emission Tomography Scott Clinefelter |
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El Paso Community College The Developmental Education Initiative (DEI) Dennis Brown and Eduardo Servin |
Polk Community College Education Preparation Institute Beverly Woolery and Sherri Davis |
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Florida Community College at Jacksonville Outcomes Based Learning Cycle Marian Beaman, Jack Chambers, Amani Francis, Bill Ganza, Patti Levine-Brown, and Faye Wisner |
Rio Salado College Textbook Savings Program Todd Simmons, Carol Scarafiotti, Dr. Patricia Case, Elizabeth Cole-Fay, Jennifer Freed, E.J. Anderson, Kevin Bilder, Mary Rhodes, Yousin Smith, Kevin Obolsky, Harpreet Maan, Linda Bird, Carol Maffuccio, Denise Morrison, and Tanya Swanson |
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Harrisburg Area Community College A Successful Collaboration Benefits Nursing Students Julia Sensenig |
Rock Valley College Math Lab Kathy Almy |
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Humber College Institute of Technology and Advanced Learning Teaching Excellence Program Deborah Dunbar and Pat Hedley |
SAIT Polytechnic Hospitality Management Program Redesign Pat Ryan, Ken Upton, Matt Karns, Margaret Walsh, Mike Tidswell, Alita Brown, Cynthia Johnston, Darwin Ens, Ross Robinson |
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Haywood Community College Teaching Biology Labs and Lecture Online Susan Roberts |
Santa Fe Community College Rotary Reading Safari Jack Brown, Buz Bireline, Tarah Jacobs, Grace Lambert, Mary Chance, Kelly Kostamo, and Frank Burns |
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Henry Ford Community College Henry Ford Community College and Henry Ford Hospital System Accelerated Nursing Program Partnership Bill Barber, Kathy Bradley, Connie Cronin, Jeraldine Jackson, Veronica Hall, and the HFCC Nursing Faculty |
Seattle Central Community College Global Impact International Service Learning Andrea Insley |
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Hillsborough Community College Roadtrip, DRIVE and Crossroads Brandon Student Services Team |
Sheridan College Wiki Technology for College Programs Derek Stockley |
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Indian River Community College Give Kids a Smile Kay Idlette, Karen Allen, Alexander Van Ovost, Carol Dombrowski, Mary Pelletier, Marta Ferguson, A. Bundy, A. Schey, M. Hunt, L. Maxwell, D. Justus, A. Rigler, B. Johnson, J. Moss, K. Mendes, and A. Nunez |
Sinclair Community College The Miami Valley Tech Prep Consortium: Program/Pathway Course of Study Templates David W. McDaniel and Brandon Evans |
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Jamestown Community College CareerPath Nelson J. Garifi, Jr. and Colette Haight |
Snead State Community College Wholetheme Approach Jason Watts |
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Johnson County Community College Online Curriculum Proposals Application Clarissa Craig, Debby Hassur, Judy Ogden, Rhonda Barlow, Stuart Shafer, and Vince Miller |
Southwest Wisconsin Technical College Engaging Learners Using Fun, Interactive, Educational Games Sondra Ostheimer |
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Keyano College Learner Assistance Program Debbie O’Hollaron and Cathy Davis Herbert |
St. Clair County Community College Alternative Energy Technology Collaboration John Borris, Gus J. Demas, Steven Fosgard, Robert Hunckler, Don Reuba, and H.C. Snyder |
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Kirkwood Community College Viticulture Program Jerry Bolton |
St. Louis Community College – Florissant Valley CONNECT Teresa Huether, Karen Wade, and Marcia Pfeiffer |
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Lakeland College Custom Designed Software Manuals Al Motley |
Wake Technical Community College 1st LEED Certified Campus in the Nation Stephen Scott, Wendell Goodwin, and Jim Opdenbrouw |
To learn more about the League Innovation of the Year competition and how your college can participate, contact Wendy Neil at neil@league.org or (480) 705-8200, ext. 234.
Cynthia Wilson,
Editor |