Innovations
On the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains, the mild weather in Greeley, Colorado, provides the perfect playground for year-round sports. Aims Community College in Greeley has developed an extensive physical education program to meet the demands of students and residents, offering a wide range of activities and sports from archery to zumba. The newest additions to the offerings are the popular winter sports of ice skating and ice hockey.
In January 2009, Aims began offering ice skating and ice hockey classes at the local municipal ice rink, Greeley Ice Haus. Daniel Doherty, academic dean at...
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November
2009
The inaugural graduates of South Seattle Community College's Bachelor of Applied Science (BAS) in Hospitality Management program who were awarded their degrees in June 2009 are future hospitality industry leaders. Their 21st century skill set includes knowledge and hands-on experience in marketing, human resources, management, and technical applications in all facets of the hospitality industry. Those transferable skills enable them to work in tourism, hotel operation, restaurant management, catering, cruise ship, and casino operations, or travel—anywhere in the world.
The 90-credit program...
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Fall is in the air...crisp mornings, vibrant leaves of red and orange, pumpkin pie and apple cider...and everyone's favorite fall festivals abound. Community colleges take advantage of this beautiful time of year to sponsor festivals in their communities.
Fall festivals are an opportunity for community colleges to generate much-needed funds for groups that could use the boost, especially in these difficult financial times and tight budgets. Many colleges sustain local artists, industries, and causes with the funds raised, enhancing the visibility of the college and the community. Others use...
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September
2009
As part of an ongoing effort to interest American Indian youth in a variety of careers and in pursuing higher education, Leech Lake Tribal College recently collaborated with local schools on the Leech Lake Band of Ojibwe reservation to host two exciting summer programs.
The first program, known as the STAR (Successful Transition to and Academic Rigor in postsecondary education) Project, was held June 8-19, and involved a cohort of 14 rising tenth-graders from the Cass Lake-Bena High School. The project, made possible by a grant from the US Office of Indian Education, is a comprehensive and...
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August
2009
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A broiling August sun and high humidity fired up a crowd of nearly 150 wellwishers who gathered to celebrate a first in the nation: the launch of a new training partnership involving a Maryland community college, private industry, and the federal government.
The crowd enjoyed shaded seating beneath a yellow and white canopy at the Woodland Job Corps Center in Laurel, Maryland, while listening to speakers describe the groundbreaking initiative involving Anne Arundel Community College, the federal Job Corps site, and the Independent Electrical Contractors Chesapeake chapter. The ceremony ended...
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July
2009
Member Spotlight offers member colleges the opportunity to spotlight a program, an award, or a successful innovation to share with other community colleges. These spotlights are featured in the League's monthly League Connections electronic newsletter.
We send our thanks and recognition to the colleges featured in the 2008-2009 Member Spotlight. Each institution is listed below with a link to the college's Member Spotlight selection.
Seattle Community College
Big Sandy Community and Technical College
Ivy Tech Community College
Cossatot Community College
Kaua'i Community College
Bakersfield...
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The guitar player tunes up as the drummer raps on the snare drum for a sound check. Two young women share a laugh whileeating lunch. A woman blows bubbles as she talks to students. It could be a summer festival and in some respects it is, but Registration Rocks at Volunteer State Community College has one goal: get potential students into the college process early, before the rush.
"We hold it on the day when everyone can start registering for fall classes," said Tim Amyx, director of admissions and college registrar. "It's a fun way to engage new students and potential students, without the...
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May
2009
Established 27 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 is designed to recognize faculty, staff and administrators at member colleges who have designed and implemented a significant innovation. Granting this award provides a venue for showcasing these innovations and the dedicated community college educators who are working to create new programs, improve processes, and...
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May
2009
Every year, Project Finance International (PFI), along with other renowned financial publications, surveys ssuccessfully closed deals globally across various sectors. Amongst the closed deals, they select the best transactions that demonstrate attributes like the use of innovative financing techniques and ground-breaking and pathfinding transactions. Project Finance International is a leading source of global project financial intelligence, which reports on the entire life cycles of deals, from initial hearsay to analysis after completion.
That ITE College West PPP, a partnership between the...
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April
2009
When Treasure Valley Community College was awarded the competitive Title III Strengthening Institutions Grant from the Department of Education in 2005, the college knew this funding would be the catalyst for change at TVCC. One of the priority areas in the grant was creating a way to identify at-risk students and then provide services to help them be more successful at college. Early on, the Title III team developed and piloted an Early Alert/ Intervention program. This innovative and cost-effective program was featured at two League for Innovation conferences as a model for other colleges....
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March
2009
When Chancellor Helen Cox first arrived on the Kaua'i Community College (KCC) campus in August 2008, she had already made it clear that she believed that KCC had an important role to play in moving the island of Kaua'i toward sustainability. In the public forum that was part of her interview, she was told that while much of the country was slowly sliding into the abyss when it came to economics and sustainability, Kaua'i was going over a cliff. She was then asked what she would do to help. In her answer, Cox confessed she didn't have all the answers, but then proceeded to suggest some ideas...
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February
2009
Cerro Coso Community College, located in the upper Mojave Desert, is on the cutting edge of developing an Energy Technician program to support the renewable energy industry. In the new industrial technology certificate and degree programs, students will complete an 18-unit core set of courses to provide for a well-rounded skilled technical worker. Courses in computer literacy, technical communication, blue print reading, basic hand tools, applied technical math, oxyacetylene welding, and industrial safety are in the core of the program. Within the degree program are three initial areas of...
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The word is out on Mott Community College's main campus about Ellen's Closet: It's the place to go shopping if you're an MCC student in the market for a great-looking, professional outfit--that won't cost a penny.
Housed in the MCC Business Division's McKay Cooperative Education Center in the Curtice-Mott Building, Ellen's Closet offers a wide variety of gently used clothing, suitable for job interviews or the first weeks of work before a paycheck comes in. Giving students that extra boost of confidence and professionalism as they approach the workforce is a great reward for all who are a...
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January
2009
On October 24, 2008, volunteers gathered at Bakersfield College to test their ability to vaccinate the community in a point-of-dispensing exercise. The college entered into the partnership because if Bakersfield was ever to experience pandemic influenza or another such disaster, it might be necessary to distribute medications to many citizens quickly, and Bakersfield College would be called on to provide the service.
Bakersfield College operated the entire event in an incident command system structure, which aligned all services and volunteers under one command structure. Calling on the...
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January
2009
Innovation Showcase was launched three years ago to feature the myriad ways community colleges connect with the communities they serve. In those three years, articles have focused on a wide range of these connections, from museums, art collections, and music festivals at quite a few colleges, to Johnson County Community College's barbecue tastings, Santa Fe College's on-campus zoo, and Bellingham Tech's welding rodeo. While many of the articles we've featured focus on art, music, and entertainment, others address the more sobering needs of the people our colleges serve: programs to help...
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December
2008
The Problem
Our rural county is defined by poverty. Fifty years ago Del Norte County, California, was awash in timber money and fishing money, but the big timber is gone and the coastal waters are fished out. One sad consequence of jobs that require little education is that machines can replace the people who used to do the hard work, and that has happened here. We have found ourselves with an unfortunate confluence involving a community that has traditionally put a low premium on education, industries that have outgrown their labor force, and a region that is so stunningly beautiful that...
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November
2008
When four Johnson County Community College employees set out for a barbecue lunch in 1997, little did they know they had created one of the most unique ways to foster collegiality on a community college campus in the country. They like to say unique in "the universe," which might be true or might be hyperbole. It's hard to really care about fact-checking when you're sinking your teeth into a hot tender serving of well-smoked ribs.
Participants in the June 2008 Learning College Summit in Overland Park got a taste for the camaraderie generated by barbecue when approximately 100 people signed up...
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