VCCS Chancellor Glenn DuBois and President Barack Obama share a moment backstage

Yesterday’s event marked President Obama’s third stop at a Virginia Community College.  During last year’s campaign he held events at Patrick Henry Community College and John Tyler Community College.

Is it too much to hope that he visits our other 20 community colleges before the end of his term?  Every president should…

Posted by Jeffrey Kraus

“If you’ve been laid off or are just looking for a new place to start your career—or life—over, here are 20 places in the U.S. where companies are hiring and the quality of life is high,” the article says.

With Richmond coming in at #6 and Arlington/Alexandria at #10, Virginia ties Washington State with two mentions on the list. See what other recent workforce news Virginia has in common Washington State.

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has awarded Danville Community College and Patrick Henry Community College each a $743,000 grant over three years in an effort to boost college graduation rates, the foundation announced today.

According to the Gates Foundation, 47 percent of students who enroll in community colleges must first take non-credit remedial classes before they can begin degree coursework. But for many students, there is an educational gap between high school and college, making remedial courses a struggle.

The grants are part of $1.8 million given to the state of Virginia — and $16.5 million nationwide — to expand remedial education programs aimed at improving the graduation rates of low-income students and students of color. Danville and Patrick Henry community colleges are two of 15 community colleges nationwide chosen for these grants.

You can read more about the grants in news stories from the Danville Register & Bee, the Richmond Times-Dispatch and the Newport News Daily Press.

Posted by Jeffrey Kraus

Many items, ranging from toothpaste tube caps to parts for motorcycles, have been designed at the ADM, but Franklin said having an item like FrigeMates produced at the lab was “a long time coming.”

Do you have a cool idea for something that doesn’t exist but should?  Well, DCC is the place to help you build the prototype to get you on your way.

Posted by Jeffrey Kraus

Today, U.S. News and World Report is giving you 10 Reasons to Pick A Community College.

It’s staggering to think about how many people are attending a community college in America:

[C]ommunity colleges enroll a full 44 percent of U.S. undergraduate students. That’s 6.7 million credit students, plus 5 million students who are not candidates for a degree, at 1,177 urban, suburban, and rural institutions.

While readers of this blog may recognize many of the points articulated in the list, this was my favorite one:

10. Good company. In case a student feels discouraged by the prospect of attending a local community college rather than his or her first-choice university, here are some people who are glad that they started in a community college: J. Craig Venter, the person who mapped the human genome; Richard Carmona, former U.S. surgeon general; Eileen Collins, the first NASA female space shuttle commander; Nick Nolte, actor; Harry Reid, Senate majority leader; and Nolan Ryan, retired baseball pitcher. Several Nobel laureates, state governors, members of Congress, famous sports figures, famous actors, and distinguished business executives got their start in community colleges, but so have many thousands of nurses, skilled technicians, artists, police officers, firefighters, and EMTs.

Posted by Jeffrey Kraus

“Our college is truly privileged.  A lot of really talented people were interested in becoming the next president of Blue Ridge Community College,” said Kathy Whitten, the chair of the Blue Ridge Community College Local Board.  “I believe we selected the best of the best.  John has done outstanding work during his time at BRCC and we expect that to continue.”

Downey was among the more than 90 applicants who were considered in the national search to lead the community college located in Harrisonburg, Va.

“I feel so fortunate to have this opportunity to be the president of a community college that I love in a community that I love,” said Dr. John Downey.  “Over the years, I have worked with terrific people throughout the Valley on behalf of BRCC.  I’m excited to continue that.”

The news was reported by The Daily News Record, The News Virginian, The News Leader and others.  Thanks for the great coverage!

Posted by Jeffrey Kraus

Joining the Governor in his announcement, Dr. Glenn DuBois, Chancellor of Virginia’s Community Colleges said, “Today, more than ever, people are looking for an opportunity to gain new, portable skills and training that will help them in their careers or as they look for their next job. Virginia’s community colleges form a natural network for partnering with Microsoft to provide the technology training individuals need to gain a competitive edge.”

In its role as Microsoft’s “designated partner” for administration of Elevate America in Virginia, VCCS will work with the Department of Education and Virginia’s workforce centers to distribute 1,500 training vouchers, 1,500 testing vouchers, and 400 advanced level vouchers each. VCCS will retain the remaining vouchers for distribution as needed. Vouchers will be distributed to citizens across the state on a first come, first served basis starting today.

Also speaking at the event, Eddie Pickering, who recently lost his job, said, “Although it’s not a great feeling to be in the position I’m in, I choose to be optimistic. The training that this voucher gives me is just another tool in my toolbox to help me get the career I want.”

Read more about the Governor’s announcement and learn how you can take advantage of the free technology training by visiting www.vccs.edu/workforce.

Community college faculty are known for their hours in the classroom, providing hands-on instruction to students from all walks of life.

But community college faculty are out there doing research, as well. This month’s Journal of Vertebrate Paleontology features research by a team led by Northern Virginia Community College’s William Straight, who uses high-resolution computed tomography (CT) imaging to guide sampling of bone lesions in the vertebrae of a hadrosaur (duck-billed) dinosaur.

The research demonstrated that skeletal repair in at least some dinosaurs shows a combination of reptilian and non-reptilian characteristics (shades of Jurassic Park!), and the healing rates are similar to those seen in birds. Says Straight,

“Quick healing may have offset the consequences of being so large, and being surrounded by other giant animals, in a Mesozoic school of hard knocks.”

Back in January, Southside Virginia Community College’s Mike Stinson, along with his brother, Timothy,  received international attention for studying the DNA in the animal skin used in medieval manuscripts.

And the Asheville Citizen-News is promoting a talk by Don Linzey, a renowned large mammal expert and professor of biology at Wytheville Community College, who will speak about cougars in the Appalachians this weekend. Linzey has conducted mammal research in Great Smoky Mountains National Park for 46 years and is the author of “The Natural History Guide to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.”

Thirty-seven percent of respondents indicated an increase in the number of students planning to enroll in community colleges versus four-year colleges.

Sadly, the survey shows that more families and students are putting off college altogether.

Counselors at public schools were more likely to report changes in student behaviors than those at private schools, including increases in number foregoing “dream school,” number delaying postsecondary education, enrolling in public versus private colleges, and enrolling in community colleges versus four-year colleges. In fact, counselors at public schools were three times as likely to report both increases in delay of postsecondary education (25 percent versus 8percent) and community college versus four-year college enrollment (63 percent versus 21 percent).

This is coming at a time when more and more employers are seeking people with higher education and skill levels.

It is important for Virginia families to remember that the college dream is within reach and there are many paths available to pursue it.

To explore them, visit the Virginia Education Wizard.  Or stop by your nearest community college and talk to folks there about what they offer and what tools are available to help you afford it.

Posted by Jeffrey Kraus

In today’s USA Today, both Patrick Henry Community College and Northern Virginia Community College are featured in articles that highlight efforts to increase student achievement through programs such as Achieving the Dream.

Patrick Henry’s programs in emphasizing cooperative learning in first-time college students - and Northern Virginia’s emphasis on learning communities in developmental classes - are highlighted, along with an interview with Dr. Biden herself, who says:

A support network at all levels — academic, psychological, social and physical — is critical, especially for students whoa re the first members of their fmailies to enter college.

The Community College Survey of Student Engagement, designed to help community colleges boost student success, is measuring student engagement - and 220 community college nationwide are allowing data to be included in the USA Today’s database, including several Virginia Community Colleges.

Both colleges profiled are finding students in their support programs more likely to return to community college the next semester.

As reported by the Virginian-Pilot, Broderick is not a new face to the Hampton Roads university:

Broderick, 52, has worked at the university for more than 15 years, formerly as a vice president and chief of staff for Roseann Runte, who left ODU last summer for a similar post at Carleton University in Ottawa, Canada…

Board members said Monday that Broderick proved himself during his year as interim president. He navigated the school through a series of state funding cuts, and he gathered university, city and community support to address a rise in off-campus crime. More police patrols and security measures have been put into place.

ODU has long partnered with Virginia’s Community Colleges in a number of areas ranging from the guaranteed transfer agreement the institutions share (that you can find on The Wizard), to the university’s Ph.D. program in Community College Leadership.

Good luck President Broderick!

Among the  exciting, new additions to the classroom are: a 3D printer, involving rapid prototyping, which allows manufacturers to “see” a structure before it’s created; electronic mannequins for patient simulation; and, electronic classrooms stream live broadcasts from the hospital.

Read more about how Eastern Shore Community College is enhancing workforce development and the student experience through innovation.

Posted by Lauren Von Herbulis

Last year, the VCCS provided customized training programs for 100,000 workers at about 5,000 businesses. This year those numbers are expected to grow as companies respond to challenges within their own industries. And with so many Virginians facing unemployment, the community colleges are seeing a rise in individuals seeking new job skills to help them compete in the hunt.  Despite the growing demand for workforce programs, community colleges continue to be challenged by resources.

According to a report by Mangum Economic Consulting, VCCS noncredit workforce training receives only a small share of state funding which “has not kept pace with the level of training offered.” Budget cuts at the state level have only added to the crunch. 

Attempting to keep pace with these challenges, Virginia’s community colleges continue to seek new ways to offer valuable and cost-effective training.

To learn more about the trends in workforce training and development at Virginia’s Community Colleges, read the entire article in Virginia Business Magazine.

Posted by Lauren Von Herbulis

With his leadership, UVa became one of the first universities to sign a guaranteed transfer agreement with Virginia’s Community Colleges.

And with his partnership, unique opportunities have been created between UVa and some of our colleges like that which allows engineering students to earn a four-year degree without having to leave Lynchburg.

Mr. Casteen revealed some of his reasoning for his university’s multifaceted partnerships with Virginia’s Community Colleges when he recently served as the keynote speaker for the Fourth Annual Chancellor’s Award for Leadership in Philanthropy - an event hosted by the Virginia Foundation for Community College Education (VFCCE).

Mr. Casteen linked community colleges to Thomas Jefferson’s ideals of universal education, provided at the common expense. “The need for effective community colleges is just as great today as it was 40-plus years ago when the VCCS was created, or 200-plus years ago when Jefferson first dreamed of a statewide system of education,” Casteen says, adding that community college play an important role in the current economic downturn, and will play a key role in the workforce development and education that will keep the recovery moving forward.

Press play below to hear Mr. Casteen’s entire speech.

Case in point:  A story in today’s Daily Press of Newport News illustrates the direct connection between what is taught in Virginia’s Community Colleges - in this case, Thomas Nelson Community College - and the ability of individuals to use that knowledge and those skills to land the type of job that will allow them to support a family:

A year to the day after Canon Virginia Inc. announced a $625 million expansion in Newport News, the company will open its new 700,000-square-foot manufacturing center in Oyster Point on Friday…

Canon’s Hampton Roads expansion is expected to lead to more than 1,000 new jobs over the next four years…

The new jobs will carry an average annual salary of $40,000 and require technical training that will be provided by local colleges and universities…

For several weeks, new hires have been in training classes provided by Thomas Nelson Community College and Canon.

The article goes on to discuss the joy local officials have over being able to cut the ribbon on such a significant employment opportunity in such a fragile economy.

The bottom line is that community colleges are a game-changer for both the individuals who walk through its doors and for the communities in which they are located.  More and more, that message is getting through.

Virginia Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling, Glenn DuBois, the chancellor of Virginia’s Community Colleges and the colleges’ presidents gathered to honor their academic accomplishments and contributions to their communities at an annual luncheon in Richmond.

Phi Theta Kappa, the international honor society of two-year colleges, named the 55 students to the 2009 All-Virginia Academic Team. From these students, PTK tapped the “top ten” to become the First Virginia Team. For profiles of these students and the names of the All-Virginia Academic Team, click here.

To read the April 22 news release click here.

One of these students, Diane Belcher, was also recognized by being named to the 19th annual All-USA national “Academic Teams.”  Read that post here.

Elizabeth Whiston-Dean from New River Community College (a career coach at Pulaski County Senior High School), Tidewater Community College’s Nicole Walker, a career coach at Booker T. Washington and Bayside High Schools, and John Tyler Community College’s Jasmine Philip, a career coach at Petersburg High School, are each featured and quoted about their successes working with students who have questions about education and workforce opportunities open to them.

While they aren’t strictly advocates for community college enrollment — “I don’t work on commission. I do my job based on what’s best for the student,” says Whiston-Dean — nevertheless, awareness of postsecondary opportunities has boosted community college enrollment 7 percent higher in high schools with career coaches, compared with those without.

As one career coach says,

Sometimes, it is just a matter of showing qualified students that college is an option for them.

The 20 members of the elite team were selected from nearly 1,450 students nominated from 800 community colleges across America.

Beyond Belcher’s 3.87 GPA, the USA Today article notes her other achievements:

As member of student human-services club, coordinated a children’s book drive; spearheaded a “Luggage of Love” campaign that collected nearly 600 suitcases and backpacks for foster children; member, past president of local chamber of commerce; on task force involved in $10 million project on Blue Ridge Parkway.

In 2008, Diane was featured on VaHigherEd.com when she represented New River Community College at the General Assembly. Read that post here.

Germanna [Community College]’s program for practical and registered nurses is enrolled to the max and interest is skyrocketing.

More than 1,000 people are in the “pre-nursing pipeline” this year, taking their prerequisite courses with hopes of getting into the program, said Jane Ingalls, dean of nursing and health technologies.

That’s a 68 percent increase in four years, a 25 percent increase in the past year.

But there’s an inherent challenge with that extreme growth level:  finding the space and instructors to train that many people:

Greta Haggerty has a dozen nursing students in her wellness program but because of space constraints, can only allow half of them in the consultation area at a time.

Even then, students are squeezed into a room so small they can meet with just a handful of patients per day.

“Space is definitely an issue,” said Haggerty, a clinical instructor in Germanna Community College’s nursing program.

The reality is that not every one of those students will become nurses.  But those who do not become nurses can go on to have a wonderful and rewarding career in the field of health sciences.

And they can find that career by exploring the Career Clusters within The Virginia Education Wizard - one of the tool’s coolest features.

After you take the assessment tests and find the career field that is interesting to you, The Wizard will give you related job fields that require similar skills and interests and then allow you to explore them.

After all, while the nursing field is in great demand now, and will be for the next five years, it is not the only one.

Eric McClure

NASCAR driver Eric McClure graciously helped introduce the Virginia Education Wizard to high school students at Virginia High School in Bristol Tuesday.

“I wish I’d had this tool,” he told the students, recalling how he had been unenthusiastic about a college career and then unsure about which career fields to pursue.  At his parents’ urging, he went on to complete a degree at Emory and Henry in 2000.

But there was never any doubt in his mind he wanted to race.

Today, he races a Nationwide NASCAR circuit, but has credentials in mass communications that he is also able to put to good use in the racing field. His wife is a VHCC graduate in one of the area’s hottest career fields - nursing.  Pit crew member and show car driver Todd Blevins is also a VHCC grad.

Virginia High School students experiment with the Wizard

The students were introduced to the Wizard in the fifth of events held across the Commonwealth to increase awareness of the new career and college advising tool.

Here’s the Bristol Herald-Courier news coverage of the event:

On the race track, NASCAR driver Eric McClure makes split-second decisions at high speeds.
But when he was preparing to attend Emory & Henry College more than a decade ago, the Chilhowie, Va., native said his own indecision nearly put his studies and his degree a lap down.
On Tuesday, McClure was among those attending the unveiling of the Virginia Education Wizard at Virginia High School. The wizard is a new online education and career planning resource developed by Virginia’s Community Colleges.

Virginia High School hosted the vent, attended by career coaches from several of Virginia’s Community Colleges.  Dwight Barker, who has been with the career coach program since the beginning and coincidentally was Eric McClure’s high school guidance counselor, says the Wizard will be a great tool when coaches and guidance counselors are helping students identify their goals and interests.

The Virginia Education Wizard is at http://www.VaWizard.org.

Chancellor Glenn DuBois takes a ride in Eric McClure's #24 Hefty car