Christopher W. Oliver
HCC Trustee, District IX

I want to thank the community, each of you, for your vote of confidence in Houston Community College by helping us successfully pass the bond measure last November. HCC is working diligently to plan and prepare for the College’s growth.

The HCC Board of Trustees, along with the HCC administration, faculty and staff, want to reaffirm our commitment to a transparent, ethical and fair procurement process. Whether it is our everyday operation purchases or the bond construction projects we are committed to ensure fairness and an open process to businesses large or small. In order to keep our communities apprised of HCC’s progress, we plan to hold a series of Community Dialogues. At these Community Dialogues, HCC will take the opportunity to update our neighbors on our growth.

The bond initiative is providing each HCC college with new or renovated facilities and the technology to meet student needs, especially in high-demand areas such as health sciences, as well as science, technology, engineering and math, or STEM, education. Our goal is to provide modern and technologically advanced facilities that enable our students to acquire the academic preparation and workforce skills necessary to compete at the highest level in the global marketplace.

HCC will work to deliver everything we have promised and we will continue to communicate our progress with you every step of the way. You are welcome to visit our microsite at hccs.edu/community to learn more about our plans for the future. We look forward to continuing the dialogue, so please join us for the Community Dialogue that will be held at the HCC Campus near you.

Sincerely,
Christopher W. Oliver
Trustee, District IX

HCC Central College’s Interior Design Show, May 5, 2012

Interior design students at HCC obtain skills in design fundamentals, textiles, color theory and rendering, and technical training in manual drafting. The skills design students receive in practice prepare them for employment in residential and commercial interiors.

A focus in fashion and design at Central also allows students to gain membership into The Design Society, an established HCC Foundation. This society offers many opportunities for involvement in the arts community and aids in the advancement of HCC’s role as a leader in design education.

The Spring Fashion Show will be Friday, May 3 at 7:00 p.m. in the Learning Hub Science Building. The 2013 Interior Design Show will be Thursday, May 9 at the Decorative Center Houston Ground Floor Gallery, 5120 Woodway Drive, from 12:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. with a reception from 5:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

The National Park Service in Washington, D.C. approved inclusion of the three-story building on the National Register on December 4, 2012. The building, constructed in 1914, is currently undergoing a $60 million dollar restoration and renovation. It is expected to reopen in late fall 2013.

San Jacinto Memorial Building

“It is a fitting recognition of a facility that has spawned so many productive citizens for the city of Houston,” says Dr. William W. Harmon, President, HCC Central College. “We look forward to returning to the building and educating future generations of students.”

Carlyn Hammons, historian with the Texas Historical Commission, noted that the building’s strong architectural design and its educational significance to Houston were the chief considerations for its listing on the National Register. The San Jacinto building joins 250 other Houston-area properties and more than 3,000 in Texas on the National Register, which was created in 1966 and serves as the nation’s official list of cultural resources deemed worthy of preservation.

Lord, Aeck & Sargent Architecture, the prime consultant for the San Jacinto historic structure report to the Texas Historical Commission, hired SWCA Environmental Consultants and historian Anna Mod to research the historical significance of the building. The San Jacinto building proposal was reviewed and approved this past September, then sent to the National Park Service for final approval and listing, Hammons says.

“The building is associated with some of the best architects of their time, and it is educationally significant,” says Hammons. “The National Register designation will bring a certain amount of good recognition to the building.”
Kim A. Williams, AIA, principal with the firm Lord, Aeck & Sargent Architecture, says the San Jacinto renovation continues the building’s innovative legacy. “In 1914, Houston was on the cutting edge of education reform and new school design,” says Williams, “and today that commitment to state-of-the-art programs and facilities continues through the HCC rehabilitation of the San Jacinto Memorial Building.”

Originally constructed as South End Junior High School in 1914, the massive concrete structure, featuring monumental Doric columns and Art Deco-style towers, was considered a state-of-the-art facility with innovative teaching strategies. Local educators hoped its design and the addition of a wider selection of academic, elective and vocational courses would encourage Houston students to stay in school and graduate.

To alleviate overcrowding, the Houston Independent School District converted the junior high school into a high school in 1926, and built six other high schools around Houston. Master architects Hedrick & Gottlieb and Joseph Finger designed two wings in the same design style as the original building in 1928 and 1936, respectively, which strengthened the building’s architectural impact.

The building is the birthplace of several well-known Houston institutions of higher education. In 1927, the San Jacinto building served as the home of the newly created Houston Junior College, which became a four-year college (later known as the University of Houston) in 1934.

In 1970, the final class graduated from San Jacinto Senior High School. Houston Independent School District’s High School for the Performing and Visual Arts took over the building in 1970, and a year later – in 1971 – Houston Community College began holding classes in what became known as the San Jacinto Memorial Building.

The list of famous individuals who graduated from San Jacinto H.S. is also significant. It includes legendary television newsman Walter Cronkite, billionaire businessman Howard Hughes, race-car driver Joseph “A. J.” Foyt Jr., renowned Houston heart surgeon Dr. Denton Cooley and former Houston mayor Kathy Whitmire.

The building is beloved by its alumni; the San Jacinto H.S. Alumni Association is an active organization with hundreds of graduates as members, many of whom are now in their 70s and 80s.

As the centerpiece of HCC Central’s campus, the San Jacinto building is part of a larger, college-wide renovation of the campus and surrounding streets. Classes are expected to resume in the facility in November 2013.

The summit focused on the skills needed in high demand, growth industries in the logistics, global supply management and transportation industries. The summit also addressed hard to fill positions, relevant industry credentials and how HCC’s curriculum can continue to be enhanced to meet the needs of the emerging labor force.

“Results of the summit will serve us in further assessing HCC-related workforce education programs. This process will ensure the relevancy of the skills and credentials HCC students will need to better qualify and compete in the workplace and in providing industry with the best pipeline of professional workers,” said Dr. Madeline Burillo, Associate Vice Chancellor of Workforce Instruction.

“Logistics, Global Supply Management & Transportation” represents a broad family of occupations that include logistics, distribution, imports and exports, truck driving, global supply management and inventory control. According to the Greater Houston Partnership, Houston has become the distribution and logistics hub of choice for a growing number of companies.

“Combined with the fourth largest multi-airport system in the country, and the Port of Houston volume of tonnage and distribution effect, Houston workforce development needs in this sector present a priority for HCC. By interfacing with local industries, HCC can assess and review its related educational and training programs to ensure skills, knowledge and industry-relevant certifications are embedded into our courses and programs,” said Burillo.

The summit was co-sponsored by Houston Area Galveston Council and the Manufacturing Skills Standards Council (MSSC).

The first in the Skills Summit series was the Manufacturing Skills Summit held last September. The summit explored the future of the manufacturing industry and the best ways to create partnerships to train the next generation of manufacturing workers. The summit panel included nine industry leaders together with more than 100 manufacturing professionals and HCC educators attending. It focused on how HCC’s curriculum can be enhanced to meet the needs of Houston’s emerging labor force.

According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics in Texas, manufacturing contributes $158.8 billion to the state economy. With such a rich industry in our own backyard it is critical that HCC is a primary training ground for producing high-qualified manufacturing workers.

“As manufacturing and a skilled workforce continue to advance, Houston will continue to lead in meeting the growing demands. HCC will continue to prepare future manufacturing career professionals and upgrade incumbent worker skills,” says Dr. Madeline Burillo, Houston Community College’s Associate Vice Chancellor for Workforce Instruction.

Highlights of the steps we have taken include the following:

• Reviewed community input from a series of three Community Forums at each College, as well as feedback from meetings throughout the communities we serve
• Engaged faculty, staff and students in meetings to determine facility needs and opportunities
• Hosted meetings to determine program development initiatives and future course offerings in order to ensure that we are ready to meet the workforce needs of the future
• Facilitated ongoing meetings with the HCC Administrative Departments, including procurement, facilities and finance to discuss plans for growth
• Collaborated with other HCC Presidents to work together to plan HCC’s overall growth
• Launched a microsite to educate the community on the bond initiative planning and implementation process
• Inaugural Procurement Breakfast held January 16 with 140 in attendance
• Sold bonds on the New York Stock Exchange on February 26, 2013
• Plan to host Community Dialogue events at each of HCC’s six colleges beginning in late March
• Plan to host on-going procurement breakfasts

Here is an overview of the major projects for Central College that are part of the 2012 bond initiative:

• South Campus: Workforce Building

Christopher W. Oliver, HCC Trustee, District 9

Houston Community College is embarking upon one of its most exciting years ever. Last year was eventful and challenging, we set enrollment records, steered through unprecedented budget cuts and through it all maintained a consistent tax rate for area residents. This year promises even greater growth with an enrollment that is expected to approach 80,000. HCC is taking an innovative and proactive approach to managing the college’s resources while meeting the educational needs of each student. This year is an opportunity to plan for the future and reflect upon the past. The 2011/2012 academic year marks HCC’s 40th year of service to the communities of the Greater Houston Area and my 15th year as trustee for District 9. Central College is growing; the Central Campus and the historical San Jacinto High School building are undergoing renovations. There are some exciting plans in the works for the South Campus and Willie Lee Gay Hall. I am proud to play an instrumental role as HCC Central grows and develops to meet the academic and workforce education needs of Houston’s southern neighborhoods.

HCC is preparing to expand HCC Central’s South Campus. Although there are still issues to consider and resources to generate, the community around South Campus has expressed their need for more academic and workforce facilities, as well as sports facilities. Progress towards these planned additions is expected within the next five years. HCC is particularly excited about a proposed early college high school. The Houston Independent School District and HCC are working together to bring this exceptional education opportunity to the Sunnyside area. HISD will build the facility on the HCC South Campus property. The early college high school will specialize in studies for science and technology and the college courses will be tuition free.

The South Campus early college high school will recruit an initial 100 students for its first freshman class. The facility will accommodate a total of 400 hundred students by the time the first class reaches their senior year.

Dr. William Harmon, HCC Central President, is looking forward to a potential fall 2013 opening for the high school.

“Area residents will have a high school in their neighborhood for students interested in science and technology and their brightest youngsters will not have to leave the community,” Dr. Harmon said. “They will be able to get the specialized high school education they want and college courses they need right there in Sunnyside. This type of educational engagement is so important to this neighborhood, a traditionally underserved section of the Greater Houston Area. The young people in the area will benefit immensely from this opportunity to channel their interests, talents and abilities. An early college high school will provide them with that opportunity.”

Early college high schools have exceptional success rates. Almost all of the students who attend these schools go on to four-year universities. Because of the opportunities provided by an early college high school, area students not only can consider higher education as a viable option, but will also have the support system in place to help them fulfill their ambitions.

Another anticipated addition to the South Campus is the planned athletic facilities. The preliminary plans for the athletic facilities include a soccer field, baseball and softball diamonds and tennis and basketball courts. The playing fields will serve as the athletic facilities for the entire HCC District. HCC’s colleges have recreational athletic teams that play in intramural competition and at the club level between colleges. Team sports at the colleges include men’s and women’s basketball, women’s volleyball and men’s soccer. Student interest in recreational team sports has increased in the last few years dramatically. Of the HCC students surveyed across the District, 74 percent expressed a positive interest in team sports at the college, and some 700 students are currently on teams actively engaged in intramural competition. This number will substantially increase once there are more facilities available.

Additional playing fields are currently available right next to the South Campus thanks to a partnership with the City of Houston and the Houston Dynamo. The Houston Amateur Sports Park is a city park managed by the professional soccer team, the Dynamo. HCC will be a sponsor of one of the six public playing fields. This fall our soccer teams will play their competitive club league games at this facility. With all this athletic competition brewing, please cheer for your Central College teams; last year they finished behind both Northwest and Coleman Colleges in the club-level competitions.

In spite of the challenges HCC faces in light of this year’s state budget cuts, we will continue our mission of educating students at the highest level possible so that their hopes, dreams and aspirations can be fulfilled. In all that we do, in all that we are to the communities we serve, HCC has established itself as one of the most relevant community colleges in the nation. Community colleges provide one of the best and most practical paths to the American Dream. They democratize opportunity and offer Americans a learning environment in which they can improve themselves while escaping the bonds of race, class, economic status and disability. Without community colleges, millions of people would not be able to access the education and skills they need to further their education or succeed in the workplace. To build a solid foundation for our children’s future, we must ensure that we are educating and preparing our citizenry for jobs, not just for today, but also for those careers that will be instrumental in the global marketplace of the future.

While the future plans for HCC Central and the South Campus are exciting, HCC is also taking the time this year to reflect upon our beginnings. HCC was founded 40 years ago on the premise that there was a rising need in this area for an educated workforce. The need of the community became the inspiration for the formation of Houston Community College in 1971. A group of community leaders and educators recognized that the population of the Greater Houston Area was growing more diverse and the job market was equally diversifying. The expanding business interests in southeast Texas required a workforce that had adequate training and education. Knowing the growing needs of the population and the county, those active leaders and educators rallied support for and secured the consensus of area residents and on May 18, 1971 the Houston Community College System, as a component of the Houston Independent School District, became official.

HCC Central was, indeed, central to the foundation of the community college. The college’s first offerings were occupational and technical classes at the Houston Technical Institute (housed in HISD’s San Jacinto High School on Holman). Five thousand, seven hundred and eleven students registered for those classes in August of 1971. The following January, HCC offered its first academic or university parallel courses at six area high schools. From its inception, HCC has played a unique role in this city, our local communities and our state. HCC has reached out to our communities, to area businesses, and forged lasting partnerships that benefit students, local industries and neighborhoods.

HCC continues to be defined by the uniqueness of its role and the difference it makes as an educational institution. Today HCC provides academic courses for transfer to four year institutions, terminal degrees and certificates in more than 70 fields of work, continuing education and corporate training, lifelong learning and enrichment programs, and has the largest adult education program in the State of Texas. With more than 75,000 students and over 5,000 full and part-time employees, HCC is truly essential to our community’s success.

It is, however, the success of our students that is paramount to HCC, its administration, faculty and staff. Each college is placing students first in everything they do. Our great faculty and staff are committed to making our students a priority. We understand the challenges students face in pursuing their educational dream and our goal is to make that dream a reality. HCC is looking to the future, to respond to the growing needs of the Houston region and to anticipate the needs of our students and the best ways to serve them.

HCC Central Upward Bound is one of twenty programs selected by the U.S. Department of Education as a potential pilot site for a study to identify promising strategies. Currently there are 860 Upward Bound programs throughout the United States.

The Department of Education has contracted with Houston-based Decision Informative Resources, Inc. (DIR). In the first phase of the study, the DIR team will visit the 20 selected Upward Bound programs throughout the country to gain a better understanding of the specific services offered and assess how implementation varies across sites. During each two-day visit, the study team will conduct in-depth interviews with Upward Bound staff, staff at the target schools and conduct a focus group with Upward Bound participants. From this effort, they hope to identify practices to study in full with a pilot program. The site visits began this summer.

Upward Bound provides fundamental support to participants in their preparation for college entrance, providing opportunities for themto succeed in their pre-college performance and ultimately in their higher education pursuits. Upward Bound serves high school students from low-income families and from families in which neither parent holds a bachelor’s degree. The goal of Upward Bound is to increase the rate at which participants complete secondary education and enroll in and graduate from institutions of post-secondary education.

Upward Bound projects provide academic instruction in mathematics, laboratory sciences, composition, literature and foreign languages. Tutoring, counseling, mentoring, cultural enrichment, work-study programs, education or counseling services designed to improve the financial and economic literacy of students are among the programs and activities that are specially designed for target students. These programs help students who are limited English proficient, students from groups that are traditionally underrepresented in postsecondary education, students with disabilities, students who are homeless, students who are in foster care or are aging out of the foster care system or other disconnected students.

Along with this great news, HCC Central’s Upward Bound initiative has also received notification that their grant has been extended through 2012.

Achieving academic excellence at HCC Honors College

The Honors College provides courses that show students how knowledge in their field is acquired, developed, evaluated, argued, tested and applied. Original research, whether in the library, field or laboratory is required, along with a culminating project that is publicly shared and critiqued. Successful Honors College students are prepared to transfer to the most prestigious colleges and universities in the state and the nation, as evidenced by the fact that Ivy League schools have welcomed our students.

Students admitted into the Honors College receive the Honors College Fellows Award. The award covers the cost of in-state tuition, fees and books. The Honors College Fellows Award is renewable for one additional year if Honors College requirements are met.

Students in the Honors College are part of a small, select learning community. They enjoy special privileges that include small, interactive classes with highly qualified professors committed to students, campus leadership roles, personalized and seamless registration, individualized counseling for educational and career planning and development of a capstone project that may result in research for a presentation or publication. Honors College students have access to cutting-edge science, language and computer laboratories, study-travel opportunities, internships and service learning activities related to the student’s field of study and individual attention and opportunities to collaborate with professors and peers. Students who graduate from the Honors College receive university transfer advisement resulting in the opportunity to graduate from prestigious universities, special notation of Honors College degree on their transcripts and diplomas and recognition as Honors College graduates at commencement.

Admission into the Honors College requires a 3.70 GPA, as well as exemplary scores on college entrance exams, an essay on an assigned topic and three letters of recommendation; one each from a counselor, teacher and a community leader or supervisor. An oral interview is conducted upon meeting all requirements. High school graduates or students with fewer than 15 college hours who are interested in the Honors College can inquire about the application deadline or other information by calling 713.718.6080.

HCC launches six new Learning Communities for health science

HCC is launching six new Learning Communities in the fall of 2011 for students going into health care professions. The focus of these Learning Communities is to make learning relevant to students’ lives and their preparation for professional schools. A Learning Community is simply a group of students co-enrolled in two or more courses linked by a common theme.

The learning community approach fundamentally restructures course curricula and how students use in-class time and space. Learning community models intentionally link courses or coursework to provide greater curricular coherence and more opportunities for active teaming and interaction between students and faculty.

At Houston Community College, case studies will be used as individual or group projects to bring together the material from the two linked courses. The goal is to help students practice how to do case studies for their advanced clinical courses. Students will work on real-life problems that deal with common course content. This problem-based learning is used widely in health care institutions.

All Learning Community courses will be web-enhanced. Students will access course material from HCC’s e-learning platforms of Moodle or Blackboard.

With more than 3,600 professors who have a passion for teaching, HCC students benefit from a wealth of real world experience that our faculty brings to the classroom. HCC’s faculty members conduct research to further their knowledge, change the future and help their students.

Students across the Greater Houston Area choose HCC for their education and training because of the quality of HCC’s faculty and the level of education they offer. And, some of the brightest minds in academics and business are choosing HCC as their teaching home.

Harold J. Haynes, an accomplished playwright, introduces his students to the power of the written word as an English professor at HCC Central. Haynes holds a Bachelor of Arts in English, a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Theater and a Master of Arts in English. He received his undergraduate education at Prairie View A&M University, and went on to pursue graduate education at The University of Iowa, the University of Houston, and Texas Southern University.

Haynes has written more than 25 one-act and full-length plays, and has directed and composed music for many productions. He is the Founding Artistic Director of Encore Theatre, a non-profit, urban theater in Houston, which has just been selected by Texas State University researchers as one of seven leading Black theaters in Texas.

Haynes’ students have the unique opportunity to study under a professor who has received recognition for his work in local theater, and who endows his students with the excellence of language.

Dr. Jaime Ramon Olivares has been teaching at HCC since 1999. He obtained his doctoral degree in history at the University of Houston in 2003. He earned his Master of Arts in history from the University of Houston in 1999. He also has a Master of Arts in International Relations from Baylor University and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Houston.

Olivares has led the Social Sciences division at HCC in several capacities, including division chair, assistant chair and as a committee member for administrative searches. He is the author of numerous articles on American foreign policy as well as a co-author of Private Lives, Public Pillars, published by Abigail Press in 2005.

As a practicing historian, Olivares inspires his students with his passion for history and, through his teachings, illustrates the importance of the past and its relevance to today’s world.

Kay King is the division chair of the award-winning Lifestyle Arts and Design Careers at HCC. Before HCC, she had a 20-year career in fashion design, creating nationally distributed ready-to-wear as well as costumes and uniforms for the Houston Rockets, the Astrodome, Astroworld, Houston Grand Opera and the Houston Oilers’ Cheerleaders. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Art from the University of North Texas and a Master of Liberal Arts from Houston Baptist University.

King has taught fashion and fashion-related classes at HCC since 1981. Under her direction, HCC’s Fashion Design, Fashion Merchandising and Interior Design Programs are State of Texas Exemplary Programs. She has led the HCC fashion department since 1986. Among her professional achievements, King was the 2006-2008 President of the Costume Society of America and coordinated their 2004 international symposium in Houston. They awarded her the 2004 Presidential Award of Honor and their 2005 Fellow Award. In 2009, she was named one of Houston’s Most Influential Women by Houston Woman magazine.

Through their studies with King, HCC’s fashion students benefit from her experience as a nationally recognized fashion designer and as the leader of HCC’s fashion division. The practical application of the real-world fashion industry that students experience in the classroom guides them as they design their own careers.

Staying on the cutting edge, inside the classroom and out, keeps HCC’s professors tops in their fields. Students gain practical experience as well as enjoy a rich educational experience.

Perry House: Movin’ On
August 31 – September 30
5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.
HCC Central Fine Arts Center Art Gallery
3517 Austin St.

MMI Fall Golf Classic
Friday, September 30, 2011
7:00 a.m. Registration, 8:30 a.m. Shotgun start
Wildcat Golf Club

HCC Central ARTS Faculty Exhibit
October 10 – November 8
HCC Central Fine Arts Center Art Gallery
3517 Austin St.

2011 Student Fall Art Exhibit
November 22 – December 6
HCC Central Fine Arts Art Gallery
3517 Austin St.

Last February Houston was selected to join the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses initiative. The initiative, also in place in several other cities, comes with a $25 million commitment to provide loans to help local small businesses and grants to subsidize business education for current small business owners. 10,000 Small Businesses at Houston Community College is part of the national, five-year investment to unlock the growth and job creation potential of small businesses in the U.S. through greater access to business education, financial capital and business support services.

HCC is accepting applications from approximately 60 small business owners to participate in its second 10,000 Small Businesses cohort beginning November 18. Each business owner who is selected to participate in this program at Houston Community College will receive a scholarship to cover program costs and materials.

The program at Houston Community College has three main components:

1. An approximately 90-hour business education at either Northwest College or Southeast College

2. 6-8 hours per week of business support services, including technical assistance, one-on-one business advising and business clinics, as well as assignments in advance of each class to help participants apply classroom learning to improve their day-to-day operations

3. Expert advice to help participants refine their business Growth Plans and effectively position their companies to access capital when the time is right.

“Small businesses play a vital role in job creation for our city’s economy,” said Houston Mayor Annise Parker. “However, due to the lack of a support network, they often struggle more than their larger competitors and lose out on opportunities to grow and create more jobs. The Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses initiative has a real effect on the owners of these businesses, the working Houstonians whose livelihoods depend on them and our overall economy. It can help keep more of our local dollars here at home.”

A number of local organizations manage the program in Houston. Houston Community College provides business basics at the classroom level. The Greater Houston Partnership, Houston Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and Houston Minority Supplier Development Council facilitate access to lending within the community. The University of Houston Small Business Development Council Network provides technical assistance to small business owners applying for loans. The Initiative for a Competitive Inner City (ICIC) assists with data processing and the selection of applicants.

“Houston plays a vital economic role in the United States,” said Lloyd C. Blankfein, Chairman and CEO of Goldman Sachs. “At its heart is a community of thousands of small business owners who, through 10,000 Small Businesses, are able to access new resources from local and national experts to help them grow.”

“Houston Community College has a history of partnering with the local business community and promoting entrepreneurship and we are proud to continue this by participating in the 10,000 Small Businesses initiative,” said HCC Chancellor Mary Spangler. “The participants of the program will receive an education that will help them access resources and grow their businesses.”

The 10,000 Small Businesses Initiative is a $500 million program that will unlock the growth and job-creation potential of 10,000 small businesses across the United States through greater access to business education, financial capital and business support services. It is based on the broadly held view of leading experts that a combination of education, capital and support services best addresses the barriers to growth for small businesses. In addition to Houston, it is now operating in New Orleans, New York, and the Greater Los Angeles area and will continue to expand to communities across the country.

Modeled on the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women initiative, 10,000 Small Businesses creates partnerships between academic institutions and non-profit entities to provide a business and management education to women around the world. The 10,000 Women program is currently operating in 22 countries, where it is helping women entrepreneurs create jobs and growth in their communities.

The program is designed for owners of small businesses with limited financial resources, and with few opportunities to otherwise access a business education, to enhance small business success. Broad characteristics of business owners targeted to participate include, but are not limited to: Ownership or co-ownership of a business; business revenues between $150,000 and $4 million in 2010; business in operation for at least two years; at least four employees; operations in economically underserved areas; and a business model that could scale to create more jobs. The selection is a competitive process. The first cohort, consisting of a class at Northwest College and a class at Southeast College this past summer, had 125 initial applicants. The applicants attended information sessions, filled out an extensive application form and provided required business documentation. Of those, 80 business owners were interviewed and 53 were selected.

The key ingredient to the selection process was the business owner’s willingness to grow their businesses and create jobs. The objective of the course is to develop a growth plan. Within the growth plans they conduct a complete analysis of the business, their finances and growth strategies. Their growth plans, a practical game-plan for their businesses, can be used to apply for funding from financial institutions.

The ultimate goal of the initiative is for the participating business owners to increase their revenues and create jobs in Houston and its surrounding areas. The program has the potential to stimulate the Houston economy, provide support for local business owners and expand the lending capacity of local institutions.

Interested businesses can apply at: www.hccs.edu/10KSB

Big year for HCC’s Minority Male Initiative

HCC is redefining what a community college can be and is working to make sure every student has the success they deserve. One of the programs that is pivotal in this effort is the Minority Male Initiative.

HCC established MMI to recruit, retain and guide male minority students. The initiative focuses its efforts on increasing the young African-American and Hispanic male graduation rate from high school to college. The objective of the initiative is to enhance communication between parents, students and local school districts, providing a relevant support system to young minority men so they will see college as a viable option; the way to a solid, productive and profitable future.

An outstanding example of this support system occurred at Evan E. Worthing Senior High School in Houston’s Sunnyside neighborhood last spring. Thirty-six of Worthing’s students had dropped out, but through individual mentoring by HCC student and faculty members of MMI, those young men and women were encouraged to return to school. When the students did not have the financial means to pay for graduation, prom and other senior activities, Trustee Christopher Oliver rallied Central College and a check for $3,000 was presented to the students at the South Campus to cover their expenses. Scholarship opportunities were also made available to the students who wished to attend college at HCC. In April, Dr. William Harmon, president of HCC Central, hosted the group of Worthing students at a private orientation of the college.

The success at Worthing High School is an example of what HCC’s Minority Male Initiative can do. The initiative is geared up for another exciting year of interacting with community youth and providing the support and encouragement they need to realize their dreams. To support their objectives, the MMI will host the annual Houston Community College’s Minority Male Initiative Fall Golf Classic Friday, September 30. So far, 57 teams have signed up to play golf at the Wildcat Golf Club on Almeda Road to raise funds for HCC’s Minority Male Initiative (MMI) Summer STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Academy. The goal is to raise $150,000 to send area high school and middle school students through the summer program that focuses on raising their interest in science, technology, engineering and mathematics using real life practical learning experiences.

At the Summer STEM Academy, high school students have the opportunity to learn about bio-fuels, wind energy, DNA, forensic sciences, digital gaming and communication. Juniors and seniors can take dual credit courses. Middle school students get hands-on learning experiences. All of the students are involved in student development workshops. Through programs like the STEM Academy and HCC’s Minority Male Initiative, minority male students will get the academic, emotional, social and financial assistance they need to successfully complete their educational goals. As a result, young minority men will become more involved in their communities and will play their part in America’s future success.

Steampunk Chronicles: Fashion Collection Commemorates 40th HCC Anniversary

Over 4,000 objects dating from the 18th to the 21st centuries are included in a landmark gift to the internationally award-winning Fashion Department at Houston Community College Central by vintage collector Elizabeth S. Brown. Of special note is the wealth of exquisite 19th century gowns. A selection of these gowns will be featured in an inaugural exhibition of Brown’s collection in the new HCC Fashion Department gallery. The exhibition, Steampunk Chronicles: The Elizabeth S. Brown Fashion Collection explores 19th Century fashion silhouettes and details along with industrial revolution images that have combined with current fashion to create the Steampunk aesthetic.

To commemorate the 40th anniversary of HCC, the Fashion Department will present the Steampunk exhibition

August 1 to October 31, 2011 on the second floor at 3601 Fannin St. The exhibition provides a fun and educational perspective of a mode of dress that is so popular with today’s young fashionistas. Visitors are invited to view the exhibition from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., Monday through Friday or by appointment. For information call 713.718.6152. A special showing will occur for the Costume Society of America Southwestern Regional Conference on October 1.

HCC considers this the most significant donation ever made to its Historical Fashion Collection. Brown is a legendary New Jersey costume collector who enjoyed living in Texas for several years and always wanted some of her collection to reside here.

HCC Division Chair Kay King recalls that she thought of Brown as a collector of vintage sewing machines, “I was overwhelmed when I saw the extent and quality of her vintage fashion collection. We are extremely grateful to Elizabeth for her generosity and could not have accomplished transporting everything to Houston without the many dedicated hours of packing by Elizabeth along with CSA members Nan Mutnick and Gayle Alterman.”

To care for these treasures, a clothing preservation workshop taught by CSA member and textile conservator Martha Winslow Grimm was held for 15 fashion design students and three faculty who committed to work the Collection with Exhibition Designer Alex Chapman, Collection Manager Freddie Saucedo and Curator Dana Robinson. Each of these students and faculty volunteers was rewarded with a membership in CSA. Vintage clothing dealer and appraiser Caralee Smith has made several trips to Houston to appraise the objects for Brown. Some of her remarkable finds have included a 30-inch miser’s purse, several excellent corsets, a gold beaded Worth 1920s gown and an 18th century men’s embroidered linen waistcoat among an extensive selection of men’s clothing.

For information contact the HCC Fashion Department Office at 713.718.6152.