Hancock

Gary Hancock of Pulaski presides over his first meeting today as chairman of the State Board for Community Colleges. In a news release about his appointment, Hancock, an attorney, said he first intended to be a teacher.

Nathaniel Marshall is vice chairman. They were elected to a one-year term for the 2009-10 year at the board’s May meeting.

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Marshall

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.

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VaHigherEd Podcast: Episode 17 - Chancellor Glenn DuBois reflects on Dateline 2009 strategic planning, and the “next generation” strategic planning that is under way at Virginia’s Community Colleges. As we near the end of the Dateline 2009 time period, several of the goals have already been — or will be — met.  Others have seen significant progress toward the goal.  DuBois is visiting college campuses this month on a “listening” tour that’s providing feedback on what the next set of goals should be.

See the Dateline 2009 dashboard. 
Submit a comment about goals for Virginia’s Community Colleges to ideas@vccs.edu.

Listen by clicking on the audio link above or downloading the link to VaHigherEd Podcast: Episode 17.

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NOTE:  VaHigherEd Podcast will go on a summer break after this episode.  We’ll resume podcasting in August!

VaHigherEd Podcast: Episode 16 - This podcast episode features Chancellor Glenn DuBois, Assistant Vice Chancellor for Human Resources Chris Lee, and participants in the Chancellor’s Faculty Diversity Program discussing ways the program is expanding to meet the goal of a more diverse faculty for Virginia’s Community Colleges. 

Reaching out to students in master’s and doctoral programs at Virginia’s top universities, as well as reaching out to organizations for minority professionals, will highlight Virginia’s Community Colleges as a great place for a career.

Listen by clicking on the audio link above or downloading the link to VaHigherEd Podcast: Episode 16.

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VaHigherEd Podcast: Episode 15 - This week’s podcast features Virginia Western Community College student Stephen Jennings, who is finding the community college a great place to receive hands-on training for a third career in radiology.

Listen by clicking on the audio link above or downloading the link to VaHigherEd Podcast: Episode 15.

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VaHigherEd Podcast: Episode 14 - This week’s VaHigherEd podcast features First Lady Anne Holton, keynote speaker at the Chancellor’s Award for Leadership in Philanthropy on April 23, 2008.

The First Lady paid tribute to the philanthropy leaders being honored from Virginia’s 23 community colleges and shared her passion for Virginia’s families and their youth through the foster care initiative she is spearheading.

Virginia’s Community Colleges have initiated a complementary program, in partnership with the First Lady, called “Great Expectations,” helping Virginia’s foster care youth through higher education.

Listen to her keynote address by clicking on the audio link above or downloading the link to VaHigherEd Podcast: Episode 14.

See the philanthropy leaders honored by Virginia’s Community Colleges here.

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VaHigherEd Podcast: Episode 13- This week’s VaHigherEd podcast features an elite group of community college students, members of the “First Virginia Team,” named by the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society as the “top ten” two-year students in the Commonwealth of Virginia.

These “top ten,” along with more than 50 of their high-achieving peers who comprise the All-Virginia Academic Team, were in Richmond April 16 for the annual PTK Honors Luncheon, where they were recognized as the best and the brightest of Virginia’s community college students.

These students are not very different from any Virginia community college student. They are looking for transfer options, looking for affordable, quality higher education close to home. They are taking advantage of sometimes the only opportunity available as they seek a better future. They have found those opportunities – and they have risen to the top of their class.

Stephanie Umphlette attends Rappahannock Community College as a dual enrollment student – while finishing high school at the Governor’s School in Warsaw. She’ll graduate from RCC in May – before she graduates from high school in June.

Cynthia Spencer had been out of school 20 years when she decided to commit to an engineering career – starting at the Loudoun Campus of Northern Virginia Community College.

David Dutton, profoundly deaf since birth, has overcome many difficulties to attend complete his education at Lord Fairfax Community College, where he has started an American Sign Language society.

And Samantha Cousin made a conscious decision to save on college with two years at Tidewater Community College before a zoology career takes her to Idaho State University.

Pictured from left to right: Stephanie Umphlette (RCC); Cynthia Spencer (NVCC); David Dutton (LFCC); Samantha Cousin (TCC)

See all members of the First Virginia Team.

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VaHigherEd Podcast: Episode 12- The horticulture program at Virginia Highlands Community College provides Navy veteran Jillian Holcombe with what she calls the best educational experience of her life. One of the highlights:  A recent coastal ecology research trip to the Mississippi Gulf Coast, a life-changing trip that allowed her first-hand knowledge of ecological marvels. A blog about her experience is available on her Myspace page.

“I think I’m getting a better education right here at Virginia Highlands than I would be if I were at a traditional four-year university,” she says. She’s saving her GI Bill for when she transfers, and looking for a future career in horticulture therapy.

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VaHigherEd Podcast: Episode 11 - Community colleges provide doorway to career.  Armen Grigoryan, a dentist from Armenia, is starting over to earn his way back into dentistry – using Virginia Western Community College as his first step. 

Grigoryan was featured in the Roanoke Times in May when he graduated with his associate’s degree in dental hygiene.

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VaHigherEd Podcast: Episode 10- In this second of a two-part series about the Career Switchers  program at Virginia’s Community Colleges, Mead Craun talks about her experience in the Career Switchers program. She’ll become a middle school teacher with a one-year license in July, after beginning the program at Germanna Community College in January.

Click on the audio icon at the top to hear the podcast. Or, click on the podcast title to download and listen on your own computer.

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VaHigherEd Podcast: Episode 9 - The first of a two-part series about the Career Switchers program at Virginia’s Community Colleges highlights Wylie Schwieder, who is enrolled in the Career Switchers program through Germanna Community College.  He expects the switch to teaching to become “one of the most rewarding things he will do” with his life.  Click on the audio icon at the top to hear the podcast. Or, click on the podcast title to download and listen on your own computer.

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VaHigherEd Podcast: Episode 8 - Aspiring economist and honors student Steve Agarwal of NVCC’s Alexandria Campus talks about how small classes and top notch instructors add up to a high quality education at Virginia’s Community Colleges.

Tune in for the eighth in a series of podcasts featuring Voices from Virginia’s Community Colleges. Click on the audio icon at the top to hear the podcast. Or, click on the podcast title to download and listen on your own computer.

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VaHigherEd Podcast: Episode 7 - Hear how a NASA co-op program with Thomas Nelson Community College is launching careers in the flight industry. Jeff Kraus talks to student Stephen Jennings about his experiences with community college as he trains for a NASA career.

Tune in for the seventh in a series of podcasts featuring Voices from Virginia’s Community Colleges. Click on the audio icon at the top to hear the podcast. Or, click on the podcast title to download and listen on your own computer.

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VaHigherEd Podcast: Episode 6 - ”A great way to start” a career in nursing. Jeff Kraus talks to Elizabeth Henerfauth, a student at Paul D. Camp Community College, about beginning a nursing program at a community college.

Tune in for the sixth in a series of podcasts featuring Voices from Virginia’s Community Colleges. Click on the audio icon at the top to hear the podcast.
Or, click on the podcast title to download and listen on your own computer.

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VaHigherEd Podcast: Episode 5- Career Coaches Guide ‘Realistic Dreams.’  Jeff Kraus talks to Charles McLeod, a career coach for J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College. He works at Highland Springs High School to encourage students to plan for the future. Students, he says, need to believe in themselves - and their parents have to believe in themselves, as well. Career coaches can help.

Tune in for the fifth in a series of podcasts featuring Voices from Virginia’s Community Colleges. Click on the audio icon at the top to hear the podcast. Or, click on the podcast title to download and listen on your own computer.

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VaHigherEd Podcast Episode 4 – Jeff Kraus talks to Middle College students from J. Sargeant Reynolds and Germanna community colleges at the General Assembly Building, where three students shared the successes the Middle College program has brought to their lives. Listen to them talk about their Middle College experience. Pictured left to right, Erick Jones; Ebony Jackson; and Pablo Abana.

Tune in for the fourth in a series of podcasts featuring Voices from Virginia’s Community Colleges. Click on the audio icon at the top to hear the podcast. Or, click on the podcast title to download and listen on your own computer.

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VaHigherEd Podcast: Episode 3

Tune in for the third in a series of podcasts featuring Voices from Virginia’s Community Colleges. Click on the podcast button above to download and listen.

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VaHigherEd Podcast: Episode 2

Tune in for the second in a series of podcasts featuring Voices from Virginia’s Community Colleges. Click on the podcast button above to download and listen. 

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 VaHigherEd Podcast: Episode 1

Tune in for the first in a series of podcasts featuring voices from Virginia’s Community Colleges.  Kicking the series off is a discussion of what was behind the Chancellor’s decision to take a comprehensive look at campus safety at the 23 colleges in the Virginia Community College System. Click on the podcast button above to download and listen. 

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