Member Matters February 2022

Creative Credentials

A partnership between Prince George's Community College and Bank of America will see $100,000 in funding for micro-pathways, which offer learners faster connections to jobs in high-demand occupational areas (Diverse: Issues In Higher Education).

Mercy College is launching a program that will offer adult learners new certificate options for acquiring critical competencies sought in targeted industries. CERTIFi, which is housed in the Division of Workforce Credentialing and Community Impact, is aimed at mitigating workforce shortages by increasing options for learners who may prefer "shorter-term skills preparation rather than degrees" (HRTech Series).

In a regional first, Black Hawk College is introducing a certificate in court recording, which will address a looming retirement crunch. The college also announced a cybersecurity associate in applied science that is integrated with stackable sub-degree credentials so that students can build toward the degree while also advancing in the workplace (Quad-City Times).

San Juan College is launching a certificate program in hydrogen fuel cell technology to support growing talent needs in the green energy space (H2 View).

With support from AT&T, the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay is rolling out a workforce development certificate and offering it to 100 "displaced, underemployed, or underserved employees" at no cost to them. The online certificate program focuses on developing essential workplace traits (University of Wisconsin-Green Bay).

Proactive Partnerships

Post University is offering discounted tuition rates to employees of the Connecticut/Rhode Island Alliance of YMCAs. The partnership includes specialized training in executive leadership for management employees (Post University).

An education benefits partnership between Purdue University Global and the Indiana Department of Correction will provide employees and qualifying family members a 25% tuition reduction on undergraduate degrees and certificates and a 10% tuition reduction on graduate or doctoral degrees or certificates (Purdue University).

The University of Akron will be offering continuing education credits for Rubber Division courses, with self-paced training also recognized as credit (Rubber News).

Innovations in Adult Learning 

Hostos Community Colleges and LaGuardia Community College are launching a workforce development program to serve underemployed and unemployed people in areas ravaged by the pandemic. Dubbed the NYC Accelerated Workforce Recovery Hub, the effort will "open up access to a wide variety of in-demand workforce training programs through scholarships and wraparound support services" (Diverse: Issues in Higher Education).

Andrews University is adding an online master's degree program in social work to help workers who "need to pursue a master of social work to open up more career opportunities but are unable to carve out enough time to attend live classes taught during the day or move to the area" (Adventist Review).

The Maine Community College System will be covering tuition for adult education students and working to help them "select a course at a community college that is appropriate for their college and career goals." The state's department of education is providing textbooks and course materials (WABI).

Troy University has enhanced its transfer scholarship program, which will now offer incoming students up to $4,000 per year for two years for students with a 3.5 GPA or higher (Troy University).

Investments in Equity

Forsyth Tech Community College is joining an 18-month effort to "leverage a peer network and industry expertise to support community colleges seeking to explicitly center racial equity in credentialing programs, deepen cross-sector collaboration and support services, and increase the diversity of the student body and local manufacturing workforce" (The Winston-Salem Chronicle).

As the global economy remains bedeviled by supply chain disruptions, new research from the University of Akron suggests that women are among the missing links. The report, "Women are an Advantage in Supply Chain Collaboration and Efficiency," argues that women in the workforce boost collaboration and overall supply chain performance (Logistics Management).

Awards and Other Achievements

Student Veterans of America has named Darrell T. Allison, chancellor of Fayetteville State University, the winner of the William Pearson Tolley Champion for Veterans in Higher Education award.  The award, which is conferred annually, recognizes "university leaders across the country who excel in providing innovative and creative management strategies and demonstrate excellence in leadership in supporting military and veteran students" (The Journal of Blacks in Higher Education). In addition, a report commissioned by the university, which in the fall will begin covering tuition for military-connected students, has found it the "top HBCU for educating military-connected students" (Fayetteville State University).

Georgia Southern University was also recognized by Student Veterans of America; it was named a finalist for the organization's Chapter of the Year award (Georgia Southern University).

The Council of College and Military Educators (CCME) has recognized Pierce College with its 2022 Institution Award. The CCME board praised the college for its "dedication, leadership and numerous accomplishments in providing quality voluntary off-duty education programs" (Pierce College).

The Western Illinois University School of Agriculture received the 2021 National Association of Agricultural Educators Outstanding Postsecondary Agriculture Program award. The award recognizes programs that "emphasize lasting teaching methods, enhance student motivation, and exemplify great experiential learning" (Western Illinois University).

The HBCU Campaign Fund (HCF) has named Marion Ross Fedrick, Ph.D. and president of Albany State University, "one of the ten most dominant" HBCU leaders (WFXL).

A recent report has found that Middle Tennessee State University generates an annual impact of more than $1.42 billion (Hendersonville Standard).

Benedict College President and CEO Dr. Roslyn Clark Artis has been elected to the board of trustees for the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on College, which confers accreditation to southern higher education institutions (HBCU Buzz).

Prince George's Community College made three Intelligent.com lists that rank top-performing institutions on efficacy in "program strength, student readiness, return on investment, cost, and student engagement (Prince George's Community College).

A recent graduate of Southern New Hampshire University received her diploma -- on a Broadway stage. The "Come From Away" actress, who decided to pursue a degree during the pandemic shutdown, accepted her diploma when the university president made a surprise appearance to deliver it (WHDH).

The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater has announced its Outstanding Adult Student awards. The awards are based on faculty and staff nominations of "students' dedication to academics and the positive influence they make in the college classroom" (University of Wisconsin-Whitewater).

Plugging Talent Gaps

As part of a strategy to alleviate the nursing shortage,  Jackson State Community College has updated its application process so that students can complete it online. The college aims to graduate 80 students per year from the two-year program, which includes state-of-the art simulators that enable hands-on learning in precise replicas of hospital rooms (WNBJ).

A grant program will help West Virginia Northern Community College boost accessibility in programs that support critical workforce needs; students will be able to earn a welding certificate or CPL at no cost to them (WTRF).

In Their Own Words

Dr. Kevin James, president of Morris Brown College, discussed the college's revitalization under its "#hardreset" plan (Diverse: Issues in Higher Education).

A recent retiree of the Lincoln Land Community College board of trustees reflected on the myriad ways the college touches lives (The State Journal-Register).

Dr. Doreen Larson of Edison State Community College highlighted the growth the college is enjoying and shared details about its tuition assistance resources (WDTN).

The Art of Articulation

Graduates of Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College can apply their completed coursework toward up to six hours of graduate credit at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville (Albany Herald).

An agreement is adding direct admission for undergraduate students from the University of Mount Union to seven master's programs at Cleveland State University (Cleveland State University).

Graduates from the College of Lake County (CLC) can apply 60 credits from qualifying associate degrees toward a bachelor's degree in business administration, accounting, or technical management at DeVry University (College of Lake County).

An agreement between Johnson College and York College of Pennsylvania will "[create] an opportunity for ... students to build on the hands-on education they receive at Johnson College by continuing their education toward a bachelor's degree (The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce).

Direct admission to Grenada's St. George's Schools of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine is now available to students at St. Francis College in Brooklyn under a new agreement between the institutions, which includes a $10,000 scholarship for students who are accepted into and enroll in the St. George's medical program (BK Reader).

An agreement between the University of Phoenix and Casper College will offer the college's students transfer and concurrent enrollment opportunities in several programs, including an R.N. to B.S.N. degree program in which the university "waives the tuition of every sixth course for Casper College students" (University of Phoenix press release).

Wake Technical Community College and Siena Heights University (SHU) have begun an agreement allowing Wake Tech associate in applied science in electroneurodiagnostic technology graduates to complete a bachelor of applied science degree in neurodiagnostic technology online with SHU. The agreement includes a tuition discount for eligible full-time Wake Technical Community College employees who enroll in SHU undergraduate and graduate programs (Wake Technical Community College).