Member Matters June 2024

A Monthly Lookback at Some of the Good Work in the CAEL Membership Community

Proactive Partnerships
Employees of Memorial Hermann Health System can more easily balance work and studies thanks to an agreement between the system and Houston Community College. The pilot program allows students to maintain full-time work and school schedules while still having one or two off days per week (Memorial Hermann Health Systems).

Georgia College & State University and Fouts Bros., which manufactures emergency vehicles, are collaborating to sustain a talent pipeline that supports Fouts Bros. and other regional employers. In addition to internships, the partnership will see company leaders host professional development workshops for students while faculty members help the company address research challenges (GCSU).

Penn State DuBois, Workforce Solutions for North Central PA, and regional metal manufacturers have created a program tailored to high school graduates who lack a career or college plan. The 71-hour, entry-level program prepares students to succeed as computer numerical control lathe operators (GANTNews).

Under an agreement between Davenport University and Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation, company employees and their family members can receive up to $8,000 and $6,500 per year in scholarship funds, respectively (Davenport University).

Elizabethtown College has implemented new education benefits partnerships with the Department of Defense and APR Supply Co. (Elizabethtown College).

Hands-on Learning
Students completing apprenticeship programs were among the highlights of Heartland Community College's 2024 commencement ceremony. The apprentices received associate degrees or certifications in applied science, high voltage battery technology, robotics operation, electronics skills, automation technology, industrial technology, manual machining, CNC machining, machine tool technology, design and fabrication skills, industrial technology, and nursing (Heartland Community College).

Thanks to Wilmington University's new Smart Transfer Enrollment Program (STEP Path™) for the Vocational Workforce, learners who complete eligible registered apprenticeship programs, including those who did so in the past, can earn up to 42 college credits toward a bachelor's degree (Wilmington University).

Glendale Community College has opened a security operations center where students can "earn and learn," helping to provide cybersecurity services to clients as they gain valuable experience that advances their internships (Glendale Community College).

In Service of Veterans 
The University of Maryland Global Campus hosted a graduation ceremony and party for a 100-year-old veteran of World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. A member of the class of 1966, he was unable to attend his own cohort's commencement because he was then en route to serve in southeast Asia (WTOP).

National University has published a page devoted to career resources for military-connected learners (National University).

Accelerating Adult Learning
A Starbucks executive who worked his way up the ranks from barista to senior vice president is among the 100,000-strong ASU Online alumni community (ASU).

LSU's continuing education program turns 100 this year. Since it began with a focus on home economics and agriculture, it has evolved to become LSU Online and Continuing Education and has enrolled more than 2 million students during its existence (The Times -Picayune).

Michigan Reconnect's first graduation ceremony helped it celebrate the 7,000 Comebackers who have graduated under the program since its launch in 2021 (Michigan Business Network).

In Oklahoma, another program aimed at Comebackers is reaching out to working adults in several communities, where Northeastern State University held a road show for its Reach Higher Reconnect program (Northeastern State University).

University of Maryland Global Campus highlighted the success of a Comebacker whose receipt of a university degree focused on graphic design and communications marks the completion of a journey she undertook 30 years ago (UMGC). 

Rock Valley College held a certificate ceremony to celebrate students who had completed specialized programs there (Rock Valley College).

In Their Own Words
The president of Grand Valley State University joined the president of Bank of America Business Banking to highlight the potential of the Latino community, the vital role of higher ed in realizing it, and GVSU's successes in serving Latino students (The Detroit News).

In a LinkedIn post, the vice president of workforce pathways at National Louis University's Accelerate U argued the importance of a workforce education model in higher ed (LinkedIn).

The chief academic officer and provost at Western Governors University wrote of the importance of aligning curricula with labor market needs and stressed the impact of the university's personalized career pathways (Deseret News).

Awards and Other Achievements
The Pinnacle Honor Society, which honors "adult or nontraditional students" for surmounting substantial impediments to obtain success, inducted 25 IU Southeast students (IU Southeast).

The 35th annual Luzerne County Council on Adult Higher Education, "a consortium of the Adult/Continuing Education offices of Penn State Wilkes-Barre, Misericordia University, King's College, Luzerne County Community College, and Wilkes University," presented a Penn State Wilkes-Barre student with its annual Outstanding Adult Learner award (Penn State).

Based on performance in "accessibility, affordability, acceleration, and advancement," Texas State University was lauded by Abound, "an online college guidance system for degree-seeking adults" (Texas State University).

A recent report has concluded that Concordia University contributed nearly $2 billion in "value added to the economies of Montreal and Quebec in 2022" (Concordia University).