The Employee Newsletter of Lurleen B. Wallace Community College June 2015

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1 The SainTS ExprEss The Employee Newsletter of Lurleen B. Wallace Community College June 2015 COMMUNITY COLLEGE DAY 2015 More than 100 LBWCC employees and students were part of the first annual Community College Day in April, joining representatives of all the other colleges in the Alabama Community College System and creating one of the largest groups to assemble on the grounds of the Alabama State Capitol in Montgomery. During the day, the crowd heard from Gov. Robert Bentley, ACCS Chancellor Dr. Mark Heinrich, students, graduates of the system, and several legislators. Thanks to all who worked hard in a short time frame to make it possible for LBWCC to be so well represented. Technical faculty selected for Mentor-Connect Inside this issue... President s Message Gathering of Presidents Employee Recognitions Goosby Publishes Savvy Saints Foundations Two LBWCC technical faculty were selected to participate in the Mentor-Connect technical assistance and mentoring program, a project developed with the support of the national Science Foundation (nsf). eddie Spann, diesel and heavy equipment mechanics program faculty, and allen Teel, industrial electronics program faculty, are Mentor-Connect participants. The program was developed to assist faculty members in advanced Technological education (ate) programs with mentoring support, instruction, grant writing resources, project management, and leadership development. it is also designed to strengthen technician education programs in the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STeM) fields. Teel and Spann plan to meet the project goal through professional development including instruction in natural-gas engines and Siemens components and making curriculum revisions that will ensure graduates are more fully prepared for the workplace. They will attend the hi-tec Conference in Portland, Ore., this summer, and plan to submit a grant in October. Pictured are Eddie Spann, diesel and heavy equipment mechanics faculty; Dr. Shannon Levitzke, director of institutional effectivenss and quality; Tammye Merida, associate dean of applied technology; and Allen Teel, industrial electronics faculty.

2 The most significant event for the alabama Community College System this year is the creation of a new Board of Trustees for the System. Once the Senate confirmed a quorum of the new Board on May 12, act became law and our colleges were no longer under the governance of the State Board of education. i have been asked multiple times: is this a good change? My answer is that we will ensure that it is a good change for LBW and the communities that we serve. Certainly the governor believes that this is going to prove very positive for our colleges and our state. at the swearing-in ceremony for the new Trustees, he stated that creating this new Board may prove to be the most significant accomplishment of his entire eight-year tenure as governor. he also praised the leadership of our Chancellor, dr. Mark heinrich, and said that he has been the best Chancellor that our System ever had. at LBW, we are continuing PreSidenT S MeSSage Dr. Herbert H.J. Riedel LBWCC President to focus on enrollment growth so that our business and industry has the trained workforce it needs and to encourage as many people as possible to achieve their potential for rewarding careers and higher education. For the current summer term, we have seen an impressive enrollment increase of 6.6 percent, due in part to strong enrollment in our career/technical programs on the Macarthur Campus and our efforts to recruit 2015 high school graduates. While most students who graduate from high school in May plan to start college in august, there is a strong financial incentive to take classes during the summer if they qualify for federal Pell grant student aid, as do over 70 percent of our students. We have strongly urged students to take advantage of this one-time chance for Pell grant funding during the summer. research has also shown that students are more likely to succeed, the quicker they progress through their program of study. We encourage them through our advising process to select a major early and take only those classes that they need for the major. due to demand for surgical technologists in our area, we are reactivating our surgical technology program this fall. This is a one-year short certificate program in the rapidly expanding medical field and has traditionally shown strong demand from students. The diesel and heavy equipment mechanics program and the welding program at Macarthur are currently our June 2015, Page 2 fastest growing programs. We are seeing new interest in automotive technology through a partnership with enterprise high School, where students will be able to enroll in dual-enrollment automotive classes taken at the high school. in Luverne, newly offered culinary arts classes are proving to be popular dual enrollment options at Brantley and Luverne high Schools. LBW strives to continually improve our programs and services and strive for performance excellence. This is possible only through a culture of innovation. Our mathematics department is currently working under a $40,000 innovation grant from our System office to create materials that will result in saving students $380,000 annually by utilizing open educational resources in certain mathematics courses. i extend my heart-felt thanks to all of my co-workers in service to our mission of Teaching, Learning, growing, enriching. May you have a safe and fun summer! t A gathering of presidents at Golden Gala t Remembering LeAnn Judah Gathering for the LBWCC Foundation s Golden Gala event in April were several former and interim LBWCC presidents to celebrate the College s 50th anniversary year. Pictured are, from left, Wayne Bennett, interim president; SalLee Sasser-Williams, LBWCC Foundation president; Seth Hammett, former LBWCC president; Dr. William H. McWhorter, founding president; Dr. Jim Krudop, interim president; and Dr. Herb Riedel, current president. Unable to attend was Dr. Ed Meadows, former president. As a member of the Alabama Holocaust Commission, LeAnn Judah, biology faculty, recently attended the Days of Remembrance Yom HaShoah ceremony at the State Capitol. Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley read a proclamation and five Holocaust survivors were present.

3 June 2015, Page 3 tleadership Academy grads departments reorganize Congratulations to Jennifer Hall, adult education and workforce specialist and truck driver training program director, left, and Wendy Johnson, Student Support Services coordinator and advisor for the MacArthur Campus, for completing the Alabama Community College Leadership Academy through the University of Alabama. White is TRiO Champion Congratulations to Kristy White as the 2015 TriO Champion. White, english and speech faculty and chair of the Language and Fine arts division, was recognized by LBWCC s Student Support Services and Upward Bound programs for her diligence in helping secure resources for students that promote academic success, graduation, and transfer. Ashley Bass Two departments recently reorganized, resulting in new responsibilities for employees. in the human resources office, Ashley Bass assumed the enhanced role of human resources officer. She previously served as administrative assistant to the director of human resources, Peige Josey. Since Ms. Josey s temporary reassignment at the alabama Community College Dr. Shannon Levitzke System, Bass assumed additional duties, some of which have been permanently assigned to the new position. in the institutional effectiveness and Quality office, Dr. Shannon Levitzke assumed the position of director of ie&q. The office previously had two full-time employees and the reorganization reduced staffing to one person. Wise, Kelley complete SU nurse practitioner program Front row, from left, Amanda Brooks, SSS tutor coordinator; Kelley White, SSS Andalusia campus coordinator; Kristy White, 2015 TRiO Champion; Dr. Pat Powell, SSS director; second row, Dean of Student Affairs Jason Jessie; Suzanne Powell, SSS administrative assistant; Dr. Herb Riedel, LBWCC president; Latrece Hall, Student Services and SSS counselor; and Bridges Anderson, Upward Bound director. April Wise April Wise and Karen Kelley, both nursing faculty, completed the nurse practitioner program at South University and passed the registry exam. Karen Kelley These two have accomplished each stage of nursing education together, starting as students in the practical nursing program at LBWCC.

4 June 2015, Page 4 Goosby enjoys writing math poetry By: MiCHeLLe GOOSBy Michelle Goosby Math Poetry, an extraordinary venture to say the least, is my way of taking mathematics to the next level as i see it, a recreational, stimulating, and enticing experience. Since both mathematics and writing are two of my favorite pastimes, a merger between the two was inevitable. as i was enthralled in my writing, i threw in some fascination, imagination, and exhilaration in an effort to capture the interest of the reader. My collection includes math applications in verse, mathematical enigmas, expository math poetry, and a rhythmic math rap. after attending a Math Poetry workshop at the national Council of Teachers of Mathematics in 2005, i decided to expand my own somewhat limited collection of math poetry. The following year a colleague requested that i do a presentation at the alabama association of developmental education Conference (alade). i found the experience to be an invaluable one because many attendees from colleges across the state took interest in it. One of my favorite pieces, Math phobia On The Loose, is also featured in our Math emporium textbooks. So why would a math teacher take a leap into the world of poetry? it's an old story. Math Poetry can potentially turn math into a boisterous exuberating experience instead of a dreaded excruciating encounter. Because of its charismatic approach, it can boost the interest of students, allowing them to view a math problem as a door that can only be unlocked with the right code which they scurry to crack. also, research has shown that math poetry writing assignments can potentially force the student to think critically and analytically about mathematics, thereby heightening their comprehension of the subject at hand. My new book, It Ain t Over Till the Math Lady sings, is available through and LBWCC employees are leaders When the peehip Advisor was published in May, it was a nice surprise to see Lurleen B. Wallace Community College listed in the top 10 statewide in two categories. LBWCC was the only community college listed as one of the top 10 employers for completion of the health questionnaire and for health coaching completion. Kudos to Penney Watson, payroll/student receivables specialist, for timely information and reminders to employees, and to the LBWCC family for completing the new PeehiP requirements. For those who have not yet had the chance to complete the Team Up for health Wellness Program requirements, PeehiP extended the deadline to July 15, For more information, see your May 2015 issue of the peehip Advisor. Staff start new student communication system a joint project involving several LBWCC employees came to fruition with 884 students enrolling summer semester. The project is a new communication tool to help students stay abreast of College activities, deadlines, and other important information. Savvy Saints is a new, free Canvas course in which all students will be enrolled each semester. The idea was presented by Shannon Lightsey, english and speech faculty, and created with the assistance of Mary Ann Hudson, biology, mathematics and science division chair and coordinator for distance education/ faculty development. dean of instruction Peggy Linton supported the idea, and Greg Aplin, associate dean of instructional and information technology, will load the students each semester. also playing a role in the creation by recording tutorial videos in the course were Randi Bozeman, assistant director of financial aid, Macarthur campus, Angela Kelley, biology faculty, and Sharon Spurlin, biology and chemistry faculty. This course is not for college credit, but a resource for students to learn how to benefit from the LBW website, especially mylbwcc, and to receive notifications of important dates and events on each campus, said Lightsey. another benefit is students ability to ask questions and receive feedback through the help page. Students can set their notifications to receive s or texts. all employees are requested to any notifications for students to slightsey@lbwcc.edu.

5 June 2015, Page 5 tjones, Norris wedding bells tstudents surprise Riedel Congratulations to Tori (Jones) Norris, Greenville campus coordinator for Student Support Services, on her March 28, 2015, wedding and marriage to Tony Norris, former LBWCC student and Saints Baseball player currently teaching history and serving as coach at McKenzie High School. Alpha Beta Eta PTK chapter officers enjoyed suprising LBWCC President Dr. Herb Riedel, second from left, with the news that he was selected to receive Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society s highest recognition, the 2015 Shirley B. Gordon Award of Distinction. He received the award in San Antonio, Texas, in April. Also pictured are A.J. Sanford, Katie Lowery, and Emily Alverson. FOUndaTiOnS LBWCC FOunDATiOn Congratulations to the LBWCC Foundation Board of directors for an outstanding Golden Gala event in april. Under the leadership of SalLee Sasser-Williams, Foundation president, and with overwhelming community support, the Foundation exceeded the fundraising goal of $50,000 by bringing in $57,865. The next event, the LBWCC Camellia City Classic Golf Tournament, is set for Sept. 16, 2015, at Cambrian ridge in greenville. Brochures are now available for the 9th annual golf tournament. The deadline to register is Sept. 2. For more information, or to receive a brochure, contact dr. Jim Krudop, or ext MACARTHuR FOunDATiOn The Board of directors for the Macarthur Foundation is planning the annual Scholarship Clay Shoot to be held Oct. 17, 2015, at Shoal river Sporting Clays in Crestview, Fla. Teams of four result from sponsorships, so if you and three friends want to form a team and help this Foundation raise funds, contact Lisa Patterson, advertising, publications, and foundation specialist, for a registration form. The planning committee will soon be meeting, so more detailed information should be available in the near future. LBWCC employees Johnny Brewer, music faculty and Ensemble co-director, left, on trumpet, and Kathy Dowdy, music and ensemble assistant and accompanist, right, on keyboard, with Ensemble performer Malcolm Perrin on drums, graciously volunteered their time and talent for reception entertainment at LBWCC Foundation s Golden Gala event in April. The trio set up in the Alumni Corner area and provided a wide variety of musical selections.