Campus Communicator September 2012 Wheeling Campus Groundbreaking From left are Dean George, manager of the Barnes & Noble bookstore at the college; Lil Kabasan, Barnes & Noble regional manager; Student Activities Director Shannon Payton; the Thundering Chicken, WVNCC mascot; West Virginia Sen. Jack Yost; Don Rigby, executive director of the Regional Economic Development Partnership; Rich Donovan, senior director of facilities for the Higher Education Policy Commission, Charleston; Craig Trushel, Trushel Construction of Weirton which was awarded the contract for the project; WVNCC President Martin J. Olshinsky; West Virginia Sen. Orphy Klempa; Wheeling Mayor Andy McKenzie; Wheeling City Manager Bob Herron; Vic Greco of SMG Architects, Wheeling, project designers; the Rev. Darrell Cummings, representing the WVNCC Board of Governors; and West Virginia Del. Erikka Storch. A nice turnout of Northern colleagues and students joined city, county, and state officials to attend the Sept. 20 groundbreaking ceremonies for construction of a $2.1 million Barnes & Noble bookstore and Student Union at WVNCC s Wheeling campus. By pairing an expanded Barnes & Noble bookstore and a larger space for students to gather, we believe West Virginia Northern is providing the internal and external college community in Wheeling an exciting new meeting and shopping space, Dr. Martin J. Olshinsky, WVNCC president, said. We are growing and so is the city, he added. We re thrilled to be a part of the new West Virginia Northern Community College bookstore and student center building, Max J. Roberts, president, Barnes & Noble College Booksellers, said. The new space will allow us to make WVNCC students educational experience the very best it can be and to become a part of the fabric of the Wheeling community. Steve Lippiello, WVNCC s vice president of administrative services and chief financial officer, said a total of seven firms provided bids for the project, with Trushel Construction Co. of Weirton winning the bid for the 9,540 square foot structure. First floor of the building will be devoted to the bookstore and the second floor will be Northern s official Student Union. Numerous WVNCC colleagues and students joined city, state and business leaders to witness the groundbreaking for the College s new Student Union and Barnes & Noble bookstore.
Wheeling Campus Paralegal Program Accredited The Paralegal Studies program at WVNCC has earned a threeyear accreditation by NALS, the association for legal professionals. Paralegal Instructor, John Plesa John Plesa, paralegal instructor and program director, explained the process leading to accreditation was lengthy and detailed. The college had to provide a self-study report on development of the program which began in 2006, he said. The entire process took about three years, Plesa said, during which the NALS team recommended curriculum changes. Plesa, a Weirton resident who joined the college as an adjunct instructor, ultimately became the paralegal program director and spearheaded the accreditation effort. The NALS team conducted a two-day site visit on the Wheeling campus, he added. During that visit, the team toured facilities and met with Plesa, college administrators, current and graduated paralegal students and the program s advisory committee. Northern s Paralegal Studies program offers both a two-year associate in applied science degree and a one-year certificate in applied science. In three years, the college will submit another report to NALS in anticipation of earning another three- or five-year reaccreditation based on the college following additional recommendations made during the site visit, Plesa said. Dr. Vicki Riley, vice president of academic affairs at the college, said, We are very pleased our Paralegal Studies program has received this distinction. It testifies to the quality of instruction offered students. In addition, Plesa pointed out that NALS is the organization that administers professional certification examinations for the AAS students in their second year of study. Welding Course Offered A Basic Welding Course will be offered by West Virginia Northern Community College, Wheeling campus, beginning Oct. 8. The four-week course ending Nov. 2 is the first such training program at WVNCC and will be held in the Maintenance Building across from the Market Street side of the B&O Building, 1704 Market St., downtown Wheeling. Class hours will be from 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, with a daily halfhour lunch break. There will be 160 hours of instructional and hands-on learning, according to Karri Mulhern, director of economic and workforce development at Northern. This welding training program will allow local residents to learn new skills to find employment in a variety of industries or to advance in their current position, Mulhern said. Local employers have indicated to us that people with welding skills are in high demand, and it is difficult to find these people currently in our region. The types of businesses in need of welders vary from production to light and heavy manufacturing, maintenance and the oil and gas industry, Mulhern explained. Mulhern added that the Basic Welding Course, which costs $2,550, is limited to eight participants and that students will be taken on a first come, first serve basis. A waiting list will be done the same way, with classes to be offered monthly based on demand. Registration as non-degree students is available at Northern s three campuses. For more information, contact Mulhern at 304-214-8975 or at kmulhern@wvncc.edu.
Military Friendly School WVNCC once again has earned placement on the coveted Military Friendly Schools list. It was announced earlier this month that Victory Media, the premier media entity for military personnel transitioning into civilian life, has named West Virginia Northern to the 2013 Military Friendly Schools list which honors the top 15 percent of colleges, universities and trade schools in the country that are doing the most to embrace America s military service members, veterans and spouses as students and ensure their success on campus. Inclusion on the 2013 list of Military Friendly Schools shows WVNCC s commitment to providing a supportive environment for military students, Sean Collins, director for G.I. Jobs and vice president at Victory Media, said. As interest in education grows we re thrilled to provide the military community with transparent, world-class resources to assist in their search for schools, Collins added. Complete survey methodology is available at www.militaryfriendlyschools.com/ methodology. The Military Friendly Schools media and web site, found at www.militaryfriendlyschools.com, features the list, interactive tools and search functionality to help military students find the best school to suit their unique needs and preferences. The 1,739 colleges, universities and trade schools on this year s list exhibit leading practices in the recruitment and retention of students with military experience. These schools have world-class programs and policies for student support on campus, academic accreditation, credit policies, flexibility and other services to those who served. Dr. Martin J. Olshinsky, president of Northern, said, WVNCC has consistently earned this designation, and we are in a unique position to provide one-on-one assistance to help veterans assess their higher education options. We understand and appreciate the sacrifices made by our veterans and want to help them make a successful transition. Lights, Camera, Action! West Virginia Northern s Alicia Frey, associate director of financial aid, participated in the filming of a one-hour documentary, The Road to College, being created for the state Higher Education Policy Commission. The film is being produced for the HEPC by The Walkabout Co. of Wheeling. According to Deb Warmuth, Walkabout s projects manager/producer, Alicia did an excellent job of helping to explain to potential students some of the finer details concerning financial aid. Alicia had a few days to become familiar with the script then Deb and her husband, Rick, the director, set up their equipment just outside the President s office in the B&O Building and began filming. About three hours later, Alicia s role was complete, and should take up two or three minutes in the documentary. Janet Fike, vice president of student services and financial aid director, said, It is gratifying to know that the College s financial aid expertise will be in this film.
Dancing Wheels The College community and the public are invited to attend a unique performance at WVNCC that will mark Disabilities Awareness Month in October. The Dancing Wheels Company of Cleveland, OH, which is a group of dancers with and without physical disabilities, will perform at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 11, in the multi-purpose room of the Education Center, Wheeling campus. This free performance was made possible because the College was awarded a competitive grant through the Diversity for Equity program of the state Higher Education Policy Commission. The performance is one activity among many being planned by Denise Wycherley, student disability coordinator, and Elizabeth Knollinger, program assistant II, for Disability Awareness Month this year. Resource Fair The Resource Fairs are held on each campus every fall within the first few weeks of the semester. Because many students face barriers outside of the classroom, the fair is one way to help students identify services that can help them overcome certain challenges as well as to keep them informed about what is available in the community. The annual Resource Fair was held at Wheeling campus Aug. 28, the New Martinsville campus Aug. 30 and on the Weirton campus Sept. 6. Students were encouraged to stop by and meet with representatives from various community agencies. At right is the Wheeling YWCA Cultural Diversity Community Outreach Program Director, Royann Johnston, and student Hannah Chiplinski. Radiography students hold a bake sale in the front hall of the B&O Building. From left are Tiffany Tiger, Mallory Cooper, Megan Smith, Marissa Dailey, Megan Arman, Mandi Bell and Sam Nardo.
New Martinsville Campus Tutoring Center Makeover The Tutoring Center in New Martinsville received a fantastic makeover this summer. New carpet, chairs, desks, and filing and storage cabinets have given the Tutoring Center a new, updated, and welcoming look. The number of students using our tutoring services already is greater than this time last year. In fact, tutoring staffers say the traffic can be very busy sometimes. But that s OK, they say, because a busy Tutoring Center means that more students are getting the help they need to succeed. Part of the increase in traffic occurred because of Operation Saturation. During the first two weeks of school, the staff made a concerted effort to let every student and faculty member in every classroom, office, hallway, lobby and student lounge know about tutoring services. A four-day Open House (food!!) brought dozens of students by to check it out. Much of the success also is taking place because of the faculty who let staffers visit their classrooms and who are referring students for tutoring. Clockwise from left: Deanne Cline, Candace Cecil, Michelle Moore, Dennis Bills, Dr. Sherri Buerdsell, Kelly Dennis and Karen Chapman. Students Enjoy Their New Tutoring Space From left are Stephanie Minis, Kelly Dennis, Melanie Pettus, and Cristian Bieto.
Getting Involved - SGA Student Government Association members from all three campuses gather for one of their monthly SGA meetings. From left, first row, are Pam Williams, Tina Lessard, Carrie Cuchta, Sarah Blankenship. From left, second row, are Leslie Haglock, Lisa Lohsl, Melissa Wallace, Michael Runyon. From left, third row, are Missy Wenner, J.P Selekey, Kristi Stuntz, Barry Lohsl, Nathan Schmidt. From left, fourth row, are Wil Gallagher, Clayton Weeks, Keith Woods. ➊ We l ve our Students! ➋ Chicken Fest 2012 Once again, Chicken Fest made its way to the three campuses of WVNCC, and as usual a fun time was had by all. Students love the chance to join in on the activities and games, and eat a free lunch provided by Student Activities. 1. Strapped to a bungee cord, these students are determined to see who can push their chicken furthest in the Chicken Run. ➌ 2. Medical Assisting students enjoy their free lunch! 3. Kayla Higgins and Tiffany Jackson help out at the prize table. 4. Julie Horton shares Career Placement information with the students attending Chicken Fest. ➎ ➍ 5. And what is Chicken Fest without an appearance by our own Thundering Chicken?