AATYC Conference to Host National Speaker and Honor Students, Alumni, Faculty and Staff

The 22^nd annual AATYC conference is putting the “Spotlight on Success” for two-year college students in Arkansas.  Attendees from two-year colleges across the state will choose from nearly 100 breakout and poster sessions focusing on areas such as academics, student success, technology, leadership and more. 

The conference will be held October 17^th-19^th at the Hot Springs Convention Center in Hot Springs, Arkansas.  With nearly 800 attendees- including Presidents and Chancellors, trustees, administrators, faculty and staff- the AATYC conference is the largest two-year college staff development event in the state.

The keynote speaker will be Dr. Katherine Boswell, the Director of the Community College Policy Center at the Academy for Educational Development (AED) of Washington DC. The Community College Policy Center explores state policies that encourage effective and innovative community colleges, and works with state policymakers in helping them make better use of their less-than-baccalaureate institutions as part of state postsecondary education systems. 

The AATYC Awards Dinner honoring outstanding faculty and staff from all 22 two-year colleges will take place on Monday evening, October 18^th.  As is tradition, the conference will conclude Tuesday morning, October 19^th, with the annual Academic All-Star Awards Brunch, honoring students and alumni from all 22 two-year colleges.  Governor Mike Beebe will address the audience and present awards to honorees during the brunch.

For the complete conference schedule, registration and other details, please visit the AATYC website.

Thank you to our sponsors for making this event possible!

 Gold
Arkansas Department of Higher Education

 Bronze
Arkansas Broadcasters Association
Oracle
Zogotech

 Program
Alliant Data Systems; Arkansas Capital Corporation/Heartland Renaissance Fund; Arkansas Department of Career Education; Datatel; Follett Higher Education Group; Johnson Controls; Nuventive, LLC; Pearson Education; Presidium, Inc; Scantron Corporation; Student Financial Lab; The Hodge Group; The Jackson Group; University of Arkansas Global Campus; Valic; WeaveOnline; Wimba; Wittenberg, Delony & Davidson, Inc. Architects

Males Drawn to Cosmetology in Increasing Numbers

Saul Garay, South Arkansas Community College Student

Increasingly, gender plays less of a role in defining occupations. The shift usually is associated with women who enter male-dominated fields, but the opposite also is happening, as South Arkansas Community College student Saul Garay can attest.

When Garay, a 2009 graduate of Hermitage High School and a first-year SouthArk student, chose to enter the college’s cosmetology program, he said, he focused on the opportunity to be creative and help people feel good. The fact that cosmetology has traditionally been dominated by women was not a deterrent.

Garay said that he’s always liked working with his hands, whether doing manual labor such as carpentry, or enjoying a hobby like drawing. Garay said he uses the tools he has to give the client what they desire.

“Cosmetology,” he said, “seems to be the right place for my hands to be used.”  Garay said that at first he felt a bit awkward working in a room full of women. Coming from a farming family, he said, he also faced some opposition from people who felt that he is going to be doing a woman’s job.

His next challenge, he said, was developing his capabilities and skill. According to SouthArk cosmetology instructor Shannon Rogers, Garay is a motivated and focused student who wants to succeed.

“He’s my prized possession,” Rogers said. “He’s always ready to learn, and he practiced to perfection.”

Garay said that a man can do what a woman can do and that many women prefer a male hairdresser, making cosmetology a good field for a man to be in.

“There will always be challenges and I may stumble,” he said, “but I never give up and always keep going forward.”

Once he graduates from SouthArk, Garay said, he plans to open his own shop or to volunteer abroad, providing his services free of charge to those who cannot afford it in order to help them feel good about themselves.

“When you see the final result and see the person is happy, you feel a satisfaction no one else can give you, that you can only give yourself,” Garay said. “And seeing the person happy and satisfied makes me feel proud of what I am doing.”

Since its inception two years ago, SouthArk’s cosmetology program has seen several males come through the program. According to Rogers, the program had four males participating in the program last year and three this year, including Garay.

Rogers said that some of the best hairdressers in the world are men.

“It’s a business. It’s an industry,” she said. “You make people look good, and when you look good, you feel good.”

SouthArk offers a two-year degree track in cosmetology in which a student can receive a cosmetology license and an associate’s degree with a minor in entrepreneurship. Students also can receive graduate certificates in cosmetology in a year or less.

According to Rogers, the SouthArk program is in great demand. With a maximum limit of 50 students, the program currently has a waiting list. Rogers said that having cosmetology at SouthArk is a great advantage to the community because many students cannot afford to go to the private schools in the area.

Achieving the Dream: Community Colleges Count

Achieving the Dream (ATD) is a national effort to help more community college students succeed, with a special focus on students of color and low-income students.  Launched by the Lumina Foundation for Education in 2003, there are now 82 participating institutions in 15 states, including four in Arkansas: National Park Community College; Ouachita Technical College; Phillips Community College of the UA; and Pulaski Technical College.

Achieving the Dream aims to bring about change within community colleges and in state and federal policy. The initiative also seeks to augment knowledge about strategies that increase student success and to expand public support for raising postsecondary attainment levels.

“ATD has been a transformative experience for Phillips Community College.  It has changed the way we measure our work from an emphasis on access and enrollment to an emphasis on student success and outcomes,” said Steven Murray, President, Phillips Community College of the UA.

Participating colleges commit to collecting and analyzing data to improve student outcomes - a process known as “building a culture of evidence.”  Specifically, colleges mine transcripts and gather other information to understand how students are faring over time and determine which groups need the most assistance.  From this work, colleges implement strategies to improve academic outcomes.  Colleges evaluate their strategies, expand effective ones and use data to guide budgeting and other institutional decisions.

The initiative seeks to help more students reach their individual goals, which may include earning a community college certificate or degree, attaining a bachelor's degree and/or obtaining a better job. Achieving the Dream colleges will maintain a high degree of access for historically underrepresented groups, while working to increase the percentage of students who accomplish the following:

• successfully complete the courses they take;
• advance from remedial to credit-bearing courses;
• enroll in and successfully complete gatekeeper courses;
• enroll from one semester to the next;
• earn degrees and/or certificates. 

The participating Arkansas community colleges are currently in year two of the project, which will end in 2012.  A final report will be issued summarizing the findings.

Cossatot Grad Working for Hewlett Packard

Allie Hennard, Cossatot Community College of the UA Graduate

A May 2010 graduate of the University of Central Arkansas, Allie Hennard also graduated from Cossatot Community College prior to attending UCA. Upon her graduation from Wickes High School as Valedictorian, Hennard had her choice of colleges and universities, even earning scholarships from many.

Hennard was involved in many clubs and activities at both CCCUA and UCA. She is a leader and possesses character in and out of the classroom.  She often mentors children and students, motivating them to be their best.

“CCCUA was a great opportunity for me that led to other great opportunities,” said Hennard. “I am very thankful for such a good educational experience.”

Hennard was hired immediately upon her graduation by Hewlett Packard.