Former Rich Mountain Community College Student Speaks about Concurrent Credit

Mr. Larry Burns

The Rich Mountain Community College Foundation played host to the Celebrity Roast of State Representative Bill Abernathy on September 28, 2010 with proceeds from the fundraiser going for concurrent scholarships at RMCC.    Prior to joining the state legislature, Abernathy served as RMCC’s President from 1987 to 2000.

Concurrent Scholarships are a passion of Abernathy’s, and therefore the night would not have been complete without a chance to share the importance of taking classes concurrently.   One of the highlights of the evening came when Larry Burns took the stage to share his experience as a high school senior in 1998-1999.   Burns now serves as the Director of Special Projects for Enrollment Management at the University of Central Arkansas.  Burns story, as told at the Roast, follows.  

“In spring 1999 I was a Mena High School senior.   During the fall of 1998 I took Comp I concurrently at RMCC, and that semester was the first time I realized college was possible for me.

I grew up, like most in the area – as a poor, first-generation student.  The only college I knew was U of A and RMCC.   I knew I had to do well on the ACT, I knew I had to do well in high school to go to college, but I didn’t know what it was all about.

My parents expected me to go to college, and I wanted to go.  However, we all knew that my family could not afford it. 

It was not until that first semester taking Comp I with Ms. Ann Furr that I found out what higher learning was all about.   Sure, high school prepared me, but as anyone that’s gone to college can tell you – higher education is different.  It’s better.  I knew I had to have more!

My family was able to afford to send me the first semester.  But I needed and wanted more.  I’m not really sure how it happened or who to really thank for getting the ball rolling, but I was asked to go see the President.  Someone had told him that I was a good student and that I could not afford to take the classes I needed during the spring semester.  So, he offered me a scholarship to cover all the classes I needed, 9 hours, and all the books and supplies I needed.  He even offered me a scholarship to stay and start my college career at RMCC.

I was ecstatic.  It was not until years later that I realized what that meant for me and for my family.  I was a good student but don’t think I would have made it to and through college had it not been for that scholarship.

Scholarships are not just about money.  Scholarships provide opportunity that was not there.  Scholarships provide a way to impart knowledge.  Scholarships provide a social support that many students need.  I knew then that someone else besides my family believed in my potential.

There are hundreds of students every year in this area that were just like me.  Good students who just cannot afford the opportunities that higher education can provide.  Most probably don’t even understand what higher education is all about, what it can really do for them besides getting a new job.  Concurrent credit courses, especially when they’re structured well, are the perfect places for students like me to get interested in higher education.

I went on and received a full scholarship to the University of Central Arkansas, and I was accepted into their Honors College.  I had a head start because of the work I had done while in high school.  It still took me 5 years to graduate – not because I was lazy – but because I loved college.  I love learning.  I love the pursuit of knowledge.

I went on to receive a Masters of Science in Higher Education Administration and an MBA in Strategic Management.  I now work at the University of Central Arkansas as the Director of Special Projects for Enrollment Management.  My main responsibility is the administration of the UCA scholarship program.  I am also the coordinator of the Arkansas Student Success Symposium.

I say all of this, not to brag or boast, but because I am proud of what I have accomplished.  I am proud that I was the first in my family to attend and complete college.  Now, my brother, many of my cousins, an aunt and even my mother have completed or are completing their degrees.  The power of education is not just the transformative possibilities for those that have it, but the transformative possibilities for all those associated with it! 

Higher education transforms whole families.   I can’t take credit for my family members attending, but I can say I played a part in helping them to realize the importance of higher ed and that it’s possible to go.

All of that started because Mr. Abernathy gave a good student who couldn’t afford three concurrent classes a chance.  That $300.00 (at the time) was the key to my success.  I know that it was not just because of the money but what it represented - opportunity and belief in my potential.

I see every day in my work the power that a few hundred dollars can provide a first-generation student.  Making that investment in students, especially at RMCC, can do so much good for the area and for the families here.”

AATYC Leadership Institute Starts 3rd Class

A recent study by Dr. Linda Birkner indicates that many of Arkansas’ two-year college leaders will be retiring within the next five years.  To help fill this impending leadership gap, AATYC has partnered with Dr. Linda Beene to develop the AATYC Leadership Institute.  The vision for the Institute is to identify, develop, prepare and advance leaders from within Arkansas two-year colleges. 

Institute participants are nominated by their President/Chancellor and include Vice Presidents, Department Chairs, Deans and Directors who aspire to additional leadership opportunities.  The format includes three, three-day group meetings at two-year colleges or related locations in central Arkansas.  Dr. Linda Beene customizes the Institute curriculum and conducts the sessions assisted by selected two-year college and state-level leaders.

Through an experience-based model, participants develop general leadership skills, and functions of executive leadership in higher education related to academics, finance, and student affairs are developed.  Competencies endorsed by the American Association of Community Colleges are addressed. 

General leadership skills to be addressed include performance and interpersonal skills; active listening; improving conflict management and enhancing consensus building; managerial counseling, coaching and confrontation; greater awareness of self and others resulting in more constructive interaction; setting and attaining goals; improving self-confidence and increasing ability to build self-confidence in others; creating more effective communication climates; and developing observation and feedback skills.

The third AATYC Leadership Institute convened on November 3, 2010, and will conclude in April 2011.  Participants include:

Students Receive College Credit at EastArk Secondary Career Center, Participate in "The World Around Me" Project 

EastArk Secondary Career Center Students

Students from the EastArk Secondary Career Center (ESCC), located on the campus of East Arkansas Community College, recently took part in a collage project entitled “The World Around Me.”  The collage had to feature articles, photographs, poetry and other representations of their program of study.  The students worked together in groups and presented what they learned from the project as it applied to their chosen field of study. The goal is to inform and help students to critically think about the issues relative to their fields of study, so they can make more informed career choices.
 
Students attend the EastArk Secondary Career Center during their junior and senior years of high school. Students enrolled in the program attend afternoon classes Monday-Friday at EACC and may receive credit for high school and college (also known as concurrent credit). Hours earned for college credit count toward a degree, certificate or advanced certification program. Local high school districts provide transportation for the student’s convenience.
 
“In 2009, our students earned over 624 concurrent credit hours and over 14% of those students have earned a Certificate of Proficiency,” said Ashiya Hicks, ESCC Program Director.  “In addition to academic support such as counseling, students learn life skills such as conflict resolution, time management, and good decision making in the program.”
 
Four local high schools are currently participating in the innovative career center: Forrest City High School (FCHS), Wynne High School (WHS), Hughes High School (HHS), and Palestine-Wheatley High School (PWHS). Students have a number of popular fields of study as options in the program-Criminal Justice, Hospitality-Tourism/Lodging, Medical Professions Education, Renewable Energy Technology and Advanced Manufacturing Technology. 

Community College Survey on Student Engagement (CCSSE) Workshop

Nearly 70 participants from 21 two-year colleges participated in a recent workshop focused on student engagement and success in Arkansas.   The workshop was conducted by Christine Mclean and Jeff Crumpley of the Center for Community College Student Engagement, a part of the University of Texas – Austin, and Michael Poindexter of Sacramento City College.

The workshop stemmed from a request from the AATYC Student Success Advisory Committee, part of AATYC’s Winthrop Rockefeller Center for Student Success grant.  The Committee requested training on how to utilize data from the Community College Survey on Student Engagement (CCSSE).   The CCSSE survey is administered by two-year colleges to their students in order to measure the amount of time and energy students engage in meaningful educational practices as well as the institutional practices and student behaviors that are highly correlated with student learning and retention. 

Workshop facilitators stressed that what matters most to student success are:

1)      High expectations- such as preparing multiple drafts and integrating ideas/information from various sources for assignments
2)      High support- particularly financial aid, academic advising, computer labs and career counseling
3)      Relationships- students having someone on campus that knows their name and cares about their success
4)      Inescapable engagement- mandatory  class presentations or study groups outside of class
5)      A culture of evidence- understanding, sharing and acting on the facts

Workshop attendees also discussed the importance of “the front door” to student success, such as removing both physical and psychological barriers to key services and creating a more welcoming and personalized environment.  This could include training students how to navigate campus processes (such as admission, assessment, enrollment, financial aid and academic counseling) rather than assume they know how the system works.

Arkansas two-year colleges will be on the same CCSSE survey schedule beginning in 2012.  This will yield statewide data regarding student views on their educational experiences at two-year colleges.  Colleges will use this data in order to make improvements in student retention and learning.