New Grant Could Provide $20 Million for Arkansas Two-Year Colleges

The AATYC Center for Student Success has partnered with Complete College America, Northwest Arkansas Community College, the Arkansas Department of Higher Education and the four regional two-year college consortia (Central, Delta, North and Southwest) to apply for a Community College and Career Training (C3T) federal grant.

The C3T grant program’s ultimate purpose is to significantly increase the number of gainfully employed individuals by increasing the number of degrees and credentials for high-wage, high-demand occupations awarded by 2-year degree-granting higher education institutions—accomplished by transforming the design, structure and delivery of education at these institutions and encouraging partnerships with local employers.

To prepare for the application process, all four regional two-year college consortia are conducting community outreach assessments in order to determine regional needs and existing assets. These assessments will include feedback from community stakeholders such as labor organizations, employers, workforce investment boards and local education agencies.

The C3T Grant program is an unprecedented opportunity for community colleges to develop accelerated and intensive programs of study so that students earn a degree or credential in a reasonable amount of time. Potential outcomes of the grant could include: 1) Accelerating progress for low-skilled and other workers; 2) Improving retention and achievement rates and reduce time to completion 3) Building programs that meet industry needs, including developing career pathways; 4) Strengthening online and technology-enabled learning; and 5) Reforming developmental education and the delivery of developmental courses.

The C3T grant application is due April 23, 2011. Award notifications will be made in summer 2011.

The AATYC Center for Student Success is funded through a grant from the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation. The goals of the Center are to identify and implement new practices and policies to improve the success rates of Arkansas two-year college students.

PCCUA Nursing Grad Climbing Military Ranks

Lt. John Smith, Phillips Community College of the UA

It’s hard to imagine the healthcare industry without the skilled hands and compassionate hearts that nurses provide. One nursing professional who graduated from Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas (PCCUA) is making a difference by serving as a nursing professional in the United States Air Force.

John Smith, who graduated from high school in Crestview, Florida, moved to Helena-West Helena to attend nursing school at PCCUA, following in his father’s footsteps.

“Nursing is a noble profession,” he said. “To me, it is not just a goal, it is a calling.”

He entered the nursing program in the fall of 2007 where he was known as a determined, hard-working student. He completed his studies at PCCUA and graduated with an Associate’s Degree in nursing in 2009. For his dedication and academic achievement, Smith was awarded the Wright Reach! Nursing Scholarship, while a student in the nursing program.

Upon graduating from PCCUA, Smith then transferred to Northwest Florida State College, where he obtained his Bachelor of Science Degree in Nursing. He was then commissioned into the Air Force.

“I consider myself lucky that PCCUA opened the door for me towards greater achievements,” he said. “It also helped me prepare towards higher education. With the foundation I received, I have no doubt that I have a strong knowledge base in my given field. I intend to use that same nursing foundation that I received to advance my career as a military officer.”

Now a lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force, Smith recently successfully completed and graduated Commissioned Officer Training. He received officer training at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama where he was among members of Foxtrot Flight.

“I consider myself fortunate to have been part of such a great, diverse team and was assigned to Foxtrot Flight,” he said. “Overall, it was an excellent experience!”
From there, he transferred to Cincinnati, OH, to attend Nurse Transition Program (NTP).

Designed for success, the PCCUA Associate Degree Nursing program makes employment and continuing achievement of graduates its primary focus. Amy Hudson, Dean of Allied Health at PCCUA, noted that PCCUA graduates are employed in a variety of healthcare settings. Employers consistently express satisfaction with the preparation of PCCUA graduates, and PCCUA graduates consistently express satisfaction with the preparation of the program, noting that PCCUA graduates also exceed Arkansas and national NCLEX-RN licensure exam pass rates for ADN graduates.

“We prepare for excellence, and our program graduates respond to the challenges with performance that speaks for itself,” said Hudson.

As healthcare becomes increasingly demanding, PCCUA fine-tunes its curriculum to keep its students on the cutting edge. Blending state-of-the-art learning resources to foster active classroom learning with on-site clinical experiences taught by academically and experientially qualified full-time instructors, who are committed to assisting students in achieving their educational goals, make for exceptional learning experiences.

First SWACC Entrepreneurship Conference a Success

More than 165 people from around southwest Arkansas, with speakers from as far away as Washington D.C., attended the first-ever South West Arkansas Community Col­lege Consortium entrepreneurship conference, Nur­turing the Entrepreneurial Spirit, on March 3-4 at the El Dorado Conference Center.

It was the first such event for the center, and also the first such event for the consortium—which includes SouthArk along with Southern Arkansas University Tech in Camden, the University of Ar­kansas Community College-Hope, Cossatot Community College of the University of Arkansas in DeQueen and Rich Mountain Community College in Mena.

Budding entrepreneurs heard from speakers about best practices, resources and lending.  Topics included types of assistance available from state and federal agencies, methods of securing capital, regional initiatives and utilizing social media.

The conference was sponsored by Arkansas Human Development Corporation, Arkansas Department of Workforce Services, USDA Rural Development, First Financial Bank and Winrock International.

Northark Provides Nationwide Opportunities for Students

Matt Tilton, North Arkansas College

While most success stories are about achievements after graduation, the educational opportunities and benefits in this story occurred during the time Matt Tilton has been a student. He is currently in the Medical Technology program at North Arkansas College.

During a mission trip to Africa, Matt was drawn to the medical field. “It was so gratifying to be able to instantly help someone in need and make a difference.” A graduate of Bergman High School, Matt chose College of the Ozarks in Hollister, MO to pursue a degree. While attending college and working for the Army Corps of Engineers as an engineering assistant, he met his wife to be, Cassie. They decided to marry and this decision brought Matt back home to Harrison and Northark.  Cassie shared his dedication to the medical field and is in the nursing program.  Influenced by Sherry Gibbany, the instructor who would become his mentor, he enrolled in the Medical Laboratory Technology (MLT) program.

“I really like the scientific aspects of laboratory testing, and Ms. Gibbany, she has this way of getting you to do just about anything,” Matt says. 

“Matt is a fun and caring person who doesn’t hesitate to help his fellow students.  He is bright, inquisitive and always thinking of ways to make improvements to the field of medical laboratory technology.  He keeps the class entertained with his fun loving humor which allows the environment to be much more relaxed in such a rigorous program,” says Gibbany.

In October of 2009, Tilton was invited to attend the Arkansas Student Leadership Forum.  The forum provides an opportunity for college student leaders to interact with men and women in position of leadership in business, government, and the community.   

“I was given the opportunity to meet with successful doctors, lawyers, senators….it was like looking into the future I wanted for myself.”      

The nursing faculty also selected a student leader, and their choice was Cassie.  Matt and Cassie were the first married couple to attend the leadership forum.

Recently, Matt attended a Student Undergraduate Research Fellowship program.  In order to be accepted into the program he competed with over 7,000 other applicants from across the nation. Once accepted, he was required to develop an original research proposal. He then presented his proposal to research scientists including professors from Mayo Clinic and University of Minnesota. His proposal competed with others from across the country.

“I was really surprised to get there and see everyone from the different states around the nation. I felt some people thought because I was from Arkansas, I wasn’t a threat and that made me want to succeed even more!”  His determination paid off. Tilton’s research proposal landed him a finalist position along with students from much larger universities.   Since receiving this honor he has been offered two additional university scholarships, one offering concurrent graduate credit for his senior year.

Matt is acutely aware of the benefits provided to him through a community college.  If he had been at a larger institution he may not have had the opportunity to attend as many conferences or interact with faculty on the level he does at Northark.  Having attended a larger college, he enjoys the vice president of learning saying “hello, Matt” in the hallways and notes he has yet to ask questions after hours that have not been answered.   

Matt and Cassie will both graduate in May.  For the future, Matt says a tremor in his hand will prevent the dream of becoming a surgeon.  During his college student leadership role he had several opportunities to teach others and discovered a new career opportunity.

“I really enjoy helping someone turn information into a working concept. Seeing the light bulb turn on is one of the reasons I consider teaching,” Matt says.