A Message from the President

Dear Colleagues:

I am glad to announce the resumption of the President’s Report. It is part of our continuing effort to keep the internal and external college community informed about important developments that make a difference in the short- and long-term success of CCAC. Credit enrollment for the Spring 2004 semester is strong, with an eight percent increase in students versus the Spring 2003 term. Programs such as nursing and criminal justice have seen significant jumps in enrollment, and the college has approved several new programs which will help us further our mission of training the region’s work force with targeted instruction.

Unfortunately, the college was forced to take significant action in response to budget deficiencies. This past year, the state legislature cut CCAC’s funding radically when it capped the amount all community colleges would receive at just under $214 million. As I have previously explained, this translates to a $2.1 million shortfall. Budget shortfalls are compounded by rising health care expenses, contractual obligations to our union colleagues, and the costs to sustain an adequate technology platform.

As a result of this shortfall, the CCAC Board of Trustees recently approved a tuition increase from $71.50 per credit hour to $77.50 per credit hour, effective Second Summer term. In addition, the technology fee will be increased by $1 to $6.50 per credit hour, and a new $16 per credit hour health careers course fee will be instituted for courses with nursing and allied health alpha codes. Nursing and health care courses are costly to teach and their clinical and/or laboratory components require lower student/faculty ratios and expensive equipment and supplies. Recently, CCAC received funding for a new health care training initiative—as detailed later in this report. While this funding is of great help to the college, CCAC still needs additional financial resources to help it meet the ongoing demand for qualified health care professionals.

CCAC cannot balance the budget through increasing revenues alone. The college will enact a variety of efficiency measures at all campuses, centers, and College Office—with the goal of saving an average of three percent of our $90 million operating budget during each of the next three years. These measures will account for a total reduction of $11.1 million. What’s more we must ensure the college is taking full advantage of its physical space—meaning CCAC has been forced to increase class sizes. Although it is regrettable that we must resort to such strategies, we will not compromise the quality of education in the classrooms. The college will remain true to its promise of excellence in academic programming that fulfills the educational needs of the community.

I appreciate all the support I have received from faculty, staff, and administrators as we work together to solve this problem. I am hopeful that presentations to the foundation community and external outreach efforts will help land much needed revenue to fund special projects and initiatives. I will be reporting back to you on our efforts.

In the meantime, CCAC will continue to pursue new opportunities to strengthen our college’s offerings and enrich southwestern Pennsylvania.

All the Best,

Stu

CCAC News

President Bush proposes job-training funds for nation’s community colleges

In January, President Bush proposed a new initiative, “Jobs for the 21st Century,” during his State of the Union address. This plan aims to strengthen the economy through increased job training. As part of the proposed $500 million initiative, the President will seek $250 million to support America’s community colleges—with the monies helping our colleges train workers for industries which are creating new jobs. Since CCAC is western Pennsylvania’s largest workforce training provider, we are pleased that Mr. Bush recognizes the critical role of community colleges in job training. While we do not yet know the direct impact of these grants on CCAC, we plan to fully participate in this initiative, and we are carefully monitoring the progress of this proposal. The proposed funding is certainly welcome news as CCAC tackles budgetary deficiencies.

CCAC receives $150,000 health care training funding

The U.S. Department of Labor has awarded CCAC $150,000 to support a new training initiative which will help the college fill critical health care jobs in western Pennsylvania. Through the new Western Pennsylvania Allied Health Training Initiative, CCAC will be able to increase recruitment and retention of students—particularly among unemployed or underemployed health care workers in western Pennsylvania.

CCAC is the third largest provider of health care graduates in the country. While these graduates possess the skills and knowledge worthy of quick employment, the college will use this funding to enhance its capabilities to meet the region’s growing demand for qualified health care workers. CCAC will purchase new laboratory equipment and software to accommodate increased enrollment and enhance simulated learning experiences—such as patient care and assessment—for students.

On behalf of CCAC, I would like to extend a special thank you to Congresswoman Melissa Hart for helping the college to secure this funding. Congresswoman Hart has always been supportive of CCAC’s mission, and we appreciate her ongoing support.

Middle States update: Committee chairs reviewing Task Force reports

As CCAC prepares for the Middle States Commission on Higher Education accreditation review in 2004-2005, I am happy to report that we are making great progress. During the Fall 2003 Semester, teams of volunteer Task Force Explorers (comprised of administrators, faculty, and staff) conducted research to assess how the college performs within the context of the Commission’s Standards of Excellence. This research was submitted to the Steering Committee members, who then merged the work of their teams into reports on each Standard of Excellence.

The Steering Committee chairs are now reviewing all the reports to ensure that the conclusions and recommendations made in the reports are supported by reliable evidence. Recommendations that can be attended to and corrected will be forwarded to the appropriate person for immediate action. Those recommendations requiring strategic, long-range planning will be included in the report to the Middle States—becoming part of the foundation for our planning process.

Because of these diligent efforts, I believe we are well on our way to a report which will highlight CCAC's strengths, provide opportunity for improvement, and result in a favorable response from the Middle States accrediting team. Campus meetings will be held this fall once the report has been reviewed and edited by Professor of English Dan Lowe. These meetings will serve as an additional opportunity for input from all administrators, faculty, and staff on the content of the report as it relates to the Middle States Standards. The final report will reflect the excellent work completed by so many members of the college community. I join the Middle States Steering Committee, Co-chairs, and Editor in commending each Task Force for a job well done.

CCAC looks to new site in the West

CCAC is always interested in facilities that will serve our students with the best possible learning environment. Currently, CCAC is negotiating for the Siemens Energy and Automation Building at the Oakdale exit of Routes. 22/30 in North Fayette Township. Our intention is to move the Airport West Center and CCAC Technology Center into the building by next year--a process that will take some time, but will pay off greatly. One of CCAC's promises to the community is quality, accessible education that is convenient. The consolidation of these centers would increase access of CCAC’s programs and services to residents in the western communities as well as throughout the county. The West is also part of a growth area, and a CCAC location in North Fayette could add to this growth by increasing business for local merchants and encouraging new partnerships between CCAC and neighboring school districts.

Currently, college officials are completing several due diligence items. These include evaluating building and equipment conditions and studying traffic and environmental issues to assess what modifications the college may need to make in preparation for relocating the centers. CCAC administrators have met with the North Fayette planning commission to request rezoning of the property and have recently met with the township’s engineers to discuss a traffic study. As more information develops, we will be sure to keep you informed.

Local legislators discuss work force, economy at Boyce Campus town meeting

On March 12, Congresswoman Melissa Hart, Congressman Mike Doyle, and Congressman Tim Murphy took the stage before about 300 students, staff, and local residents to discuss today's political hot topics—including the economy, workforce training, and the upcoming presidential election. WQED reporter Tonia Caruso moderated the roundtable—giving the legislators time to state their positions on the issues and answer questions from a standing-room only crowd. While the legislators offered varying opinions, they all agreed that community colleges are economic engines critical to workforce development. CCAC is appreciative of the ongoing support Hart, Doyle, and Murphy have provided to our institution. It was a pleasure to welcome legislators who have such passion for their constituents as well as the educational resources that can help them succeed.

CAEL working with community colleges to enhance adult learning practices

Last July, the Western Pennsylvania Community College Resource Consortium (WPCCRC) and the Council of Adult and Experiential Learning (CAEL) launched an initiative designed to enhance the quality of educational delivery to adult learners at community colleges in southwestern Pennsylvania. The Workforce Connections Advisory Board has graciously agreed to fund this initiative. Funds will be used by CAEL to work with representatives from CCAC and four other community colleges to identify strengths and gaps in adult learning practices, as well as plans for addressing areas of need.

Two staff members from each college were requested to work with CAEL. I have selected Dr. Peggy Betlyn, vice president of North Campus, and Dennis Musher, dean of students at North Campus, to serve as CCAC’s representatives. Julia Peters, planning and research analyst from the department of Planning and Institutional Research, is also working closely with Dr. Betlyn and Mr. Musher on this initiative. I am confident these individuals will do a fine job on this very important project. CCAC indeed serves a diverse audience—a very large percentage being nontraditional students. It is imperative that the college continue to seek and implement the best possible learning practices for our adult students. I want to thank Workforce Connections for funding this project. I also wish to thank the WPCCRC and the CAEL for their interest in adult learners at community colleges and for including CCAC in this initiative. We are very excited to participate.

New Programs

U.S. National Guard awards CCAC grant for cybersecurity training

CCAC is known for developing customized programming that responds to the needs of the local and even national work force. Growing recognition of our efforts has landed us a new task. Last fall, the U.S. National Guard, through the U.S. Department of Defense, awarded CCAC and CarnegieMellonUniversity’s Software Engineering Institute (SEI) $1.3 million to co-develop a cybersecurity training program which will eventually be offered at community colleges across the country. The Survivability and Information Assurance certificate is geared toward training network administrators to recognize, resist, and recover from network intruder attacks. This program is extremely timely considering the ongoing threat of computer hackers, network crashes, or, worse, a national security threat.

Enrollment in the program, which has been piloted at South Campus this semester, has been strong. This fall, other community colleges will pilot courses from the program. By 2005, CCAC intends to extend the program to other campuses, and the curriculum should be ready for other community colleges to adopt.

CCAC is proud to play a role in protecting the region’s and the nation’s computer networks. We are also privileged to work with the SEI, one of the nation’s premier software training institutes. I want to thank Congressman Jack P. Murtha, who recognized CCAC’s capabilities as a computer training provider and was instrumental in securing this funding for the college.

CCAC to offer state’s first associate’s degree in cosmetology management

CCAC-Boyce Campus has partnered with the Forbes Road Career and Technology Center to offer Pennsylvania’s first Associate’s of Science Degree in Cosmetology/Management. The new evening and weekend program will balance hands-on training with academic instruction. Students will complete cosmetology courses and some academic courses at Forbes, while other academic classes can be taken at any of CCAC’s four campuses, seven centers, or online. Students who successfully complete the program are eligible to take the PennsylvaniaState cosmetology examination. We are pleased to partner with Forbes in offering this program, and we look forward to its launch this fall.

Allegheny Campus approves Africana and Ethnic Studies

CCAC has approved a new certificate and degree in Africana and Ethnic Studies. The department, previously known as Black, Minority and Ethnic Studies, was revamped to fulfill the needs of an increasingly multicultural society. The departmental offerings are for individuals who must demonstrate proficiency in Africana Studies as part of employment or educational requirements now that many companies, government agencies, and educational institutions require this knowledge base. Students may also apply their certificate credits toward the program’s associate’s degree, which is designed to transfer to four-year colleges and universities. The degree provides students with a broad background based in the humanities and social sciences. Graduates may advance to earn degrees in fields such as sociology, anthropology, education, political science, social work, psychology, history, Africana (Black) studies, and ethnic studies. The Department of Africana and Ethnic Studies plans to add additional concentrations in the future to reflect other world cultures, including Latino, Native American, and ethnic studies.

We are proud to announce this program as diversity becomes more prominent in education and the work place. It is important that society acknowledge and respect the many cultures which contribute to our region and nation. CCAC is pleased to offer a curriculum that promotes this important aspect of the humanities and social sciences.

New marketing/recruitment plan in the works

While CCAC has been successful in marketing the programs and initiatives of the college, it is also important to ensure that our perception of the college is consistent with the public’s perception of CCAC. Because this insight is an integral part of effective marketing and recruitment, the college has conducted market research which will lay the groundwork for a new college marketing/recruitment plan. I have asked Betty Davis, dean of enrollment management, and Jack Chielli, executive director of communications and marketing, to develop a plan based on these research findings which will help the college increase enrollment—particularly among high school students.

Through this research, the college has gained a clearer understanding of how the public—whether CCAC students or non-students—perceives the college in terms of its core value propositions, including quality academics, diversity in programming, and affordable tuition. What we have found is that the public does recognize CCAC as a quality, affordable, and accessible institution. More than 90 percent of survey respondents would recommend CCAC to a family member or friend. We will also be looking to increase the visibility of our transfer programs and student life activities since this is what interests the traditional college-bound student.

CCAC Educational Foundation

In late 2003, CCAC’s Educational Foundation received a Nursing Education Grant from the Pennsylvania Higher Education Foundation. This $159,000 grant provided scholarships for 145 nursing students attending CCAC during the Spring 2004 term. I am happy to announce that students from all four campuses and CCAC’s California University of Pennsylvania site benefited from this program.

In addition to the nursing scholarships, the Educational Foundation distributed more than $35,000 in scholarships to 53 CCAC students for the spring semester. Amid intense competition, students representing all CCAC locations and a wide variety of majors and interests were named recipients. Information on Educational Foundation scholarships is available at the campus financial aid centers and online at ccac.edu.

Foundation announces Legends in Leadership awardees

Congratulations to the recipients of the seventh annual Legends in Leadership awards. The Legends awards recognize current students; former students; members of the faculty, staff or administration; and friends of the college who have been instrumental in the growth and development of CCAC.

This year’s winners include:

Hall of Fame Lifetime Legend Award - Linda A. Dickerson, principal of Dickerson & Mangus Ink. Ms. Dickerson has served CCAC in various capacities, including board member, advisor, and friend.

Legendary Friend - Duquesne Light and John “Buddy” Hobart. Duquesne Light, a leader in the region’s electric power industry, collaborated with CCAC to launch the Electrical Distribution Technology Program in 2002. The curriculum provides students with both the academic and hands-on training they need to become electrical lineworkers and, subsequently, fulfill a workforce need in southwestern Pennsylvania. Mr. Hobart is the founder of Solutions 21, a consulting firm. He served on the Educational Foundation board for 12 years and started the Foundation’s annual golf tournament.

Legendary Alumna - Joseph E. Wolfson. Mr. Wolfson was a member of CCAC’s first graduating class of 1968. He is an entrepreneur who recently started his third business in the area of electronic health care networking.

Legendary Faculty - Kenneth L. Hirschl. Mr. Hirschl began his distinguished career at CCAC in 1966 as a professor of education and business administration at Allegheny Campus. He is currently the dean of arts and sciences at North Campus.

Legendary Student - Benjamin Spicer. Mr. Spicer is a physics major at South Campus, a member of Student Senate, and also the president of the Phi Theta Kappa International Honor Society’s Alpha Iota Eta Chapter at South Campus. He also volunteers for various community groups while maintaining a 4.0 grade point average.

Plans are now underway for the An Illumination of Legends in Leadership dinner—at which this year’s recipients will be honored. This year’s dinner will be held on Thursday, May 6, 2004 at the Omni William Penn Hotel. Proceeds of the dinner will support the expansion of the Leadership, Excellence and Academic Dedication (LEAD) scholarship for CCAC students.

For more information about the event or to purchase tickets, please contact Lara Flister, director of Alumni Affairs and Special Projects at 412.237.3065 or lflister@ccac.edu or visit the website at www.ccac.edu.