A Message from the President

Dear Colleagues:

Welcome to the summer edition of the President’s Report. During the last several months, much has occurred that is of great significance and impact to the college. I’d like to start by saying that although many exciting changes—and challenges—lay before us, community colleges across the state are facing financial pressure.

While the college is moving forward with its major initiatives and gaining more community support each day, it needs full funding support from the legislature for our operating and capital budgets. At present, state allocations to CCAC may be as much as 10 percent below historic full funding levels. In addition, new capital funding has not been allocated to community colleges for several years. The result is that class sizes have grown and students face challenges of getting into the classes they need. We are compelled to self-fund important capital projects such as increasing our technology capabilities and improving our physical properties to meet larger enrollments.

We are in danger of not receiving the support we need to provide the level of services the community has come to expect. I would ask that anyone who has an interest to please call or write your legislators and the governor’s office to request that additional financial assistance be provided to community colleges throughout the Commonwealth.

In view of our financial challenges, I would also like to commend the many faculty members, staff, and administrators for the superior job they do.

Our focus in the months ahead will be continued prudence with the use of our financial resources, alignment of short term priorities, and preparation for launching a strategic planning process to be completed by the end of the coming school year.

Thank you to all who attended my inauguration. I was truly delighted that so many friends, colleagues, and community partners participated in the ceremony. It truly helped to make the day memorable and very special.

Best wishes for an enjoyable summer!

Stu

CCAC News

CCAC named a DaimlerChrysler School of the Year

CCAC has been chosen as a DaimlerChrysler Corporation College Automotive Program (CAP) School of the Year. Ron Logreco, assistant dean of the CCAC Technology Center, was presented with the award during the CAP National Conference in Michigan on June 9. CCAC is one of 35 schools nationwide to offer this two-year curriculum, in which students train in eight-week rotations at both the college and sponsoring dealership. Instructors Scott Main and Karl Watson have done a superb job facilitating the program and they were instrumental in helping CCAC earn this award for the first time. CCAC was one of three U.S. schools to receive this prestigious honor.

New Allegheny Campus vice president named

In early July, CCAC will welcome Brian Johnson, Ed.D., as the new vice president of Allegheny Campus. He comes to us from MesaCommunity College in Mesa, Arizona, where he was vice president of student and community services. At Mesa, Dr. Johnson developed the departmental budget, created and implemented marketing strategies to attract students, and shaped the college’s admissions policies and procedures. A chief responsibility was organizing Mesa’s campaign to gain voter approval for a $386 million bond issue—then the largest bond issue in community college history.

I would also like to express my appreciation for the outstanding work of Dr. Allysen Todd, who has served as interim vice president; Maureen Stradley, who has served as interim dean of arts and sciences; and Anthony Lucas, who has served as interim dean of occupational technologies. They have sustained a sound operating environment at Allegheny Campus during this extended period of time.

CCAC first in state to receive NADE certification

The Developmental Reading Program at Allegheny Campus has earned the first advanced-level certification in Pennsylvania from the National Association for Developmental Education (NADE) Certification Council. CCAC is one of only 15 institutions nationwide to earn this certification, which recognizes developmental programs that meet or exceed the criteria of best practices defined by professional research and field literature. The external and objective evaluation leading to this certification advances research in the field of developmental education and reinforces that CCAC is making a difference for its students. NADE anticipates that CCAC will serve as a model program for others in the state and nation.

CCAC and RMU sign three new articulation agreements

I am proud to announce that we have enhanced our relationship with long-time partner Robert Morris University through the recent formation of three new articulation agreements. They include a 1) joint admissions agreement between RMU’s School of Adult and Continuing Education and CCAC for a bachelor of science degree in either organizational studies or professional communications and information systems, 2) an articulation agreement to maximize credit transferability from CCAC’s associate’s degree program in teacher education to RMU’s bachelor of science degree in elementary education, and 3) a transitional admission agreement to provide certain students who do not qualify for admission to RMU with the opportunity to gain future admission after successfully completing a prescribed program of studies at CCAC.

These newest agreements will support our efforts to provide quality, accessible education to a variety of students.

CCAC Diversity Council formed

It is important that as a college, CCAC builds an inclusive community that celebrates diversity and embraces differences as positive aspects of our culture. With this in mind, I am very proud to announce that CCAC has formed its first official Diversity Council. The council, which consists of students, faculty, administrators, and staff, will play a major role in the college’s diversity planning, programming, and implementation processes. Our goal is to enrich the quality of education our students receive by providing the necessary tools to succeed in a diverse environment. Our first major initiative is to showcase the college with the theme: “CCAC: A Community That Celebrates Diversity.” Various activities are planned for the upcoming academic year that include workshops, guest speakers, and other special events.

Allegheny Campus recognizes Disability Awareness Week

Allegheny Campus recently acknowledged Disability Awareness Week through very active participation—namely, the practice of being “disabled for a day.” Various administrators—including myself—used wheelchairs, crutches, eye patches, or ear plugs to simulate the feeling of being physically challenged. During a disability awareness fair held that week, members of the campus student club Using Personal Potential (UPP) discussed important topics about dealing with disabilities.

We often forget that many people live with these challenges every day. It was very humbling to glimpse into their daily routines.

CCAC Initiatives – Updates

Center for Health Careers

The demand for quality health care instruction is greater than ever at a time when workforce shortages have reached critical levels. The Center for Health Careers will respond by providing high-quality programs that match occupational demands; increasing retention rates among health care students; recruiting diverse, capable students; and centralizing programming to achieve greater efficiency in the delivery of health care education. The center will also establish a world-class facility for health career programming.

Heading the center in these efforts is Kathleen Malloy, Ph.D., vice president of health professions, whom Gov. Edward Rendell has recently appointed co-chair of the Pennsylvania Center for Health Careers. The center will address the critical shortage of nurses and other key health care careers in the state. I am sure Dr. Malloy will do an excellent job in her new role.

The Frieda G. Shapira Center for Learning

In May, the CCAC Board of Trustees voted to name the CCAC Center for Learning in memory of Frieda G. Shapira. The center will reflect many of the same values shared by Shapira, whose 12-year tenure at the college influenced many of the initiatives that have helped to shape CCAC.

The center will spearhead CCAC's internal and community outreach efforts to serve learners of all ages. Efforts to date include a collaboration with the City of Pittsburgh Public Schools to bring a middle college to Allegheny Campus for 10^th and 11^th grade students; a partnership with the Allegheny Intermediate Unit in which our education students will tutor K-3 children in reading; and a program developed with the Western Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School to extend our academic offerings to more high school students. Contingent on external funding, the center will also oversee the reestablishment of our Women’s Center at Allegheny Campus and the development and expansion of various other education, mentoring, and child development programs for a variety of learners. Additionally, the National Institute at Landmark College will visit our campuses in the early fall to observe how we support our students with learning disabilities and to provide professional development for our faculty and staff.

Center for Professional Development

CCAC will provide biotechnology workforce training as the result of a $2.4 million federal grant awarded to Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse. We are one of several partners in the local effort, which is part of an overall $17.2 million Biotechnology Worker Training Initiative announced in early June by U.S. Labor Secretary Elaine L. Chao. The biotechnology field is one of the fastest growing employment sectors, and qualified workers with a hybrid of industry skills and academic education are needed. This federal funding will help CCAC and the Pittsburgh Life Sciences Greenhouse to co-develop curriculum that satisfies training needs identified by local biotechnology and medical device employers.

In other important news, on July 19 Reginald Overton will assume the position of executive director of the Center for Professional Development. Mr. Overton most recently served as first vice president/client manager at Mellon Financial Corp., where he was the liaison for clients in the banking, insurance, and broker dealer industry in the mid-Atlantic and mid-western states. I would like to thank Brenda Trettel, interim dean of workforce training, for the outstanding work she has done while the college searched for a new executive director.

Middle States

Middle States update: countdown to the team visit April 3-6, 2005

In April 2005, the Middle States Evaluation Team will conduct its study of CCAC’s self-study report. A final, edited version of this report will be circulated to the entire college community in late summer. Feedback will be very important in finalizing the document, and I urge everyone to give their utmost attention and thought to the report. Campus meetings will be held during the fall semester to provide a forum for discussion. The key issue of concern that has emerged from the self-study is how CCAC plans for and implements the assessment of student learning at the course and program level and how that assessment impacts institutional planning. We have already begun to restructure the planning process that will give us a blueprint for becoming a learning-centered, student-centered institution. I encourage each of you to consider strategies that can help us achieve this goal.

New Programs

Renowned Cisco networking curriculum available at South Campus this fall

Starting this fall, South Campus will offer a new credit program with the Cisco Networking Academy to prepare students for the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) certification. The program had been offered in the past as a noncredit initiative and will now be more affordable for students as a credit option.

Offered in just four 9-week sessions, the Cisco Certified Network Associate certificate program is ideal for those seeking networking and IT jobs or as a start toward advanced education in engineering, computer science, and other fields. For more information, please contact Ping’an Wang, CCAC associate professor and certified Cisco instructor, by email at pwang@ccac.edu

North Campus introduces ASL and Multimedia Web Design certificate programs

North Campus will offer two new certificate programs this fall geared at adult learners seeking to enhance their skills and thereby increase value to their employers.

The American Sign Language certificate program will help professionals seeking to specialize their skills or to parents, relatives, friends, and co-workers of people who are Deaf or hard of hearing. While the program is not intended to prepare students to become interpreters for Deaf people, it will teach them basic methods for communicating with Deaf people while also educating them about deafness and deaf culture.

The Multimedia Web Design certificate program was developed in response to the growth of the Internet as a business, marketing, and communications tool. It is vital that computer professionals receive the education and training they need to keep up with evolving technologies. Students in this program will acquire skills in web development and design—preparing them for greater success in fields such as corporate communications, marketing, and sales, as well as for web design firms, publishers, and animation studios.

New Partnerships

Allegheny Campus and Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild develop Summer Academy Initiative

In another newly-formed partnership, CCAC Allegheny Campus and the Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild have developed a Summer Academy Initiative for junior high school students which will be offered in 2005. For five weeks, artisans from the Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild and CCAC faculty will collaborate to offer carefully-paired courses similar to those now offered for Act 101 and supportive services students. Students will become familiar with college expectations, build their academic skills, and reinforce the Manchester Craftsmen’s Guild’s belief that all learning can be applied as a creative process.

New partnership links CCAC with famed artist Mary Cassatt

Allegheny Campus has partnered with the Allegheny City Society (ACS), a NorthShore neighbor, to care for a year-round "impressionist-style" garden commemorating the artistry of Mary Cassatt, born in Allegheny City 160 years ago. The garden’s groundbreaking was May 22, 2004, at which the ACS, in cooperation with CCAC, dedicated a Pennsylvania historical marker from the John Heinz History Center at the intersection of Ridge and Allegheny avenues. At the ceremony, Mayor Tom Murphy proclaimed the day “Mary Cassatt Day” in Pittsburgh. Allegheny Campus clubs and honor society students will help maintain the garden, which is being designed by a local landscape architect.

Best Practices

College pursues leadership development training

It is critical that as a college we embrace best practices in all we do. With that in mind, senior college administrators met June 9 for a working session with two primary objectives—defining overall performance goals for CCAC in the 2004–2005 school year and identifying individual performance objectives that are consistent with broad college initiatives. Ultimately, comprehensive action plans will be developed that include next steps, accountabilities, required support, and target dates.

For now, we are working to select important goals that we can later build into an agenda. We will discuss which approach will be used to formally review progress-to-plan throughout the year and make necessary mid-course corrections. The participants on June 9 will remain engaged as active participants in this process. They will take ownership of objectives within their defined areas of responsibility and outcomes will be measurable. Once in agreement, I will present these objectives to our board and assume overall ownership.

Upcoming Events

Allegheny Campus Library to host traveling Abraham Lincoln exhibit

The Allegheny Campus Library will host a very important Civil War exhibit this fall. “Forever Free: Abraham Lincoln’s Journey to Emancipation” will include reproductions of 60 rare historical documents highlighting Abraham Lincoln’s presidency and his role in the abolition of slavery.

To supplement the exhibit, related programming will also be available to help educate the public about the Civil War, Lincoln, slavery, and southwestern Pennsylvania’s ties to this historical era. A film series, speaker series, re-enacters, a panel discussion, and South Campus' production of Our American Cousin will serve as highlights. I encourage each of you to visit this exhibit or attend one of the program events. Please consider bringing students to the exhibit, which will run Oct. 27–Dec. 10, 2004, or incorporating the exhibit or related programming into your fall classes. The film series will precede the exhibit. Details will be available soon on the website: ccac.edu/library/lincoln

Awards and Accomplishments

Outstanding CCAC students recognized

Eight CCAC students have been named to the All-Pennsylvania Academic Team in recognition of their outstanding achievements in the classroom and the community. The team members were honored in April at the annual meeting of the Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges (PCCC), which coordinates the annual program with Phi Theta Kappa (PTK), the international honor society for two-year colleges. CCAC sponsors four active PTK chapters, one on each of its campuses. Among the 45 honorees statewide were the following CCAC students: Roozbeh Aliabadi, of Scott Township, a business major at Allegheny Campus; Jacquie Bahr, of Jefferson Hills, a liberal arts and sciences major at South Campus; Nicole Bates, of Coraopolis, an education major at Allegheny Campus; Lori Furlong, of Verona, a nursing major at Boyce Campus; Megan McCormick, of Monroeville, a liberal arts and sciences major at Boyce Campus; Alice Needham, of Allison Park, an education major at North Campus; Benjamin Spicer, of Brentwood, a physics major at South Campus; and Mary Zeak, of McCandless, a liberal arts and sciences major at North Campus.

Faculty earn NISOD awards

Seven CCAC faculty members were named 2004 National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development (NISOD) winners this year. NISOD, based at the University of Texas at Austin, is an international leader in promoting excellence in teaching and development in two-year colleges. The NISOD awards are given each year to community college faculty nationwide who have demonstrated excellence in the classroom.

This year’s recipients include: Joyceann Ditka, professor of English, North Campus; Joe Hrebenak, professor of business, Allegheny Campus; Mark Juliani, professor of mathematics, Allegheny Campus; Gerald Jennings, professor of music, Boyce Campus; Bob Malena, professor of mathematics, South Campus; Marlene McCall, professor of biology, North Campus; and Rodger O’Toole, professor of speech, Boyce Campus.

College honors Bill Shay – Pittsburgh college basketball’s “winningest” coach

On April 14, Allegheny Campus honored legendary men’s basketball coach and physical education professor Bill Shay at a ceremony in the campus gymnasium. The ceremony recognized his career highlight of 750 wins this season, a milestone in his 754-321 record, which also includes 35 consecutive regional tournament appearances during his 36 years at CCAC. He is one of the top junior college coaches in the nation and is Pittsburgh college basketball’s “winningest” coach. Coach Shay also co-founded the Pittsburgh Steelwheelers, a paraplegic wheelchair basketball team, and co-authored a book titled Education for Life about student athletes.

Technology Center receives prestigious recertification again

The Technology Center’s automotive programs have once again received recertification by the National Automotive Technicians Educational Foundation (NATEF) and the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE). The three programs to receive this prestigious industry recognition are: the General Motors Automotive Service Educational Program (ASEP); Ford Automotive Student Service Educational Training (ASSET); and the DaimlerChrysler Corporation College Apprenticeship Program (CAP). This recertification is extremely important at a time when the demand for skilled industry technicians continues to grow. The Technology Center satisfies this need by training hundreds of students each year in its automotive technology degree and certificate programs.

Communications and Marketing Department celebrates award-winning strategies

The communications and marketing department recently won six awards for exceptional marketing tactics used in promoting the college.

For the Pittsburgh Alliance of the Association for Women in Communications annual Matrix Awards, the department received an honorable mention award for each of the following: the Fall 2003 Advertising Campaign; the 2003 Annual Report; the direct mail marketing piece, “Need a New Direction?” postcard; and the new CCAC website.

For the 19^th Annual Communicator Awards and the Admissions Marketing Report, the department received a merit award for both the “CCAC, Need a New Direction?” postcard and for a CCAC Fall 2003 radio spot.

External Relations

Sponsorship packages still available for CCAC Educational Foundation Golf Tournament

The FedEx Ground/CCAC Educational Foundation Golf Tournament will be held on Monday, Sept. 20, 2004, at Treesdale Golf and Country Club. Hole-in-one prizes and a skill contest will precede dinner, during which time more awards and prizes will be offered. Sponsors of the event to date include: International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local Union No. 5, the Western Pennsylvania Chapter of NECA Labor Management Cooperation Council, Pepsi, National City Bank of Pennsylvania, and US Steel. Information on sponsorship and golf opportunities at the tournament may be obtained from the CCAC Educational Foundation website at www.ccac.edu. The field is limited, so reserve your space as soon as possible by calling the Educational Foundation at 412.237.4427.

Legends in Leadership recognizes those who make a difference

The CCAC Educational Foundation hosted its 7^th Annual An Illumination of Legends in Leadership dinner on Thursday, May 6, 2004 at the Omni William Penn Hotel. This year’s event, chaired by David J. Malone, principal at Gateway Financial, was attended by nearly 300 people and raised more than $50,000.

The Legendsdinner honors men and women who have made a positive and lasting impact and recognizes the lifetime achievement of individuals or organizations that have been instrumental in the growth and development of CCAC. This year’s honorees were: Hall of Fame Lifetime Legend Award – Linda A. Dickerson; Legendary Friend – Duquesne Light and John “Buddy” Hobart; Legendary Alumnus – Joseph E. Wolfson; Legendary Administrator – Kenneth L. Hirschl; and Legendary Student – Benjamin Spicer.Proceeds of the dinner will support the expansion of the Leadership, Excellence and Academic Dedication (L.E.A.D.) scholarship fund designed to attract academically motivated, high achieving students to CCAC.

For more information about the event, please contact Lara Flister, director of alumni affairs and special projects, at 412.237.4429 or lflister@ccac.edu.

Marketing and recruitment plan complete; new strategies underway

As I reported in the spring President’s Report, Betty Davis, dean of enrollment management, and Jack Chielli, executive director of communications and marketing, merged their respective staffs this year to create and implement a three-year marketing and recruitment plan to reinforce the college brand while outlining new enrollment procedures. The plan focuses largely on increasing enrollment among high school students to CCAC during each of the next three years through targeted marketing strategies that promote the college’s strong value propositions, such as quality and affordability. To communicate these propositions in a unified voice, the marketing team has constructed a campaign based on research and focus groups that indicated students react strongly to the idea of making a “smart choice” to attend CCAC. The campaign, built around phrases such as “I chose CCAC” and “We chose CCAC,” plays off the college’s tagline “Real People. Smart Choices.”

It is also critical that we follow through with our inquiries and encourage prospective students to apply for admissions. One of the key elements to this plan is an enrollment process that works closely with prospective students from the moment of inquiry to registration for classes. We will acknowledge their interest in CCAC through increased mailings and telephone contact.