As you can see from the photo below, I am getting excited for the Foundation Gala next Saturday October 11th. It will be the first big event in the Yellowstone Building following the Dedication and Open House on Tuesday, October 7th.
"So we beat on...borne back ceaselessly into the past" F. Scott Fitzgerald
Below is a recent update I sent to our area legislators. Have a good weekend!
Dear Big Horn Basin Legislators,
■ YELLOWSTONE BUILDING DEDICATION &
OPEN HOUSE
I hope you’ll be able to join us at the Dedication and Open
House for our new Yellowstone Building Tuesday, October 7, at 4 p.m. We’re
anxious to show off this beautiful and functional new instructional building.
It would never have happened were it not for generous legislative funding that
provided just over 60% of construction costs. It was the first capital
construction appropriation NWC has ever received from the state’s general fund.
We’ll be forever grateful. As you know from my message last month, Nursing students
and faculty were fully moved in for the first day of classes August 25; all
other programs—Criminal Justice, Communication, Social Science and
Education—occupied the building September 22.
■ ENROLLMENT UPDATE
It appears that our earlier enrollment estimates of an
approximate 6% decline were accurate. This dip in numbers is a continuing
response to a stronger economy after its weakening in fall 2009 produced an
enrollment spike of nearly 20%. The good news is that during the 2009-10 year
we worked very hard to accommodate the huge enrollment increase without adding
faculty and staff. That puts us in a strong position as our enrollment returns
to traditional levels.
■ SUMMER BRIDGE PROGRAM IMPROVES MATH
PLACEMENT
A pilot Summer Bridge Program in mathematics attracted 12
student participants in a week-long, intensive math instruction session last
month on campus. Designed to help NWC-bound students with math deficiencies
prepare for college-level math courses, the program also included introduction
to college services and procedures as well as on- and off-campus activities
like a rafting trip. A Northwest College Foundation grant covered all students’
expenses for the entire week, including residence halls and food service. I’m
pleased to tell you that five of the participants achieved a level of
proficiency allowing them to enroll in college-level math this fall. In our
ongoing efforts to help students succeed, that’s great news!
■ HERO GRANT HELPS STUDENTS IN CRISIS
Thanks to NWC Foundation underwriting, a new initiative
implemented this fall is helping students who face emergency situations. Our
new Higher Education Resource Opportunity (HERO) grant helps students with
limited financial resources deal with unexpected financial challenges—loss of a
job, medical issues or inability to afford child care—that may jeopardize their
ability to succeed academically or threaten their continued enrollment. This
program is but one initiative in place to retain students. Again, student
success is our constant focus.
■ PANELIST AT COMMUNITY COLLEGE SUMMIT
I’m excited to serve as a panelist at the Wyoming
Association of Community College Trustees’ Fourth Annual Community College
Summit October 9 in Laramie. The panel will focus on defining student success.
Other panelists include an industry representative, a student, a Wyoming
Community College Commissioner and a Legislator.
■ KUDOS
Ag program ranking: Northwest College’s Ag program
ranks 27th in the nation in associate degree production, according
to Community College Week. NWC
bested 73 other two-year institutions that made it into the top 100 community
colleges in the Agriculture,
Agricultural Operations and Related Sciences category.
National Player of the Week: Freshman
Volleyball Team standout Aleksandra Djordjevic from Serbia was named NJCAA
National Player of the Week. This marks the third consecutive season NWC has
had an NJCAA National Player of the Week and the fourth in the last three
seasons.
Have a good weekend!
Stefani
Stefani Hicswa, Ph.D.
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