The official newsletter for Coconino Community College

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In This Issue
Reverse Transfer Program Helps Students Complete A.A. Degrees
Coconino Community College and the State of Arizona praised for efficient use of SESP Grant Money
Arizona SBDC Chooses CCC to Host Regional Meetings
Grantseeker's Summer Camp
Page Lake Powell Community Foundation Awards Two Scholarships
Page Kid's College
Veterans Fair
GED Graduation
Retiring Staff and Faculty Contributions are A Major Part of CCC's First 20 Years of Success
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MISSION:

As a learning-centered college, we enrich lives by embracing diversity and transforming the future through quality education.


CORE VALUES:

People

Quality

Ethics

Community

Respect

Sustainability

Learning and Growth

 

DID YOU KNOW?

 

CCC serves nearly 10,000 learners annually.

 

CCC generates $7.13 for each taxpayer dollar invested.

 

Economic Impact - $85 million generated by CCC in one year.

 

Over $9 million in financial aid and scholarships is distributed to CCC students.

 

When the college was founded in 1991, CCC served only 1,000 learners. Today, the College serves nearly 10,000 learners a year!

 

80% of students surveyed say CCC met their individually defined educational goals.

 

 

Filling vital occupations - In Coconino County, CCC graduates make up:  

 

51% of the fire fighters  

 

22% of registered nurses and paramedics

 

43% of the detention officers

 

 

CCC tuition is less than one-third the cost of the average four-year state university.

 

 

CCC's tuition and fees are 88% of the same costs at community colleges nationally.

 



 

MISSION:

As a learning-centered college, we enrich lives by embracing diversity and transforming the future through quality education.


CORE VALUES:

People

Quality

Ethics

Community

Respect

Sustainability

Learning and Growth

 

DID YOU KNOW?

 

CCC serves nearly 10,000 learners annually.

 

CCC generates $7.13 for each taxpayer dollar invested.

 

Economic Impact - $85 million generated by CCC in one year.

 

Over $9 million in financial aid and scholarships is distributed to CCC students.

 

When the college was founded in 1991, CCC served only 1,000 learners. Today, the College serves nearly 10,000 learners a year!

 

80% of students surveyed say CCC met their individually defined educational goals.

 

 

Filling vital occupations - In Coconino County, CCC graduates make up:  

 

51% of the fire fighters  

 

22% of registered nurses and paramedics

 

43% of the detention officers

 

 

CCC tuition is less than one-third the cost of the average four-year state university.

 

 

CCC's tuition and fees are 88% of the same costs at community colleges nationally.

 



 

DID YOU KNOW?

 

CCC serves nearly 10,000 learners annually.

 

CCC generates $7.13 for each taxpayer dollar invested.

 

Economic Impact - $85 million generated by CCC in one year.

 

Over $9 million in financial aid and scholarships is distributed to CCC students.

 

When the college was founded in 1991, CCC served only 1,000 learners. Today, the College serves nearly 10,000 learners a year!

 

80% of students surveyed say CCC met their individually defined educational goals.

 

 

Filling vital occupations - In Coconino County, CCC graduates make up:  

 

51% of the fire fighters  

 

22% of registered nurses and paramedics

 

43% of the detention officers

 

 

CCC tuition is less than one-third the cost of the average four-year state university.

 

 

CCC's tuition and fees are 88% of the same costs at community colleges nationally.

 



 

MISSION:

As a learning-centered college, we enrich lives by embracing diversity and transforming the future through quality education.


CORE VALUES:

People

Quality

Ethics

Community

Respect

Sustainability

Learning and Growth

 

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July 2011 

Reverse Transfer Program Helps Students Complete A.A. Degrees


The reverse transfer program provides students with the opportunity to complete their A.A. degree after they have moved on to a four-year university. The program is a collaborative effort between Coconino Community College and Northern Arizona University with the first cohort of students receiving their A.A. degrees this summer. Students must have completed a minimum of 15 hours at CCC and 60 hours at NAU to be considered for an A.A. degree. Once a student is identified as a potential candidate, their transcripts are evaluated by representatives from both NAU and CCC. If a student has met the requirements for the completion of the degree, it is automatically awarded.

Veronica Hipolito, Director of Student Services at CCC, said "just because students move on to NAU does not mean that they did not meet their goals at CCC. The reverse transfer program closes the loop. So far, the response from students has been great; they are excited to get their A.A. degree."

The program has multiple benefits for students: the A.A. degree is one more credential to add to a resume; it gives the student an added sense of accomplishment; and, may spur them on to Baccalaureate completion. In addition, having the Associates degree may also help students earn a better wage while attending a four-year university as well as transfer more easily to other four-year universities.

 

Reverse transfer results in completion of more degrees and students with a more competitive edge in the workplace. 

 

Coconino Community College and the State of Arizona praised for efficient use of SESP Grant Money


Community and Corporate Learning along with Career and Technical Education staff received a visit from the U.S. Dept. of Labor's Employment Training Administration acknowledging 

the College for its effective use of the Arizona State Energy Sector Partnership Grant (SESP). Of the 17 states receiving the DOL grant, only Arizona and California were visited.

 

The federally-funded grant provides the opportunity for Arizona's community colleges to focus on a variety of energy education and training programs unique to the state's individual regions. As a result, short-term job training in the energy sector and employment are created for the workforce in individual communities, statewide. In addition, certifications for local contractors, including ReGroup and Green Model, are now available.

 

The State Energy Sector Partnership has also resulted in a streamlined green job curriculum bank accessible to all Arizona community colleges.
 
The College's portion of the SESP grant focuses on industry certifications in the renewable energy sector, specifically, weatherization, retrofitting, and green building.  Because of the SESP funding, CCC now offers three certifications in residential and commercial energy auditing. In addition, photovoltaic system design, installation, and maintenance is offered. Now halfway through the three-year grant, new courses in water distribution and utility management are planned. All of the SESP-funded curriculum design is based on current regional demand and labor market analysis.


The SESP grant has permitted the College to provide training for the City of Flagstaff, Navajo Nation, Native Americans for Community Action (NACA) and Mohave County. The College has also created a powerful energy training referral system which includes, but is not exclusive to, The Center for American Indian Economic Development (CAIED), a partnership between Northern Arizona University and NACA. 

 

With SESP funding, the College has been able to enhance both economic and environmental sustainability to Coconino County and the surrounding region. 

 

SESP Grant
Left to Right: Alex Wright, CCC SESP Coordinator, Michelle Green, SESP Grants Analyst, Ken Myer, CCC Faculty for the Green Building and Alternative Energy Program, Monica Baker, Regional Lead for Arizona SESP Grant & CCC Dean of Career and Technical Education, and Kristen Hall, Workforce Project Manager, Arizona Commerce Authority, outside of a home where Coconino Community College students conducted an energy audit as part of their SESP-funded energy training.
Arizona SBDC Chooses CCC to Host Regional Meetings

 

The Arizona Small Business Development Center Network (AZ SBDC) has selected Coconino Community College SBDC to host the "All Hands & Directors Meeting" July 26-28, 2011.  

 

This event, held at the CCC Fourth Street Campus, brings together the entire SBDC state network which includes eleven Center Directors and over 40 Center Counselors & administrative staff. Hence the name, "All Hands."

 

The "All Hands & Directors Meeting" is a semiannual meeting that outlines and updates strategic and annual goals, presents program updates as well as provides SBDC- Director, Counselor and Administrative training. We have selected a lecture hall, a computer lab and two classrooms to host the various training sessions that the State Network will conduct at this meeting. If you have any questions, please contact the CCC-SBDC office at (928) 526-7653.

 

Grantseeker's Summer Camp

Grantseekers Workshop

 

On June 9, CCC Foundation hosted Part I of The Grantseeker's Summer Camp: "Grantsmanship Basic Training" in cooperation with the Alliance of Arizona Nonprofits. The workshop provided instruction in strategic project planning, effective grants research techniques, and helpful tips and tools for an effective, fundable grant proposal.

 

Parts II and III, Logic Modeling and Budgeting, were also offered July 14 at the Lone Tree Campus. For more information about the training tailored for faculty or staff, please contact Stacy Wyman, CCC Grants Coordinator at x4384.

 

Page Lake Powell Community Foundation Awards Two Scholarships


The Page-Lake Powell Community Foundation announced their scholarship recipients in May. This year's scholarships are being awarded to Lawrence Tso and Malachi Little.  

 

Lawrence Tso ambitions are to earn an A.A. degree from
Coconino Community College and eventually become a counselor to assist others with substance abuse issues. The
second recipient is Malachi Little who also attends Coconino Community College and wants to pursue a Nursing degree.


The Page-Community Foundation provides scholarships to assist with tuition and books to full-time students within the Page region, living within the boundaries of the Page Unified School District, and who are attending an Arizona university or college. Students must have a GPA of 3.0 or higher to apply. The range of awards vary from $2,000 to $1,500 per year.

Page Kid's College

Coconino Community College conducted their Kids College program during the last three weeks of July. The program is geared toward students aged 10 through 14 and includes three different week-long programs.

 

The first week focused on medicine and working in the medical field, the second week is entitled "How far back is old?" and the third week is focused on crime-scene investigation.

 

 

Jane Ward, Coconino Community College's Educational Services Coordinator, organized Kids College this year and has been pleased the results.

 

 

The how far back is old segment students are focused on history and discovering how long the world has been in existence. Ward said, "The students participated in a variety of activities including an educational tour of the dam, lectures from National Park Service representatives, star gazing at Wahweap and educational videos."

 

 

Students enjoy being a part of Kids College because they become real CCC students. They are enrolled in a non-credit course and are given CCC student IDs.

 

 

"They like telling their older brothers and sisters: 'I'm a college student, and you're not!'" Ward said.

 

 

Student Sage Bingham attended one week of the program last summer and asked her parents to come back for the full three weeks this year.

 

 

"It's just fun," Bingham said. "I get to see a lot of the people I saw last year."

 

 

 "It was good," Bingham said. "I learned a lot. Like, what people in the hospital do and how many people they have each year, which is depending on the season. I also learned about dentistry."

 

 

Ward organized this year's programs based on what the students requested at the end of last summer's program, so she knew the children would be interested in the content.  

 

The child can pick and choose which week he or she wants to attend, and doesn't have to attend all three weeks in order to be a part of the program.

 

 

The last week Is CSI week which is their "big week," with as many up to 25 kids In the program. During CSI week the students investigate a murder and are responsible for collecting evidence, taking fingerprints of suspects, analyzing their evidence in a crime lab and presenting that evidence in a court room.

 

 

"I love it," Ward said. "It's a lot of fun and also very exhausting. I'm usually asleep before the kids are."

 

 

Article courtesy of Jennifer Rae Palmer:  The Lake Powell Chronicle.

 

 

To see the unedited version go to www.lakepowellchronicle.com

 

Veterans Fair
Veteran's job fair

AZ Bikes, a local small business and a client of CCC's Small Business Development Center raffled off a $750 Kona bicycle won by Rebekah Orem a female veteran entering her senior year.

 

On June 8, CCC hosted the second Annual Northern Arizona "Hire Our Heroes" Career/ Benefits Fair in collaboration with the Arizona Department of Veteran's Services, Arizona Department of Economic Security - Coconino County, Goodwill Industries of Northern Arizona, and Northern Arizona University.  The fair showcased a variety of service organizations and employment specialists from the region aimed at support veterans' benefits and jobs.  With over 100 veterans in attendance, attendees and service providers noted the outstanding hospitality of the college. 

 

There were 18 businesses and employers with job openings in attendance:

  • Home Depot                                      
  • Enchanted Resort                                                      
  • Empire Cat                             
  • Coconino County HR                                                
  • Arizona Department of Corrections                                                        
  • Nestle Purina                                                  
  • W L Gore                               
  • American Conservation Exp  
  • National Park Service, Flagstaff Monuments      
  • Grand Canyon National Park
  • Little Colorado Medical Center
  • Papillon Airways
  • Little America
  • Best Buy
  • Flagstaff Medical Center
  • UPS
  • Walgreens
  • Xantera

 

There were 20 service agencies exhibiting:

  • Coconino Community College          
  • DES Rehab Services                          
  • AZ Department of Vet Services                                
  • Vet Center & Mobil Center   
  • NACOG/SCCEP                               
  • Catholic Charities                              
  • VARO                                                           
  • Goodwill of Northern Arizona                             
  • In Transitions                                     
  • MANA
  • Navajo Division of Workforce          
  • DES Employment Administration
  • AZDVS Troops to Teachers
  • Small Business Administration
  • Kaplan University
  • Grand Canyon University
  • DES/EA/Vets Services
  • Project Connect
  • NAU Veterans Services
  • NAU/Trio/EOC Services  
GED Graduation

 

GED Graduate















 

This year's GED graduation was heartfelt and familial. The just over 40 graduates were beaming with excitement that filled the entire room. Pictured above is the GED Class speaker Diane Cotton being congratulated by her mentor Michele Zerr.  

 

People 

Retiring Staff and Faculty Contributions are a Major Part of CCC's First 20 Years of Success

As CCC enters its 20th year as a College, it's not difficult to understand how the College was able to grow in leaps and bounds as we reflect on the successful careers of the many who are retiring this summer. Several of the retirees have been affiliated with the College since its inception, seeing the College go from a seed to a success. 

 

Joe Costion: When Career and Technical Education Dean Monica Baker interviewed Joe nearly 12 years ago for CCC's Construction program, she knew had the right person for the job. "Joe had a plan from the very beginning, he knew exactly where he wanted the department to go with green building, and everything in that plan came to fruition.  Joe has always been ahead of his time ahead of building trends, showing incredible vision." said Dean Baker. Costion also tackled something that normally would require a separate department and that was internships and in-service learning, providing students with hands experience on unique green projects like solar, wind and greenhouse building. Joe's expertise, vision and passion for sustainable living will be missed. Joe's short term retirement plan is to catch up on his many sustainable living projects at home, but no doubt he will be looking at the future for what's next in the sustainable building trades.

 

Barbara Eickmeyer: Barb retires this summer as Department

Barb E.

Chair for the Languages program. Barb has been with the College for 20 academic years, and was a large part of growing the language department from two to six languages and over 300 students per semester. She led the way by advocating for American Sign Language (ASL) to become an official language for education and in 1995, it was recognized as a foreign language. Today, thanks in a large part to Barb's efforts; CCC is one of only three Colleges in the state of Arizona offering a sign language degree. Barb plans to focus on family and travel upon retirement, but plans to start a translation business. Barb said, "CCC is a great company to work for because they value family".

 

Bob ErbBob Erb retires after five years as the Director of Institutional Advancement at CCC. Bob's career as a professional fundraiser spans 40 years, with such prestigious organizations as the Boy Scouts of America, Arizona Historical Society, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and Northern Arizona University. Foundation funds have quadrupled under his leadership, and the number of scholarships has grown from 18 to 75, an accomplishment he believes was his greatest as director of the foundation. Bob plans to pursue his life-long passion for the outdoors, participating in mountain man events and trips and by passing on the skills he has learned as an outdoorsman on to his grandchildren. He also looks forward to travel with his wife Audrey and seasonal work with the National Park Service where he can share his knowledge of the outdoors with visitors.

 

Lee Vadnais: Lee Vadnais, 4th street campus CCL Coordinator, will be retiring after 11 � years with Coconino Community College. When Lee first came to CCC, she was hired on as a Business Councilor in the SBDC department. Six months after being hired Vadnais became the head of the SBDC department. She then transferred to CCC's Community and Corporate Learning center in 2005. She also teaches online Principles of Management, Small Business Management, and Marketing classes for CCC.

 

Lee currently lives in Cottonwood, Arizona and plans on continuing teaching online business classes as well as working with corporate training when the opportunity arises. Lee is also planning on using her newly found retirement time painting, spinning yarn, creating fiber art, gardening and landscaping her yard. Lee said, "This is a lifestyle change. It's going to be a challenge, but I like challenges!"

 

"The best part about working at CCC was the people. They made me realize how much I can learn from other people and from the students I teach. CCC, and especially the 4th street campus because it's smaller, a real family environment. This has been one of the most enjoyable jobs I've ever worked at. It will be sad to leave it" said Lee.

   

 

CCC would like to thank Lee Vadnais for all her years with the college and wish her a fond farewell!

 

On Thurs June 29, 2011 Scott Walton left CCC with little fan fare after 20 years of service to CCC.  Scott  was the 3rd  Scott Waltonemployee at CCC, making him one of the original employees when the college started.  He was working for Yavapai College at the time when he came over to assist in the creation of the firefighting and EMS programs.  Over the years he was instrumental in the creation of FSC and EMS, always employed part time while moving forward with a full time effort.  During this time Scott was promoting upward within Flagstaff Fire Department and recently retired from that career.  Scott's legacy at CCC, is that of an individual who put students first while setting a high standard of professionalism within FSC and EMS.

 

When Interviewed about his time at CCC Scott said, "It has been a pleasure serving for the past 20 years with the CCC team.  It is comforting to know as a CCC employee and a parent of three children that all attended CCC that the CCC team always puts the students first and I was proud to be associated with these professionals".

 

Carol Wilson: They say that behind every successful person is someone behind the scenes helping those people achieve great things. Carol Wilson has been that person, first as the College receptionist, then Monica Baker's assistant, and for the last 9 years an assistant for the Vice President of Academic Affairs, Dr. Kathleen Corak..Carol had the unique distinction of being the first CCC employee to be a staff member, student and instructor (Carol taught CIS classes) all that the same time!  Carol said, I have truly enjoyed the challenge and learning about how the education system works." Carol looks forward to moving to a warmer environment and plans to take as many cruises as she can! Carol will be missed; bon voyage, we are all a little jealous about that plan!

 


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