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Community Newsletter
Summer 2012
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Greetings,
College of the Mainland is committed to providing excellent college education and workforce development programs for our communities in mainland Galveston County. In an effort to keep you better informed about some of the great things being done by our faculty, staff and students, we are sharing with you this electronic newsletter. If you take a few minutes to read it, you will discover more of the ways COM can serve you.
Larry Durrence
Interim President
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To read more about COM students' success, download the 2010-2012 Report to the Community here.
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Offering training year-round at an affordable price, COM Continuing Education can customize courses to fit your company's needs. More>>
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College of the Mainland created the Distinguished Alumni Award to honor its remarkable alumni and their achievements. At spring commencement, Dr. Larry Durrence, interim president, announced the first recipients of the award: Julie Dues Masters, mayor of Dickinson; Mark E. Ciavaglia, Texas City attorney; and Troy E. Sybert, M.D. More>>
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Open registration for classes has begun for the fall semester. College of the Mainland offers courses toward earning nationally accredited associate degrees and certifications. COM has an excellent professor-to-student ratio that helps instructors connect with each class. We're the launching pad for success stories throughout the Mainland. To see a complete list of degrees and programs, click here.
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From a troublemaker on a rough street in New Orleans to a successful welding student, Archie Andrews' life has changed. "I came from the worst streets you can come from. Not having a father figure, I was your worst nightmare," Andrews said. He became interested in welding while he was working in a chemical plant. He attended three welding schools, quitting each one. "None of them worked out for me. The teachers didn't really care," he said. More>> |
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The standard in project management, the Six Sigma Green Belt Course will be offered at COM beginning August 20. This introductory project management class provides participants with systematic strategies to increase customer satisfaction and maximize companies' return on investment. More>> |
BP Donates $15,000 to Collegiate High School at COM
BP has donated $15,000 to benefit students in Collegiate High School at College of the Mainland. These funds will be used primarily to support free and reduced lunches for the students, plus supply other critical needs of the program.
BP has been a supporter of Collegiate High School since its inception, said Sandi Belcher, Collegiate High School principal. "It's a great partnership that we have. We turn out students who are capable to succeeding at the
university level and/or in the workforce. They want to be here, and they want to get ahead," said Belcher. "We are grateful for BP's donation of funds to help these hardworking students succeed."
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College of the Mainland and the Safety Council of Texas City are partnering to launch a new program, Electrical Skills Training. This two-year program provides the necessary training to become a certified electrician through a combination of classroom instruction and an abundance of hands-on experience. More>>
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Bath salts are not just for bathing anymore, said Dr. Jay Kovar, medical director of PHI AIR Medical Service, at his presentation at College of the Mainland. Speaking to about 85 area medics, firefighters, nurses, police officers and an FBI agent, Kovar warned about the current threat of illegal drugs called bath salts that has hit home to Texas City. More>>
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Explore the Titanic, create a project on the computer, stay physically fit or learn to tell your life story with COM's Senior Adult Program. More>> |
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COM community mentors/recruiters don't wait for people to decide to come to college; they go to them. "We're trying to create a college-going culture," said Alexander. "Anywhere we can reach a student, we're going to go." More>>
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In the 80s when Michael Jackson was big and hair was too, wedding singer Robbie Hart is jilted by his fiancée via a note at the altar. The embittered singer is inconsolable until meets Julia, the girl of his dreams, who happens to be engaged to a popped-collar Wall Street tycoon. The ensuing comedy begins in New Jersey and ends in mad-dash rush through a Las Vegas casino filled with celebrity impersonators. Showing now through August 12. For more information, call 409-933-8345.
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 Student Briefs
COM students win Outstanding Musician Awards
The soulful sound of saxophones filled the air at the Gulf Coast Intercollegiate Consortium Jazz Festival where nine College of the Mainland students won Outstanding Musician Awards. Judges praised the Jazz Ensemble's "outstanding performance," and Ed Copeland on the tenor saxophone and David Loyd on the baritone saxophone received Outstanding Musician Awards. Members of the Jazz Combo also received Outstanding Musician Awards, including Kim Chavez on the trumpet, Wesley Moseley on the piano and Trent Minter on the guitar.
Sigma Delta named Five Star Chapter
COM's Sigma Delta Chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society received the distinguished title of a Five Star Chapter, the PTK designation of the highest level of excellence. Five Star Chapters must demonstrate "further involvement in the region and in international activities and events," according to the PTK website. Also honored as a Top 100 Chapter out of 1316 chapters internationally, Sigma Delta is actively involved on campus and in the community. Sigma Delta members travel to PTK conferences, both locally and out of state, and hosted the District IV conference at COM this spring. As a recent service project, the chapter offered free basic computer classes to community members.
Sigma Delta students win Coca-Cola scholarship
COM students Christine LaFoy and Merretta Vasquez, both of Texas City, have been named 2012 Coca-Cola Community College Academic Team Bronze Scholars. Bronze Scholars each receive a $1,000 scholarship. An independent panel of judges considers outstanding academic rigor, grade point average, academic and leadership awards and engagement in community service in selecting students for this award.
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 Faculty Briefs
COM professor inspires future doctors
Dr. Chris Allen, COM biology professor, was voted "Most Outstanding and Inspirational Professor" by students in UTMB's Medical Careers Diversity Program, a five-week program that prepares students for the MCAT. "All the instructors and I try to motivate the students and let them know they can be successful," Allen said. "I tell them to send me two emails, one when they have been accepted to medical school and one when they graduate." He has taught with the program for two years.
COM math professor wins second place in national SoftChalk competition
Marilyn Larsen, associate professor of developmental math at College of the Mainland, won second place in the 2012 SoftChalk Lesson Challenge, a national contest sponsored by SoftChalk and judged by educators from across the U.S. Larsen's winning lesson, "The Real Numbers," combined photos, interactive quizzes and even a video of a space shuttle launch countdown to demonstrate how positive and negative numbers are used in the real world.
Thinking outside the textbook: professor's slides used in supplemental CD
Lalanya Ennis likes to help her students to think outside the box using whatever means necessary, whether play dough or PowerPoint slides. Her innovation was recognized by Cengage Learning, and she has been selected to create the PowerPoint slides for the accompaniment CD to the new edition of their textbook On Course by Skip Downing. Ennis uses On Course in her course Psychology for Success, and with her slides, she wants to challenge students to think about their life decisions and to realize that "finishing college is their choice," she said.
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