Annual Report to the Community (2012-2013)

one

one community ∙ one college ∙ one goal

Annual Report to the Community

Johnson County Community College 2012-2013

Annual Report to the Community Johnson County Community College A message from the president . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 A message from the chair, board of trustees . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 The Vision, Mission and Values of Johnson County Community College . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Serving the community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Faculty and staff awards and honors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Student awards and honors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Athletics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Meeting community needs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 Events and speakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Accountable to the community . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29 Technology at JCCC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Yearly statistics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 Continuing Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Performing Arts Series . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Johnson County Community College Foundation . . . . . . . . . 42

A message from the president As the new president of Johnson County Community College, I have a lot to look forward to and a lot to do. JCCC is quite a busy place, as you can see from the activities detailed in this report to the community.

I knew that when I interviewed for this job, for which my emphasis was “One Community, One College, One Goal.”

Inherent in that position are a variety of challenges. For example, JCCC currently enjoys a unified community behind our college. We cannot take this support for granted. Therefore, we need to envision a college that serves our community’s needs and pursue this vision in the most accountable and transparent manner possible. “One Community” is essential for our success.

Colleges are notorious for operating within a “silo” approach when conducting their business (although corporate entities are not immune from this as well). It is critical that our college move forward together as “One College” in its pursuit of success. Everyone at JCCC has the students’ best interests at heart and feels they know the best way to address those interests. Our challenge is to get everyone on the same page. The best way we can do that is a unified pursuit of accomplishing “One Goal.”

JCCC enjoys a wonderful reputation as one of the top community colleges in the country. This is quite an accolade when you consider there are more than 1,100 community colleges scattered across the nation. But when we tell you we’re the best community college in the country, on what are we basing that claim? Our goal is to prove it to you based on quantified research. We have identified key performance indicators in the areas of persistence (students returning in pursuit of their degrees), success rates for full-time and part-time students, graduation rates, transfer performance and student satisfaction. We will be able to track our progress in these areas in comparison with community colleges that are comparable to us across various demographic measurements.

When we say “JCCC is the best community college in the country,” we’ll be able to prove it to you statistically. We want to make sure we merit the pride you have in us. We’re grateful for the support of this “One Community.”

Sincerely,

Joe Sopcich President

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A message from the chair, board of trustees With its motto, “Changing Lives Through Learning,” Johnson County Community College serves as a gateway to higher education, new jobs and a better life. Public community colleges like JCCC serve 45 percent of all U.S. undergraduates. We play important roles in communities across the country, roles we take to heart.

JCCC is a comprehensive community college, supported by – and in return of – service to the community. As such, we are able to respond quickly to community needs. The BNSF intermodal hub under construction near Gardner and Edgerton is a prime example. We’re able to quickly consider programs and training that will help the community respond to the opportunities that come our way. Community colleges are also able to offer open access to education to everyone in the community. Students can take advantage of our honors program or our developmental classes, depending on their level of preparation and ability, including our GED graduates.

Those who are new to the county, or even to the country, can prepare to become contributing members of the community.

The pages of this report to the community reflect the college’s many activities throughout fiscal year 20122013. We honored a retiring president and welcomed a new one. We completed a new culinary center and won sustainability awards. We cheered as our athletic and debate teams competed with schools across the state and across the country. We applauded performers on stage in Yardley Hall and thanked benefactors for their generous gifts of art throughout the years. It was a very good year.

The trustees are proud of this college’s faculty and staff and their contributions to the community we serve. On behalf of the board of trustees of Johnson County Community College, we want to thank you for your continued support of JCCC. Sincerely,

Dr. Jerry Cook Chair, JCCC board of trustees

JCCC board of trustees Dr. Jerry Cook Lee Cross Dr. Robert Drummond David Lindstrom Greg Musil Stephanie Sharp Jon Stewart

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The Vision, Mission and Values of Johnson County Community College Vision

JCCC’s strategic goals

Serving our community Changing lives through learning

I. We will inspire successful learning!

• We will engage learners at the personal level.

Mission

• We will prepare our learners to apply what is learned.

Learning comes first at JCCC.

• We will support our learners ardently and intentionally.

• Centered on student success

• We will deliver learning programs and services at the highest level of quality.

• Dedicated to exploring initiatives that support the college’s innovative spirit

• We will constantly assess learning to meet our student learning outcome expectations.

• Focused on community leadership • Committed to continuous improvement

Values JCCC is committed to, demonstrates and is accountable for:

II. We will innovate!

• We will question the status quo.

• We will practice strategic risk-taking.

• Innovation

• We will focus resources to reward those who find creative ways to address learning needs.

• Integrity

• We will capitalize on diversity in building partnerships.

• Excellence

III. We will lead!

• Leadership

• We will reward our faculty for their teaching and impact on student success.

• Collaboration

• We will recognize our staff for their dedication to learner support and customer relations.

• Lifelong learning • Sustainability • Dignity and Self-Worth • Diversity • Stewardship

• We will champion policies and initiatives that are recognized locally, regionally and nationally.

• We will educate and inspire future leaders.

IV. We will engage in quality operations!

• We will be model planners.

• We will be intentional in moving from idea to action.

• We will require that data and evidence be an essential part of our decision-making.

• We will continually strive to improve the caliber of what we do.

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Hospitality and Culinary Academy

Kansa, earthwork by Stan Herd

Serving the community In July 2012, JCCC was again recognized as one of the In October 2012, Don Weiss resigned from the JCCC best colleges in the nation to work for, according to a board of trustees. He was first elected to the board survey conducted by The Chronicle of Higher Education. in 2007 and served as chair for academic years JCCC was recognized as such in four categories: 2010-2011 and 2011-2012. The board reviewed professional/career development programs; facilities, 25 applications to fill the vacancy and decided to workspaces and security; job satisfaction; and work/ interview five candidates: Michael J. Lally, David life balance. The college was also recognized as a great A. Lindstrom, Brent A. McCune, Michael R. Sharpe college to work for in 2009, 2010 and 2011. and Douglas Wood. In November, Lindstrom, a former county commissioner and a member of DML The results are based on a survey of more than 46,000 Properties LLC, was appointed to complete the term, employees at 294 colleges and universities. In all, only which expires June 30, 2015.

103 of the 294 institutions received “Great College to Work For” recognition for specific best practices and Work continued on the college’s new Hospitality and policies. Results are reported for small, medium and Culinary Academy, located on the east side of the large institutions; JCCC is included among the large college campus, just south of the Regnier Center. The institutions with 10,000 or more students. academy opened for classes in August 2013.

For the fourth year in a row, Victory Media included JCCC in its 2013 list of Military Friendly Schools. The list honors the top 15 percent of colleges, universities and trade schools that are doing the most to embrace America’s military service members, veterans and spouses as students and ensure their success on campus. JCCC, for example, offers scholarships as well as a veterans services office that works with former military personnel.

Terry Calaway, JCCC president, delivered his annual State of the College presentation in September 2012.

His presentation, “JCCC as First Choice,” looked at how the college has become a first-choice institution for students and the community.

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In February 2010, the JCCC board of trustees challenged the JCCC Foundation to raise $3 million over 18 months to support the construction of a new hospitality/culinary center on campus. If the Foundation was able to raise $3 million in that time, the trustees pledged to give favorable consideration toward the construction of a new center on campus.

The incentive for this action came through the “Wysong Challenge,” a set of initiatives intended to distinguish JCCC’s hospitality program at national and global levels. Former Kansas state Senator David Wysong and his wife, Kathy, announced in May 2008 a $750,000 challenge gift to help raise funds in support of JCCC’s hospitality program, which eventually included the construction of a new facility.

In July 2011, the Foundation met the “Wysong Challenge” by announcing to the JCCC trustees that $3,291,032 had been raised in support of the college’s hospitality and culinary program. Other funding for the project comes from the college’s capital outlay fund and capital reserves, which are restricted to capital projects.

The $13-million, free-standing facility accommodates the 700 students enrolled in the college’s nationally recognized hospitality management program and provides space for noncredit classes and community activities, including new opportunities for workforce development and partnerships.

The 36,000-square-foot building houses five culinary labs, an innovation kitchen and a demonstration kitchen in a culinary theater as well as three classrooms. The five culinary labs include two for professional cooking classes, one for pastry classes, a garde manger or cold foods kitchen, and a restaurant kitchen. The restaurant kitchen adjoins a dining room on the east end of the building that can be converted to two classrooms as needed.

Hospitality management faculty and staff are housed in the building within an office suite that accommodates 15 or more people, as well as work space for adjunct instructors, a conference room and a library.

JCCC’s hospitality management program encompasses these different areas: chef apprenticeship, food and beverage management, hotel and lodging

management, pastry/baking and dietary management. It is one of only 28 programs recognized by the American Culinary Federation Education Foundation Accrediting Commission (ACFEF) as an “exemplary program,” meaning that it meets the highest educational standards recognized by ACFEF by maintaining consistent compliance with all ACFEF requirements, coupled with excellence in management.

The American Culinary Federation recognized JCCC in June 2012 as being one of three programs in the country to have been continuously accredited for 25 years.

DLR Group in Overland Park designed the building; JE Dunn was the general contractor.

Four spaces in the new Hospitality and Culinary Academy have been named for major donors who supported the capital campaign. Each donor contributed more than $200,000 to the campaign. The named rooms are: • The Wysong Family Culinary Theatre (room 145), named for David and Kathy Wysong • The Maron J. Moore Hospitality Library (room 103-F), named for Maron Moore • The Regnier Family Dining Room (room 150), in honor of the Regnier Family Charitable Foundation • The Ball Family Garde Manger Culinary Lab (room 146), named for the Ball Family Charitable Foundation Three trustees were re-elected to the board of trustees in April 2013: Jerry Cook, Melody Rayl and Stephanie Sharp. Beginning July 1, they were joined by first-time trustee Lee Cross, an attorney from Westwood.

Kansa, an artwork that uses the earth as its canvas and plants as its paints, was dedicated in April 2013. Stan Herd, a Lawrence artist known internationally for his “earthworks,” created the piece on a quarter-acre of land on the west side of campus between the outdoor horticulture garden and the perimeter road. Kansa is a petroplyph inside a circle, inspired in part by author William Least Heat Moon’s “PrairyErth” drawing of an ancient petroglyph in a book of the same name. The unique artwork became a part of the campus as a result of Herd’s visit in 2010 as a guest speaker for the Kansas Studies Institute. The project was a collaboration among many departments on campus, including KSI, the Center for American Indian Studies, the Student Sustainability Committee, the art history department, the horticultural sciences department, the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art and the president’s office.

JCCC’s College Now concurrent enrollment program was re-accredited through the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships. NACEP accreditation acknowledges the college’s alignment with national standards for quality concurrent enrollment and recognizes not only JCCC but the strong partnership the college has with secondary school partners. JCCC’s College Now program was first accredited in 2006; it was one of the first 20 schools in the nation to achieve this distinction and is the only Kansas concurrent enrollment partnership program to hold national accreditation status.

Hope because of help: Ada Martinez-Medina Ada Martinez-Medina has a message she wants to share with her fellow JCCC students: Don’t give up, because there are people at JCCC who want to help you.

Martinez-Medina should know. She’s had more than a few good reasons to give up going to school. She lacked a high school diploma, but it wasn’t because she didn’t want one. As the oldest of nine children of a single mother who didn’t speak English, she missed school – too much to keep up.

But when her own son was one month old, she began the Johnson County Adult Education program. “I never wanted my children to say to me, ‘Mommy, why are you making me go to school if you never finished?’”

She earned her GED in May 2011. “I walked that stage, here at Johnson County Community College, and felt that feeling of accomplishment,” she said. “Then I thought, if I made it this far, how much farther can I go?”

She signed up for online and evening classes at JCCC, and then got married Sept. 1, 2011, before starting classes Sept. 2.

“It’s all about priorities,” she said, and at that moment, a honeymoon wasn’t one of them.

“My husband has been very supportive,” she said, laughing. “He knew this was important to me.”

Martinez-Medina works full time at Garmin in its customer service division, using her bilingual skills to help international clients. Then she goes home to cook, to study, to care for her two children and to perhaps find time to spend with her husband.

She doesn’t have a whole lot of time for sleep. “When it’s 3 a.m. and I’m still doing my homework, I tell myself that there will be time to sleep later, once I have my degree,” she said.

Why does she push herself so hard?

“I don’t ever want my children to have go through what I had to,” she said.

“I want them to have a better life than I did, and I honestly believe that education is the key.”

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JCCC’s newest professor: Xavier Hess When Xavier Hess started the second grade, he had a tough time connecting to others and speaking up in class. But around January, he began to more comfortably lecture behind the overhead, deftly explaining math problems to his classmates.

“Wow,” said teacher Stacy Hollander. “That was great. You did that so well, you’re like a professor!”

“That’s what I want to do someday,” Xavier explained. “I want to be a math professor at Johnson County Community College, where my daddy goes.”

Hollander, a second-grade teacher from Brookridge Elementary School in Overland Park, decided that someone from JCCC needed to know of Xavier’s career plans.

She called the college to see if the young “professor” might somehow be recognized.

Andy Anderson, interim executive vice president for academic affairs at JCCC, said he would visit Brookridge himself to present an honorary professorship to Xavier – the very first such professorship in Anderson’s memory.

Dressed in scholarly robes and carrying an ivory certificate in a real diploma cover, Anderson presented to Xavier an “Honorary Professorship in Second Grade Mathematical Science for outstanding scholarship done under the guidance of Ms. Stacy Hollander at Brookridge Elementary School.”

Anderson even managed to find a small cap and gown so Xavier, too, could dress for such an auspicious occasion.

Damon Hess, Xavier’s father, received his GED in 2010 and enrolled in JCCC in 2011, going to college once Xavier started school.

“When my wife died, I was in sales, and if you want to get promoted in sales, you end up working 55 or 60 hours a week, and with Xavier to care for, I didn’t want to do that,” he said. “I knew I had to go to school to get a job where I could still earn a good wage and spend time with my son.”

Hess brought Xavier to campus a few times – perhaps just the impetus Xavier needed to chart his life’s goal.

Anderson told Xavier he hoped to see him at JCCC someday, either as a student or a professor.

At the end of the ceremony, Hollander thanked Anderson for his efforts. “I had to tell her, ‘Thank you. This is probably the best thing I’ve done all semester,’” Anderson said. “You couldn’t have been in that room and not felt incredibly touched. The class was wonderful.”

Photos courtesy of Shawnee Mission School District

Dr. Terry Calaway

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Dr. Joe Sopcich

Presidential search In October 2012, JCCC President Terry Calaway announced his retirement in order to spend more time with his family.

“When I joined JCCC, I was charged with refocusing the college around students and their success,” Calaway said. “We have been able to do that as well as improve retention, reduce unnecessary overhead, and grow our foundation endowment and scholarship funds.

It is now time, though, for the college to prepare for the next generation of leadership. I leave the college with much admiration for our team and board. I am indebted to everyone in our community for their kindness and support.”

Calaway became the fourth president of JCCC in June 2007. His accomplishments include new initiatives focusing on student success and retention, including learner engagement (promoting personal connections between students and faculty) and Dream Johnson County (focusing on students who need help with reading, writing and math to be ready for college work); the development of articulation agreements with the state’s four-year schools, which assure that at least 55 credit hours of general education courses will transfer to Kansas public colleges and universities; and a new emphasis on emergency preparedness, with a new office of emergency management and an enterprise risk management initiative.

The presidential search began in December 2012, when the college hired a consultant, Goldhill Associates, Asheville, N.C., to help with the process.

A 12-member screening committee composed of representatives from the trustees, faculty, staff, students and the community reviewed applications from dozens of candidates, including community college presidents and senior administrators from across the country, and made recommendations to the board. The board then brought three candidates to campus for interviews in April.

During visits to JCCC, each candidate met with students, faculty, staff and members of the community.

The board conducted a public interview with each candidate and met with each for dinner.

In May 2013, the board chose Dr. Joseph M. Sopcich, the college’s executive vice president/chief financial officer, as the college’s fifth president.

Sopcich has been with JCCC since 1992, serving over the years as executive director of institutional

advancement, vice president of institutional advancement and government affairs, executive vice president of administrative services and executive vice president/chief financial officer. Achievements include the implementation of a new approach to building the college’s $140 million operating budget, resulting in a reduction in expenses and reallocation behind strategic priorities, and the completion of a successful fundraising campaign for the college’s new Hospitality and Culinary Academy.

Sopcich’s honors include a Fulbright Award in 2011, traveling to Russia to present seminars on the merits of American community colleges; the Colleague of the Year award from the JCCC Foundation in 2010 in recognition of his dedication to JCCC students and programming; and the Faculty Leadership award in 2008 given by the JCCC faculty association in recognition of his leadership and support of JCCC’s faculty. He has taught as an adjunct in the college’s business division since 2006. Sopcich earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Notre Dame and a PhD from the University of Kansas.

“I speak for the entire board of trustees in congratulating Dr. Sopcich on being selected as the next president of JCCC,” said Melody Rayl, then chair of the board of trustees. “His proven leadership ability, together with his long history with the college and the enduring relationships he has established in our community and across the country, leave absolutely no doubt among the trustees that he is the person to lead our college into the next decade. We are excited to have Dr. Sopcich at the helm as we begin the next chapter in JCCC’s legacy as one of the finest community colleges in the country.”

The other candidates for the president’s position were Edward E. “Ted” Raspiller, president, Blinn College’s Brazos County Campuses, Bryan, Texas, and Richard G. Shrubb, president, Minnesota West Community and Technical College, Worthington, Minn.

Crossroads of Opportunity: Tammy Jensen When Tammy Jensen received notification that her job would be outsourced and that she would be training her replacements overseas, she could have been bitter. Instead, she chose to be proactive.

Jensen enrolled in the Web developer program offered through Continuing Education at JCCC. After finishing her certificate in six months, she had a job waiting.

“They wanted me to start even before I had finished classes,” she said. “I told them I needed to finish first, and they waited. I was just thrilled that I got a job that fast.”

Jensen works at VinSolutions as a web developer.

She designs websites for car dealerships across North America.

“I like this job so much better,” she said. “It’s a lot less stressful. I think it’s because I’m doing one thing instead of wearing 15 different hats at one time, like I did with my old job.”

She said she wouldn’t have the job had she not returned to JCCC. She attended JCCC “years ago” so to her, it seemed a logical place to return for more training.

“Without my time here at JCCC, I don’t think I’d be working in a job I love,” she said.

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The Center for Sustainability

Jump starting a career: Hunter Langhart Hunter Langhart, a 2012 graduate of Blue Valley West High School, wasted little time positioning himself for a career in broadcast communications. He chose to attend JCCC because he’s anxious to jump at early opportunities to gain broadcast experience.

“I heard JCCC was a great place and it provides hands-on broadcast opportunities,” he said. “So, when looking at colleges, I decided to check it out.”

Even in the first year of college, JCCC’s journalism and media communications program provides students with supervised on-the-job training while earning college credit. It’s this kind of opportunity former students call invaluable and rare for underclassmen at four-year universities.

“I know JCCC provides quality education at a great value,” Langhart said. “I had one friend who originally was going to go straight to the University of Kansas, but he decided JCCC would be a better place for him to start. He did that and now he’s finishing his filmmaking degree at KU. My plan is to get as many classes as I can at JCCC before transferring on to finish my bachelor’s degree at a four-year university.”

Langhart also expects JCCC to provide him with a smooth transition from high school to a college environment.

With the jump start he’s receiving at JCCC, lights, camera and action are just around the corner for this college freshman.

“I know JCCC will provide the foundation I need for a career I want,” Langhart said. “I can’t wait to get started!”

JCCC’s Center for Sustainability and the Student Sustainability Committee offered Epicenter 2012, a student sustainability conference held on the JCCC campus in October 2012. Topics included a look at a sustainable urban mushroom farm, a farm-to-table restaurant that uses locally grown meat and produce, environmental and economically sustainable engineering projects throughout the world, and ways to cut clutter without sending items to landfills.

JCCC and its Center for Sustainability were named to the U.S. Green Building Council’s Center for Green Schools second annual Best of Green Schools list, which highlights top educational institutions and individuals across the country for embracing environmental initiatives.

JCCC was recognized in the two-year school category.

The Best of Green Schools 2012 list highlights schools, districts, individuals and communities working toward the common goal of healthy, high-performing learning places for all. Through this list, the Center for Green Schools is working to bring recognition to the hard work being done across the country and to honor the heroes and shining examples of the green schools movement.

Among its activities, the Center for Sustainability at JCCC hosts national webinars for community colleges and is beginning the same for the Kansas Higher Education Sustainability Network. The college has created academic programs teaching solar technology, energy auditing and sustainable agriculture, and faculty who incorporate sustainable concepts into existing courses and who create new courses teaching sustainability applications within given fields and disciplines are rewarded with small grants through the Sunflower Project.

In 2009, JCCC’s students asked for the creation of a green fee that gathers more than $400,000 a year for sustainability

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projects. An example of the use of these dollars in 2012-2013 was the purchase of two used hybrid vehicles for use in the college’s automotive technology program.

JCCC has completed, has under construction or has applied for LEED designation for college structures. The Olathe Health Education Center is LEED gold, and Galileo’s Pavilion is LEED platinum, the top rating.

A single-stream recycling system on campus has brought in more than $75,000 for student scholarships, while JCCC’s composting system has diverted close to 65 tons of organic waste from the landfill since June 2011. Waste diversion rates rose from 14 percent in 2010 to 35 percent in 2012. The recycling rate increased 38 percent from 2011 to 2012, and overall trash weight decreased 22 percent during the same period. Overall, the college’s waste minimization program has led to a $16,000 savings in trash disposal costs from 2011 to 2012.

In addition, aggressive energy efficiency retrofits have led to almost $1,000,000 in avoided energy costs since 2008.

This year, JCCC solar technology students built solar personal-device charging tables that were deployed around campus. The students also traveled to Las Pintas, Mexico, to install low-cost solar thermal water heaters in the homes of local residents.

JCCC’s sustainable hospitality internship program, in cooperation with EnergyWorksKC, matched student interns with five area restaurants, helping them become more energy and water efficient and reducing their environmental footprint.

The campus farm continues to scale up operations and serves as a lab for the growing sustainable agriculture program at JCCC. Food from an offshoot of the farm in Lawrence has been donated to a local food bank as part of the city’s Common Ground program.

A great place to start: Josh Thrutchley With an ACT score of 32, Josh Thrutchley showed up on the radar of many colleges and universities when he graduated from Shawnee Mission East High School in 2010. However, he wanted time to solidify his thoughts on a specific career, something in the medical field, so he chose to begin college life at JCCC. “JCCC is a great place with great professors,” Thrutchley said. “All of them are great in their own way. I know JCCC is rated one of the top community colleges in the nation, and there is a reason more than 20,000 students study here each semester. It is just a great place to be.”

Several JCCC professors had a particular impact on Thrutchley.

“One is Dr. Michael Hembree,” he said. “He got me interested in the history side of education. I did an Honors contract with him my last semester on World War I. That has always interested me but I hadn’t taken the time to explore the topic. Hembree was my Western Civilization I and II professor, and I became more interested in finding out more about World War I.” The JCCC honors program stimulates and challenges academically talented students, providing them with an opportunity to excel and achieve their educational goals.

The program allows students to explore new ideas, engage in creative activities, research areas of interest, sharpen skills, become independent learners and collaborate with experienced faculty.

As part of his honors work, Thrutchley spent extra time with Hembree outside of class analyzing the operations and offerings of the World War I museum in Kansas City. He presented his findings in a research paper.

Outside of the JCCC honors program, Thrutchley was involved in the pre-med club, which met twice a month.

The two years Thrutchley spent at JCCC helped him prepare for further studies at a university. Thrutchley now attends the University of Missouri-Kansas City, eyeing an undergraduate degree in chemistry with aspirations to enter medical school. He continues to dig deeper and aim higher by challenging himself through honors classes.

“This group offered members tips on what to expect when applying to medical school,” he said. “The club has JCCC pre-med counselors come down and talk to us.”

Solar personal-device charging table

Galileo’s Pavilion

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JCCC Faculty Senate

Melody Rayl and Carl Heinrich

Faculty and staff awards and honors At the American Culinary Federation national convention in August 2012, Edward Adel, assistant professor, hospitality management, placed first in the Galbani Buratta Cheese Challenge facing three other regional competitors. Chef Adel also helps coach the JCCC culinary team.

At the same convention, Lindy Robinson, dean of business, accepted an award for JCCC’s hospitality management program, which is one of three in the country that have been continuously accredited for 25 years. JCCC’s was the first program to be accredited by the American Culinary Federation, with Columbus State Community College, Columbus, Ohio, and the Midwest Culinary Institute at Cincinnati State Technical and Community College following a few months later.

Dr. Vin Clark, professor/chair of history and political science, and Dr. Sarah Boyle, associate professor of history, were awarded a three-year research grant from the American Historical Association. Their work is part of the AHA’s American History, Atlantic and Pacific which is funded by the National Endowment for the Humanities through its initiative on “Bridging Cultures at Community Colleges.”

Pairs of faculty from 12 community colleges across the country – a total of 24 faculty members – attended two annual seminars augmented by year-round activities online and by a final conference.

Building on the emerging concept of “rim” cultures, the group’s explorations are guided by two distinguished scholars: Dr. William Deverell, University of Southern 10

California and Huntington Library, and Dr. Philip Morgan, Johns Hopkins University. The entire project will culminate in a conference to be held in New York City, which will be held in conjunction with the AHA annual meeting in January 2015. Participants will share their work with one another and key administrators from their respective institutions.

In 2007, the full rights to a potential patent for an audiovisual healthcare training and communication system were assigned to the JCCC Foundation by co-inventors Kathy Carver, professor of nursing, and Dr. David Zamierowski, retired surgeon. Following assignment, the patent was submitted by attorney Mark Brown to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office; Brown’s electrical engineering degree coupled with his law degree helped enable all the circuit and system diagrams that formed the backbone of the patent submission. After five years of review, the patent was approved in fall 2012. This is the first time a successful patent has been donated to JCCC. Four fine arts faculty members were included in the 2012 Kansas City Flatfile Invitational exhibition at the H&R Block artspace in Kansas City, Mo.: John Carroll, adjunct professor; Mark Cowardin, associate professor; Bridget Stewart, adjunct professor; and Larry Thomas, professor/chair. Cowardin and Mary Wessel, adjunct professor of photography, were selected for Kansas City Collection II honors for 2012.

JCCC’s College Scholars program presents members of the college’s own faculty, showcasing their research and scholarly contributions to knowledge within their academic discipline.

In October 2012, Dr. David Seibel, professor of science, presented A Passion for Birds as a College Scholar. His first scientific publication was at age 11 in the Kansas Ornithological Society Bulletin. Since then, he has combined a life in the classroom with time in the field studying birds not only in Kansas but all over the world. His most recent book, Birds of Kansas, is a 528page authoritative reference written by Seibel and four other ornithological experts. Seibel also co-edited and contributed many of the photographs.

In February 2013, Dr. Andrea Broomfield, professor of English, presented Soldier of the Fork: How Nathaniel Newnham-Davis Democratized Restaurant Dining in Fin de Siecle London. Newnham-Davis was a writer who more than 100 years ago offered advice to diners intimidated by restaurant etiquette, making dining out more accessible to all. Broomfield presented a second talk, Jazz, Barbeque and Beyond: What Kansas City’s Historic Restaurants Tell Us About Kansas City’s Culture and Legacy, in October.

Ten JCCC faculty received Distinguished Service Awards, bestowed in recognition and reward of teaching excellence: Jeff Anderson, counseling faculty; David Davis, professor of English; Terri Easley, associate professor of speech; Dawn Gale, associate professor of philosophy; Susan Johnson, professor/chair of

engineering technology; Dr. James Leiker, professor of history; Dr. Ellyn Mulcahy, associate professor of science; Marilyn Senter, professor of English; Dr. Lori Slavin, associate professor of chemistry; and Dr. Allison Smith, associate professor/chair of art history.

JCCC head baseball coach Kent Shelley was named to the American Baseball Coaches Association Class of 2013 Hall of Fame, along with five others. The selection is the profession’s highest honor. Shelley is the first coach from the state of Kansas, at any level, to be inducted into the ABCA Hall of Fame.

Three JCCC faculty members won the National Institute for Staff and Organizational Development Excellence Award: Dr. Nathan Jones, associate professor of English; Loretta Paldino, adjunct associate professor of English; and Christopher Imm, professor of mathematics. The award recognizes faculty members, administrators and administrative staff who keep their focus on helping students succeed.

Dr. Lori Slavin, associate professor of science; Brenda Edmonds, associate professor of mathematics; and Dr. Terry Calaway, former president, received the

John and Suanne Roueche Excellence Award, which recognizes outstanding contributions in leadership and teaching, from the League for Innovation in the Community College.

Six adjunct faculty members won the Lieberman Adjunct Faculty Award, which recognizes outstanding performance by an adjunct faculty member. They are Farrell Jenab, adjunct professor of English; Amy Pace, adjunct professor of English; Gretchen Thum, adjunct professor of journalism and media communications; Helene Perriguey-Keene, adjunct professor of foreign language; Ashley Vasquez, adjunct associate professor of speech; and Mark Foster, assistant professor of nursing.

Through a gift from BNSF Railway, five faculty members were recognized for outstanding performance. Recipients were Dr. Michael Hembree, professor of history; Lynne Beatty, professor of science; Dr. Teresa Helmick, professor/chair of speech; Charis Sawyer, professor/chair of reading; and Dr. Heather Seitz, associate professor of science.

members from across Kansas named a 2013 Engaged Faculty Fellow by Kansas Campus Compact. Beginning Aug. 1, the selected individuals will serve a one-year term as part of a cohort from across the state. Each will receive a $6,000 grant to support their efforts to integrate service-learning and civic-engagement into their teaching and research.

Carl Heinrich, JCCC athletic director, was selected the 2013 winner of the L. William Miller Award by the National Alliance of Two-Year College Athletic Administrators (NATYCAA). The L. William Miller award is NATYCAA’s highest award and is given annually to recognize athletics administration excellence on the twoyear level. Heinrich is the 21st recipient of this award.

JCCC faculty formed a new Faculty Senate during the spring 2013 semester. Dr. Vin Clark, professor/chair of history and political science, serves as president.

Dr. Deborah Williams, associate professor of science, serves as president of the Faculty Association, and Dr. Nathan Jones, associate professor of English, chaired the college’s Educational Affairs committee.

Anna Page, assistant professor of dietary and hospitality management, was one of three faculty

A passion for birds: Dr. David Seibel Dr. David Seibel, an author and professor of science at JCCC, has a passion for birds, which he was happy to share in presentations for the public, faculty and staff and students as part of the college’s College Scholar program.

Seibel’s first scientific publication was at age 11, in the Kansas Ornithological Society Bulletin. He wrote about two Mississippi kites (a type of hawk) nesting just a block from his home in Arkansas City, Kan. Since then, he’s combined a life inside the classroom with time in the field – literally – studying birds not only in Kansas but also all over the world. A JCCC science teacher since 1991, Seibel has been a six-time winner of the Distinguished Service Award for JCCC faculty.

His most recent book, Birds of Kansas, is a 528-page authoritative reference written by Seibel and four other ornithological experts. Seibel also co-edited and contributed many of the photos.

His latest passion has been in photographing birds. Unlike many photographers, who have the photo-taking skill but little bird knowledge, Seibel said his path of learning about birds first and photography second has produced images other photographers often can’t get.

His presentations rely heavily on the images he’s taken. Some of his 300,000 wildlife photos are at www.davidseibel.com and at www.birdsinfocus.com.

The latter is a partnership with photographers Bob Gress and Judd Patterson. “That was probably the single best decision I have ever made in my life. I have learned so much about photography from Bob and Judd,” Seibel said.

Seibel only had an hour for the presentation at JCCC. “That’s the joy and the frustration, because I could talk about birds for 20 days and 20 nights without stopping.”

“I understand the birds, I know where they’re likely to be, and once I learned the necessary photo skills, I was able to capture images not easily attained,” he said.

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JCCC Culinary Team, ICCC New Zealand; Sophie Buell, Adam Glass and Sophia Elmer

Mackenzie Clark, The Campus Ledger

Student awards and honors The JCCC culinary team won the grand prize in the International Foodservice Expo student team competition held during the Florida Restaurant and Lodging Show in August 2012. Ten teams competed in the competition: eight from Florida, one from Georgia and one from JCCC. The competition included a knife skill and butchery test, followed by preparation of a four-course hot meal for four people, done in 75 minutes in front of American Culinary Federation certified judges, including two master chefs.

JCCC team members – all culinary students and chef apprentices – were Sophie Buell, captain, Ian Denney, Adam Glass, Sophia Elmer and Delci Reimer. In addition, JCCC student chef Sally Wilson received a silver medal in a cooking competition against 18 professional chefs who were not students.

In March 2013, three student chefs won top honors in two categories at an international culinary competition held in New Zealand. Students Glass, Elmer and Buell, with coach Felix Sturmer, professor of hospitality management, represented the United States in the third International Colleges Culinary Competition hosted by Wellington Institute of Technology. The students prepared a three-course menu demonstrating sustainability awareness, product knowledge and cooking skills using New Zealand food items. Competing against teams from New Zealand, Hong Kong, the United Kingdom and Australia, the students won the best entrée (appetizer) and best main course categories.

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In June, a team of four culinary students traveled to Costa Rica for the Copa Culinaria de las Americas Pura Vida International Junior Team Culinary Competition.

Participating countries were Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Colombia, Venezuela, Peru, Ecuador, Mexico, Canada, Germany, Spain and the United States.

The students prepared a cold platter for eight and three courses of hot food for four people, using tilapia, coffee, pineapple, chocolate and sweet potatoes.

While the team from Germany won the overall competition, JCCC’s team of Buell, Reimer, Wilson and Jessica Seely, coached by Sturmer, received a gold medal in both categories.

Two JCCC students were awarded the Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship. Tasha Odom and Alan Fowler used the scholarships to study abroad in China during the spring academic term. They were among more than 1,000 American undergraduate students selected for the scholarship.

Odom received a Critical Need Language Award for $8,000 and Fowler received $4,500 for his studyabroad program. Both students studied at Nanjing University in Nanjing, China, in an intensive Chinese language program.

The Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship Program offers study-abroad grants to U.S. citizens who are undergraduate students of limited financial means. The international study is intended to better prepare U.S. students to assume significant roles in an increasingly global economy and interdependent

world. The program was established by the International Academic Opportunity Act of 2000.

Students Lara Blomberg and Jashuna Shrestha represented JCCC on the All-Kansas Academic Team, sponsored by the Phi Theta Kappa international honor society, the Kansas Association of Community College Trustees and the Kansas Council of Community College Presidents.

Student journalists from The Campus Ledger, JCCC’s student newspaper, received six Gold Circle Awards from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association for personal opinion pieces, cartoons, photographs, design and photo layout. CSPA recognized college media outlets for work produced and published between June 2011 and June 2012.

In April 2013, Ledger staffers brought home 39 awards from student journalism conferences. Nearly half of the awards were for first place in their respective categories.

The Ledger received a silver medalist rating for two-year publications at the spring conference of Kansas Collegiate Media (formerly known as Kansas Associated Collegiate Press). Individual Ledger staff members received 31 awards in categories ranging from news and feature writing to design; 12 were first-place designations. The awards recognized student work published between February 2012 and February 2013.

In addition, the Ledger received seven Mark of Excellence awards at the spring regional conference of the Society of Professional Journalists, with five for first place in their categories, including first place in Best All-Around Non-Daily Student Newspaper.

The Campus Ledger editors-in-chief were Rachel Kimbrough, Mackenzie Clark and Stephen Cook. The adviser was Corbin Crable.

JCCC’s Model United Nations Team received five awards at the 2013 Midwest Model United Nations Conference in February. The JCCC students portrayed the United Kingdom in a simulation of the United Nations that allows students to discuss global concerns.

The Outstanding Delegation Award and Outstanding Choice Award went to Mayra Daniela Romero Ferman for her work on the Commission on Narcotic Drugs, where international issues regarding narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances were discussed.

Getting involved in involvement: Cassie Fulk

The Outstanding Position Paper Award went to Aaron Haffey for his work on the Security Council. The Position Paper Award was presented in recognition of JCCC’s pre-conference preparation (the position paper serves as a blueprint for building consensus and formulating and negotiating workable draft resolutions to resolve issues). Haffey also received an Honorable Mention Award for his portrayal of the United Kingdom in the Security Council.

“I work at the front desk of the Center for Student Involvement as a student involvement ambassador,” Fulk said. “My main responsibilities are to help those who come in with questions about clubs and those who would like to get involved in clubs on campus. I have been able to meet a lot of people and learn a lot about the opportunities here on campus.

Another Honorable Mention Award went to Jon Parton for his portrayal of The Times of London with the International Press Delegation (IDP). The IDP is designed to simulate the role of the media in diplomacy and international politics. During the conference, the IPD publishes a daily newspaper, MMUN News & World Report, covering MMUN committee proceedings, world developments and other related news. IPD participants, representing different news agencies, have a chance to examine the role of regional and national press organizations in reporting and shaping differing opinions on current world issues.

In March, the team received an honorable mention delegation award for its portrayal of Zambia at the National Model United Nations Conference. JCCC also received two outstanding position paper awards. Three students – Haffey, Ferman and Joseph Gideon – were chosen to be both chairs and rapporteurs, who assist in the organization of a conference committee.

Other team members are Allie Owens, Tyler Swaggerty, Daniel Crist, Sam Zeller, K. Jordan Holmes, Ian Sneid, Kaitlyn Sylva, Joy Lee and Linda Makau.

Dr. Brian Wright, professor of political science, is the team adviser.

In September 2012, JCCC’s debate team completed its first tournament of the season at the University of Missouri-Kansas City with one pair, Candace Villanueva and Joe Purcell, making semifinals and another, Brenden Brower-Freeman and Fernando Cardenas, placing in quarterfinals.

In October, JCCC was one of only three schools to advance teams to the elimination rounds of the novice, junior varsity and open divisions of a national tournament at the University of Nevada-Las Vegas. Villanueva and Purcell placed second in the junior varsity division, and Tabi Secor and Samantha Johnson third in the novice division. Students David Cuellar and Daniel Plott competed in the open division, a rarity for community college students.

Many days you will find Cassie Fulk at the center of the Center for Student Involvement (CSI) at Johnson County Community College.

“I also help lead Inter-Club Council meetings with the Student Senate vice president.

Inter-Club is where a representative from each club comes to share what is going on in their club or organization and learn how to improve them. It is wonderful to see the students come together to help one another and share ideas.”

Born and raised in Olathe, Fulk was home-schooled until the 6th grade, after which she attended Maranatha Christian Academy.

Fulk said involvement is key when it comes to her education.

“I was very involved in my high school, so when I came to JCCC I was hoping to get involved right away. I first heard about the Center for Student Involvement when I went on a tour of the campus when I was in high school. It looked like a pretty cool place.”

She also was surprised by which courses turned out to be her favorites.

“I really enjoyed interpersonal communications and economics,” Fulk said.

“Interpersonal communication was interesting to learn about how people interact and learn how to communicate better. My professor made things really fun and relatable. With economics I wasn’t sure if I was going to like it but I got a great professor and found it to be very interesting. So many of my professors have been really helpful and it is obvious that they care about how their students are doing.”

With so much to choose from, choosing a major can be a bit of a struggle.

“I have had a difficult time determining my major because of my desire to be an educated, well-equipped future wife and mother,” she said. “I currently have decided on dual major in human ecology and business.”

As for future education/career plans, Fulk intends to graduate from JCCC and then go to Kansas State University to finish a four-year degree.

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Unbridled passion: Jorden Henderson A personal passion Jorden Henderson discovered while participating in the Civic Honors program at JCCC led her to North Dakota State University to pursue a degree in equine science with a minor in therapeutic horsemanship.

“I participated in the Civic Honors program at JCCC and that is how I was introduced to the equine science world,” said Henderson, who completed community service hours at Midnight Farm, a therapeutic horse-riding center near Baldwin City.

“I definitely loved horses when I was a little girl. I always wanted to ride, but never had the opportunity. I worked with children and adults, but I also wanted to transition to working with the horses. I absolutely loved it. It is a huge passion of mine.”

While a student at Olathe North High School, Henderson studied in the 21st Century Geoscience program and graduated from that program with a highly proficient with honors endorsement, which is the highest level a student can achieve. She ranked 15th in her high school graduating class with a 4.48 grade-point average.

“Some would say I’m an overachiever, too,” Henderson chuckled. “I definitely went above and beyond, but I enjoy getting involved and learning new things.”

At JCCC, Henderson continued her drive to get involved. She was secretary of the Student Senate her last year and was a member of the Student Sustainability Committee.

“I wanted to do something that was more than just taking classes,” she said.

“I wanted to take advantage of some of all that is offered at JCCC. I didn’t want to just visit campus. I wanted to be part of it.”

Tasha Odom, Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship

In November, the team advanced two pairs – Villanueva and Brower-Freeman and Jesse Nation and Jason Walters – to the elimination rounds of a debate tournament at the University of Central Oklahoma.

In December, Brower-Freeman and Nation won the junior varsity tournament championship at Illinois State University. Cardenas and Alexis McMahon finished third. Plott and Cuellar advanced to elimination rounds of the varsity division.

In January, the team won the tournament championship at Wichita State University. Villanueva and Brower-Freeman defeated Kansas City Kansas Community College in the final round on a 3-0 decision, advancing to the elimination rounds after accumulating a 4-2 preliminary round record.

In the first elimination round they defeated a team from Emporia State University on a 2-1 decision; in the semifinals they defeated another team from KCKCC on a 3-0 decision.

In March, two teams advanced to the elimination rounds of the CrossExamination Debate Association national tournament in Idaho. Cuellar and Plott advanced to the elimination round after earning a 5-3 preliminary round record.

They had victories over teams from Kansas City Kansas Community College, the University of Rochester, Sacramento State University, the University of North Texas and Puget Sound University. The two then lost their first elimination round on a 2-1 decision against the University of Wyoming.

The novice team of Secor and Blaire Warren advanced to the quarterfinals of the novice breakout. (The novice breakout is a separate elimination round division for students in their first year of debate.) In the preliminary rounds of the tournament, they had victories over Sacramento State University, City University of New York and New School-New York City.

Cuellar also was selected to the 2013 All-American Debate Team, an honor given to only 30 debaters in the United States who demonstrate academic success, competitive success, and overall value and importance to their squad.

After two years at JCCC, Cuellar transferred to continue his debate career at Kansas State University.

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Welcome to JCCC: Meet Jean Claude Outstanding Student Award recipients

Kurt Partridge, Academic Excellence Challenge

The debate team also sponsored and participated in eight public debates over the academic year. As a result of their efforts, approximately 600 students, faculty and members of the community were exposed to the value of public debate and deliberation. The team focused on debating timely and controversial issues that forced students in the audience to grapple with their personal convictions on issues of politics, national security and economics. However, they also made a dedicated effort to reach out to the elderly and disabled members of the community who reside in assisted-living facilities. The students traveled to two such homes to showcase their ability when debating the importance of historical events.

The team is coached by Justin Stanley, assistant professor of speech and debate, and Daniel Stout, assistant debate coach.

In April, for the second time in three years, the JCCC Academic Excellence Challenge team won the Kansas Academic Excellence Challenge State Championship. The team finished with a 10-1 record, narrowly defeating Neosho County Community College during the final round of play. Team member Kurt Partridge placed third in individual standings. Also competing in the state competition were captain Anna Lynn, Frida Lara, Rhiannon Pearson and Jared Mullis.

Other team members were Sydney Harvey, Timothy Jones, Shrishal Jagtap and Matthew Kelly. The team is coached by Mindy Kinnaman, manager of student life and leadership development.

The team also won a scrimmage hosted by Neosho County Community College and the National Academic Quiz Tournaments Kansas Sectional Tournament hosted by Cloud County Community College. The team placed 19th at the NAQT National Tournament in St. Louis, Mo.

JCCC’s Cavalier mascot now has a name – Jean Claude – chosen through a poll that ran in October 2012 on the college’s official Facebook page. Poll participants had a choice of Johnny, Carl, Carlton, Calvin and Jean Claude, and Jean Claude came out on top.

The mascot became a visible and prominent part of campus life in 2012-2013, participating in campus activities and making appearances at athletic events to support college teams. He has his own Twitter and Facebook pages, and he encourages all JCCC fans to follow him. The official JCCC Facebook and Twitter sites replay some of the highlights of the mascot’s exploits as well.

Jean Claude is a creation of Maydwell Mascots Inc. in Toronto, Ontario, which has made hundreds of mascots for high schools, colleges, universities and businesses.

The Cavalier name, chosen by JCCC students in a popular vote in February 1983, beat out the other choices at that time of Cyclones, Kansans, Bulldogs and Brown Bears.

When it was going through rebranding efforts in early 2012, the college chose not to change the mascot to a bison but to stick with the Cavalier and to bring him to life. A legend has even grown up around him.

The legend of the JCCC Cavalier and the sword How does an English soldier come to Kansas? Legend has it that a former history professor at JCCC owned a family heirloom – a sword that had once belonged to his ancestor, an English Cavalier, who had used it to defend his king in battle. Allegedly, years ago the professor lost the sword somewhere in the forested area on the college campus, and it hasn’t been seen since.

There’s speculation that the ghost of the professor’s ancestor – the sword’s original owner – roams the woods searching for his missing blade. The Cavalier’s determined quest for his sword is reflected in the drive JCCC’s students and athletic teams show on the field, court and classroom.

Academic Excellence Challenge is a series of quiz bowl competitions in which students answer questions on topics ranging from science, math and literature to pop culture, current events and sports. Ten Kansas colleges participate in KAEC.

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Men’s basketball

Women’s volleyball

Men’s soccer

Athletics In 2012-13, the entire JCCC athletics department compiled a cumulative grade point average of 2.91, and seven teams compiled a team grade point average of 3.0 or better. The women’s cross country team had the highest team GPA at 3.50, followed by baseball (3.337), volleyball (3.225), women’s basketball (3.220), men’s soccer (3.207), women’s tennis (3.175) and women’s track (3.079).

In fall 2012, 53 percent of JCCC’s student-athletes (108 of 204) maintained a grade point average of 3.0 or better, and 13 recorded a perfect 4.0 grade point.

The baseball and men’s soccer teams had the most 4.0 students with three, followed by the men’s tennis team with two.

Some of the top teams last fall were women’s cross country with 80 percent of its roster at 3.0 or better.

Women’s track and field was at 73 percent, women’s basketball 71 percent, baseball 65 percent, men’s tennis 57 percent, softball 56 percent, and men’s soccer and volleyball 50 percent.

Nine student-athletes were honored by the National Junior College Athletic Association (NJCAA) for academic excellence in 2012-2013. Five students earned a superior award, compiling a grade point of 3.80 to 3.99: Jessica Andersen (volleyball), Mark Sitek (men’s track), Daniel DeZamacona (men’s tennis), Oliver Nimmegeers (men’s tennis) and Gabriela Becerra (women’s tennis). Four students earned an exemplary award for compiling a grade point average between 3.60 and 3.79: Sarah Bell (women’s soccer), Shannon McCarty (volleyball), 16

Heather Edwards (softball) and Erika Castillo-Lopez (women’s tennis).

The National Alliance of Two-Year College Athletic Administrators sponsors the NATYCAA Cup, which is awarded each year in recognition of overall athletic performance at two-year institutions. The final standings for the 2012-13 cup were announced at the NATYCAA annual convention in June, and JCCC finished seventh overall out of 229 colleges. The NATYCAA Cup program began in 2003 to highlight excellence in two-year athletics based on success in championship competition. Points are accumulated throughout the year based on performance at national championship events. A first-place finish warrants 20 points, second-place 19 points, etc. JCCC finished with 117 points. The Lady Cavaliers compiled 56 points last year in championship events, and men tallied 40.5.

The JCCC women’s outdoor track and field team and the men’s golf team each scored 17 points by finishing fourth in their respective national championships.

Other top 10 national finishes turned in by JCCC teams were the women’s indoor track team (6th), women’s half marathon team (6th), women’s tennis team (6th) and men’s half marathon team (8th).

Women’s and men’s cross country The JCCC women’s cross country team repeated as conference and region champions in 2012. The Lady Cavaliers edged Allen Community College by three

points to claim first place. This marked the 18th conference championship and 10th region title in team history. Three Lady Cavaliers were among the top 15 finishers, and that earned them All-Region VI honors. Jessica Thomas led the way placing sixth with a time of 19:38.1. Also in the top 15 were Emily DeLong at 10th place (19:51.8) and Michala Ruder at 14th (19:57.3). The Lady Cavaliers closed out the year by placing 12th at the NJCAA Cross Country Championship and sixth at the NJCAA Half Marathon.

The men came close to repeating as the East Jayhawk Conference champions, finishing runner-up behind Allen Community College. The JCCC men had one runner earn All-Region VI. Kidus Bekele crossed the finish line in 15th place with a time of 26:18.4. That effort ranks as the second fastest in team history for JCCC’s new 8K course. JCCC’s next four finishers placed within five spots of each other, finishing 29th, 30th, 31st and 33rd. The team closed out the year with a 22nd-place finish at the NJCAA Cross Country Championship and an eighth-place finish at the NJCAA half-marathon.

The teams are coached by Mike Bloemker.

Volleyball The JCCC volleyball team was a top-20 team all season long and finished the year ranked 12th, with a 28-6 record. The Lady Cavaliers were also solid against other nationally ranked teams during the season, finishing 10-4. However, JCCC saw its string of seven straight trips to the NJCAA D-II tournament snapped, as the

Lady Cavaliers lost 3-0 to Cowley College in the Region VI Championship. In addition to the season ending, eight sophomores played their last game in a Cavaliers uniform. This group compiled a 54-19 record in their two seasons.

The team is coached by Jennifer Ei.

Women’s and men’s soccer The women’s and men’s soccer teams began their seasons among the topranked teams nationally, and while both fell just shy of returning to their national tournaments, it was a memorable 2012 campaign.

The Lady Cavaliers finished 13-8-1, reached the region semifinals and had five players named all-conference. Freshman Christianna Tran led the team in scoring with 53 points, was twice named the NJCCC Player of the Week and was the NJCAA National Player of the Week one time. The coach is Jim Schwab.

On the men’s side, the Cavaliers reached the region title game for the first time since 2007 and finished 11-8-0 overall. They too had five individuals earn all-conference, and head coach Fatai Ayoade reached a milestone, becoming the all-time wins leader in team history. He has 159 victories over 13 seasons, three more than the previous leader.

Women’s basketball The JCCC women’s basketball team added another amazing chapter to its rich history in 2012-2013. Under the direction of coach Ben Conrad, the Lady Cavaliers program posted its fourth consecutive 30-win season and captured its second straight East Jayhawk Conference title. The 2012-2013 Lady Cavaliers finished 30-2 overall, were ranked No. 1 in the final NJCAA D-II Coaches’ Poll, and were the top defensive team in the country for a third straight year.

Two sophomore players, DaShawn Harden and Kathleen Brisbane, were both selected as NJCAA and WBCA All-Americans. Harden was also named the MVP of the East Jayhawk Conference, a first in team history, and Conrad earned his second Conference Coach of the Year honor and was a finalist for the WBCA National Coach of the Year.

Men’s basketball JCCC head men’s basketball coach Mike Jeffers experienced a season like none other in his career in 2012-2013. Before the season began, Jeffers lost his starting point guard to a season-ending injury. Other key injuries during the year left the Cavaliers short-handed. The team finished 10-21 overall, but was competitive all season. JCCC posted two big wins over Brown Mackie, this year’s region champion, and Highland, the region winner last year.

Sophomore Christian Hildebrandt was the team’s top player. He averaged more than 17 points per game and was named all-conference and allregion. He also became just the 11th player in JCCC history to top 1,000 career points, finishing with 1,026 points.

All that and then some: Mary Pat Specht It might be an understatement to say Mary Pat Specht lived her dream at JCCC. Some would say she soared even beyond her own aspirations.

Specht, a 2010 graduate of Shawnee Mission North High School, graduated from JCCC with an associate’s degree in liberal arts. She now attends Drake University in Des Moines on a full-ride basketball scholarship. She plans to earn her bachelor’s degree in health science and go on to study dietetics and sports nutrition.

“When I was looking at colleges back in high school, I visited JCCC because I heard this was a great school,” Specht said. “I loved my visit. I loved the campus. It is a beautiful campus.”

Specht was a three-sport athlete in high school, but was set on playing only basketball in college. She became part of the most successful two-year run in JCCC women’s basketball history, with the team winning 64 games and two district titles. In her last season, JCCC finished 32-3, reached the Elite Eight at Nationals and captured the East Jayhawk Conference title with a perfect 18-0 mark.

Basketball isn’t everything for Specht. She wants to succeed off the court as much as she does on it. Specht finished high school ranked 15th in her senior class with a 4.4 grade point average. She continued her athletic and academic success at JCCC. The National Junior College Athletic Association honored Specht with a Pinnacle Award for Excellence in recognition of her 4.0 grade point average.

“Academics always have been important to me, too,” she explained. “I chose JCCC because I wanted to come to a school where there is a small studentteacher ratio and where teachers cared about students.”

Looking back, Specht is thankful for her decision to attend JCCC. “JCCC was the best choice for me,” she said. “It provided just what I was looking for … and then some.”

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Women’s and men’s tennis The JCCC women’s tennis team posted its third best Division I national tournament finish, placing sixth at the 2013 NJCAA D-I Tennis Championships. The Lady Cavaliers finished five places ahead of conference rival Cowley College and nine better than Barton Community College. JCCC posted its best D-I finishes at the 2005 and 2006 championships, placing fifth both years. Prior to nationals, the JCCC women captured their 11th Jayhawk Conference/Region VI title. The Lady Cavaliers won four of the six singles brackets and two of the three doubles brackets.

A first from Kansas: Coach Kent Shelley Kent Shelley has experienced many firsts during his career as a collegiate baseball coach. In 1986, former JCCC head coach Sonny Maynard hired Shelley as an assistant coach, making him the first paid assistant in the program’s history.

A year later, Shelley took over the reins as head coach of the Cavaliers. Over the last 26 years, the wins, awards and honors have kept mounting, each milestone becoming more and more memorable.

His most recent award may be the most prestigious of his career. Shelley was inducted into the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) Hall of Fame in January 2013 at the organization’s annual convention.

He is the first coach from the state of Kansas to be inducted since the inception of the Hall of Fame in 1966.

Shelley, a former president of the ABCA and lifetime board member, first learned of this honor at last year’s convention.

“I found myself for the first time at a loss for words,” Shelley laughed. “It has been an exciting year. I am not sure anyone is prepared for such an honor, but I had time to reflect on all the good things and the great people in our program.”

The night of the ceremony, Shelley was surrounded by 24 family members and friends, which made the night even more special for the program’s all-time wins leader with a record of 759-476-1.

Shelley has had 31 players drafted or signed as free agents by major league baseball, and 233 of his former players have continued playing at four-year institutions.

Included in his coaching achievements are: • One NJCAA World Series appearance (2008) • Three NJCAA Region VI championships (1990, 1993, 2008) • Four Eastern Sub-region titles (1989, 1990, 1992, 1993) • Two East Jayhawk Conference titles (2010, 2012) • 15 teams that have surpassed 30 wins While Shelley has achieved amazing success, the joy he gets from coaching does not come from all the wins and titles. He measures success by teamwork, friendships and preparation of his players, both for the game and for life after JCCC. “I am often asked about my coaching philosophy, and I tell every recruit I want them to earn their degree, transfer and earn their bachelor’s degree, return to their community where they can be a role model, a civic leader, a great husband and the greatest father they can be,” Shelley said.

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Four sophomores were the top performers for JCCC in 2013. Shannon Beckett, Erika Castillo-Lopez, Jean Ochs and Lindsay Buenger combined to go 64-11 in singles play and 32-3 in doubles. Beckett was also selected as the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) Sophomore of the Year. Last fall, Beckett and Castillo-Lopez recorded a thrilling come-from-behind win over Cowley to place third at the ITA Small College Championships in Mobile, Ala. They became the highest finishing team in this championship in JCCC women’s tennis history. Beckett also made history in singles play. She recorded the highest finish by a JCCC competitor, placing fourth overall.

JCCC qualified for nationals by winning its 11th Jayhawk Conference/ Region VI title. JCCC won four of the six singles brackets and two of the three doubles competitions.

The men’s tennis team came away with an 11th place finish at the D-I Championships. Sophomore Oliver Nimmegeers advanced the furthest in the championship, reaching the quarterfinal round in the No. 4 singles bracket.

Spartak Rahachou (No. 1), Daniel De Zamacona (No. 2), Pedro Garcia (No. 3) and Michael Draper (No. 6) all reached the round of 16. Joe Rustemeyer (No. 5) lost his first-round match, but he fought back to finish runner-up in the consolation bracket.

In doubles play, Nimmegeers and teammate Andrew Konetzni reached the semifinal round at No. 3 doubles before falling to the eventual national champion. The No. 1 and No. 2 teams each finished 1-1, advancing to the round of 16.

The men qualified for their 30th trip to nationals by placing second at the Jayhawk Conference/Region VI Championship. The Cavaliers reached the championship match in seven of the nine brackets and came away champion in three.

Glen Moser coaches the tennis teams.

Baseball JCCC began a new chapter in the team’s history this year with the unveiling of the new baseball field. JCCC replaced its original natural grass field with a new state-of-the-art turf field, joining the University of Kansas, Kansas State University and Wichita State University as the only Kansas college baseball programs with a full turf field. JCCC also played night baseball for the first time in school history, when it hosted Allen Community College on March 8.

Early in the season, sophomore pitcher Matt Blackham hurled back-to-back no-hitters and was selected as the Kansas Jayhawk Conference and NJCAA

Pitcher of the Week. He went on to finish 4-7 overall and led the pitching staff with 83 strikeouts, tying the seventh-highest total in team history.

Blackham and teammate Aaron Schnurbusch were selected as all-conference players for 2013. Blackham was a second-team selection at pitcher, and Schnurbusch earned honorable mention as an outfielder.

It was also a big year for head coach Kent Shelley.

In January, Shelley was inducted into the American Baseball Coaches Association Hall of Fame, the highest honor in his profession. Three months later, he was inducted into the JCCC Athletics Hall of Fame.

Softball In just her second season as head coach, Aubree Brattin led her softball team to a 35-15 record, including a 17-game win streak and a top 20 national ranking. She also had five players selected to the AllRegion District D softball team, including first-team outfielder Emily Yoder and catcher Emily Garcia. Yoder led the team with 22 extra base hits, including nine home runs, and drove home a team-best 45 runners.

Garcia led all JCCC batters with a .435 average, and her four triples tied Yoder for the team lead.

Golf The JCCC golf team registered its best season in history this year. The team won five tournaments and the overall conference title and capped the year by recording the best finish in a national tournament, placing fourth overall. Individually, five players earned all-conference, two earned national all-tournament and one earned NJCAA second-team All-American.

Freshman Alex Forristal became the program’s third All-American after he finished in a tie for sixth at nationals. He shot 5-under (283) over the 72-hole

Men’s golf

championship, firing rounds of 69, 71, 71 and 72.

He was tied for the lead following both the second and third rounds. His 283 total ties the second-best recorded at nationals by a JCCC golfer.

Sophomore Mario Funcic, an 11th-place finisher last year for the Cavaliers, finished in a tie for 16th with a 1-over-par 289 total. That score ranks fourth all-time at JCCC. Funcic is the first player in team history to earn all-tournament as a freshman and sophomore.

Lafayette Norwood is the team’s coach.

Women’s track The JCCC women’s track team posted a top-10 finish at the NJCAA Indoor and Outdoor Championships in 2013. At indoor nationals, the Lady Cavaliers finished sixth overall, marking the 17th time in the program’s history they have finished among the top 10 at indoor nationals. It ranks as the highest team finish in Mike Bloemker’s five years as head coach. The JCCC men came away with a 16th-place finish.

The team followed by recording its highest team finish at the outdoor championships, placing fourth overall.

Following the meet, Bloemker was named the NJCAA Women’s Coach of the Year. He also won that honor last year.

Two individual athletes for the women earned NJCAA All-American, five were Coaches All-American indoors, three earned NJCAA All-American, and seven were Coaches All-American outdoors.

Sophomore thrower Monet Jackson, the team’s MVP, became the first female to win a national championship both indoors and outdoors. She was indoor weight throw champion and outdoor hammer champion. She also owns the school record in the weight throw.

Sophomore Madelyn Osmundson was national outdoor champion in the javelin, and sophomore Jordan Ross nearly was a two-time national champion, placing second in the high jump indoors and third outdoors. Sophomore Jessica Tingle placed third in the pole vault.

Men’s track The men’s track season in 2013 featured one of the best throwers in the program’s history in Caniggia Raynor. The Jamaican native etched his name in the record books while earning All-American honors indoors and outdoors with runner-up finishes in the weight throw and hammer.

Sophomore sprinter Mark Sitek also closed out his career by leaving his name among the leaders in the 200-meter dash. At outdoor nationals, Sitek ran the third-fastest time recorded and went on to place fifth nationally and earn Coaches All-American. Sophomore Hayes Grissom also earned Coaches All-American with his fourth-place finish in the javelin at the outdoor championships.

JCCC’s relay teams posted key performances in national competitions. At the indoor championships, they had two relays finish among the top three American teams. The 4x400 team of Mark Sitek, Kurt Vukas, Nickson Baselle and Hans Pitia and the 4x800 team of Vukas, Baselle, Pitia and Kamp Wiebe earned Coaches All-American. Overall, the 4x400 team placed seventh overall, and its time of 3:14.90 is the second fastest recorded in school history. The 4x800 finished fourth nationally, and its time of 7:52.10 ranks fifth all-time at JCCC. Outdoors, the 4x800 team of Baselle, Pitia, Vukas and Wiebe placed seventh and earned Coaches All-American. They also posted the fourth-fastest time in the event in school history.

Caniggia Raynor, JCCC men’s track and field record holder

Women’s softball

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Real-time online admission system

Samuel F. Sandoval, Navajo Code Talker

Meeting community needs The JCCC food and beverage and chef apprenticeship associate of applied science degree programs both have been accredited for seven years by the American Culinary Federation. That is the maximum number of years possible.

The reaccreditation team that visited JCCC in spring 2012 also included a member for chef apprenticeship, a different accreditation, which also received seven years’ accreditation.

The American Culinary Federation began its accrediting program 25 years ago, and at the national convention in July, the JCCC program received recognition as one of three programs throughout the country that have been continuously accredited for all of the 25 years.

The paramedic program at JCCC received a perfect score from its accrediting body, securing the program’s 25th year as an accredited program.

The Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Sciences Services Professions listed no violations or areas of weakness in the 30-page document listing accreditation standards, and the accreditors who conducted the site visit commented often on the strengths of the program.

In September 2012, Emporia State University signed an agreement that allows students to finish their JCCC degree while attending the university. In March 2013, JCCC signed a similar agreement with the University of Central Missouri. JCCC also has reverse transfer 20

agreements with Pittsburg State University and Kansas State University.

Reverse transfer agreements allow JCCC students who transfer to the university with at least 45 credit hours to complete their remaining credit hours for an associate’s degree while taking classes at the four-year school. Essentially, the credit hours taken at the university count both for the four-year school and JCCC. The partnerships help students complete their community college degree (many of them are just shy of that degree when they transfer), and they help JCCC by improving the college’s completion rate.

In October, JCCC received Kansas Campus Compact’s 2012 award for Outstanding Community and Campus Collaboration in recognition of significant, positive impact through sustained campus-community partnership for its Oral Health on Wheels mobile dental clinic project.

The project was recognized for its innovative approach to student learning, public education, and service to the community at Johnson County Developmental Supports, the Johnson County Health Department and Center of Grace community outreach center.

The premiere of The Heart of a Warrior, an hour-long documentary about the life of Navajo Code Talker Samuel F. Sandoval, was the centerpiece for JCCC’s week-long Veterans Day commemoration in November 2012.

Sandoval is one of the 70 remaining World War II veterans who developed a special code for military communication using the Navajo language as its base. JCCC staff members created the film; its world premiere was at the college.

The hour-long documentary, shown as part of the Polsky Practical Personal Enrichment Series, included interviews with Sandoval recorded at JCCC and at his home on the Navajo reservation in New Mexico. It also includes photos preserved by Sandoval’s wife, Malula, and re-enactments of historical events portrayed by the friends and family of Ed Smith, who works in JCCC’s Center for American Indian Studies, and other volunteers such as JCCC personnel and students from Haskell Indian Nations University in Lawrence, Kan. Paul Kyle, dean, student services and success, started the script’s story, and as it progressed, Ed Smith and Dr. Sean Daley, associate professor of anthropology and director of the Center for American Indian Studies, became co-writers.

The video expertise came from Chris Horvat, senior videographer, and Barrett Beasley, video producer, at JCCC. JCCC and Ottawa University signed an agreement in December 2012 that allows JCCC students to earn a bachelor’s degree from Ottawa at a reduced cost.

Ottawa began offering classes at JCCC in March 2013 that will lead to bachelor degrees in human services, healthcare management, business administration with a marketing concentration, and public administration with a management concentration.

The bachelor degrees, available only to JCCC students, allow students to take up to 78 credit hours at JCCC and the remaining junior and senior-level classes through Ottawa. Ottawa is offering scholarships to students who take their classes, which could allow students to save up to 40 percent on the completion of their bachelor’s degree.

JCCC now offers a new associate’s degree in Web technologies. Students can choose a specialty area in mobile applications, rich media applications or Web programming. By understanding the basics as well as specializing in an emerging field, students are prepared to find jobs in the industry.

JCCC was one of seven colleges and universities nationwide honored by University Business magazine in its spring 2013 “Models of Efficiency” national recognition program. Recognizing that a better communication system was needed, JCCC’s Admissions department collaborated with the Administrative Computing Services department to develop a personal admission plan, which was introduced to summer 2012 applicants. The realtime online admission system saves the college close to $30,000 a year.

JCCC’s Continuing Education branch was recognized by the Kansas City chapter of the American Society for Training and Development (ASTD) with a Best Practice Award for Workplace Learning and Performance Culture. Coordinators Kathy Wing and Melissa Reiss developed and implemented a new instructor hiring process in 2012. Previously, each department within Continuing Education had its own responsibility and method for identifying, hiring, vetting, interviewing and onboarding new instructors. The new process consolidated the necessary steps and resources within branch operations, making those methods consistent, organizing records, and reducing the time needed to recruit instructors for continuing education classes.

Career Pathways Career Pathways encourages strong, comprehensive links between secondary and postsecondary institutions in Johnson, Douglas and Miami counties by offering students the opportunity to take academic and technical classes relevant to their career goals. It provides a seamless course of study in which students can receive college credit for articulated courses taken in high school. Furthermore, within each of the 16 state-defined career clusters, there are pathways that further define specific types of career opportunities students can pursue. A total of 812 students, enrolled in 11 school districts in those counties, fit the definition of a Career Pathways student; 262 Career Pathways graduates attended JCCC in fall 2012.

College Close to Home Students may enroll in college general education classes at off-campus College Close to Home sites in schools throughout the county, including Gardner Edgerton High School, De Soto High School, Olathe Health Education Center, the college’s facility at King’s Cove and KU Edwards Campus, and Eudora High School and the Lawrence Centennial School in Douglas County. More than 2,000 students took classes at these locations in 2012-2013.

Closing in on a dream: Amanda Rulo Amanda Rulo has moved closer to something she wanted to do since a small child.

“I’ve been interested in nursing since I was 3 years old,” Rulo said. “It has always been something I’ve wanted to do. I love working with children and babies so I hope to be a neonatal nurse one day.”

In her final semester in the nursing program at JCCC, Rulo said the many clinical instructors she engaged with in the JCCC nursing program and simulation lab along the way made a memorable impact.

“Teresa Ilten and Colleen Duggan were among my instructors who made a difference,” Rulo recalled. “I learned more about therapeutic communication from Ms. Ilten than I think I ever will in my entire career. I learned so much from Ms. Duggan about cardiology, how to be a good nurse and knowing the big picture of the patient.”

To help prepare her for success after high school and to achieve her dream, Rulo took JCCC College Now classes her senior year at Gardner Edgerton High School.

“I received college credit while in high school,” she said. “It was convenient and less stressful than traditional college classes because I had the high school environment, but learned on a college level.”

As Rulo entered her final semester before graduation, she reflected on how the JCCC honors program helped her become a stronger student and better person. Her favorite honors contract was her experience in the mother-baby rotation with nursing instructor Angie Sears.

“I wrote a paper and gave a presentation on Kangaroo Care (skin-to-skin contact between parents and baby),” she said. “I interviewed a neonatal intensive care unit nurse at Children’s Mercy to see how that hospital uses Kangaroo Care in the clinical setting. I definitely will be able to apply this knowledge when I work in the NICU someday.”

Rulo said the honors program pushed her to work harder and expand her knowledge base outside the normal classes.

“I built relationships with teachers and other students that will help tremendously in my career,” she said.

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College Now and Quick Step JCCC’s College Now is a credit program for county high school sophomores, juniors and seniors or ninthgrade students identified as gifted with a current Individual Education Plan. College Now students enroll in selected college classes, such as composition or U.S. history, offered at and in cooperation with the high school. The courses reflect the college’s content, objectives and assignments and are taught on the high school campus by qualified high school teachers.

During fall 2012, College Now enrollment totaled more than 3,100 students in 26 different locations. In spring 2013, 1,700 high school students were enrolled in College Now classes.

Ninety-eight percent of College Now students continue their education at colleges and universities, and 97 percent of College Now students said their courses transferred for credit to colleges other than JCCC. Nearly 98 percent of students would recommend the program to a friend.

Through the Quick Step program, high school students can be enrolled in more than 150 college courses.

Instruction is provided by JCCC faculty and is usually held on the college campus. For fall 2012, more than 500 Quick Step students from area high schools were

Ron Smith, College Close to Home student

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enrolled in JCCC courses. In spring 2013, more than 300 students were enrolled in Quick Step courses.

cooperative programs offered to more than 350 students from both Johnson County and Missouri.

JCCC also offers a unique program in the high schools called Quick Step Plus, or QS+. Students can earn credit in high school math and college algebra simultaneously through JCCC’s self-paced math offerings. A high school instructor teaches the course and gives the high school grade, while a JCCC professor oversees the self-paced aspect of study, administers all assessments for college credit, and gives the JCCC grade. In 2012-2013, more than 1,000 students were enrolled in 90 sections of the course in 24 area high schools. Ninety-two percent of enrolled students earn transferable credit for college algebra with a grade of C or higher.

Nontraditional careers

Cooperative programs

Through its On Your Site program, JCCC offers credit classes on-site at local businesses. The courses can be used to train or retrain employees in specific skills, or a company can offer employees general education courses that count toward a college degree. During the 2012-2013 academic year, a technical writing class was offered at the Lawrence Energy Center.

JCCC and the Metropolitan Community College district in Kansas City, Mo., have developed cooperative agreements that allow Johnson County residents to enroll in selected career programs at MCC while paying the same cost per credit hour rates that Johnson County residents pay to attend JCCC. Conversely, Missouri residents may enroll in selected career programs offered at JCCC at resident Missouri tuition rates. Between JCCC and MCC there are 31

Students in nontraditional careers are studying in a field in which more than 75 percent of the workforce is of the opposite gender. Examples are men in nursing and women in information technology. JCCC systematically works to inform students, parents, counselors, teachers, the community and business of the options, advantages and availability of nontraditional careers for male and female students.

Each year more than 200 students participate in activities focusing on nontraditional careers.

On Your Site

Lindsay Reed, College Now student

Finding the right path: Taylor Sulgrove

Low-key talent: Phil Jones

Taylor Sulgrove wants to be a teacher. She took a few classes at JCCC and realized that teaching was her life’s calling.

When you meet student Phil Jones for the first time, it’s tough to picture him as the stereotypical rapper, much less an “Internet sensation.” His friendly smile and his calm, laid-back demeanor are strikingly unexpected.

“Education is so important,” she said. “I can’t stress that enough. Education is our way out. No matter where you’re from, who you are…it allows you to see the world differently.”

Sulgrove once wasn’t so sure of what she wanted to do with her life. She had followed her fiancé from Chicago to Kansas City. He had gotten a job and had a plan, but she didn’t have a clue about her next step.

“I was at a bad part of my life in that I didn’t know what I wanted to do,” she said.

She’d heard glowing recommendations about JCCC, so even though she lived in Missouri and had to pay out-of-state tuition, she enrolled and hoped to find her path.

Her time with her teachers – all of them, throughout her life – led her to realize that teaching should be her career.

Sulgrove said she hopes to teach second or third grade in an urban setting, or perhaps be the director of an adult education program.

“I need to give back what’s been given to me,” she said.

She’s drawn to adult education, she said, because it’s never too late to make a change for the better. “People don’t understand that you have to have your education. When you educate one person, their children will see it, and then they’ll get their education. It just keeps growing.”

Sulgrove also wants to teach as a tribute to the teachers she’s had at JCCC. “My teachers have been so helpful. All of them have been great… If I email them, they’ll respond. They just give me the confidence I need to succeed, and to know I can be a teacher.”

Jones has been rapping since he was 7 years old. Back then, he’d perform for friends and at elementary school talent shows, doing covers by his favorite artists such as Run-D.M.C and LL Cool J, but today, he writes and performs his own original songs.

You may not recognize him by his given name, but maybe you have heard of LowKeezy, his stage name, which is very fitting for his personality.

“When I started rapping, I used the name ‘Low Key’ but realized that others were using the same name,” he said. “Friends started calling me LowKeezy, and it stuck.”

Recently, Jones was featured in a YouTube video, produced by fellow JCCC students, that to date has received more than 61,000 hits, making him an instant campus celebrity. But you won’t see that fame going to his head.

Jones still remains the same humble, LowKeezy guy.

For most people, this condition may seem like a hindrance to a career in the limelight, but not for Jones. In fact, it’s just the opposite. He said he does not experience panic attacks while on stage in front of his fans. That’s his comfort zone.

“When I am on stage, I feel like I am in control. I am relaxed,” he said.

Jones, who plans to graduate in May 2014, started college as a marketing and advertising major. He enrolled in a broadcast class and found that he really enjoyed it. Molly Baumgardner, coordinator of journalism and media communications, saw his potential and introduced him to radio broadcasting.

During the spring 2013 semester, he could be heard weekdays from 11 a.m. to noon hosting his own show on the student radio station ECAV. “She (Baumgardner) has been in my corner from the very beginning,” he said.

“She has encouraged me every step of the way.”

He now plans on majoring in broadcast journalism. If ever he decides to get out of the music business, Jones said he would like to pursue a career in the field of entertainment or sports broadcasting. For now, he plans on touring with his band and performing the music that he loves.

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Regional autism conference

Japan Festival

Clifton Taulbert

Events and speakers In July 2012 nearly 400 runners participated in the fifth Start2Finish 5K Run-Walk, co-sponsored by JCCC and the University of Kansas Edwards Campus. Race proceeds support scholarships for JCCC students who continue their education at KU Edwards Campus through Start2Finish, an educational partnership between the two institutions. Usually runners start at JCCC, run south on Quivira Road and finish the race at the KU Edwards Campus; this year, however, because of construction on Quivira, the race took place entirely on the JCCC campus. The run has raised more than $50,000 for scholarships.

Three healthcare professionals from the Stanford University School of Medicine were the featured presenters at the fifth annual Healthcare Simulation Conference hosted by JCCC. The conference, “Simulation: Bringing Life to Healthcare Challenges,” was intended for healthcare educators, practitioners and staff who are interested in using simulation for learning and evaluation.

Dr. Jeffrey Burns, University of Kansas, presented Is Preventing Alzheimer’s Disease Possible in September as part of the Polsky Practical Personal Enrichment Series. The Polsky Series is underwritten by the Norman and Elaine Polsky Family Supporting Foundation within the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation in partnership with JCCC. Japanese culture came alive in October 2012 at the Greater Kansas City Japan Festival, presented on the 24

college campus by the Heart of America Japan-America Society and the Japan Festival Committee. Events included a traditional Japanese drum group, a pop singer from Kyoto and sumo wrestlers, as well as festival favorites such as a candy artist, children’s activities, anime and manga, buyo dancing and bento boxes.

The college celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month with a panel discussion on immigration policy; an introduction to the music and culture of Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru and Chile; and workshops from the Latinos Writers Collective, among other events.

When the college observed Constitution Day on Sept.

17, 2012, students tested their knowledge of the U.S. Constitution. Test-takers included JCCC’s American government and administration of justice students as well as students taking College Now classes through JCCC. The college showcased produce from the campus farm through a gourmet lunch in September 2012 that benefited the Student Environmental Alliance. A harvest dinner in October raised scholarship funds for JCCC’s sustainable agriculture certificate program.

The Sustainability Speaker Series in fall 2012 offered lectures on beekeeping by beekeeper Robert Hughes; Habitat for Humanity by Mark Naster, resource development coordinator for Heartland Habitat for Humanity; and solar energy by Dan Eberle, assistant professor of energy performance and resource management.

At Criminal Justice Day in September 2012, students and the community took a close-up look at the equipment used in law enforcement, including computerized patrol cars, motorcycles, bomb disposal units and armored personnel carriers.

Kevin Willmott, associate professor of film and media studies at the University of Kansas, appeared twice at JCCC during the academic year. His first presentation, sponsored by the Kansas Studies Institute, was Race, History and Being a Kansas Filmmaker. During his second visit in April, he showed his film From Separate to Equal: The Creation of Truman Medical Center, which served as a cinematic reference to the book chosen as JCCC’s Common Read for 2012-2013, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot.

The Supreme Court of Kansas heard the legal arguments of four cases at JCCC in October 2012. This special satellite location was chosen as an effort to make the court’s proceedings accessible to more people. In April 2013, the Kansas Court of Appeals heard oral arguments in six cases at the college.

The Pulitzer-Prize nominated author Clifton Taulbert spoke at JCCC in October 2012. Taulbert talked about the timeless and priceless importance of family and the building of a supportive community.

The Kansas Studies Institute hosted a Kansas Language Symposium in November, with separate presentations on Osage, Spanish, German and Arabic languages

and culture. The evening keynote was The Crazy Quilt of Languages in Kansas: Weaving the Cultural Fabric of America’s Heartland, by Dr. William Keel, professor of Germanic languages at the University of Kansas.

A panel of experts, including JCCC faculty from the science division, discussed the implications of HeLa cells on current issues in science, healthcare and ethics in November 2012. This was also related to JCCC’s Common Read book, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot.

Girls from middle schools and high schools in Johnson County had the opportunity to explore careers traditionally dominated by men in an Action Conference in November 2012.

In December 2012, JCCC and the Kansas Center for Autism Research and Training at the University of Kansas hosted for the fifth time a regional autism conference, Beyond the Diagnosis: Autism Across the Lifespan.

Keynote speakers were Scott Bellini, who talked about The Delivery of Effective Social Skills Programming to Individuals on the Autism Spectrum: Notes and Observations from the Classroom, Clinic, Laboratory…and Dinner Table, and Michael John Carley, who addressed Asperger’s in the workplace, covering diversity and inclusion strategies of major corporations.

Dr. Jerome Silbergeld, P.Y. and Kinmay W. Tang professor of Chinese art history at Princeton University, presented Windows on Culture, Doorways to Understanding: Viewing China Through Architecture, as part of the Polsky Practical Personal Enrichment Series.

JCCC held the third annual Competitive Technology Event for 9th- through 12th-grade students in January 2013. Nearly 500 students from 20 high schools in Johnson, Douglas and Miami counties attended. The students competed independently or with classmates in 32 events in areas such as architecture, engineering, information technology, dragster design, fashion, film, flight, music, robotics, transportation and video production.

The event helps prepare students for future possible careers in these areas.

JCCC joined a national initiative that seeks to ensure that every college student gains an education in democracy. Toward that end, the college hosted a series of events, ranging from voter registration to a mock presidential debate to a presentation by former trustee and current member of the Kansas Board of Regents Fred Logan on the inside workings of politics.

Cheryl Brown Henderson, the daughter of the lead plantiff in the landmark U.S. Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, discussed the case and the 14th amendment during a public lecture at JCCC, sponsored

by JCCC’s Kansas Studies Institute and the college’s history department.

On Valentine’s Day, JCCC students and employees joined thousands around the world in dancing to counter violence against women. The activity was part of One Billion Rising, a day of action coordinated by V-Day, a global

Debating for Krebs: Brenden Brower-Freeman and Daniel Plott When a poet dies, someone reads poetry in honor of the deceased. When a gardener passes on, people gather to plant perennials in the park.

So it seemed a fitting tribute to a man who loved to dress as historical figures that two students reenacted the Lincoln-Douglas debate in his honor.

Fred Krebs, a professor of history at JCCC, died Dec. 28, 2012. In his 44-year tenure at JCCC, he introduced countless students to historical figures by portraying them in class. He also performed at college and community events. He played Benjamin Franklin during Constitution Day and William Allen White at statewide Chautauquas.

Brenden Brower-Freeman and Daniel Plott, students from the 2012-2013 JCCC debate team, volunteered to perform the legendary debate between candidates Abraham Lincoln and Stephen Douglas at the Rotary Club’s district convention.

Dr. Dick Stine, a former professor of speech and debate at JCCC and one of the organizers of the Rotary convention, had been a friend and colleague of Krebs and could think of no better way to honor him than to carry on the historical-portrayal tradition. He contacted Justin Stanley, JCCC debate coach, to see if he knew any debaters on the team who might travel to Junction City, Kan., for the afternoon, just to debate.

Stanley said he thought of Brower-Freeman and Plott immediately, and they obliged.

“Brenden knew Fred, and he’s very interested in history,” Stanley said. “Daniel had the beard – and seriously, he’s very good in these situations.” (Plott played the famously bearded Lincoln.)

Brower-Freeman, who played Douglas, said the debate went better than they expected. “We had a great turnout, and my partner and I were able to liven up the somewhat dry subject matter, turning it into ‘edu-tainment.’That is the sort of thing Fred loved. He would often teach in character, and I feel like our debate was in that same vein.”

Brower-Freeman sat on the Educational Affairs Committee with Krebs in 2012, and he said he was honored to participate in the Fred Krebs Memorial Lincoln-Douglas Debate.

“Fred was a part of the JCCC family and deserved to be honored in as big a way as possible,” he said. “I was impressed with all he did to help our college.”

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Veteran values engaging setting: Justin Hoover The blend of traditional and nontraditional students at JCCC creates an engaging learning environment for Justin Hoover. An added benefit is the veteran-friendly campus and career classes that fit his need.

“I began college at Kansas State University for one year before I enlisted in the U.S. Army for three years,” Hoover said. “When I decided to return to college as a veteran, I didn’t want to be solely surrounded by right-outof-high-school students,” he said. “I knew at a community college, JCCC particularly, there would be students with additional life experiences that I could relate to.”

Hoover found that and a veteran-friendly campus. He has connected with National Guard and reserve students in addition to veterans.

“The Veteran Affairs office has been very helpful,” Hoover added. “It was nice to know there was someone on campus who could help me quickly and accurately with all my questions regarding changes with the 21st century GI bill.”

To meet his learning preferences, Hoover is taking advantage of the JCCC entrepreneurial certificate program.

“I’m not very interested in doing general education that is required for a four-year degree,” Hoover said. “My plan is to find the disciplines I like and do the one-year certificates that fit my interests. The many JCCC one-year entrepreneurial certificates work well for me.”

When Hoover left the Army in 2006, he pursued a career in video production.

He first worked at a production company, moving from an editor to assistant producer in six months. His tasks included everything from sales and customer service to final production and distribution.

Hoover later worked for a Web development company that produced social media products for video-game enthusiasts. He decided to attend JCCC for formal training in marketing and entrepreneurship. He plans to one day operate his own company.

“For me, JCCC is better than what I first experienced at a four-year school years ago,” Hoover said.

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V-Day performance

activist movement working to end violence against women and girls. In March, JCCC students and staff took to the stage for a benefit performance to raise awareness and funds to help stop violence against women and girls. Readings of A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant and A Prayer: Writings to Stop Violence Against Women and Girls included works by Maya Angelou, Robin Morgan, Kathy Najimy, Alice Walker and Howard Zinn, among others. The collection was edited by Eve Ensler and Mollie Doyle. Ensler is the author of The Vagina Monologues and is the founder of V-Day. JCCC’s horticultural sciences program hosted the third Horticultural Science Field Day in February 2013. The event aimed at recruiting students to the field of horticulture and providing information about job opportunities and careers in horticulture. Horticulture specialist Dan Heims, president of Terra Nova Nurseries, Inc., who travels the world seeking new plant varieties and the world’s top breeders, spoke on Perennials from Around the World: How New Plants Are Found.

Heims’ presentation was also part of the Polsky Practical Enrichment Series.

About 90 people from dozens of countries and cultures became U.S. citizens in February 2013 during a naturalization ceremony at JCCC. This was the first time the federal court chose to have the ceremony on campus.

The Science Olympiad was held on the college campus in February. The Science Olympiad competitions are like academic track meets for students in grades 6-12. During the day, 22 middle schools and 24 high schools competed in two divisions – junior high/middle school and high school – in meteorology, chemistry, biology and more.

In March 2013, JCCC’s fashion merchandising and design students presented their spring fashion show, Making Headlines, featuring clothes designed by JCCC students. In April, the program also presented New York Times fashion critic Cathy Horyn talking about historical elements of current styles and explaining in a celebrity factor that comes with the latest fashions.

Leadership plus: Bruna Iacuzzi Naturalization ceremony

Spring fashion show

Also in March, David Lacks discussed his mother, Henrietta Lacks, a poor tobacco farmer and the title character of the nonfiction book The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, by Rebecca Skloot, which was the 2012-2013 Common Read selection at JCCC. Henrietta Lacks was the originator of the famous HeLa cells, which are instrumental in medical research, gene mapping, in vitro fertilization and more, who unknowingly “donated” her cells for research. Her family found out decades after the fact that their mother’s cells were being used in laboratories around the world. His visit put a personal face to issues such as the dark history of experimentation on African Americans, the birth of bioethics and legal battles over “informed consent.”

JCCC hosted the Kansas Academy of Science conference in April, for which Tim Crews, director of research and ecology at The Land Institute in Salina, was the keynote speaker. Crews talked about The Future of Agriculture.

In April, JCCC hosted its first-ever Health IT Workforce and Education Summit for employers, policymakers, associations, networks, government agencies, education leaders and students. The first of its kind in this region, the summit covered best practices, industry challenges, workforce issues and training options in the health IT industry. Keynote speakers were Julee Thompson, chief healthcare executive at Sprint, and Steve Waldron, senior strategist at the Center for Health IT at the American Academy of Family Physicians. Special panel discussions addressed common challenges in the emerging field, filling the workforce gap and best practices in health IT.

When Bruna Iacuzzi took a test to discover her strengths, the top five characteristics were leadership, command, competition, focus and achiever.

So it’s no surprise that the 20-year-old Italian led the JCCC Student Senate in 2012-2013, as well as going to class, working at Lidia’s Kansas City, and being involved in several other student groups.

That combination of strengths and experience will serve her well as she pursues her dream of returning to Sardinia, the island off the coast of Italy where she grew up, to grow tourism and open the first of a string of restaurants there.

Iacuzzi participated in the Cavalier Leadership Development Program, a semester-long program offered through Student Activities that focuses on practical, real-world topics related to leadership. The training helped Iacuzzi learn how to relate to all kinds of people – a skill that she said will come in handy for someone who wants to own her own restaurants and spend time in front of the house meeting customers.

Iacuzzi arrived at JCCC via tiny Brookville, Kan., a town of fewer than 300 people just west of Salina, where she’d spent a year as a high school exchange student.

Iacuzzi has earned a certificate and an associate of applied science degree in food and beverage management from JCCC as well as an associate of liberal arts degree. As her next step, she has received the ‘Imi Ola Merit Scholarship to study travel and industry management at Hawaii Pacific University.

Also in April, Professor Lee Liu, professor of geography at the University of Central Missouri, discussed the challenges facing modern China in The Square Curse, Smog and 21st Century China, as he investigated China’s widespread corruption, income disparity, pollution and environmental injustice.

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Three hot young comedians from Comedy Central – Nikki Glaser, Nick Vatterott and Sheng Wang – performed at JCCC in April.

The Student Environmental Alliance again celebrated Earth Day. The students promoted awareness of environmental issues, ideas and actions by working on the campus farm; offering tours of sustainability projects on campus; conducting a recycling and waste audit; enjoying a meal prepared with products from the campus farm; and looking at energy and climate.

Hollywood director, producer, editor and former JCCC student Jonathan Dillon was the featured speaker at the Cavalier Film Festival, which screened films created by students from JCCC and area high schools.

Making a difference: Barry R. Grissom JCCC produces many successful students, including the United States Attorney for the District of Kansas.

Forty years ago, Barry R. Grissom was among the first students to benefit from JCCC faculty and curriculum when the college opened its current location at College Boulevard and Quivira Road in Overland Park.

Today, this JCCC alumnus and Leawood resident is the chief federal law enforcement official in the District, which has three offices – in Kansas City, Wichita and Topeka – for about 50 attorneys and 56 support staff. President Barack Obama nominated Grissom to his current position in April 2010, and the U.S. Senate confirmed the nomination in August that same year.

Grissom said his law enforcement priorities include national security, violent crime, drug trafficking, financial fraud and crimes against children. Prior to his current position, Grissom practiced law as a solo practitioner in Overland Park.

So why did this lawmaker and community leader choose JCCC when he was looking for colleges years ago? Not surprisingly, it was for the same reasons students select JCCC as a first-choice destination today.

“My parents moved to the Johnson County area after I graduated from high school in Chicago in 1972,” Grissom said. “It was my intention to attend a college or university that would allow me to work while being a full-time student. After moving to the area and during initial investigation as to the course offerings at JCCC, I decided to attend at least one semester to see how I would adjust to college life while working at least 20 hours a week outside of my studies.”

Grissom enrolled at JCCC and two years later received his associate’s degree. He went on to graduate with a bachelor’s degree from the University of Kansas in 1977 and the Oklahoma City University School of Law in 1981.

Grissom noted that because of the outstanding education he received during his two years at JCCC, he was able to continue his education in a seamless fashion at the University of Kansas. He even mentioned his education roots at a community college in his speech when he took office.

“The faculty at JCCC was outstanding,” he recalled. “My successes today are predicated in no small part because of the incredible student-teacher relationship I was lucky enough to have with outstanding educators.”

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Former KMBC-TV anchor Maria Antonia and photojournalist Tim Twyman received the Headline Award from JCCC’s journalism and media communications department. The Headline Award recognizes people who have made significant contributions to journalism in the area.

The seventh annual American Indian Health Research and Educational Alliance Pow Wow was held at JCCC in May, focusing on improving the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual health of American Indians.

Renewed interest in landscaping with native plants was the catalyst for a first-ever Native Plants Symposium in June. Barry Glick of Sunshine Farm and Gardens, Renick, W.Va., offered a lecture, Woodland Wonders from the Wild, and a hands-on workshop, The Joy of Propagation, or Everything You Wanted to Know About Plant Production But Were Afraid to Ask. Again over the summer, JCCC offered sports camps and learning, arts, and career options classes for youth on campus; Light Up the Lawn concerts on the lawn in front of the Nerman Museum, sponsored by the museum, the Performing Arts Series and Student Activities; and free vintage movie musicals in Yardley Hall.

Throughout the year, JCCC hosted campus visit events for high school juniors and seniors and home-school students as well as presentations for prospective adult students and home-schooled students and their parents. In addition, the college also offered college planning events for parents.

Accountable to the community For fiscal year 2012-2013, the college’s management budget, representing the actual amount available to spend in a year, was $241,467,018. It was composed of the operating budget, totaling $139,617,631, and the budgets for all other funds such as capital outlay, auxiliary and restricted funds, totaling $101,849,387.

The college’s operating budget was built on the assumption the college would see a decrease of 3 percent in assessed valuation from the county and an increase of 5 percent in funding from the state.

The mill levy assessed for the college for 2012-2013 remained nearly the same, at 8.785 mills, which included a capital outlay levy of .500 mills. The average homeowner paid about $231 in annual assessment for the college.

The cost-per-credit-hour for students increased by $3 for Kansas residents and $8 for students from outside the state in 2012-2013.

Johnson County residents paid $84 a credit hour, Kansas residents $99 a credit hour and nonresidents $197 a credit hour for classes. Three dollars from the amount spent for each credit hour provides a specific funding source for classroom technology.

There were no increases in operating expenses in 2012-2013 except in areas where increases could not be controlled, such as utilities and insurance. Capital expenses were based on need, and there was no increase in staffing.

Approximately half of JCCC’s operating funding comes from county taxes; the rest comes from student tuition, motor vehicle taxes and state aid.

Budget administrators again participated in the process called “Prioritizing the Budget Strategically” (PBS) to prepare the budget for 2012-2013. The PBS process called for them to prioritize their programs so that resources would be allocated to areas that serve the college’s strategic priorities. The college’s strategic plan spells out what is important in terms of goals and initiatives – student success, culture and environment, community leadership and continuous quality improvement. College leadership developed a plan that would allow them to be good fiscal stewards while still achieving the college’s strategic priorities.

Johnson County Community College FY 2012-2013 Budget General/PTE Funds Revenues

Ad Valorem Taxes 49%

Tuition 26%

State Grant 17%

Local Motor Vehicle Taxes 5%

Other 3%

Johnson County Community College FY 2012-2013 Budget General/PTE Funds Expenses

Salaries and Benefits 79%

Current Operating 18%

Capital 3%

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Michael Rea with recycled technology

Windows 8 touch screens

Student using JCCC’s wireless network

Technology at JCCC JCCC was again recognized as one of the top-rated community colleges for digital technology by e.Republic’s Center for Digital Education for the sixth straight year. This recognition is based on how community colleges are using information technology to deliver services to students, faculty and staff. Survey questions and criteria examined and scored areas of digital and emerging technologies such as the use of mobile devices, technology integration into the curriculum, strategic planning, data management, delivery models, professional development and availability of technology tools and training.

$3 infrastructure tech fee investment Major advances continued to be made in strengthening JCCC’s network and data center infrastructure, thanks to the $3 per-credit-hour technology fee that the college charges students. The tech fee was established to meet growing demands for faster and greater bandwidth, wireless, video, voice, storage and virtualization technologies.

Infrastructure investments in 2012-2013 included a campus fiber infrastructure strategy for highavailability, increased capacity and survivability of the campus network; remote site upgrades and connectivity to the main campus; a single, unified, secure high-speed wireless network with expanded coverage; unified communication services integrating voice, video conferencing, data sharing, voicemail, email, instant messaging and faxing; 30

network and data center energy efficiency upgrades; uninterruptable power supply upgrades to sustain college operations and business continuity; and scheduled network equipment replacements.

This fiscal year also saw the accelerated completion of Internet telephony (Voice over Internet Protocol or VoIP) on the main campus and remote sites after the aging legacy phone system sustained a lightning strike in May 2012, severely damaging phone service across campus. VoIP technology, which provides the ability to transmit voice (telephone) over the college’s existing data network and broadband connection, provided users new functionality and better tools for staff to improve services and enabled the college to increase the number of phone lines or call paths during high call-volume days.

Internet bandwidth and wireless usage continued to increase at dramatic proportions as students, staff and college patrons use their mobile devices on campus.

JCCC was featured in The Explosion of BYOD (bring your own device) in the September 2012 CDWG.com/ higher education online magazine for the overhaul of its network infrastructure to support the proliferation of students’ personal devices. As noted in Working without Wires by Wylie Wong, Ed Tech Magazine Online, in a winter 2012 article, JCCC’s new wireless control system allows support staff to centrally manage more than 300 access points throughout campus, providing the ability to drill down to building floors to monitor access points, coverage areas and

number of devices connected, automatically adjusting configurations to maintain optimal performance.

Constituent relationship management The college is employing constituent relationship management tools to help unify and manage the various relationships the college has with a variety of constituents. The initial release provided the Continuing Education sales team the capability to track leads as they work their way through the transaction lifecycle from lead to contract. Student Success and Learner Engagement developed a process that identifies and tracks students in the early stages of needing assistance, known as Early Alerts. The development of a credit student online application consolidated seven separate applications into an information-based application that builds upon the data provided to the tool.

Mobility JCCC responded to the tremendous expansion of mobile technology in today’s world by offering a mobile version of the college website as well as a mobile-friendly application that lets campus constituents securely shop or make a payment from their mobile devices. Development of a mobile application platform and store and integration of new VoIP functionality such as soft phones or follow-me capability provided added mobility solutions for JCCC employees. JCCC also entered into an agreement with the college’s enterprise resource planning vendor

to provide access to a series of mobile-developed applications including events, courses, grades, news and maps.

Strategic sourcing Strategic sourcing leverages managed, hosted or “cloud” services in certain areas to supplement staff and facilitate the rapid migration to next-generation technologies and interactive learning environments.

Focused on customer needs, organizational goals and market conditions, strategic sourcing improves operational efficiency and productivity, increases quality, creates partnerships with providers and saves money, while letting staff focus proactively on customer support needs.

Technical information security The information technology technical security team continued to secure system and network resources and protect the confidentiality of student, faculty and staff information. In 2012-2013, the college underwent a desktop security audit to ensure compliance of standard desktop-builds processes, patching and presence of antivirus, as well as identifying potential risks to known exploits. In the coming year, the security team will assess and improve its alignment with the critical security controls identified by wellknown standards such as NIST, SANS and ISO.

Sustainability and green IT initiatives Sustainability efforts in 2012-2013 included improvements to the secondary data center that reduced electricity by half. Virtualization efforts continued with the reduction of the number of physical hard drives required to provide storage capacity by an average of 50 percent when compared to traditional network storage. Desktop virtualization, where a single physical server can host 10 or more virtual desktops, reduces power and cooling by as much as 90 percent. Other sustainability efforts to reduce energy consumption included a multimedia resource management software tool to centrally manage and support multimedia classrooms, automatically powering down computers when not in use, smart power strips, dual boot configurations, virtual tape libraries and energy-efficient form factor computers.

Home design star: Hong Sievert Hong Sievert is in the business of making dreams come true. At least the kind that involve kitchen and bath remodeling projects.

Sievert is a graduate of the JCCC interior design program and the recipient of the Gold Award for the Kansas City Home and Garden Magazine Remodel of the Year Award.

As a design consultant in the kitchen and bath department at one of Olathe’s Home Depot stores, she truly enjoys interacting with customers every day, helping them fulfill their design aspirations with ideas that only skilled professionals can turn into realities.

In 2012 Sievert also received a National Thomasville Kitchen of the Month Award.

Home Depot Television came to Kansas to tape a segment of its Spotlight on Success. The crew interviewed Sievert and the customer whose kitchen she designed. The inspiring footage was shown to employees across the country.

Sievert was born and raised in Vietnam and worked in the secretarial field for a couple of U.S. companies in Hanoi, but her true passion was helping friends decorate for weddings and wedding receptions.

“When I came to the United States in December 1997, I felt that it would be too challenging for me to find a clerical job, so I decided to go back to school to learn interior design – to follow my passion,” she said. “JCCC had a great reputation and I thought it would be a place where I could fulfill my dream.”

She was also impressed that JCCC is recognized by the National Kitchen & Bath Association as an accredited program. She completed the curriculum, and her JCCC internship at Home Depot turned into a gratifying job she has maintained for eight years.

“The greatest reward I’ve received from my career is I am working at the job that I love. Being able to help customers and making them happy makes me feel happy,” she said. “It’s all possible because of JCCC.” From the time Sievert walked in the Student Center at JCCC, she was very impressed with the professionalism, helpfulness and knowledge of the staff.

“The teachers in my program made me feel at home and they were very nice and helpful any time I needed them,” she said. “I still apply what I learned at JCCC every day at work.”

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Emergency preparedness The emergency preparedness manager worked with Information Services on several projects in 2012-2013 to keep students, employees and community members safe. A campus-wide desktop emergency notification system delivered emergency alerts to JCCC computer systems as a pop-up window overlaying all other open windows on the system. A mobile emergency notification system sends simultaneous emergency notifications to email, text, Facebook and Twitter accounts. In addition, the key card physical security access system was upgraded to perform a campuswide building lock-down in the event of an emergency.

Campus emergency phones were also modernized.

Enhanced academic and administrative systems Academic and administrative system upgrades and improvements in 2012-2013 included: • Enhancements to the college’s learning management system, which provides administration, documentation, tracking, reporting and delivery of courses or training programs.

• An online scheduling system for the counseling center.

• Voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP) classes offered as part of the computer information systems/ information technology curriculum and Cisco Academy program.

• An online voting system for student elections to ensure accurate and one-time voting.

• Clinical dental hygiene grading system improvements to track student proficiency across several key indicators that can also be used during program accreditation to demonstrate student skills and competencies.

• Improvements to the student orientation program.

• Instant messaging to assist students with questions about the college in key areas such as admissions, enrollment, records and financial aid.

• Virtual desktops for Continuing Education’s JAVA and pharmacy courses.

• A new virtual teaching environment for enterprise infrastructure courses that can be deployed in hours rather than days, eliminating the need for expensive server class workstations in the classrooms, and that allows students access to the environment from anywhere on campus. This shift from physical to virtual technology is paving the way for new curriculum opportunities in virtualization, storage

and other “in demand” areas that were previously not covered in enterprise infrastructure courses.

• Upgrades to the integrated messaging environments including Exchange 2010 and email archiving.

• Rollout of the latest release of Microsoft Office to more than 1,600 faculty and staff office computers.

• The successful pilot of an online invoice approval process.

• The ability for students, employees and patrons to make payments such as tuition, associated fees and products via their mobile devices.

• International wire transfers that benefit JCCC’s international students.

• Delivery and receipt of faxes via email to streamline processes, improve security and reduce print costs.

• Improvement of faculty test scoring options with a network-based grading application.

• The addition of two touchscreen Windows 8 labs.

• A new employee records system that streamlines the process for maintaining and retrieving employee records by providing electronic access to them, saving thousands of paper copies and hours of manual touches to each file.

Making the most of medical records: Thomas Vincent It isn’t often that the President of the United States asks for your help to further your profession. But that’s what happened to Thomas Vincent, a graduate of the HITECH program at JCCC, and he happily accepted.

Vincent attended a White House discussion on the future of electronic medical records (EMR). The goal was to provide feedback on how health information technology can help improve the quality of patient care and how that improved quality can lead to better patient health.

Vincent received his certificate from JCCC in Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) during the program’s first phase in 2010.

Even though he already had a bachelor’s degree in computer systems and a master’s degree in management of information systems, he went back to JCCC to explore career options in healthcare.

“I had been looking into healthcare for some time, and after doing some research, healthcare seemed to be the growing field,” Vincent said.

Helping doctors in 78 different family practices achieve meaningful use of healthcare records is now Vincent’s career. He was hired by the Kansas Foundation for Medical Care (KFMC), a quality improvement organization with contracts from healthcare companies, the Department of Health and Human Services and the state of Kansas.

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While the career switch to healthcare was deliberate for Vincent, ”the road to the White House totally caught me off guard,” he said.

Deb Elder, HIT grant program director, nominated Vincent. Event organizers were looking for a former student who had been hired into health information technology (HIT) to represent the Midwest.

“I certainly felt excited, privileged and honored to be nominated for the honor,” Vincent said.

Energized from the exchange of ideas at the conference, Vincent returned to work and suggested to KFMC an in-service presented by a consultant specializing in change, paired with a physician who had successfully adopted the EMR process.

“What makes EMR successful is the human factor,” Vincent said. “We need to address that.”

Yearly statistics In 2012-2013, JCCC remained the largest institution of higher education in the state. A total of 8,898 students were enrolled in summer 2012 classes at JCCC (as of the 20th day of the session). For fall 2012, 20,443 students were enrolled as of the 20th day of the semester, while 17,837 students were enrolled in spring 2013 (20th day figures).

Total unduplicated headcount for the 2012-2013 academic year was 31,764.

In 2012-2013, more than 18 percent of local high school graduates attended JCCC. Thirty percent of Johnson County first-time freshmen who chose to attend college in Kansas attended JCCC.

A career you can sink your teeth into: Pat Walters JCCC alumna Pat Walters had wanted to go into dentistry virtually since, well, she was cutting baby teeth herself.

“I had a lifetime dream of becoming a dental hygienist after being mentored in my formative years by a neighbor who was a dental assistant,” she recalled.

“I was 12 years old when I decided I wanted to pursue a career in the dental health field. I was in my 30s and a nontraditional student when I applied at JCCC. I was living in Kansas City at the time and got lucky when I inquired about dental hygiene programs in the area.

JCCC was in my backyard.”

It turned out to be a fortuitous choice.

“While at JCCC, I was mentored and encouraged by the faculty members to pursue a bachelor’s degree at UMKC to become an instructor. They saw something in me, and I am extremely grateful for their gentle push.”

While taking all the prerequisite courses required (nutrition being a favorite) toward qualification to enter the program, Walters found herself drawn to the anatomy and physiology courses.

“I really enjoy learning about the body as a whole, by the pure excitement to see how it all works as one,” she said. “The mouth is a small but major part of the body that sometimes can be ignored by health professionals. Connecting the dots of how mouth health/disease contributes to overall health has always been a fascination for me since I attended JCCC’s dental hygiene program.”

More than 36 percent of JCCC students enrolled in fall 2012 planned to transfer to another college or university.

Ninety-three percent of JCCC’s career program completers find a job within six months. Seventy-eight percent of respondents to a survey of students who had completed a career program at JCCC and were employed indicated that they were employed full-time. Ninety-two percent of their employers rated the overall job preparation their employees had received at the college as “good” or “very good.”

In 2012-2013, JCCC awarded 3,057 associate’s degrees or vocational certificates. Retiring President Terry Calaway was the commencement speaker in May 2013; Student Senate President Bruna Iacuzzi was the student speaker.

In 2012-2013, 329 students passed the General Educational Development exam to obtain their Kansas high school diploma.

Almost $40 million in federal, state and institutional student aid was distributed to students for college and living expenses in 2012-2013.

In 2012-2013, 891 groups (49,098 people) used the event spaces in the Regnier Center and the Nerman Museum.

In fall 2012, 54 percent of all JCCC students were female, about 33 percent were full-time students, and over 76 percent lived in Johnson County. The average age of JCCC students was 26.

JCCC’s mill levy in the lowest in the state for a community college.

Walters credits her JCCC professors with encouraging her to take her next steps in her education and pursue the bachelor’s and master’s degree.

“I can honestly say, I would not be where I am today if I had not experienced such positive mentoring and support from JCCC dental hygiene faculty,” she said.

After her associate’s degree at JCCC, Walters earned her bachelor’s and not one but two master’s degrees – one in dental hygiene education and research and one in oral biology with a minor in gerontology. Then, having been a student for so long, she decided to try her hand at teaching.

“I applaud faculty members who take the time to mentor students and to help them recognize their strengths while in the midst of establishing a new career field. JCCC dental hygiene faculty did exactly that for me, and I am eternally grateful.”

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John Tuck, Continuing Education instructor

Phlebotomy technician training

Continuing Education In early 2013, Johnson County Community College began the reorganization and rebranding of its continuing education program, allowing for closer alignment with JCCC’s campus-wide rebranding effort of 2012. Formerly known as Workforce, Community and Economic Development, the branch reunified its noncredit classes and certificate programs under a single operational umbrella – Johnson County Community College Continuing Education – that is committed to educational excellence and affordability.

Currently one of the largest continuing education programs in the country, the branch’s new rebranding and reorganization initiative is expected to be complete in 2014.

• Licensing and CEUs for professionals in healthcare, mediation, early childhood education, banking, payroll, human resources, and Lean and Six Sigma continuous process improvement tools.

Workforce Development

• Assistance to local companies applying for Kansas Department of Commerce grants that will pay for workforce training for newly created jobs or jobs requiring new skills.

JCCC’s workforce training program (formerly the Center for Business and Technology) continued to be a student-focused provider of professional education, licensures, certifications, and skill development courses, meeting the needs of individuals and organizations throughout the Kansas City metropolitan area.

In 2012-2013, JCCC Continuing Education had almost 11,000 enrollments in its computer/information technology, professional education, healthcare, small business, public safety and health information systems programs. In addition, 3,300 enrollments came through customized contract training programs with 66 area businesses. The lifelong learning programs included:

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• Customized projects that included competency development models, designing curriculum, instructional guides and assessment.

• Customized training and development for organizations, including solutions for leadership, management, finance, project management and coaching at various levels.

• Public classes and contract training in computer applications and information technology.

Small Business Development Small business owners received management consulting, technical assistance and training from the Kansas Small Business Development Center (KSBDC).

The U.S. Small Business Administration, the Kansas Department of Commerce and JCCC fund the KSBDC. The Kansas Small Business Development Center consulted with 530 existing or aspiring small business clients in 2012. These clients created 297 new jobs, obtained $12.4 million in financing and increased sales by $11.7 million.

JCCC KSBDC clients, New York Dawg Pound, LLC and Molly’s Table LLC, were selected as Emerging and Existing Businesses of the Year, respectively. Each was recognized at the annual ceremony at the state capitol in Topeka.

The JCCC KSBDC also trained 929 individuals on smallbusiness-related topics.

The KSBDC partners with Kansas Procurement Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) at Wichita State University to offer PTAC services at JCCC. PTACs assist small businesses with potential market expansion through procurement opportunities with the government. The JCCC Kansas PTAC covers 17 counties. Last year, the JCCC Kansas PTAC met with 166 new clients, resulting in more than $3.7 million in contract dollars awarded and 41 jobs either being created or retained.

Community Development In 2012-2013, JCCC Continuing Education’s Community Services division served more than 11,300 community members through various programs, including personal enrichment classes; the career services program, offering workshops, individual career counseling and weekly job clubs; summer youth programs; Friday Discoveries, a one-day class for youth in math, science, and arts and crafts; contract language services for area businesses needing translation services; motorcycle training and driver education; and adult basic education.

GED graduates

Adult Basic Education More than 2,325 adults prepared for the GED exam, learned English or improved their academic skills through the five Johnson County Adult Education Program centers. JCAE is sponsored jointly by the college and the Johnson County Library. Johnson County Adult Education helped more than 210 students prepare for and enter into postsecondary education. In addition, the Migrant Family Literacy Program provided preschool and literacy services for 34 families in the Olathe school district. The program provides basic life skills, employment counseling, parenting and after-school tutoring to children and adults in Olathe.

Health and Human Services JCCC’s Health and Human Services continuing education division offered workshops and seminars targeting the educational needs of healthcare providers from nearly every area of the field.

Community partnerships included the University of Kansas Memory and Alzheimer’s Care Program, El Centro, Aberdeen Village, Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services, the Alzheimer’s Association Heartland Chapter, Comfort Keepers Home Care, Kansas City Southwest Clinical Society, and many others. Certificates in Medical Coding, Kansas Adult Care Home Administrator, and the Kansas Assisted Living Operator course have grown in popularity with the need for well-trained staff in aging services.

HITECH Workforce and Education Summit

The phlebotomy technician course continues to be highly successful and moved to JCCC’s Olathe Health Education Center (OHEC) in summer 2013. The pharmacy technician program graduated its first class from the didactic and simulation portion of the course and completed externship experiences in September.

Olathe Medical Center, Shawnee Mission Medical Center and Ball’s Foods Price Chopper pharmacies participated in the program. (Contracts were pending with Menorah, Walgreen’s, Saint Luke’s and Starks pharmacies.) The American Society of Health-Systems Pharmacists will conduct a site visit for JCCC’s application for national accreditation in late 2013.

This would allow JCCC to be the only Kansas program east of Hays and Hutchinson to attain this prestigious status. With the ICD-10 implementation in 2015, the medical coding course will adapt to meet the tremendous strain this change will put on existing and emerging professionals. Courses to update currently certified coders will be offered in late 2013.

Health Information Systems (HITECH)

Delivered in partnership with Hutchinson Community College, the program is accessible to students throughout the Kansas City metro area and across the state of Kansas via on-campus and online classes. The new HITECH video conferencing room gives distance-learning students the face-to-face experience of the classroom without travel. Students enjoy real workforce experience in the health IT environment thanks to industry partners like Cerner and area employers, putting them on the right track for successful employment. An H-1B Department of Labor grant gives support to train students, provides internship dollars to employers, and builds career pathways with four-year educational institutions.

In April 2013, JCCC held the first regional Health IT Workforce and Education Summit, convening employers, policymakers, associations, government agencies, education leaders and students. The summit addressed common challenges in the emerging field, filling the workforce gap and best practices in the health IT industry.

JCCC’s HITECH (health information technology) program offered two new 20-hour certificates that combine four of the six nationally identified workforce curriculum roles: Health Information Systems Workflow Management and Training Specialist and the Health Information Systems Implementation and Support Specialist.

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PAS Arts Education, MOMIX dance workshop

The Mystery of Edwin Drood

Performing Arts Series Since 1990, Johnson County Community College has offered one of the largest multidiscipline performing arts series in mid-America. Since changing its programming strategy in 2010, the series has attracted a wider demographic and in 2012-2013 saw ticket sales increase 32 percent.

Today, the Performing Arts Series maintains its diverse selection of shows, from classical music to Broadway, as well as dance performances of varied genres, comedy and theater. Celebrities like Lyle Lovett, Shirley MacLaine, Arlo Guthrie and the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain were favorites in 2012-2013.

More than 23,000 tickets were sold to the 24 performances in the 2012-2013 Performing Arts Series. Another 40,000 people attended events presented by local presenters, community groups and college departments.

Performing Arts Education An important part of the Performing Arts Series (PAS) program is arts education. The program provides area students and teachers with low-cost or free services designed to help them explore their own creativity, glimpse the world of professional artists, and develop talents and critical thinking skills. The arts education program includes master classes, teacher workshops, residencies, curriculum development, lecture/ demonstrations and performances.

In 2012-2013, PAS arts education served nearly 15,000 children and community members with public performances, including seven school shows. On the 36

JCCC campus, visiting artists connected with numerous campus organizations and departments, including student leadership, Continuing Education, the Center for Sustainability, the Hiersteiner Child Development Center and the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art. Partnerships continued with educational and community organizations, such as the Heartland Music Academy, the Kansas Alliance for Arts Education and the Kansas Department of Education.

Two music festivals were scheduled in 2012-2013.

In summer 2012, the nine-day Heartland Chamber Music Festival and six-day Junior Music Festival with community partner Heartland Chamber Music Academy became one of the premier chamber music festivals in the region. In January 2013, as part of Jazz Winterlude, the college hosted eight schools and more than 100 local and international jazz musicians.

Headliners were guitarist Julian Lage, singer Deborah Brown and pianist Eldar.

Academic performances JCCC’s music department offers students the opportunity to compose, study and perform music as part of a choral group or concert or jazz band.

JCCC’s student musical ensembles – Chamber Choir, MadRegalia, Concert Band, the Midnight Express Jazz Ensemble and the JCCC Jazz Nights – perform concerts throughout the year.

JCCC’s academic theatre department offered these productions in 2012-2013: BecauseHeCan, a chilling story of a young couple menaced by a computer

hacker intent on destroying them; The Mystery of Edwin Drood, a musical based on Charles Dickens’ unfinished novel; reasons to be pretty, a romantic drama about the hopelessness of love; The Fisherman and the Goldfish, based on a Russian story by Alexander Pushkin that examines what happens when greed gets the best of you; and Anna in the Tropics, a volatile combination of Tolstoy, the tropics and the American dream.

Each semester the college presents the Ruel Joyce Recital Series (named for the longtime jazz bassist who headed the local musicians federation from 1977 until his death in 1989) and a Jazz Series. The concerts, featuring local classical and jazz artists, are cosponsored by the JCCC humanities and music departments, Continuing Education and the Richard J. Stern Foundation for the Arts.

Radio Bach Radio Bach came back! The classical radio station is now located at Johnson County Community College.

Radio Bach, once the name of the classical music station KXTR before its demise in 2011, now streams classical music from www.radiobach.com, and its signal will reach wherever there’s an Internet connection.

Patrick Neas, the former morning show host and program director for KXTR, is the programming director.

“It’s the new era of radio,” Neas said. “We feel like we are pioneers in the new world of radio on the World

Patrick Neas, Radio Bach

Aisles of smiles: Daryl and Christy Roller Take a look at the uniformly dressed people holding programs outside the venues in the Carlsen Center, and it might be easy to mistakenly call them “ushers.”

Wide Web. For Kansas City to have such a vibrant arts community and not have a radio station dedicated to the arts is just not right. We want to bring classical music from the heart of America to around the world.”

KXTR began broadcasting as a classical station in the 1950s. In March 2012, the station’s owner, Entercom, switched the station to a business format, leaving classical and art lovers without the full-time coverage they had come to expect.

The college station will have a huge library of music, Neas said, five times more than most classical stations.

“I think it is the one thing that will distinguish us. We are starting with a playlist of 5,000 pieces, and we will add to that. We intend to play music from the Middle Ages to the 21st century, with everything from solo piano and full orchestral music to opera arias and choral works,” he said.

Andy Anderson, vice president for academic affairs, oversees the effort.

“We want to become a voice for the arts in Kansas City,” Anderson said. “The arts organizations in Kansas City that we have visited with have been very excited to see that we are picking this up.”

Helping ticket-holders to their seats is only one of the jobs of the 200 or so Vol*Stars who volunteer their time and talents for events at JCCC. In addition to the smiles and programs they provide patrons, Vol*Stars also assist with mailings, repair the facilities, learn emergency procedures and even mend the red velvet curtains.

Christina Wright, event manager for performance venues, said Vol*Stars are an important asset to the Carlsen Center and its yearlong program of events.

“It’s not just the Performing Arts Series, either,” she said. “They are there for nearly every event in the Carlsen Center, from JCCC staff meetings to Police Academy graduations to whatever else might be on the calendar.”

Each year Vol*Stars supply more than 12,000 hours of volunteer labor – a value of $264,000 based on the IRS valuation of a volunteer at $22 an hour.

But to Wright, the value of Vol*Stars isn’t so easily monetized.

“I’d prefer to work with volunteers because they’re ecstatic to be there,” she said. “They believe in the mission of what we’re doing.”

Daryl Roller and his wife, Christy, have been Vol*Stars for the past two years. Roller retired from Fort Scott Community College and moved to Johnson County in order to be closer to their children and grandchildren.

Unfortunately, they left behind their long-time friends. So when Emily Behrmann, general manager, performing arts, suggested Roller sign up for Vol*Stars, he did so. It was a way for him to plug back into campus life.

“I just love helping people,” Roller said. “And the people that I’ve met, the other Vol*Stars, most of them have been very active in their working lives, they retire, and then boom! Nothing. They’re looking for something to do to help out.”

He said he’s made quite a few friends from Vol*Stars. Six months after he began, he talked his wife into volunteering as well.

“It didn’t take much convincing,” he said. “We both have been quick to help others… and we enjoy Johnson County Community College.”

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Oppenheimer@20 gala ice sculpture

Oppenheimer Collection book published for the exhibition gala

Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art In 2012-2013, 69,070 individuals visited the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art. The museum at JCCC is the largest contemporary art museum in the fourstate region and the only contemporary art museum in Kansas.

Since 1980, JCCC has been collecting contemporary art from around the world, each year adding new pieces to the collection. Today, the works of more than 1,200 regional, national and international artists are represented in JCCC’s renowned collection, which features a diverse range of painting, photography, clay, sculpture and works on paper. Some of the college’s collection is installed in “collection focus” areas in the corridors, dining halls and other highly visible and accessible locations around campus, sparking a spontaneous engagement with art for students, faculty, staff and visitors.

Exhibitions Exhibitions at the museum in 2012-2013 focused on a variety of content and media.

• Cylinders ∙ Lauren Mabry was on view in the museum’s Oppenheimer New Media Gallery from April 13-July 15, 2012. Mabry stated, “The surfaces of my ceramic cylinders are bold, deep, dynamic compositions. The act of painting my work with layered slips and glazes is an intuitive process, which I have developed over time through experimenting with materials and methods.”

• Kids ∙ Chris Biddy was shown in the museum’s McCaffree Gallery from April 13-July 15, 2012. In 38

Kids, Biddy turns Facebook photos of adolescent girls into meticulously rendered paintings. His subjects are self-represented, captured via their smart phones or digital cameras within the context of their respective lives.

• Tamim ∙ Zack Balber was on view in the museum’s Cohen Gallery from April 13-July 15, 2012. Balber uses portrait photography to uncover the camouflaged identity of some of Judaism’s most unconventional Jews. Balber, Jewish himself, connected with the men he photographed while rediscovering his own lineage.

simple classification, and Faulwell depicts them independent of their surroundings as saints, warriors, criminals, aggressors and victims.

• Dark Light ∙ The Ceramics of Christine Nofchissey McHorse was on view Feb. 26-May 26, 2013. McHorse is considered one of the most innovative forces in American Indian ceramics today, creating vessel-based works that are unadorned and abstract and resonate more with modern sculpture than with traditional Southwestern pottery. The exhibition addressed McHorse’s journey as an artist, focusing on works from her Dark Light series from 1997 to the present.

• .SUM ∙ Matthias Merkel Hess, William J. O’Brien, Arlene Shechet ran from May 25Oppenheimer@20 ∙ Sept. 2, 1012. All three artists employ clay as a 20th anniversary of the sculptural medium for their respective works. For Oppenheimer art collection .SUM, the Nerman Museum invited Merkel Hess, O’Brien and Shechet to each create an installation for The museum hosted a gala in September 2012 to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the Oppenheimer one of the museum’s first-floor galleries. art collection. The event, which honored collectors • Oppenheimer@20 was on view from Sept. 29, and donors Marti and Tony Oppenheimer, 2012-Feb. 3, 2013. (See the next section.) attracted more than 800 artists, art dealers and art aficionados from across the nation, including • Pins and Needles ∙ Asad Faulwell ran from friends from Sotheby’s in New York, the National Feb. 26-April 14, 2013. Faulwell’s mesmerizing Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C., the Museum works address the narratives of Algerian women of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles, and the Los who were captured, tortured and imprisoned Angeles County Museum of Art. while fighting with the National Liberation Front to end the French occupation of Algeria. After the That evening the museum also unveiled more than women were released when the war ended in 1962, 15 new gifts from the Oppenheimers, including they returned to their country, only to be viewed works by Dana Schutz, Nick Cave, Kim Dorland, Asad as social outcasts and exiled. These women defy Faulwell, Kirk Hayes, Angel Otero, Cordy Ryman, Kent

Michael Smith, Stefanie Guthell, Lonnie Powell, Ian Davis, Allison Schulnik, Leidy Churchman, Brian Calvin, Warren Isensee and Brian Tolle.

The Oppenheimer Collection has grown to become the core of the museum’s permanent collection. It includes sculptures, paintings, photographs, works on paper, ceramics, new media, textiles and American Indian art. About one-third of the collection features artists who have a connection with the Kansas City area. Twenty-one major pieces of sculpture, which include college acquisitions, now adorn the campus grounds and its buildings.

During the last two decades, the Oppenheimers and the Oppenheimer Brothers Foundation have donated more than 150 pieces of art. The collection is valued at well over $10 million (current value).

One of their goals, the Oppenheimers said, was to introduce art in a unique way to students who might never step into a museum or gallery. “And now they are surrounded by art,” Tony Oppenheimer said. “And so that has been wonderful.”

Additionally, a major book on the Oppenheimer Collection was produced for the exhibition and is available in the museum store. Numerous area art historians and arts professionals contributed individual essays on all works included in the Oppenheimer Collection. To date, Marti and Tony Oppenheimer have given more than $2.6 million toward the acquisition of works of art for the campus and museum.

George and Floriene Lieberman Gallery A gallery on the second floor of the museum was named for George and Floriene Lieberman in April 2013. The space, called the George and Floriene Lieberman Gallery, is located adjacent to the Irma Starr Gallery and the Barton P. Cohen and Mary D. Cohen Gallery. The Lieberman Gallery is dedicated to showcasing the museum’s permanent collection, which includes numerous works that are part of the Oppenheimer Collection. The Liebermans are the parents of museum patron Marti Oppenheimer.

Marti and Tony Oppenheimer with Nick Cave’s Soundsuit(s)

Art anniversary: Marti and Tony Oppenheimer The Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art at JCCC celebrated the 20th anniversary of the Oppenheimer art collection in September 2012, and in doing so honored the generous donors responsible for the collection, Marti and Tony Oppenheimer.

“The Oppenheimer Collection is now synonymous with the Nerman Museum,” said Bruce Hartman, the museum’s executive director. “It is the foundation upon which our permanent collection rests. Do-Ho Suh’s sculpture Some/One is an icon for the museum just as Jonathan Borofsky’s Walking Man is a signature work for the entire campus.”

The Oppenheimers grew up in the Kansas City area and met Hartman in 1992.

“I fell in love with him in two seconds,” Marti Oppenheimer said. “People ask why we donate to JCCC and Bruce is why. We have been best friends with him for 20 years.”

The Oppenheimer Collection has grown to become the core of the museum’s permanent collection. It includes sculptures, paintings, photographs, ceramics, new media, textiles and American Indian art.

About one-third of the collection features artists who have a connection with the Kansas City area.

When construction of the Nerman Museum was initially announced in 2003, the Oppenheimers immediately offered to take on the challenge of filling the museum’s galleries. They also understood the importance of providing an art experience throughout the campus.

One of their goals, the Oppenheimers said, was to introduce art in a unique way to students who might never step into a museum or gallery.

“And now they are surrounded by art,”Tony Oppenheimer said. “And so that has been wonderful.”

During the last two decades, the Oppenheimers and the Oppenheimer Brothers Foundation have donated more than 150 pieces of art. The collection is valued at well over $10 million.

In 2006, JCCC was cited by Public Art Review magazine as one of the top 10 college campuses for public art in the United States.

“Marti and Tony have transformed our campus with their generosity and passion for art,” Hartman said.

“We all benefit from their extraordinary vision and commitment.”

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Journey of Determination: Akot Arech When Akot Arech graduated from JCCC in spring 2013, those few steps across the stage were nothing compared to the steps he took to get there.

Those steps included a trek across southern Sudan, a trip across the ocean to the middle of a foreign land, a few courageous steps to the Adult Education Center in Olathe, and now, finally, a chance to return to his home country to help better the lives of others.

It has been a journey filled with perils, loneliness and determination: determination most of all.

Arech was 12 years old when he left his mother and his siblings to escape the brutality of the war in Sudan. He left with his uncle and began walking to the Ethiopian border. He grew ill as the days dragged by, and his uncle huddled next to him and prayed to God, “Please, Lord, take my life, but save the life of this boy.”

The next night, as they walked, government forces ambushed them, Arech said, turning their machine guns on the masses and throwing a hand grenade into the center of the crowd. Arech saw his uncle die. The uncle had been his only relative with him on the journey, and now Arech was young, alone and afraid. He also felt the guilt of his uncle’s prayer.

“I keep remembering him saying he would give his life for mine,” Arech said. “I tell myself that I must be alive for a reason, that God must have a plan for me. Why else would I still be alive?”

He spent 11 years in refugee camps in Ethiopia and Kenya, where daily life revolved around food – where to get it and how to get enough of it.

In 1995, Catholic Charities offered to send Arech to the United States. He arrived in Olathe knowing little English, with few people to call friends. Then he enrolled in JCCC’s Adult Education program to learn English and get his GED.

40

He said he worked hard, knowing that education was the key to helping not only himself but his country of South Sudan. He earned his GED in August 2002, and that same year he began a foundation, Jumpstart Sudan, with the goal of bringing medicine and supplies to the place he left as a child.

In the years that followed, donations from area churches and concerned citizens streamed into Jumpstart Sudan, and Arech took the supplies to Africa multiple times, finally able to reunite with his mother and the rest of his family.

In 2005, he was allowed to go back to his country to meet with the president of an independent South Sudan. He became an assistant to the vice president, and he worked with then-Sen. Sam Brownback to build a healthcare clinic in Arech’s hometown.

He returned to Kansas, intent on completing an associate’s degree in political science. That journey ended May 17, 2013, graduation day. On May 18, he returned to South Sudan to continue his work with the government: to maintain peace, to create opportunities and to use the education he’s gained at JCCC to make sure what happened once in Sudan never happens again.

“Governance in Africa is the way to change,” Arech said. “It is through the education offered here [at JCCC] that I am able to try to change things.”

He plans to continue his education at MidAmerica Nazarene University, taking online classes so he can continue his work in Sudan. But he will never forget the role JCCC had in his journey.

“This is where I put my life together,” he said. “When I came to JCCC, I had nothing.

Now I have the foundation – and I have confidence, confidence that I can do anything.”

Allison Schulnik, Skipping Skeletons; Stephan Balkenhol, Man Lying on Platform, installed George and Floriene Lieberman Gallery

The collection

Art education

Since July 2012, the Nerman Museum has added 65 works of contemporary art to the permanent collection. Recent acquisitions include ceramics, paintings, works on paper, new media, textiles, sculpture and photography. During the year, 13 donors gave 34 works to the museum and college, with a combined value of more than $279,600. The donors were Mary D. Cohen, the Barton P. and Mary D. Cohen Charitable Trust, Addison Doty, Sophie Honegger, Satoru Hoshino, KAWS (Brian Donnelly), Brad Nicholson, Robert Okasaki, Marti and Tony Oppenheimer, the H. Tony and Marti Oppenheimer Foundation, Fumio Shimada, Marc and Livia Straus and Robert Winokur. The remaining 31 works were acquired through the JCCC Foundation and college auxiliary funds.

In 2012-2013, the museum offered a variety of educational programs for students, children, educators and visitors of all ages.

In addition, several works from the permanent collection were loaned to major museums and institutions in the United States: • Dana Schutz, Swimming, Smoking, Crying was included in the artist’s traveling solo exhibition, If the Face Had Wheels, at the Denver Art Museum, Nov. 10, 2012–Jan. 13, 2013. The work previously traveled for this exhibition to the Neuberger Art Museum, Purchase, N.Y., and the Miami Art Museum, Miami, Fla. • Huma Bhabha, Untitled, was loaned to MoMA PS1, Long Island City, NY, for her solo exhibition titled Huma Bhabha: One of These Days, Nov. 18, 2012– April 1, 2013.

• Kenneth Williams, Strength to Overcome, is currently in an exhibition titled It’s In the Details: Beadwork and Fashion by Orlando Dugi and Kenneth Williams, at the Wheelwright Museum of the American Indian, Santa Fe, N.M., June 21, 2013-Jan. 10, 2014.

• Museum public programs (lectures, presentations, workshops and films, among other offerings) reached 4,228 individuals in the community.

• The museum’s group tour program served more than 820 school children, 866 college students and 1,330 adults from the community in guided and self-guided visits in 2012-2013. Docents and staff led 165 free art appreciation tours for these groups.

• In 2012-2013, 66 individuals from the community volunteered more than 2,189 hours, assisting with visitor services, events and educational programs.

Most of the guided tours were led by dedicated volunteer docents. Eight individuals participated in the comprehensive training program for new docents offered by the museum administrative staff in spring 2013.

• The museum offered a popular series of studio classes for children in the summer and on Saturdays throughout the academic year. The Early Explorations program welcomed children ages 5 to 7, while Contemporary Creations classes provided more advanced lessons for children ages 8 to 11. Each day, students explored and discussed selected works of art, developing their critical thinking skills and expanding their cultural awareness; they then created original works of art in the museum’s studio classroom. A total of 653 students participated in 78 class sessions through both programs in 2012-2013.

Docent led tour for college students, Nick Cave, Soundsuit(s), shown

the museum and the college campus. Each week a member of JCCC’s faculty or staff spoke briefly about a different work of art, with 21 presentations and a total of 418 individuals in attendance.

Dr. Allison Smith, associate professor/chair of art history, coordinated the speakers in the fall; Valerie Zell, acting chair of art history, coordinated the speakers in the spring.

Third Thursday Visiting Artists’ presentations In collaboration with the JCCC academic departments, the museum again offered a series of Third Thursday Visiting Artists’ presentations in 2012-2013; more than 275 people attended the events. Each of the free programs featured artists paired with JCCC faculty moderators. The programs were made possible in part by an Ovation Grant from the Arts Council of Metropolitan Kansas City.

• The presentation in November 2012 featured Michelle Grabner, professor and chair of painting and drawing at The School of the Art Institute of Chicago. The moderator was Larry Thomas, professor/chair of fine arts at JCCC. • In March 2013, Anthony Baab and Jarrett Mellenbruch were the guest artists. Moderators were Thomas and Mark Cowardin, associate professor of fine arts.

• In April, guest artists were Phil Shafer and Hadley Johnson. Moderators were Joan McCrillis, professor/ chair of fashion merchandising and design, and Audrey Michaelis, adjunct associate professor of fashion merchandising and design.

• A series of Friday gallery talks called Noon at the Nerman provided students, faculty and staff an open opportunity to examine works of art on view in 41

Some Enchanted Evening

Spice! with Wolfgang Puck

President’s Scholarship recipients

Johnson County Community College Foundation Through its fundraising efforts, the JCCC Foundation supports student scholarships, academic programs and the visual and performing arts at the college. As of June 30, 2013, the Foundation’s endowment was $18,186,954, and its total assets were $26,645,923.

Steve Wilkinson, president and CEO, Menorah Medical Center, served as the 2012-2013 Foundation president.

In addition to other Foundation activities noted throughout this report, these were significant milestones for 2012-2013.

Scholarships A record-breaking $963,000 in Foundation scholarship awards helped 876 students with tuition, books and program needs in 2012-2013.

Program support Major gifts to enhance JCCC programs in 2012-2013 included support for International Service Projects in Las Pintas, Mexico and Northern Uganda, underwriting for the annual Healthcare Simulation Conference, and development of the JCCC Library Archive.

Employee giving More than 250 faculty and staff members contributed $62,250 to support a wide variety of programs and scholarships as part of the Foundation’s employee giving program, known as the Open Petal Society. Employees contribute monthly through payroll deduction or by annual gifts in support of various initiatives.

Some Enchanted Evening In 2012, Some Enchanted Evening, the Foundation’s black-tie gala, generated more than $500,000 for its 42

scholarship program. Former state senator Audrey The Performing Arts Series Langworthy was honored as Johnson Countian of the Year, The Friends of the Performing Arts Series at JCCC, while BNSF Railway received the Corporate Citizen Award. business partnerships, and grants and gifts from Co-chairs for the event were Pat and Beth McCown. corporations and foundations contributed nearly $145,000 to support performing arts programming Spice! and operations in 2012-2013.

Celebrated chef Wolfgang Puck was at the heart of Spice!, a dinner sponsored by the Foundation in President’s Scholarship August 2012. The event was held in honor of the late The President’s Scholarship is awarded annually to one chef Marc Valiani, who spent many years with Puck qualified senior from each of the public and private as well as with Kansas City restaurants. Spice! raised high schools in Johnson County. The scholarship covers $53,000 for the JCCC Chef’s Apprenticeship Scholarship, tuition, books and some program fees. In 2012-2013, the new Hospitality and Culinary Academy and 39 students received more than $120,000. the Marc Valiani Fund at the Greater Kansas City Community Foundation.

Legacy gifts

Hospitality and Culinary Academy A culinary membership group, Friends with Taste, was formed in spring 2013 to support the college’s hospitality and culinary education programs. More than 170 memberships have provided $35,000 to support student scholarships, participation in culinary competitions and innovative work in JCCC’s state-ofthe-art Hospitality and Culinary Academy. Friends with Taste will be invited to participate in special culinary events throughout the year.

Nerman Museum In 2012-2013, members of the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art contributed nearly $21,000 in support of the museum exhibitions and educational offerings. Additional private grant funding resulted in a total of more than $40,000 in private support for the museum.

Each year donors remember friends or loved ones with contributions to memorial funds. Others choose to remember the college by planning an estate gift. This past year the college community lost one of its finest professors, Fred Krebs. Krebs generously supported scholarships and academic programs at JCCC. He was considered the longest continuing member of the Open Petal Society for employee giving and made plans to remember JCCC as part of his estate. The JCCC Foundation appreciates the generosity and commitment Krebs showed for the students and programs at JCCC and celebrates three additional JCCC faculty who recently made known their intentions for a planned gift to JCCC.

Balancing act: Cameron Chapman Cameron Chapman had everything he needed to be a successful student – a passion for learning and a drive to succeed. The only thing missing was the means to pay for it. Now, with a little help from his friends and the JCCC Foundation, Chapman is finding it easier to pursue his academic dreams.

Chapman, a JCCC student since 2010, was considering taking a semester off due to lack of funds to pay his tuition.

“I was really enjoying school and was pretty set in my routine,” said Chapman.

“I wanted to continue, but I didn’t have the money for tuition. I really didn’t think I would qualify for any scholarships or more financial aid.”

Luckily for him, he proved himself wrong. His friends encouraged him to fill out the paperwork to apply for financial assistance.

“I filled out all of the FAFSA (Free Application for Student Aid) forms,” he said.

“It took some time, but it was really easy.”

Chapman learned that he had been awarded the Balance Innovations Scholarship. The scholarship is awarded to students actively working on an associate’s degree in computer science or computer information systems (CIS).

This new scholarship was established in February 2012 as a three-year commitment to provide funds for tuition and books. Applicants must be fulltime students and Kansas residents in order to be considered for the award.

Gil Anderson, president and chief operating officer at Balance Innovations, said his company had worked with JCCC on a CIS internship program and was excited to be able to continue that relationship and offer this scholarship opportunity to JCCC students. In a statement he said, “We were quite impressed with the quality and depth of JCCC’s CIS curriculum.”

“I was thrilled to receive the scholarship,” said Chapman. “The Balance Innovations Scholarship funds are going to allow me to stay in school without the pressure and stress of me wondering how I will be able to pay for it.”

Helping one student at a time: Dr. Brad Redburn Dr. Brad Redburn, professor of psychology, believes that anyone who desires to go to college should be given the chance, even if there are obstacles standing in the way. Redburn created a means to overcome one major obstacle for struggling students: financing.

A lifelong passion for teaching coupled with a philanthropic spirit propelled Redburn to establish the Professor Brad Redburn Scholarship at JCCC as a way to give back to the community and the students.

The first of these scholarships was awarded in fall 2013. To be eligible for the scholarship, applicants must have a grade point average of 2.5 or better and be a citizen of the United States. Preference will be given to students in a single-parent family, a first-time college student in the family or a GED graduate.

Redburn feels very strongly about adding to the list of preferences those people that he calls the “underserved” of society. He said that due to a host of extenuating circumstances, this portion of the population will most likely not have the means to attend college.

One example would be a person with a criminal record, he said. However, due to privacy laws, identifying potential students with a criminal past is impossible. Still, it’s a demographic group that Redburn feels passionate about helping.

“I know many people that have been convicted of a felony, and I noticed that they really do want to turn their lives around, “ he said. “Unfortunately they can’t because they have this conviction trailing them.

“We need to help these people give back to society and to put their life in a place where they can be productive members of society so they don’t go back to where they were before.”

Eligible applicants do not have to study psychology or pursue a career in that field in order to receive the scholarship. Any student in any course of study is eligible.

“I did not want to limit that because I think that people need to go after their passion, whatever that may be,” he said. “If you have the drive and passion to attend school, then this is for you. I want you to do what you love, because I was fortunate to do what I love, and I want to promote that.”

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Racing with the sun in UAE: Dan Eberle

Speaking across continents: Terri Easley

Running a car powered by the sun through the dunes of the Middle East sounds a little like a scene from a science-fiction movie.

Terri Easley, associate professor of speech and debate, didn’t expect her recent visit to Russia would involve multiple lectures on American weddings, but hey, it enthralled her mostly-female audience.

But it just might be a little bit closer to reality thanks to a visit from Dan Eberle, assistant professor of energy performance and resource management at JCCC. Eberle was a featured speaker at the fourth annual 2013 World Future Energy Summit in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. Eberle was invited to the conference because of his 30-year history with solar-power competitions and was asked by the U.S. Department of Energy to share his expertise.

“The United Arab Emirates has several universities that they’re trying to get off the ground, to enhance the student experience there, and this (race concept) is one of those ways,” Eberle said.

He began that history as part of a team designing a solar-powered bicycle, he said. Then he played a small role on the team that led the first solar-powered car across the country. The trip was from San Diego, Calif., to Jacksonville, Fla., and even though an opponent from Australia was a no-show, the team went ahead as scheduled.

“It was a race of one,” Eberle joked. “We won, by the way.”

Since then, he’s helped start races at high schools and colleges across the United States. It was this expertise he shared with summit attendees as part of a panel that included experts from Spain, China and Australia.

The point of solar racing, whether it be by bicycle or by car, is not the race itself, Eberle explained. Nor is it vehicle design.

“We’re not making solar cars for you and me to drive. What we’re trying to do is to get an engineering student to understand how you can make a little bit of energy go a long way,” he said.

That skill is necessary in all parts of the world, but especially in the United Arab Emirates, where each day’s drilling lessens the region’s oil reserves.

“They are a very forward-looking people,” Eberle said. “So they know when the oil runs out, they have to be sustainable.”

Besides, the region has good roads, abundant sunshine and a flat terrain that only a Kansan can appreciate.

“It’s a great place to race,” Eberle said.

She visited Udmurt State University in Izhevsk, Russia, to plan for JCCC’s newest offering to the sister school: Intercultural Communications (SPD 180).

Easley, unmarried but long on bridesmaid experience, said she gave lectures about speech, debate and graduation, but her most popular lecture was on the production of an American wedding.

“They found out I was a bridesmaid in four weddings last year. They were fascinated by American weddings, so I gave about 15 lectures about them,” she said, using wedding photos from her laptop as visual aids. “I have been in so many weddings, I am almost like that girl from [the movie] 27 Dresses.”

In Russia, Easley said, weddings are more sedate and lack the more theatrical elements of an American ceremony, such as matching bridesmaid dresses, formal attire and over-the-top decorations.

These differences only highlighted the root similarities between American and Russian students. “You think it’s an entirely different country, so students will be entirely different. But they really aren’t all that different. Of all the things I did while I was there, I enjoyed working with the students the most.”

Intercultural Communications was first offered as an online class for both JCCC and Udmurt State students for the spring semester of 2013, but the Udmurt State/JCCC partnership began in 1993. It originally (and quite obviously) concentrated on the English language.

English teachers from Udmurt State have visited JCCC, and English teachers from JCCC also have visited the Russian college. This is the first speech class to be offered through the exchange.

“I think it’s really nice when we have more partnerships,” Easley said. “It just opens up so many more possibilities.”

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