Reconnect: The Alumni Magazine Of JCCC

The Alumni Magazine of JCCC

Reconnect Spring 2009

Status quo is not an option

Contents Cover Dr. Terry Calaway, JCCC's president, and his wife, Marlene Calaway.

4 Calaway Creates Opportunities from Challenges For JCCC’s president, the status quo is not an option.

8 Williams Directs Diversity Initiatives Dr. Carmaletta Williams redefines diversity at JCCC.

10 JCCC Begins Polysomnography/ Sleep Technology Program Wake up to a new program that studies sleep medicine.

Reconnect 12 Tour Harvests Kansas Roots The Alumni Magazine of JCCC Reconnect is published three times a year by Johnson County Community College 12345 College Blvd.

Overland Park, KS 66210-1299 913-469-8500 fax 913-469-2559 www.jccc.edu Reconnect is produced by the JCCC Foundation, College Information and Publications and the Office of Document Services.

Editor: Emily Fowler Photographer: Bret Gustafson

JCCC faculty and staff members hit the road on a six-day study of Kansas.

14 atGetting Creative the Nerman Museum Classes at the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art are designed to bring contemporary art to 8- to 11-year-olds.

15 Center for Entrepreneurship Cross-markets Program Entrepreneurship program serves the community with credit and noncredit courses.

Designer: Randy Breeden

For more information about JCCC Alumni, call Emily Fowler, JCCC Foundation, 913-469-3835.

2 | reconnect

16 Spaces for Special Events Fill at JCCC New buildings open doors to the community for new events.

Calendar 18 We’re Keeping Busy …

A look back at the fall 2008 semester.

20 JCCC Wins the Cup

An overview of college sports, 2007-2008.

22 The Culinary Program Accepts the Wysong Challenge Private gift seeks to distinguish JCCC’s culinary program at national and global levels.

24 Some Enchanted Evening Fred Logan was honored at the 2008 scholarship gala.

26 The End of a Successful Year Honors were awarded at JCCC Foundation’s annual dinner.

27 Let’s Reconnect!

Alumni are invited to reconnect with JCCC.

Sat., March 7, 2009 Trompe L'oeil, premiere of an original play by Dorothy Naeymi, JCCC Alumna Presented by the Nerman Museum and the JCCC Academic Department of Theater in partnership with the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art Starring: Jim Korinke, Nigel Delahoy and Natalie Liccardello Polsky Theatre, Carlsen Center, JCCC Tickets: $35 913-469-4445 Includes gourmet pre-reception and post-panel discussion

Fri., April 24 Dollars for Scholars, an auction to raise funds for student scholarships and assistance Ritz Charles, 135th St. and Antioch Rd. $25 per person, $240 per table of eight Call 913-469-3835 for more information

Fri., May 8 Grillin’ and Chillin’ at the Nerman Museum, JCCC Alumni Reconnect event, 5-7 p.m., FREE RSVP to the JCCC Foundation, 913-469-3835, no later than May 4

Fri., May 15 JCCC Commencement GYM, JCCC Campus

Save the Date: Sat., October 24 Beyond Bounds: A benefit for the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art

Back Cover

Held on campus in the Nerman Museum

Free College Day at JCCC

Sat., November 14

JCCC’s 40th anniversary celebration gives back to the community.

Some Enchanted Evening: A black-tie scholarship benefit for JCCC students Overland Park Marriott

Spring 2009 | 3

Calaway Creates Opportunities from Challenges

S

itting in his JCCC office, Dr. Terry A. Calaway is asked to reflect on his first 20 months in office.

“It’s interesting when you are in a job like mine. You receive a lot of credit for the hard work of other people, a lot more than you deserve,” Calaway said.

Calaway refuses to take personal credit for what the college has accomplished since he took office June 18, 2007, but he will enumerate “institutional” accomplishments.

“The most important thing we have done institutionally is the expansion around the dynamics of learner engagement. Without that, everything else falls by the wayside,” he said. “First and foremost, we are looking at the ways students connect to the institution.”

From Calaway’s perspective, making immediate intentional connections with students is critical, particularly with firstgeneration students. Then if students do find themselves in a crisis, the college is aware of it and, in turn, students know who to ask for help should they lose a job, lose their means of 4 | reconnect

Spring 2009 | 5

“Now is the time we can use the community college to turn the economy around and create new workplace opportunities,” Calaway said.

Health services education is one example, and so is the sustainability program currently being developed under the leadership of Dr. Jay Antle, who was named its executive director in January 2009.

Calaway identifies two parts to JCCC’s sustainability program – one, how the college as an institution can become more sustainable and, two, how the college can provide new credit and continuing education programs to teach sustainability.

Dr. Calaway attends Dollars for Scholars, the annual auction to raise money for scholarships. transportation or experience a workschedule change that prevents class attendance. Calaway so deeply believes this change in college mindset and culture will politically impact student success that he created a division of Learner Engagement, and Rick Moehring was named the first dean of the division in January 2009.

Some of it is as basic as explaining that class attendance and homework are essential. Quoting Dr. Kay McClenney, director of the Community College Survey of Student Engagement, Calaway said, “Students don’t do optional.”

CCSSE has provided JCCC with information from students ranging from ways they connect to faculty and staff to how they use the library.

“Learner engagement works both ways.

The college has to be intentional and open in making the connections, and students have to be part of connecting as well. We’re saying ‘we can help you succeed if you put forth a responsible effort.’

Not only can we dramatically increase students’ success in the classroom but success toward life goals.”

Calaway said the most likely place for students to connect with the college is in the classroom; however, there are other places.

“Everyone has a role in this show, not just faculty, not just individuals in senior 6 | reconnect

leadership. We all have a role in helping students,” Calaway said.

Next on Calaway’s list is the development of a health services educational center on the campus of Olathe Medical Center. In a letter of intent signed December 2008, OMC agreed to donate land and JCCC committed to constructing a center for allied health educational programs through which JCCC students could earn degrees and certificates in health occupations.

Citing national and local shortages of nurses, radiology, pharmaceutical and laboratory technicians, Calaway believes it is important for the college to build new allied health programs. The projected date for the center to open is 2011.

“JCCC students will be able to take classes in our health services education building and then walk across the parking lot to complete their clinicals at Olathe Medical Center. This will be an important growth opportunity for our institution that fits well with the overall county’s plan for a Johnson County Education and Research Triangle, approved by taxpayers in November.”

Calaway said in his first JCCC interview almost two years ago that the community college is the engine of workforce development. He reiterates that today.

First, the college is looking at ways to become more energy efficient – from retrofitting 40-year-old buildings to reclaiming ground water.

Under education, credit instruction is looking at new degree programs like the residential energy auditor technician program, pending approval by the Kansas Board of Regents; and Workforce, Community and Economic Development is looking at becoming a solution provider offering sustainability training and consulting services to small and mid-size businesses.

“There is federal money, like the grant Sen. Sam Brownback is helping us with to develop the Center for Sustainability,” Calaway said. “We want to be on the forefront of creating green-collar jobs.”

One of the challenges the board of trustees raised during Calaway’s interview was to create an agenda that makes the college more diverse. To that end, the Office of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion was created, and Dr. Carmaletta Williams was named its executive director in January 2008. Calaway says while the student population is growing to mirror the county’s expanding diversity, our employee group is not.

“We have a great opportunity to look at that,” he said. “But the most important way to build an equity program is looking at how we can continue to build a broad-base program within instruction.

We are truly living in a global economy.

Students who graduate from our programs will be working internationally.

We need to prepare our students to work in this diverse environment.”

Calaway is proud of ODEI’s October autism conference that had to be capped at 200 enrollees and new initiatives to interact with the Native American community through an annual health and cultural pow-wow.

“Our college and our community is much more diverse than a year ago. That is a great thing, and we will be a richer culture because of it.”

The greatest challenge of his tenure is a 4.5 percent state budget cut. After years of plenty, the college is now forced to deal with less. Calaway says the college already has adjusted its 2009 and 2010 budgets.

With increased unemployment, Calaway projects fall enrollment growth.

“Our counselors are already seeing an increase in the number of adult students, some literally with pink slips in their hands.”

WCED has programs in place to assist businesses that have experienced layoffs, helping them with outplacement services.

Calaway names one last challenge — preparing students for jobs that don’t exist yet.

“I am struck by the fact that the top 10 jobs in today’s market didn’t exist six to seven years ago,” the president said.

“This makes for exciting times. We have to be visionary and try to look ahead to where technology, knowledge and information services are taking us, so we can prepare our students for the future. Now is the time for JCCC to be entrepreneurial. For me, status quo is not an option.”

Calaway didn’t come to JCCC alone. His wife, Marlene (pictured with him on the cover), also works to better the community. Since moving to Johnson County, Mrs. Calaway has become a courtappointed special advocate (CASA).

Appointed by a judge, a CASA volunteer advocates for the best interests of children who have become involved in the court system due to abuse or neglect. She also serves as a board member of SafeHome, the only program of services for victims

Dr. Terry Calaway answers questions during an interview. and survivors of domestic violence in Johnson County, and is a member of the St. Luke’s South Foundation advisory committee, which acts to increase community awareness and helps define fundraising priorities. Her interests include reading, Jazzercise, and traveling

with the president.

The Calaways will host “Grillin’ and Chillin’ at the Nerman Museum,” an event for JCCC alumni, on Friday, May 8, 5 to 7 p.m. RSVP by May 4, 913-469-3835, or alumni@jccc.edu.

Spring 2009 | 7

Williams Directs Diversity Initiatives Dr. Carmaletta Williams works with students, faculty and staff on diversity initiatives at JCCC.

D

r. Carmaletta Williams was named the first executive director, Diversity Equity and Inclusion, at Johnson County Community College on Jan. 18, 2008.

“Embracing diversity allows us to be advocates for all people on our campus, regardless of their race, gender, sexual orientation, geography, ethnicity, religion,

With her appointment, Williams resigned her previous position as JCCC English professor.

“It was extremely hard to resign my academic position,” said Williams, who has a bachelor’s and master’s degree in English from the University of MissouriKansas City and a doctorate in English from the University of Kansas.

But Williams looks at it this way: she is redefining her classroom as the college and the community, and her subject as diversity. She is also redefining “diversity” for this campus, giving it a broad and inclusive meaning.

We don’t have a “tradition of hiring and retaining a diverse population at JCCC, and we need to change that.

”

culture, different abilities and challenges and even differing world views and perspectives,” Williams said.

To that end, Williams says her office will work closely with Counseling Services, Access Services, the President’s office and the college attorney.

“I will work with all the divisions and departments on campus to make sure people feel included,” she said.

One of Williams’ charges is to increase minority student enrollment and faculty/staff diversity. To her that means not just recruit, but also retain.

“We don’t have a tradition of hiring and retaining a diverse population at JCCC, and we need to change that,” Williams said.

While Williams perceives her office as a

8 | reconnect

place where people can talk about problems and even register complaints, she also intends it to be a teaching center, where people bring ideas for programming and speakers, and faculty facilitators develop course modules about diversity subjects. In the future, she and the diversity committee foresee a multicultural center, maybe as part of a new library.

Williams, who was born and raised in Kansas City, Mo., has a strong commitment to the success of JCCC and diversity.

“I have been working on diversity programming and training at JCCC for the past 17 years,” Williams said. “I know this institution, am familiar with the community and have a vision for the future of the college. With the commitment of our president to diversity initiatives and the establishment of this office, JCCC will be a model for other institutes of higher education.”

As part of its diversity initiatives, the college is requiring all associate of arts and associate of science graduates to complete an approved course on diversity, effective fall 2008. Students can choose from a list of at least 36 courses ranging from Introduction to International Business to Introduction to the Deaf Community, as well as many classes on cultures, history, world religions and women’s studies.

“Almost all colleges and universities have a diversity requirement,” Williams said. “We want our students to leave educated and have insight into ‘others.’

We are a global society. We can’t stay in our little cocoons and expect to be successful.”

Williams herself is a successful teacher, writer and researcher.

A prolific writer, she has published on the subjects of racial identification and African-American migration; Langston Hughes, an early 20th century black poet and writer, and the Harlem Renaissance; and noted black writer, folklorist and anthropologist Zora Neale Hurston.

Since 1993, Williams has made more than 300 presentations before academic, professional and community groups.

Williams is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion at JCCC. At JCCC, Williams was awarded the college’s first-ever Diversity Award in 2005, five Distinguished Service Awards, the Burlington-Northern Santa Fe Faculty Teaching Award and the League for Innovations’ Innovation of the Year Award.

She has been the recipient of more than 20 awards and honors, including Who’s Who Among American College Professors, 2004, 2005; Minority Opportunity

Fellowship Grant, KU, 1999, 2000, 2001; KU Black Faculty and Staff Council’s Student Achievement Award, 1999, 2000, 2001; KU Black Faculty and Staff Council’s Alumni Award, 2000; Fulbright-Hays Fellowship for Study in Ghana, 1997; and the 1997 Kansas Professor of the Year Award, awarded by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching, Council for Advancement and Support of Education.

Spring 2009 | 9

JCCC Begins Polysomnography/ Sleep Technology Program

Michael Riley, registered sleep technician, uses a 10/20 system of scalp electrode placement on patient Doris Wilson as Bibiana Wrigley looks on.

A

s sleep medicine has become a recognized medical subspecialty, sleep centers have turned down the sheets and welcomed people with suspected sleep apnea, restless leg syndrome, narcolepsy and a myriad of other sleep disorders.

There are 16 sleep disorder centers and labs in Kansas, 12 in Missouri – seven of the 28 are in the Kansas City Metro area.

To meet the growing demand for sleep studies (polysomnograms), JCCC now offers an associate’s degree in polysomnography/sleep technology.

According to Dr. Clarissa Craig, dean, health care professions and wellness, sleep medicine has come to the forefront for two reasons: one, evidence that sleep disorders correlate to medical conditions like heart attacks, strokes, high blood pressure, diabetes and obesity; and two, private health insurance providers that now offer reimbursement for sleep technology services.

10 | reconnect

Historically, other health care workers (nurses or respiratory therapists) or people who have had on-the-job training have taken on the role of sleep lab technicians.

“But this is a profession that requires its own set of skills, knowledge and expertise,” Craig said.

For the 50 to 70 million Americans who find soothing slumber to be the fantasy of lullabies, science has uncovered the mechanics of a seemingly simple act.

People who have trouble sleeping (or conversely staying awake the next day) may stop breathing numerous times at night, their brain and eye movements may lack the rapid-eye-movement of dream-inducing sleep or their limbs may violently twitch.

Working under a physician’s supervision, PSG technologists evaluate patients using non-invasive monitoring equipment to watch for irregularities in REM

brain waves, oxygen and carbon dioxide levels, breathing variables, heart rates and leg movement; interpret sleep stages; and titrate appropriate therapies like Continuous Positive Airway Pressure (CPAP) – all during a 12-hour night’s sleep study.

“Even in the first semester, students will complete observational experiences in sleep labs so they understand the hours and the work,” Craig said.

JCCC received grants from the Kansas State Technical Education Technology and Equipment Grant and the Kansas Innovative Technology Grant to outfit the respiratory lab with the sophisticated equipment for three complete sleep-study systems (lots of monitors and wires with three-letter abbreviations, like EEG, EOG, ECG and EMG, that connect to the chest, head and legs).

Right now, PSG technologists are not required to have an associate’s degree or

Wrigley reviews electrode wire placement on patient Doris Wilson prior to a sleep study.

Dr. Clarissa Craig oversees JCCC’s new associate’s degree in polysomnography/sleep technology. registration in Kansas or Missouri.

Registered polysomnographic technologists (RPSG), certified by the Board of Registered Polysomnographic Technologists, are mandated in some states and preferred by local sleep centers. Students who complete the JCCC program will be prepared to sit for the BRPT exam, according to Craig.

“There are only a handful of associate degree programs in polysomnography at community colleges and university medical centers in the United States,” Craig said. “There are none in the metropolitan area; the nearest is in Iowa.

Students who graduate from our program will have a good formal education and be a hot commodity in the job market.”

Craig says ideal candidates for the profession should possess skills in science, technology, attention to detail, communication, and have a desire to help patients.

Riley scores data from a previous night’s study as Patricia Pope and Wrigley look on.

Spring 2009 | 11

Tour Harvests Kansas Roots Faculty and staff traveling on JCCC’s first Kansas Tour stop to breathe before heading on to the next church/historical site/roadside art display/wind farm/feedlot/cemetery/library/museum …

T

hings learned on the Kansas Tour:

I Kansas’ hills, ridges and canyons can’t be seen when speeding along I-70.

I Small Kansas towns that treasure their traditions also harbor a lot of individualists who disregard them.

I Winter wheat was not carried here in a Mason jar by a little Mennonite girl.

That’s just the beginning of a long list of insights, facts, impressions and questions engendered by JCCC’s first tour of the state.

At the end of May, 15 JCCC faculty and staff members set off in a bus for a sixday tour of Kansas. Led by Dr. James Leiker and Dr. Jay Antle, both associate professors of history at JCCC, the group crisscrossed the state, focusing on Kansas history, ecology, economy and art.

Dr. Deborah Williams, assistant professor, environmental science, and Dr. Allison Smith, assistant professor, art history, shared perspectives from their fields as well.

12 | reconnect

“We realized long ago that JCCC faculty and staff had a disconnect, like many folks in this part of the state, between what happens in the KC metro area and the rest of Kansas,” Leiker said. “We hear often about globalization and so we focus on ‘big picture’ teaching, when the local and regional context is just as important.”

Days were packed with visits to the Eisenhower Library in Abilene; research into sustainable agriculture at the Land Institute in Salina; the Grass Roots Art Museum in Lucas; roadside art at Mullinville; the Cathedral of the Plains in Victoria; the African-American town of Nicodemus; the Sternberg Museum’s fossil fish-within-a-fish at Hays; Punished Woman canyon, the site of an 1870s battle near Scott City; a wind farm outside Spearville; the feedlots of Dodge City; and the reconstruction of Greensburg. The group braved cow pies, the threat of rattlesnakes, 35-mile-anhour winds and imminent tornados, and learned a lot.

Even lifelong Kansans found surprises.

“I thought I had a good understanding of what Kansas has to offer,” said David Smith, associate professor, hospitality management. “But Jay and Jim showed me things in the state that caused me to be excited about the diversity of things I can share with my students.”

And then there was the camaraderie.

“The group brought back memories of the first years of my employment at the college at a time when the faculty and staff intermingled to a degree inconceivable today,” said Kevin Gratton, professor, chemistry. “The cross-fertilization in ideas and motivations was exhilarating.”

And that was the point. “We’re believers in experiential learning,” Antle said. “Immersing yourself in a place brings about intellectual development.”

The bus will pull away for the second Kansas Tour in May 2009.

Story by Julie Haas

S.P. Dinsmoor’s Garden of Eden in Lucas is a cement monument to populist thought.

Dr. Jay Antle and Dr. Jim Leiker, leaders of JCCC’s first Kansas Tour, focused the trip on the state’s history, geography, economy, environment and culture.

Lovingly maintained, Kansas’ old churches are a testament to the immigrant populations that built them.

The wind farm outside Spearville stands in a field of wheat, economically combining energy and agriculture.

Spring 2009 | 13

Getting Creative at the Nerman Museum Teacher Cynthia Wood illuminates features of Elephant, a painting by Amy Sillman.

A

rea children study contemporary art and get inspired to create their own works when they take Contemporary Creations classes at the Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art. Contemporary Creations classes are an extension of the museum’s tour program and are designed for 8- to 11-year-olds. The two-hour classes are evenly divided between art tours and studio time in the Tearney Education Center’s children’s studio. In the classroom, students draw from concepts they’ve learned and inspiration from works of art they viewed to create their own pieces.

“The children have a lot to say about the art right away. They like sharing ideas with each other and then taking those ideas and creating their own unique works of art,” said Cynthia Wood, one of two Contemporary Creations instructors, along with Amy Wunsch.

Wood, art teacher at Brougham Elementary School, Olathe, loves taking students all over JCCC’s campus to view pieces of art.

“Being able to see the art in person, rather than looking at a reproduction, allows the students to really relate to the work. I don’t see this many students getting so excited and engaged in the regular art classroom where we look at posters or pictures from the Internet,” Wood said.

According to Wood, students have most enjoyed the ceramic projects. A favorite lesson involved learning about contem14 | reconnect

porary Native American art and then creating a clay vessel. Students worked with a quick-drying clay that does not need to be fired in a kiln. Other projects have included 3-D paper sculptures, painting, working with pastels, and creating miniature monuments with foam board.

Karen Gerety Folk, curator of education for the Nerman, says the number of students turning out for the classes has been excellent. More than 70 students participated in classes during the month of June. Like Wood, she feels that seeing works of art in person gives students a totally different perspective on what it must have been like for the artist to create the work.

“Students actually see the size of the artwork and gain a sense of how the work was created. All kinds of questions come up that students might not otherwise ask. How did the artist create a painting so large? How big of a studio space did he or she need to make the piece?” Gerety Folk said.

Exploring questions like these helps the students learn to look at art in a more critical way.

“Our tours are focused on visual literacy, learning how to look at a work of art and pick out the artist’s choices,” said Gerety Folk.

Often times, students have so many ideas to express, they need little prompting from the teachers.

“There are instances when I just stand back and see where the students take the discussion. Then I can tailor my teaching

Ryan Conly smiles as he brightens his sculpture with color. to their interests and observations,” Wood said.

Classes are designed so that students can try one class or come each week to learn something new. This flexibility, along with an affordable fee, allows students visiting from surrounding areas to participate.

Students can register through the Workforce, Community and Economic Development branch by calling 913-469-2323, or by downloading forms at www.jccc.edu/youth. For more information about Contemporary Creations or other museum programming, contact Karen Gerety Folk, 913-469-8500, ext. 4771, or send e-mail to kgerety@jccc.edu.

Story by Emily Serafin

Center for Entrepreneurship Cross-markets Program Malinda Bryan-Smith, director of SBDC, and Donna Duffey, professor and chair, Entrepreneurship, provide leadership and resources for aspiring and existing entrepreneurs.

W

hether you own a bed and breakfast establishment or dream of running an automotive service business, a one-stop resource awaits you at the Center for Entrepreneurship in 240 Regnier Center, its location since August 2007.

Aspiring entrepreneurs can find credit courses in entrepreneurial studies, and existing entrepreneurs can tap into free and confidential consulting services and attend for a nominal fee workshops offered by the Kansas Small Business Development Center.

Credit classes and noncredit resources in the entrepreneurship program merged in 2003 with the help of a grant from the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation, and the permanent location maximizes offerings for both programs.

“We know people want to be entrepreneurs,” said Donna Duffey, chair, Entrepreneurship. “If you train that spirit and train that student through ongoing activities, that business is more likely to grow and be sustainable. Your yield is economic vitality.”

Four full-time SBDC business consultants,

a director and administrative assistant staff the noncredit activities at the Center.

Two full-time professors and nine adjunct faculty members provide credit classes.

The center also houses an office for the Collegiate Entrepreneurs Organization, a resource center and conference room.

If you train that “ spirit and train that student through ongoing activities, that business is more likely to grow and be sustainable.

Your yield is economic vitality.

”

“The lifetime of the service by this partnership is ongoing,” Duffey said. “It’s unique.”

Duffey said the entrepreneurship program can better serve the community by offering credit courses to both creditseeking students and noncredit-seeking clients, allowing for cross-marketing.

Duffey added that the community better understands the entrepreneurship program under one umbrella.

“It demonstrates the commitment of the college,” Duffey said.

Malinda Bryan-Smith, director of the SBDC, helps clients move their business plans to the next level whether they are starting a business as a young entrepreneur, a retiree or an existing business owner who wants to grow, buy or sell a company.

She pointed to several advantages of combined forces.

“You have the synergies of both operations,” Bryan-Smith said. “It gives us a full menu of options.”

Kay Smith, a speech therapist, came to Bryan-Smith a year ago with a dream of creating and selling infant and toddler collegiate costumes.

“I wouldn’t have a business without this department,” Smith said. “You need someone who knows your company and with whom you can be in contact. This program provides that for you.”

Story by Linda Friedel Spring 2009 | 15

Spaces for Special Events Fill at JCCC

A reception in the Atrium preceded the Nerman Museum’s 2008 Charlotte Street Foundation Fellows exhibition opening.

16 | reconnect

J

CCC’s Regnier Center and Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art opened in fall 2007 with formal dedications, public receptions, a festive gala and press coverage touting both buildings’ outstanding architecture and intended use – one for art, one for business and technology. A year later, media attention and public attendance remain high.

The Nerman continues to generate articles in Architectural Record, Architecture Week, World Architecture News and Art in America. In July 2008, Kyu Sung Woo, Nerman Museum architect, received the Ho-Am Prize in the Arts, an award that recognizes ethnic Koreans who have made noteworthy contributions to arts and culture. Last fall, Gould Evans Associates with David Reid as principal architect for the Regnier Center won an award for “outstanding design” in the American School & University’s “2008 Educational Interiors Showcase” competition.

While the primary mission of the Nerman Museum and Regnier Center adheres to JCCC’s motto, “Learning comes first,” meaning first priority to students, the spaces have also enjoyed unequivocal community use. Between Oct. 20, 2007, and Nov. 30, 2008, the Nerman Museum logged 80,625 visitors.

The Nerman Museum and Regnier Center have had a combined total of 41,052 people using rental spaces for meetings and events from January to December 2008. This figure does not include students in academic classrooms, individual visitors to the Nerman Museum or individual diners in Café Tempo.

“We provide a resource for the community to facilitate learning and a versatile environment where people are very well cared for,” said Christy McWard, director, Marketing and Event Management, JCCC’s Workforce, Community and Economic Development branch. “We have excellent audiovisual services with a dedicated media services staff, catering, housekeeping and event management staff.”

Rental space in the two buildings has averaged about 40 events a month January through October 2008. In the Regnier

Center, event spaces are the Capitol Federal Conference Center, a 5,000square-foot room that can be divided into quadrants; meeting rooms and classrooms that can be rented individually or as breakout rooms from the conference center; the Harvey S. and Beverly R. Bodker Executive Classroom; the Atrium, the two-story glass atrium that separates the Regnier Center and the Nerman Museum; and the “Cube,” a two-story space with floor-to-ceiling windows on two sides. An on-site kitchen offers food for coffee breaks, sitdown dinners or informal buffets, and the Shull Foyer serves as a meet-andgreet lobby. In the Nerman Museum, event spaces are the M.R. and Evelyn Hudson Auditorium, a 190-seat auditorium with high-performance projection and acoustics; the Tearney Education Center; and Café Tempo, with 55 seats in the Nerman Museum and 55 seats in the Atrium. Because of the two buildings’ proximity and shared Atrium and Café, events easily flow between sites.

In October 2007, the buildings hosted 12 events; in October 2008, that number increased to 63 events. Demand for rental spaces began before the buildings’ openings, necessitating guidelines for use of the facilities. Outside rentals must support learning, community development initiatives and JCCC’s reputation. Activities cannot conflict with college policy nor engage in purely political activities.

Five members of the rental review committee scheduling office meet twice a week to assess incoming requests. They are McWard, Jeff Hoyer, director of operations, WCED; Deb Knudtson, manager, conference services; Paula English, facilities scheduling coordinator; and Darsey Davidson, administrative assistant, WCED. There is also a weekly meeting with the above plus Cherie Jenkins, supervisor, catering; Gary Cook, manager, housekeeping and custodial services; David Rhoades, multimedia and events services specialist; Pat Casey, manager, media services; Adrienne Wilson, administrative assistant, Nerman Museum; and Bob Greenwood, police officer, Jerry Naas, sergeant, and Margaret Baskett, communications dispatch supervisor, JCCC police department.

Deb Knudtson, Christy McWard, Jeff Hoyer and Dr. Sally Winship oversee scheduling for the Regnier Center and Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art. “We are extremely pleased with the number, size and diversity of activities held at the Regnier Center and Nerman Museum,” McWard said. “We have received glowing reviews from customers.”

“The administrative staff, scheduling staff and catering staff were very attentive,” said Sky Westerlund, executive director of the Kansas Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers, an organization that used the Hudson Auditorium and the Atrium for its annual meeting. “The location is beautiful, the best we’ve ever had. The AV presentations went flawlessly, and the AV staff checked on us constantly. The food served at breaks was a nice selection and nicely presented.”

“The facilities have been amazing,” said Heather Gambrell, convention services manager, the Overland Park Convention and Visitors Bureau. “They are more than the city could have hoped for. I strongly recommend them to convention groups looking for a unique facility in which to hold meetings.”

Spring 2009 | 17

We’re Keeping Busy …

Ben Craig, one of the college’s founders, sounds the horn to start the first Start2Finish 5K run between JCCC and the KU Edwards Campus. Start2Finish is a partnership whereby students begin their education at JCCC and complete it at KU Edwards. Save the date for the 2nd annual Start2Finish 5K Run, July 25, 2009.

In September, Marlene Calaway and Stacy Sopcich enjoyed the sustainability expo and dinner, which showcased local farmers, wineries, meat producers and bakeries. The next sustainability expo and dinner will be held Sept. 10, 2009.

18 | reconnect

JCCC’s free conference, Autism Spectrum Disorders: Beyond Diagnosis, held on campus in October, included information for family members, educators and health care providers of children with autism spectrum disorders.

Japanese culture came alive in September at the 11th annual Greater Kansas City Japan Festival, presented by the Heart of America Japan-America Society and the Japan Festival Committee. The next Japan Festival will be held fall 2009.

In her College Scholars presentation in November, Dr. Andrea Broomfield, associate professor, English, focused on three dinners served on board the ship the night before the Titanic sank and what the meals suggest about the intersections of class and nationality on the eve of World War I.

In September, students spoke with local law enforcement agencies at Criminal Justice Day, sponsored by the Administration of Justice program.

Spring 2009 | 19

JCCC Wins the Cup

I

n 2007-08, JCCC won the National Alliance of Two-Year College Athletic Administrators Cup Award, which recognizes program excellence in two-year college athletics at the national level. In addition to this year’s first-place, JCCC has a sixth-place, second-place and two third-place finishes in the five-year history of the award.

At the conclusion of the 2008 spring season, all 18 NJCAA sanctioned teams at JCCC qualified for postseason or championship play. Fifteen of those teams qualified for their national tournament, with 11 teams finishing in the top 10 in

20 | reconnect

the country, and seven in the top five.

Seventeen of the 18 teams were ranked at some point before, during or after the season. JCCC teams won four conference titles and finished runner-up five times. The Cavaliers won five Region VI championships and had two secondplace finishes.

Individually, in 2007-2008 JCCC athletes earned 57 All-American honors, and 76 All-Region VI honors; 129 were named as an all-conference athlete. In addition, JCCC had nine individuals earn Academic All-America honors.

Spring 2009 | 21

The Culinary Program Accepts the Wysong Challenge Trustee Don Weiss congratulates some of JCCC’s award-winning culinary students. If you would like to help support the culinary program, call the JCCC Foundation at 913-469-3835.

T

he Wysong Challenge is a set of initiatives intended to distinguish JCCC’s culinary program at national and global levels. Kansas Sen. David Wysong and his wife, Kathy, announced in May 2008 a $750,000 challenge gift to help raise $1.5 million in support of the JCCC program. The Wysong challenge, funded by the Wysong Family Foundation, will support these initiatives:

The Master Chef Guest Lecture Series The Master Chef Guest Lecture Series introduces the trade secrets of renowned chefs to the community and JCCC culinary students. Kevin Rathbun, owner of the acclaimed Kevin Rathbun Steak and Krog Bar in Atlanta, and a former JCCC culinary student, entertained and informed as the first chef in the series in January 2008, teaching a master cooking class and helping students prepare a four-course dinner as a fund-raiser for culinary scholarships.

22 | reconnect

Chef Kevin Rathbun (center rear) was the first chef to participate in the Master Chef Guest Lecture Series.

Cooking with Class A new television series called Cooking with Class showcases chefs – JCCC graduates, faculty and supervising chefs for JCCC student apprentices – demon-

strating techniques that gourmet cooks can use at home. The series airs on the college’s cable station on Time Warner, Comcast and SureWest. Demonstrations can be found at http://video.jccc.edu.

Sponsorship of the JCCC Culinary Team JCCC’s culinary team is the only such team to win first place three times at the National American Culinary Federation Championships. Monies from the Wysong Challenge will help the team compete in international competitions, such as the one in Singapore in April 2008, where the team earned a gold, two bronze and two silver medals.

Health Through Food A partnership between JCCC and Kansas State University has resulted in a sustainable agriculture (market farming) entrepreneurship certificate program that was introduced in spring 2009. The program, which has received a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture, will train new growers and improve the skills of existing growers in both agriculture and business in order to expand the availability of locally grown food.

The Wysong Challenge raises money to help the culinary team compete nationally and internationally.

The Edible Schoolyard In May 2008, the children at the college’s Hiersteiner Child Development Center planted an edible schoolyard in a hoophouse, an unheated greenhouse, as a way to harvest healthy attitudes toward food choices and local, sustainable agriculture. Produce from the edible schoolyard will be used in the children’s school lunches. Gov. Kathleen Sebelius attended the ribbon-cutting, helping the children plant blueberry bushes. The program will serve as a model for partnerships between culinary programs and pre-K to high schools working together toward healthier school lunches. The edible schoolyard is also supported by a generous contribution of $13,000 from the George and Patricia Semb Science Education Fund and a grant from the Sunflower Foundation.

Gov. Kathleen Sebelius helps plant blueberry bushes in an edible schoolyard.

Spring 2009 | 23

Some Enchanted Evening Menorah Medical Center guests: Nancy and Ken Mellard, Makeba and Damond Boatwright, Wanda and Steve Wilkinson, Amanda Burton and Jared Wilkinson

F

red Logan was honored by the JCCC Foundation as the 2008 Johnson Countian of the Year at the Foundation’s 22nd annual Some Enchanted Evening gala Nov. 8, 2008, at the Overland Park Marriott Hotel. Proceeds from Some Enchanted Evening support student scholarships at JCCC. Over the past 21 years, the Foundation has raised more than $3.6 million for the college’s scholarship program through Some Enchanted Evening.

The Johnson Countian of the Year award is the Foundation’s highest recognition of achievement and is presented at Some Enchanted Evening, a black-tie event that includes a gourmet dinner, entertainment and dancing.

Through events like Some Enchanted

Evening, the JCCC Foundation has helped thousands of students pursue their dreams of a college education. Students with exceptional needs, such as single parents and displaced workers, and talented students in all areas of study benefit from Foundation scholarships.

“Fred Logan has been a consistent, dependable leader for Johnson County,” said Bob Regnier, president and CEO, Bank of Blue Valley, and president, JCCC Foundation. “His unwavering support of education at all levels has positively impacted our community for future generations.”

Logan is an attorney and partner with Logan Logan & Watson, L.C., Prairie Village. In the community, he is chairman of the Arts Council of Metropolitan Kansas City. He also serves as a vice chairman and a member of the board of directors of the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, a member of the board of directors of St. Luke’s South Hospital, and a member of the University of Kansas Edwards Campus Advisory Board.

24 | reconnect

Fred Logan, Johnson Countian of the Year, Carol Logan, Ann Regnier and JCCC Foundation President Bob Regnier. This year’s event raised $300,000 for scholarships.

JCCC President Terry Calaway, Morgan Honnold, featured student speaker, and Marlene Calaway

Christi Mansfield and Jon Stewart, JCCC alumni and trustee

Stewart and Esther Stein, Some Enchanted Evening co-chairs, with Libby and Brad Bergman, corporate sponsor chair

Lt. Governor Mark Parkinson and his wife, Stacy

Alicia and Lynn Mitchelson. Mr. Mitchelson is vice-chair of JCCC’s board of trustees

Walter and Jean Hiersteiner, JCCC donors

Bootsie and Rod Martin, JCCC alumni

Spring 2009 | 25

The End of a Successful Year J

CCC’s Foundation reviewed the successes of the year past at their annual dinner in September 2008. The Foundation provided $616,293 that was awarded to 679 students for tuition, books and program needs in 2007-2008.

Heather Flick received the Colleague Award, which honors JCCC faculty and staff members, who through outstanding service and generous contributions of time, improve the lives of JCCC students and college programs and assist the Foundation in stewardship and fundraising initiatives. Flick, professor, dental hygiene, is responsible for implementing the college’s Oral Health on Wheels, a 40-foot-long van that brings dental care to underserved populations.

Geri Christian, former director of administration, Burlington Northern Santa Fe Technical Training Center, received the Dr. Hugh W. Speer Award for Distinguished Service. She helped secure sponsorships for Some Enchanted Evening, the Foundation’s annual blacktie gala, and for Dollars for Scholars, the annual fundraising auction. Speer was one of the college’s founders and a longtime trustee.

Students and members of the community socialize before the JCCC Foundation’s Annual Dinner.

(Pictured l to r) Genevieve Scobee, Antoinette Youan, Brenda Eicher, Judge William Allen, Maxine Allen, JCCC founding trustee, Eric Eicher, Katrina Steele, Christina Holt. Scobee, Youan, Steele and Holt received Foundation scholarships for 2008-09.

Foundation board members Norman Polsky with Elaine and Wil Billington

26 | reconnect

Ellen Gill, Stewart Stein, Foundation board members, and Shirley Brown-VanArsdale, JCCC trustee.

Let’s Reconnect!

J

CCC celebrates its 40th anniversary this year. As JCCC turns 40, we want to reconnect with you – our JCCC alumni.

To do that, you’ll receive this magazine – Reconnect – three times a year. Reconnect will tell you about some of the things that have been happening at JCCC, things that make Johnson County Community College such a vital part of the community.

In turn, we want to find out how your start at JCCC made a difference in your life. You’re a part of one of the most outstanding community colleges in the country. We want to know what you’ve been doing!

To reconnect with JCCC, contact: Emily Fowler JCCC Foundation 913-469-3835 or send us an e-mail, alumni@jccc.edu

Login to www.jccc.edu/alumni to see what’s happening on campus. You can also reconnect with JCCC students and alumni on Facebook and MySpace.

Spring 2009 | 27

JCCC will celebrate its 40th anniversary on April 18, 2009, with a Free College Day. The event will show off what the college offers and allow us to say thank you to the community.

That day, JCCC faculty and staff will offer short classes to the public free of charge!

Topics range from interior design to business planning to computer skills.

th

Anniversary

Apr il 18, 2009 | Johnson Count y Communit y College To l e a r n m o re, v i s i t w w w. j c c c . e d u / F r e e C o l l e g e D a y .

Johnson County Community College 12345 College Blvd.

Overland Park, KS 66210-1299 www.jccc.edu