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Women IN ST EM
Winter 2020 Volume 8 Issue 1
INSIDE: > Knowledge-hungry students get a taste of the STEM fields during ‘Women in STEM Day’ events > Stark State College employer partnerships surge > Wright State University to build $8M workforce center > Clark State partners with State Auto to offer certificate, guaranteed hire positions > Huntington launches Exact Track dual degree program with Columbus State, Franklin University > A feeling of hope
Photo: Owens Community College
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A Message from Chancellor Randy Gardner A new year is often a time for reflection and perhaps a fresh start. Having served as Chancellor for one year, I am proud of all we’ve accomplished and excited about what lies ahead. Over the past year, I’ve learned the connection between the business community and higher education is stronger than ever. Partnerships and connections are happening daily between our universities, colleges, and technical centers and businesses large and small, all across the state. And workforce is the thread that runs through many of these connections. This issue of ConnectEd highlights a few of these connections. We know we need more science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) graduates if we are to meet Ohio’s future workforce needs. At the Kent State University Geauga and Twinsburg Academic Center, students got a taste of the STEM fields during “Women in STEM Day” events. Stark State College solidified its reputation as a leader in education-business partnerships during the past year, and is heading into 2020 with a quartet of new collaborations. Wright State University plans to invest millions of dollars to build a new space that will provide a pipeline of in-demand talent for manufacturers throughout the region. In central Ohio, Huntington Bank, Columbus State Community College, and Franklin University have launched an innovative, forward-looking workforce education program to reduce the burdens on college students and increase the likelihood of their success. These and other stories highlights this issue. Thanks to these connections, and many others, Ohioans are getting the education and training they need to find meaningful careers. When it comes to moving Ohio forward in this new decade, our campuses and the business community are more ConnectED than ever.
Knowledge-hungry students get a taste of the STEM fields during ‘Women in STEM Day’ events Nearly 150 high school students attended two “Women in STEM Day” events in northeast Ohio this fall.
Stark State College employer partnerships surge Stark State College solidified its reputation as a leader in educationbusiness partnerships during the past year.
Wright State University to build $8M workforce center WSU plans to invest millions of dollars to build a new space that will provide a pipeline of in-demand talent for manufacturers.
Clark State partners with State Auto to offer certificate, guaranteed hire positions Clark State and State Auto will offer an insurance management certificate with a guaranteed hire opportunity for graduates.
Huntington launches Exact Track dual degree program with Columbus State, Franklin University An innovative, forward-looking workforce education program to reduce the burdens on students and increase the likelihood of their success.
A feeling of hope Collins Career Technical Center provides vocational training to residents of the STAR Community Justice Center.
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KNOWLEDGE-HUNGRY STUDENTS GET A TASTE OF THE STEM FIELDS DURING ‘WOMEN IN STEM DAY’ EVENTS
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early 150 area high school students hungry to learn more about science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) enjoyed a banquet of ‘small bites’ during two “Women in STEM Day” events hosted by the Kent State University Geauga and Twinsburg Academic Center last fall. The first “Women in STEM Day” attracted 108 students to the Kent State Geauga Campus in Burton on October 18. Students from three area schools – Berkshire, iSTEM Geauga, and James A. Garfield – listened to a keynote speaker and participated in two of four randomly assigned workshops in math, chemistry, and biology. On November 8, 40 high school students from the Nordonia and Twinsburg districts enjoyed a similar immersive, hands-on exploration of the STEM fields at the Twinsburg Academic Center. WINTER 2020
Throughout each day, workshops were facilitated by Kent State Geauga women in STEM, including Dr. Susanne Clement (geology); Dr. Robin Selinger (physics); Dr. Angela Spalsbury and Dr. Darci Kracht (mathematics); Dr. Zhiqiang Molly Wang (chemistry); and Dr. Daniela Popescu, Dr. Sanhita Gupta, and Dr. Josephine Naji (biology). Students were enthusiastic about their taste of higher education, with access to labs where they conducted guided experiments involving blood typing, sickle cell identification, DNA gel samples, and combustion, while others calculated probability problems and more. Students commenting in a post-event survey said, “My favorite part of the day was using handson techniques to learn in new ways,” and they appreciated “being able to be interactive with the labs; it truly helps me learn.”
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At the Twinsburg location, the keynote speaker was Kent State University Mathematics Professor Dr. Darci Kracht, who discussed paradoxes and the concept of infinity. Students at the Geauga Campus heard keynote remarks from Kent State Physics Professor Dr. Robin Selinger. Dr. Spalsbury, dean of the KSU Geauga campus, said she was pleased with students' responses to the “Women in STEM” events. “I believe each event and faculty session went great,” she said. “In general, the students seemed to enjoy each session – which is what we were aiming for.” Student feedback after the event was enthusiastic, with some providing suggestions that may be integrated into future “Women in STEM” events. “We want this program to continue to grow, which will help visibility and knowledge about both of our campus locations to area high school students,” Dean Spalsbury said. “It will also encourage graduating females from our area to dive deeper into these subjects for possible future careers. We, of course, want all of these graduates to enroll at our campus, but we also want to help students who may have an interest in a particular STEM-related field to determine exactly which path to take to achieve their career goals.”
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STARK STATE COLLEGE EMPLOYER PARTNERSHIPS SURGE Stark State College solidified its reputation as a leader in education-business partnerships during the past year and is heading into 2020 with a quartet of new collaborations. The North Canton-based community college is working with hospitals, governments, and businesses to train the region's workforce for advancement.
Akron Children’s Hospital and Stark State are partnering on Career Launch, a workforce development program that provides entry-level hospital employees and community members interested in pursuing careers at Children’s with educational opportunities that will help them develop clinical careers in several high-demand fields, while also increasing their earning potential. “In our experience, employerdriven educational programs like Career Launch are the most effective way to attract, develop, and retain excellent employees in high-demand fields such as health care,” said Stark State President Dr. Para M. Jones.
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Career Launch participants will receive a mix of classroom learning and hands-on practicums, culminating in an associate degree from the college. “The Career Launch program is a leading example of the new thinking and partnerships required to meet the needs of employers and to elevate our community’s workforce,” said Steve Millard, president and CEO of the Greater Akron Chamber of Commerce and one of the lead partners of the region’s Elevate Greater Akron regional economic development strategy.
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Also in Summit County, Stark State is renting the land at its newly opened CDL training facility from the City of Akron. In lieu of rent payment, the City is awarded up to 225 college credits at Stark State each academic year. In what the City refers to as its Workforce Development Program, these credits can be used free of
FirstEnergy Corp. has developed a new education program in conjunction with Stark State and The University of Akron where instructors from both educational institutions will teach on-site at company facilities in the Akron area. Educate to Elevate will help develop a highly skilled workforce that’s adaptable and ready for the future with educational programs that could lead to advancement opportunities within the company. “Through focus groups with customer service employees, we found people are interested in starting or going back to college, but the logistical challenges of getting to class on a campus are
Through a partnership with Stark State, Mercy Medical Center is offering employees a free education in an in-demand health care field. Through the Grow with Us program, Mercy employees can earn a degree in an in-demand medical field at no cost – the hospital covers tuition, textbooks, fees, and other expenses. In exchange,
charge by about 1,800 current City of Akron employees and their qualified dependents, who can attend any class in any program if there are available spots. The unique compensation agreement “is truly a win-win partnership between the city and Stark State,” Akron Mayor Dan Horrigan said.
quite daunting,” said Gary Grant, vice president of customer service at FirstEnergy. “This is a ‘winwin’ situation, where employees can earn degrees and FirstEnergy builds a more knowledgeable, career-minded workforce.” “Educate to Elevate aligns with our community’s Elevate Greater Akron plan to provide educational and career pathways to advance the lives of residents and ensure local companies have a welleducated and technically proficient workforce,” President Jones said. The program features accelerated, eight-week courses along with flexible hours – including evenings – and online learning.
the employee agrees to work at Mercy in the new capacity for at least three years. Employees go through an application process that includes shadowing their chosen field or department for at least two hours. Applicants, some of whom already have advanced degrees, can be from any area of the hospital.
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Wright State University to build $8M workforce center JACOB FISHER, DAYTON BUSINESS JOURNAL [ORIGINAL ARTICLE]
One of the largest universities in Dayton plans to invest millions of dollars to build a new space that will provide a pipeline of in-demand talent for manufacturers throughout west central Ohio. The proposed workforce development center — a $7.6 million project for Wright State University — will serve as an expansion of the existing Business Enterprise Center at the university’s Lake Campus in Celina. “The plan would be to extract the business center into a new space,” said Gretchen Rentz, coordinator for development and community relations at Lake Campus. Features of the 18,000-square-foot facility will include flex space for labs and instructional areas. The center will also provide space for mechanical, electrical, pneumatics and hydraulics, robotics, automation systems, and 3D printing, among other specialties.
be changing it every month ... There would always be some buzz; something exciting to see.” Roughly $1.5 million of the estimated capital investment will go toward new equipment, according to project documents. Plans to build the center have been in the works since 2015, when Wright State invested $750,000 to buy 38 acres for speculative expansion of the Lake Campus. Part of that land will house the new space, which will be built near the existing agriculture and water quality facility, Rentz said. “We have experienced significant growth at Lake Campus over the last 10 years,” she said. “With that growth came the need to build additional instructional space as well.”
In addition, the building will offer a dedicated display area to showcase the local products and processes of the university’s sponsoring manufacturers, said Dan Krane, interim dean and chief administrative officer for Lake Campus.
The proposal follows a wave of recent projects at the satellite campus. Last year, the university welcomed a new $3 million agriculture and water quality to the campus, and in 2019, construction crews wrapped up a $2.8 million expansion of Andrews Hall.
“It could be very useful in terms of recruiting students to graduate and become employees of those companies,” Krane said. “That display space would be on a rotating basis. We would
The proposed workforce development center would also complement the two-story, 100,000-square-foot Tri Star Career Compact training facility across the street, Krane said.
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“The local community joined forces to build a $25 million educational center there for juniors and seniors in high school,” he said. “That’s a substantial investment on the part of the community, and I see this center as a very natural extension of that investment.” Fund-raising for the center is ongoing. So far, seven donors have pledged nearly $600,000 for the project, and the university plans to continue fielding support from state and federal funding programs. To ensure the project moves forward, the university requested $3 million in financial support this year through the Dayton Regional Priority Development and Advocacy Committee (PDAC) — an arm of the Dayton Development Coalition that establishes regional priorities for funding public projects. If awarded, those funds will support construction and capital expenses.
Lake Campus also requested a $1.5 million investment from the university’s 2021-22 capital budget. If awarded, those funds would match more than $1.5 million already committed by the Lake Campus community and WSU. “We have a couple different funding submissions,” Rentz said. “Hopefully by the beginning part of next year, we’ll have some consensus on where we’ve landed with those.” The PDAC committee will submit its chosen projects to government officials, who will then decide which projects receive funding. This process is typically completed in April. “We’re just really excited that the project has been so well received by PDAC,” Krane said. “I think people in the Dayton area might be inclined to think of Mercer and Auglaize as agricultural (areas), but the industrial manufacturing base is really taking off in a big way... It’s literally a boomtown.” WINTER 2020
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Clark State partners with Sta offer certificate, guaranteed hi
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ate Auto to ire positions
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lark State Community College has partnered with State Automobile Mutual Insurance Company (State Auto) to offer an insurance management certificate with a guaranteed hire opportunity for graduates. The Insurance Claims short-term technical certificate is offered entirely online. “We are thrilled to be able to offer this opportunity for our students and are grateful for this innovative partnership with State Auto,” said Aimee Belanger-Haas, dean of business and applied technologies at Clark State. “Clark State continues to make workforce a priority and create new opportunities for our students.”
partnership with Clark State came about through trying to think creatively and outside the box on ways to attract talent. “Most of our new hires have little to no exposure to insurance concepts or the industry; this 12week certification will provide a significant knowledge base on which we will build,” Cullins said. “Additionally, we have been able to impact the curriculum so we have an even higher confidence level that successful students will be well equipped.” Students who complete this certificate are assured a job with State Auto at the guaranteed annual salary of $47,000. Graduates will work from either the Columbus, Ohio, or Des Moines, Iowa, location.
"It is truly a win-win for all involved; especially the students."
Canan Cullins, vice president of associate relations for State Auto, said the
Guaranteed hire is also contingent upon a successful prescreen prior to entering into the program, completion of a background check and drug screen, and successful completion of the program as defined by State Auto. Enrollment in the Clark State Insurance Claims short-term technical certificate program is now open.
“We are super excited to enter this partnership with Clark State,” Cullins said. “The collaboration has been amazing, and it is truly a win-win for all involved; especially the students.”
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Huntington launches Exact Track dual degree program with Columbus State, Franklin University As current and prospective college students confront multiple barriers in pursuing college degrees, Huntington Bank, Columbus State Community College, and Franklin University have launched an innovative, forward-looking workforce education program to reduce the burdens on students and increase the likelihood of their success. The Exact Track 3+1 dual degree business program launched in July with a first group of 25 Huntington students whose educational costs with Columbus State and Franklin University are being paid up front by Huntington. The unique program provides a combination of education, support, and real-world experience, and its convenient workplace location helps eliminate some of the hurdles for students hoping to further their education. In October, Huntington Chairman and CEO Steve Steinour joined Columbus State President David Harrison, Franklin University President David Decker, Ohio Lieutenant Governor Jon Husted, and Ohio Business Roundtable CEO and Chair of the Governor’s Executive Workforce Board, Pat Tiberi, alongside Exact Track students to celebrate the program’s launch at The Huntington Gateway Center in Columbus’ Northland neighborhood. “We are proud to partner with Columbus State and Franklin University to create a unique model that brings higher education directly into the workplace,” Steinour said. “Exact Track is on the
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cutting edge of workforce education solutions, and it enables Huntington to invest in the future of our colleagues so we can retain and promote top talent from within the bank.” Exact Track classes are held weekday evenings at Huntington Gateway Center. The program combines eight semesters of Columbus State curriculum and six semesters of Franklin University curriculum, including summer terms, enabling participants to complete college in five years while working full-time. Exact Track participants earn two degrees: an Associate of Applied Science in business management from Columbus State and a Bachelor of Business Administration, with a minor in management and leadership, from Franklin University. “Pairing our workforce needs and workers’ skills is one of the most important things we can do to help people be successful in their personal goals while giving job creators the talent they need to grow,” said Lt. Governor Husted. “The partnership Huntington has formed with Columbus State and
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Franklin University is a leading example of the type of employer engagement we need to strengthen our workforce and move our economy forward.” “For the CEOs of the Ohio Business Roundtable, workforce and talent remain persistent challenges,” Tiberi said. “Ohio employers can no longer sit back and assume higher education is going to produce a workforce equipped with the specific skills businesses will need to fill their future in-demand jobs. With Exact Track, Huntington shows us that businesses can help meet their own future employment needs.” “Exact Track’s scheduling convenience, combined with Huntington’s innovative Pre-Imbursement program, removes important barriers to pursuing the goal of earning a college degree for working adults,” President Harrison said. “As a result of this unique access to education, Huntington employees will gain the skill sets to advance their company and enrich the lives of their families and themselves,” President Decker said. Exact Track provides a predictable, manageable class schedule for professionals balancing career, college, and other responsibilities. Knowing the exact sequence of courses at a consistent time and location makes it easier to fit college into a busy schedule. An accelerated three-and-a-halfyear program also is open to applicants from the general public at Columbus State’s Delaware
campus. More information is available at www. cscc.edu/exacttrack. “This type of corporate collaboration with higher education is the wave of the future when it comes to meeting current and anticipated needs of Ohio’s workforce,” Steinour said. “We anticipate this will be a very successful program we will expand over time.” WINTER 2020
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A FEELING OF HOPE STAR Community Justice Center, a communitybased correctional facility intended to promote public safety and reduce prison commitments, opened its doors in Franklin Furnace, Ohio, in 2001. What began as a 150-bed facility is now a 250-bed, American Correctional Association (ACA) facility; one of 19 such facilities in the state of Ohio. The primary purpose of those facilities is the rehabilitation of non-violent, felony offenders in the 19-county region that they serve. Offenders participate in intensive cognitive-behavioral treatment that addresses barriers that may prohibit individuals from living a crime-free, pro-social lifestyle once released.
Vocational training Vocational training was introduced to the STAR Center in the early 2000s working with then-director Dan Hieronimus. Collins Career Technical Center (CCTC) in Chesapeake, Ohio began training programs in food service and building and grounds maintenance, but with changes in administration and personnel, those programs were soon discontinued. Starting in 2013, CCTC began providing 120-hour training in food service. Program participants receive a national industry-recognized credential from Safe Serve. The building and grounds
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maintenance program is also a 120-hour certificate program. In 2016, STAR Director Eddie Philabaun made a decision to raise the bar with more vocational training, and CCTC set up shop for a residential electricity training program. The resulting program covers 300 hours, with students earning an industry-recognized Core and Level One National Center for Construction Education and Research (NCCER) Certification. In 2017, CCTC began a 300hour administrative assistant program earning an Office Proficiency Assessment & Certification (OPAC) certificate. The next step was to begin offering the Adult Diploma Program in cooperation with the Ohio Department of Education; providing the opportunity for those in either program to earn a high school diploma by achieving the state-mandated scores on the ACT WorkKeys assessment while earning an industry recognized credential. According to CCTC administration and staff, the common thread running through this history is that hope is being provided to all who come through these programs. To date, Collins Career Technical Center has served 1,240 STAR residents since 2013 and issued 49 adult diplomas.
Photo: Ohio University
A special thank you to all of those who contributed stories and articles: Knowledge-hungry students get a taste of the STEM fields during ‘Women in STEM Day’ events Amy Murfello Marketing & Community Engagement, Manager Kent State University Geauga Campus
Stark State College employer partnerships surge Lori Williams Staff Writer, Marketing & Communications Stark State College
Wright State University to build $8M workforce center Jacob Fisher Staff Reporter Dayton Business Journal
Clark State partners with State Auto to offer certificate, guaranteed hire positions Laurie Means Executive Director, Marketing Clark State Community College
Huntington launches Exact Track dual degree program with Columbus State, Franklin University Brent Wilder David Wayne Marketing & Communications Columbus State Community College
Communications Coordinator Columbus State Community College
A feeling of hope Michael Staton Michael Leighann Gleichauf Associate Director of Business & Industry Outreach Collins Career Technical Center
PR Coordinator Collins Career Technical Center
Thanks for reading ConnectED. If you have any story suggestions, links to articles of interest, or news releases to share, feel free to send them to Jeff Robinson at jrobinson@highered.ohio.gov.
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