ConnectED - Fall 2017

COMMUNITY COLLEGES SEE

EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING AS CATALYST TO COMPLETION

Fall 2017 Volume 5 Issue 4

INSIDE: > Public Colleges Create Scholarships to Benefit Students & Workforce > Ohio Sea Grant Releases Summary of HABRI Second-Year Research > UC, Cincy State Collaborate to Help Area Business Professionals Apply Data Analytics > Levy Funding Diversification a Win-Win for Colleges & Community

Photo: Zane State College FALL 2017

3 It’s that time of year, when college students are settling into routines that will propel them to academic success and fulfilling careers. Today’s students have greater access to career and academic counseling and experiential learning opportunities that will guide them into careers that fit their passions and talents.

RED BORDERS

In this issue of ConnectED, we examine how community colleges are working closely with students to tailor specific academic plans, and how students are working with employers to earn experiences that will help clear a path to future success.

We also look at how Ohio colleges and universities are working with state government agencies to preserve safe drinking water at one of the largest fresh water laboratories in the world—Lake Erie.

As always, we use this publication to showcase emerging fields of study important to our growing economy and look at how some communities are benefitting from their local investments in higher education. We hope it helps to keep you ConnectED to what’s happening in higher ed.

John Carey Chancellor, Ohio Department of Higher Education

Public Colleges Create Scholarships to Benefit Students & Workforce

Terra State Community College announced an affordability initiative that offers free tuition to 2018 high school graduates.

Ohio Sea Grant Releases Summary of HABRI Second-Year Research

Ohio Sea Grant has released the second-year research progress update for the statewide Harmful Algal Bloom Research Initiative.

Community Colleges See Experiential Learning as Catalyst to Completion Best practices are emerging to help students navigate academic preparation and vocational opportunities.

UC, Cincy State Collaborate to Help Area Business Professionals Apply Data Analytics

Two Cincinnati-area colleges are working together to prepare professionals in the emerging field of data analytics.

Levy Funding Diversification a Win-Win for Colleges & Community

Three community colleges had levies on the ballot this November. Two passed easily.

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Public Colleges Create Scholarships to Benefit Students & Workforce The Ohio State University made

credentials. However, approximately

Terra State will cover the cost

big news in September when it

45 percent of Ohio high school

of tuition for up to an associate

announced plans to cover the

graduates do not attend college

degree. The Workforce Demand

full cost of tuition for Ohio Pell

directly after high school.

Scholarship is available to 2018

families. Ohio State called its efforts

high school graduates majoring in

an unprecedented affordability

“Knowing this, Terra State wants

these academic programs at Terra

commitment for in-state students.

to create opportunities, eliminate

State:

One week later, Terra State

barriers, and encourage high school

Community College announced

graduates in Ohio to enroll in higher

its own affordability initiative that

education,” Webster said.

offers free tuition to 2018 high school

• Computer Systems • Digital Media Technology • Electrical

graduates who pursue a career in a

Terra State is funding the

• Health Information Technology

high-demand job field.

scholarships through its own

• Management

foundation and general fund, and is

(business, agribusiness and hospitality)

• Manufacturing Engineering

Terra State President Jerome Webster

the first community college to take

announced the new program in a

such an aggressive step to assist

news conference at the Fremont

employers with workforce needs. The

• Office Administration

campus in early October.

scholarship is available to all 2018

• Robotics-Integrated

high school graduates. Terra State According to the Georgetown Center

opens new residence halls in the fall

on Education and the Workforce,

of 2018, though housing costs are not

64 percent of Ohio jobs in 2020 will

part of the scholarship offer at Terra

require postsecondary degrees or

State or Ohio State.

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• Music Technology

Manufacturing Technology • Welding

5

Like Ohio State’s assistance program, the Workforce Demand Scholarship

The university will provide

will pay the gap between the cost

institutional aid to close any gap

of tuition and general fees and state

that remains after Pell Grants, Ohio

and federal grants received by the

College Opportunity Grants, and

student. The annual cost of tuition

other gift aid awarded to qualified

and general fees at Terra State is

students are calculated. Ohio State

sligjhtly less than $5,000. President

will invest more than $11 million

Webster estimates as many as 150

each year in the tuition coverage

students will take advantage of the

program, using funds generated

Workforce Demand Scholarship.

from an endowment created through proceeds from its newlycreated

Ohio State University announced it

energy partnership. Ohio State

will ensure that all in-state students

officials estimate 3,500 students

who qualify for Pell Grants — a

will benefit, beginning in fall,

key federal program for students

2018. Current in-state tuition and

with financial need — receive an

mandatory fees on the Columbus

aid package that covers the full

campus total $10,591 annually for

cost of tuition and mandatory fees.

first-year students.

According to the U.S. Department of Education, about 90 percent of Pell recipients have family incomes of $50,000 or less.

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OHIO SEA GRANT RELEASES SUMMARY OF HABRI SECOND-YEAR RESEARCH Lake Erie, one of the largest bodies of fresh water in the world, has become both laboratory and classroom for Ohio colleges and universities studying toxic algal blooms and finding the best ways to teach STEM courses and build collaborative teams.

Ohio Sea Grant, on behalf of The Ohio State University, the University of Toledo and the Ohio Department of Higher Education, has released the second-year research progress update for the statewide Harmful Algal Bloom Research Initiative (HABRI), which seeks solutions for harmful algal blooms in Ohio.

The initiative consists of more than 30 science teams working on different critical knowledge gaps identified by front-line state agencies that include the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA), Ohio Department of Agriculture, Ohio Department of Health and Ohio Department of Natural Resources.

Although research is still under way, the second-year report reveals that the state of Ohio has already benefitted from the initiative: • Early warning systems in Maumee and Sandusky bays have given water treatment plants a higher-resolution picture of what’s coming in from Lake Erie.

• HABRI research has provided new answers and practical guidance about producing safe drinking water for cities and towns dealing with algal toxins in their water sources.

• HABRI teams have provided the building blocks for agencies to understand the risks that algal toxins present for human health.

• HABRI has driven information sharing and priority setting among agencies and universities, positioning Ohio to better prevent and manage future crises.

In the summer of 2014, toxic algae made people near Lake Erie afraid to use their water. After the crisis was over, front-line state agencies in Ohio worked with science teams at Ohio universities to fill in critical gaps in our knowledge and things that were still unknown about tracking and dealing with harmful algal blooms.

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“HABRI has put Ohio at the leading edge of coordinated HABs management compared to other state and even national counterparts,” said Beth Messer, acting chief of the Division of Drinking and Ground Waters for the OEPA. “Being able to comment on the research projects from the proposal stage onward, we can make sure that the results will be applied and scalable — and often, we see water treatment plants are able to put preliminary data to use right away.”

The Department of Higher Education earmarked $4 million funding for this critical issue. Universities match the state funding and provide additional undergraduate and graduate research to preserve clean and safe water supplies.

“This is a complex issue, so we knew we needed to attack it in an integrated way,” said ODHE Chancellor John Carey. “We put our university assets to work answering critical operational and policy questions that state agencies need to be able to protect the public and keep our water clean.”

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L A I T IEN N R E P O EX I E T E E S L P S E M G O E C L O OL T C T Y S T LY NI A U T A M COM ING AS C students define their interests, N aptitudes, personality, and R LEA values, the process quickly Community college administrators understand the challenges students face in their individual educational and vocational journeys. Metrics are easy to measure, and it’s clear that the typical community college student’s effort to balance work and life can often complicate and delay completion.

Throughout Ohio’s community college network, best practices are emerging to help students navigate the intersection of academic preparation and vocational opportunity.

More and more, community colleges are finding that aggressive and intentional academic advising and career counseling help students find direction that can lead them to an efficient schedule of coursework, a less costly degree or credential, and a promising career. Educational professionals who help students find the sweet spot where aptitude and passion

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combine with opportunity make a big difference in the lives of students — and in their return on their college investment.

Clark State Community College “Experiential education makes classrooms come alive,” said Melody Gast, who leads the career services office of Clark State Community College.

MELODY GAST “Career is in my job title, but career exploration is imbedded in every aspect of our approach to education. It starts on the first day of orientation with a career assessment and an introduction to the many ways students can get guidance and get involved.”

While Clark State uses assessment tools to help

becomes a one-on-one experience for each student.

“We’re a community college, so our students come from a variety of career backgrounds, and most want to remain in the area, so it’s very important that we involve local employers in all that we do,” Gast said.

Involvement takes many forms. Advisory councils provide curriculum guidance and employer involvement in classrooms, and job fairs inject real-life possibilities and mentorship opportunities.

Employers play a key role in the life of the community college.

Gast contends that employer participation helps students gain experience and confidence that the career choice fits before a lot of time, energy, and expense are invested.

“Students are looking for a better future, and it’s our responsibility to connect them and help them bridge college and career. We

Clark State utilizes “career navigators” in its health science and engineering disciplines, and mobilizes “success coaches” throughout the college to make sure students take advantage of additional support services that help them stay in school and complete their certifications or degrees. “We have ample evidence that what we do with counseling and coaching helps people succeed.”

Lorain County Community College

19.6%

INCREASE

10%

INCREASE

53%

INCREASE

IPEDS GRAD RATE

7%

DECREASE

DEGREES AWARDED

COURSE COMPLETION

Marcia Jones leads career services for Lorain County Community College and has worked to bring the end game to the center of college life. In 2010, LCCC restructured its career MARCIA JONES services to be housed with enrollment and financial services for a one-stop shop to better integrate all front-end services for students. All new students are required to see advisors who are well trained and focused on workforce outcomes.

RETENTION

- Melody Gast, Career Services Coordinator, Clark State Community College

work hard to involve the business community and that connection is welcomed by both,” Gast said.

EXCESS CREDITS

“Experiential education makes classrooms come alive”

9

138%

INCREASE

Over the past six years, LCCC’s progress toward reduced time to completion, increased graduations rates, and career concentration.

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“It starts early here and continues along the career path for many students who come back to refresh and retrain as their careers mature,” Jones said.

Lorain maintains connections with local employment through local Ohio Means Jobs offices and through its Regional IT Employment (RITE) Board and Employer Advisory Councils. LCCC’s job board connects students with employers who may offer co-ops, internships, or full-time employment.

Washington State Community College “Because we’re a small school environment, our advising structure is very personal,” said Amanda Herb, vice president of enrollment and student success at Washington State Community College. “We encourage students to work with their advisors early and often.”

Student satisfaction scores bear this out. Community College AMANDA HERB of Student Engagement scores in 2017 show that 80 percent of Washington State students met with advisors two to four times or five or more times, compared with 59 percent for the national cohort.

At Washington State, first-year advising occurs with the student service office, but once a major has been declared, students see a faculty advisor within their specific area of study.

“Over their time in the program, the faculty advisor relationship grows with the student,” Herb said. “It works very well because the advisor understands the profession and the employers in the community.

This is important when practicum, apprenticeships, and all experiential learning come into play, and this is particularly important because so many of our students are looking for employment in the region.”

Employers today are looking for the technical skills necessary by profession, but they want more, Herb said, pointing to employer survey data the college has begun to measure.

“Employer feedback has helped us develop a soft skills rubric we’re integrating into our curriculum,” she said. The soft skill sets include communications, professionalism, problem solving, and team work.

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UC, Cincy State Collaborate to Help Area Business Professionals Apply Data Analytics Two Cincinnati-area colleges

cost-effective way possible,” said

David Hatter, Cincinnati

are working together to prepare

Amy Waldbillig, vice president

State adjunct professor and

professionals in the emerging

of workforce development for

business technologist, is the

field of data analytics. The schools

Cincinnati State Technical and

instructor for the 40-contact-

are approaching the area of

Community College.

hour PMP® Certification Exam

study on two levels – through

Prep course, which began

an overview introduction and

Michelle Ford, data analyst for UC

Sept. 11 on Cincinnati State’s

with an eight-week course

eLearning, taught Introduction

Evendale campus. Hatter is

for the Project Management

to Data Analytics for Business

an accomplished business

Professional® Certification Exam

Professionals on Oct. 16 on UC’s

technologist with nearly 25

Preparation.

Uptown campus. Ford’s goal is

years of experience as a

to help students understand at a

software developer, business

“Whether someone is setting

high level what data analytics is,

analyst, project manager,

out in pursuit of new skills or

how to communicate what data

instructor, speaker, author,

they are interested in refining

means, and how to make data

and entrepreneur. He has been

skills they already hold, this new

accessible in a visual format to

involved directly in the design,

collaboration opens many new

others in an organization.

development, and deployment

doors of opportunity and growth

of roughly 200 custom software

for learners to advance their

“Data analytics being an in-

solutions and is especially

technical skills and careers,” said

demand skill has to do with the

good at bridging the business/

Nelson Vincent, vice president

fact that there is so much data in

technology chasm, thanks to

for information technology and

the world. People are realizing

superb communication and

chief information officer at the

they have to have proof to back

technical skills.

University of Cincinnati.

up their claims,” Ford said. During the one-day intensive course,

The course is delivered in a

“Our goal is to help busy

students used Microsoft Excel

modified boot-camp style,

professionals advance their

to analyze and visualize data to

meaning a great deal of

skills in the most efficient and

solve problems they are facing at

information is covered in each

work.

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13 class session. Students met for eight hours per day, one day per week for five consecutive weeks. The course also satisfies the requirement to sit for the PMP® certification exam.

Associate Director for UC Information TechnologyResearch and Development Jane Combs recently renewed her PMP® Certification and said the PMP Certification was instrumental in her success and career development at UC. “The skills I acquired as part of the PMP training program prepared me to become an effective project manager and leader,” she said.

The impetus for this pilot began as a simple connection on LinkedIn between Sean G.L. Johnson, business manager for the Workforce Development Center, and Janet Staderman, program director for Communiversity.

Both Johnson and Staderman recognized the value in leveraging their individual programs’ expertise in developing technical course offerings for local businesses.

Cincinnati State and UC have several articulation agreements. The most recent, signed earlier this year, allows Cincinnati State students to transfer their credit hours to UC toward earning a bachelor’s degree.

This continuing education pilot seemed like a natural next step for adults who want to learn technical competencies, such as data analytics and project management, as noncredit coursework.

Those interested in learning more about the Data Analytics or Project Management Professional® courses may contact Janet Staderman at 513-556-4354 or at janet.staderman@uc.edu. Or visit UC Continuing Education’s website at uc.edu/ce.

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Levy Funding Diversification a Win-Win for Colleges & Community

Three community colleges had levies on the ballot this November. Two passed easily, providing additional funding to Cuyahoga and Sinclair community colleges. The Rio Grande Community College replacement levy failed in the four counties that fund it: Gallia, Jackson, Meigs, and Vinton.

Two of the three types of Ohio’s

Among Ohio’s public network of community colleges, six have the distinction of being funded in part by local county levies that contribute nearly $200 million annually and reduce tuition for county students.

community colleges—technical colleges and local community colleges, but not state community colleges—are permitted to seek district funding through local tax levies under current Ohio law. The levy funding makes sense in many larger counties

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15 where workforce needs create a need for specific workforce skills the community colleges can supply.

Cuyahoga Community College received nearly $112 million in levy funding in 2016. The levy passed in November was a .5 mill increase for 25 years, which will increase that amount by $227 million.

Montgomery County’s levy contributed just over $33 million to Sinclair Community College in 2016. Lorain County Community College raised nearly $25 million in 2016, and Lake County’s levy contributed nearly $20 million for Lakeland Community College that year. Eastern Gateway in Jefferson County and Rio Grande Community College in Gallia County each received slightly less than $900,000 in levy funding in 2016.

Cuyahoga Community College’s levy passed by a wide margin of 68 percent, and was a vote of confidence in the college, according to President Alex Johnson. “The levy will encourage student success and completion by assuring we have the programs and facilities to get students prepared and in the workforce,” Johnson said. “This is a major win for Tri-C and Cuyahoga County.”

In the case of Sinclair Community College in the Dayton area, strength in health care education creates a burgeoning health care workforce to the benefit of citizens, young and old.

Premier Health’s Chief Nursing Officer, Peggy Mark, RN, Ph.D. MBA, oversees all nursing functions for the company’s hospitals, ambulatory centers, and home care settings.

“I work with a lot of great people to set policies, vision, and strategic direction for nursing, as well as ensure we maintain standards across the Premier Health system,” said Mark. Premier Health is the largest healthcare employer in the Greater Dayton Area, employing about 14,000 people.

A 2014 study published by the Brookings Institute reported that approximately 58 percent of healthcare providers in the Dayton Metro Area were pre-baccalaureate workers. “If you look at the Premier Health employees—both in and out of nursing—we have so many people who have come from Sinclair. Sinclair is a great asset to our community and I don’t know what we could do without them and the graduates they send to us,” Mark said.

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“

Inter-professional training, combined with the exposure students will receive in the simulation spaces, will help prepare students for the challenges and situations healthcare professionals encounter on a regular basis.”

“

Premier Health’s Chief Nursing Officer, Peggy Mark, RN, Ph.D. MBA

Sinclair’s new Health Sciences Center was designed to foster inter-professional learning and features state-ofthe-art classroom and laboratory spaces, including simulation rooms and technologies for specialties such as surgery, intensive care, and labor and delivery.

“Designing the facility to allow for more inter-professional education opportunities will help train future healthcare providers to work together to care for patients,” Mark said. “That inter-professional training, combined with the exposure students will receive in the simulation spaces, will help prepare students for the challenges and situations healthcare professionals encounter on a regular basis.”

The simulation spaces and other resources within Sinclair’s new Health Sciences Center will be available to community partners such as Premier Health for continuing education and ongoing training purposes.

“If we have needs for ongoing training, we can go to Sinclair and they are always willing to partner with us,” Mark said. “They help ensure that future providers are educated to meet the needs of our community and also support our current professionals who need to update skills as the healthcare environment changes.

“I just can’t say enough about what a great partner Sinclair has been and our partnership will only get stronger,” she added. “I feel very confident with a partner like Sinclair that we’re going to be able to meet the needs of our community. As healthcare evolves, we’ll be able to evolve and train our health care providers.”

Sinclair college offers health sciences degree and certificate programs across 14 areas of study. (http://sinclair.edu/academic/divisions/hs/)

Note: Quotes from Premier Health’s Chief Nursing Officer Peggy Mark, RN, Ph.D. MBA were adopted from an earlier story on Sinclair Community College’s website, but remain relevant to this story.

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Photo: Shawnee State University

A special thank you to all of those who contributed stories and articles: Public Colleges Create Scholarships to Benefit Students & Workforce Jerome Webster Terra State Community College

Ohio Sea Grant Releases Summary of HABRI Second-Year Research Bonnie Blankinship Bowling Green State University

Community Colleges See Experiential Learning as Catalyst to Completion Melody Gast Marcia Jones Amanda Herb Clark State Community College

Lorain County Community College

Washington State Community College

UC, Cincy State Collaborate to Help Area Business Professionals Apply Data Analytics Janet Staderman University of Cincinnati

Levy Funding Diversification a Win-Win for Colleges & Community Peggy Mark, RN, Ph.D. MBA Premier Health’s Chief Nursing Officer

Thank you for reading ConnectED. We appreciate any suggestions or ideas to improve this newsletter.

We welcome story ideas, links to articles of interest, and news releases.

Please send story ideas to Jeff Robinson at jrobinson@highered.ohio.gov.

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