TCC Magazine

Tacoma Community College Summer 2012

4 New

Developments in Dev Ed

7 distinguished alumnus Dave Burmark

10 Athletics

This year nearly 1,000 students received their two year Associate Degrees or certificates at Tacoma Community College. This is a milestone for TCC, the most degrees and certificates awarded in a single year of the college’s history.

Each of our students has a different, highly personal story to tell about his or her educational journey. Many are stories of hardship, struggle, perseverance and ultimately success. Many students go to college part-time while they work full time.

Many juggle family responsibilities with class work because they know a college degree will help build a better future.

Whatever their situation, seeing them at Commencement is a delight. You can visibly read the jubilation of success on their faces as they walk across the stage to receive a degree. No matter how many times I witness this event, I am always struck by the importance of the work we do in helping our students realize their potential. The obvious joy of the graduates and their family members is deeply rewarding.

Making measurable progress in improving student achievement is a primary goal at TCC. This year the college received two major recognitions concerning the quality of the TCC student experience. We ranked first in the state in improving student achievement as measured by the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges. In addition, the national Achieving the Dream program, which emphasizes using evidence-based strategies to improve student success and close the achievement gap, named TCC as a “Leader College” because of the success of our efforts. TCC will now help mentor other colleges.

The 2012 Legislature gave us a long-awaited and much needed boost by providing construction funding for our new 70,000 square foot Harned Center for Health Careers. Construction for the new “state of the art” facility will begin this summer.

TCC is a regional leader in health care training and education and the new facility will help us train even more students to serve our community’s health care needs.

Despite a very difficult funding climate over the past few years, I’m optimistic about the future for “Tacoma’s Community College” and the outstanding educational experience we will continue to provide.

Dr. Pamela J. Transue, President Tacoma Community College

IFC

TCCMagazine

TCC ... celebrates success in our lives and our communities

TCCMagazine Volume 4, No. 2 Editor Rachel Payne

Contents

Writers Rachel Payne Dan Small Design Sakura Moses Photography Stuart Isset Rachel Payne Julie Kramer The News Tribune

TCC Magazine is published biannually by Marketing, Communication & Outreach, Tacoma Community College, 6501 South 19th Street, Tacoma WA 98466.

While every effort is made to ensure accuracy of all printed information, TCC Magazine assumes no liability for errors in editorial content.

No portion of this publication may be duplicated or reprinted without written permission from the publisher.

Send address changes to: TCC Magazine, 6501 S. 19th St., Tacoma WA 98466 or marketing@ tacomacc.edu. Be sure to include both old and new addresses. tcc mission statement:

TCC creates meaningful and relevant learning, inspires greater equity, and celebrates success in our lives and our communities. accreditation:

Tacoma Community College is accredited by the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities.

On the way 2

2012 All Washington Scholars

4 New Developments in Developmental Ed

6 Open Educational Resources

7

2012 Distinguished

Alumnus

8 Tacoma Wine Classic

9 Governor Signs Jobs Bill at TCC

9 Costco Internships 10 Milgard Family Foundation Funds IEN Program

10 Titan Athletics 12 Peace Obelisk 12 Accreditation 13 Fulbright Scholar 13 First Link College TCCMagazine

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Caldoon Farrah Caldoon (Cal) Farrah’s goal is to earn a master’s degree in chemical engineering and eventually become an instructor.

TCC eBusiness instructor Amad Almsaodi describes Cal as a student who “performs at a level very few people ever reach.”

Community Partners Step Up to fund All-WA Scholarship

A child of immigrants, Cal struggled to learn English. He started elementary school in a special speech program, but he finished as a top student in all subjects – including English.

“I have been taught from a young age to do my best in everything I do,” said Cal. Cal learned about TCC’s preengineering program while attending the college as a Running Start student.

He decided to continue at TCC for economic reasons.

“I was afraid that the university tuition would make things harder on my dad. I thought attending TCC would be the wise decision for myself and for my family,” said Cal. Research convinced Cal that TCC’s program would be a smart choice educationally as well as financially.

“TCC has a good reputation and is one of the top community colleges. I have seen many people go through TCC and end up transferring to a university and getting a four year degree.”

Cal interned at HaloSource, a company that focuses on clean water and antibacterial solutions, and currently works there part-time.

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Donald Missel TCC Nursing Program graduate Donald Missel would like to become a Certified Nurse Anesthetist (CRNA), a certification which requires a master’s or doctoral degree.

Donald began his studies at TCC after a career that spanned activities from touring the world as a U.S. Marine to waiting tables to working as a stay-at-home parent. Attending community college is a family tradition for Donald, but he was also influenced by the reputation of TCC’s nursing program.

“It has been my experience, as I complete clinical rotations in the community, that TCC’s students have been well received by their professional mentors,” said Donald.

“I have no question that this is a direct result of the value TCC places in their students, and to the high quality Nursing program they have created in their pursuit of excellence.”

Nursing instructor Julie Benson describes Donald as “a student that exemplifies the characteristics that we are looking for in our students: intellectual curiosity, creativity, respect for self and others, a strong ethical conscience and resourcefulness in the face of change.”

“My mission is to invest in as many people as I possibly can,” said Donald. “I aim to serve. May I find success in investing in others.”

Thanks to sponsorships from community partners including NELA and KeyBank, the All Washington Scholars program was able to fulfill its original purpose this year: to provide two exceptional students from each of Washington’s 34 community and technical colleges with scholarships.

Each student was provided with a $750 scholarship, presented

by Governor Gregoire.

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New Developments in Developmental Ed Tacoma Community College has redesigned its Developmental Education courses to exemplify what all of higher education aspires to be in these tough economic times: a lean, mean completion machine.

Dev Ed English:

New students are assessed in reading, writing, and math before they begin classes. If they place below college level in a subject, they take one or more “developmental” classes to boost their skills before tackling college-level work.

The redesign of the Dev Ed English sequence integrates reading and writing into one course at each level. It reduces the number of courses from six to two.

The result? A student who might once have taken 20 credits of Developmental English before enrolling in college-level classes could end up taking as few as 8.

Students who test into developmental classes are less likely to attain a degree or certificate. Only 29 percent of students who test into the lowest levels of Developmental Education complete the sequence.

“At least 60 percent of students, nationally, take at least one Dev Ed course,” said Associate Dean of Transitional Studies, Kim Ward.

“Over half never complete the requirement… and they’re not going to complete their goals.“ Research has shown that students who do not enter a program of study within the first year at the college are far less likely to earn a credential.

Students who spend a year in Dev Ed may see their Financial Aid run out before they can finish a degree.

“We’re right there with the statistics,” said Ward. “85 percent of our students take at least one Dev Ed class.”

TCC’s English and Math departments have retooled their Dev Ed sequences to try to change all that.

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Translating high expectations into high completion

a

Leaner Meaner dev ed

TCC’s Dev Ed English instruction team redesigned the program, pulling in successful elements from other programs and developed their own ideas.

The department hopes that the new model will increase student retention.

The new model demands great efforts from students. But instructor Sabine Endicott is quick to point out that many students are highly motivated to put in the effort and get to college level quickly.

“We have students who are living out of their cars, taking care of several children, working two or three minimum wage jobs,” said Endicott.

“We’re raising the bar,” said Endicott.

“Students in lower classes are writing complete essays straight from the beginning. It’s hard for them – they’re working really hard. But at the same time their confidence is going up, because we’re asking them to do things that are meaningful for them.”

“Students say, this was so hard – but I did it!” said Ward.” If you believe in someone, chances are they’re going to succeed.”

Re-energizing Math: 4 Levels, 1 Classroom Dev Ed Math Instructor Jackie Gorman points out that there’s a lot that students need to master before they’re ready to launch into college-level math. “Math 75 has 165 objectives!” said Gorman.

There are four levels of Dev Ed math … and now students have the option of taking all four in one classroom.

“We wanted something seamless.

We want them to be able to start in a class, finish it early, and get into another class without waiting for another quarter.”

Gorman explained that the term “developmental” encompasses a broad range of student knowledge. One student in a combined classroom tested in at 64 percent of the knowledge – another student tested in at four percent.

The new program, called “CMATH,” uses software that assesses a student’s knowledge against the knowledge required and starts them working at the right level.

Gorman said the department will continue offering classes in the traditional format as well as the CMATH format.

“A CMATH student must be an independent and persistent individual,” said Gorman. “A student who learns best from a teacher’s explanation and class discussion would benefit from the traditional classroom.”

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It’s All About Access: Open Educational Resources Did you know that textbook costs make up nearly a third of a TCC student’s total costs?

According to a study the college did in 2009-10, textbooks eat up about 30 percent of a student’s total college spending, including tuition and fees. In times of decreased state funding and rising tuition, spearheading the development of free or nearly free learning material options for our students is one thing we can do to help keep our door open for everyone.

Students agree that reigning in the cost of textbooks should be a school priority.

In January the ASTCC Senate voted to pass a Tech Fee budget including $90,000 for the development of Open Educational Resources (OER), to be matched by the college. Piggybacking off a state-wide project which created OER for core courses offered at community and technical colleges, TCC launched the OER Project, hiring an OER project manager this spring.

Textbook costs will go down The materials developed by the OER project will be open licensed, which means available to anyone, free of charge.

“If we can bring down the cost of textbooks or eliminate them, we can bring down education costs – and we can improve student retention rates and graduation rates,” said Library Director Sharon Winters.

Students who can access materials for a course online for free may still choose to have it printed by the college print shop – for a fraction of what it would cost to buy a similar textbook in a traditional college bookstore.

Mobility will go up As students continue to register for online classes and increasingly access materials from mobile devices, OER materials offer significantly increased flexibility compared to traditional textbooks.

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“There’s a need for an alternative to the ‘one size fits all’ model of the traditional textbook,” said eLearning Director Andy Duckworth.

The revolution will be a group effort Campus involvement will include two faculty representatives from each division and two student representatives.

Representatives will be paid a stipend to participate in the testing and evaluating of materials.

The timeline will be aggressive Development of course materials is underway, starting with high-enrollment courses. This time next year, the college should have usable materials ready to roll out. In the second year of the project, Duckworth expects to develop materials for two courses per quarter.

Textbooks will not vanish entirely The goal of the project is to create a clearinghouse of materials instructors can choose from so that they don’t have to be dependent on the textbook for each course.

But instructors will still have the option of assigning textbooks.

Duckworth says that it is much easier to find Creative Commons or otherwise unrestricted licensed materials for some courses than for others. Where existing materials are scarce they’ll have to be developed from scratch, and that will take longer.

“Anything pre-1950 could probably be taught using open source,” said TCC Humanities Dean David Endicott.

“And the government redid the copyright laws a few years ago to take into consideration web-based classrooms.

If you’re in a password-protected environment—like Angel—you have more freedom with copyrighted materials.”

2012 Distinguished Alumnus

Dave Burmark

“Wow, I thought I was just working all these years!” said Burmark, accepting his award from TCC President Pamela Transue at the Distinguished Alumni Dinner. “Usually us people in the trenches don’t get awards like this.”

But the many people who contributed to his nomination felt the award was well deserved. Known as someone who won’t say no to anyone asking for help—students, colleagues, or friends—Burmark is highly regarded by co-workers, community members, students and parents. More than 20 people contributed to his nomination, including current high school students and colleagues from Peninsula, Gig Harbor and TCC. “Faculty, staff and students alike championed the man who has committed himself to the future of our students,” said Transue.

As someone whose own career pathway included twists and turns, Dave can empathize with students who aren’t sure what they want to do with their lives. A graduate of Wilson High School, he enrolled at TCC in 1976.

“I came here, of course, after putting lots of thought into my educational career – no,” said Burmark. “Kind of subconsciously, I knew that TCC was a good place.”

He earned his Bachelor’s in Psychology and Sociology from the University of Puget Sound, putting himself through

college as a West Coast Grocery warehouse worker. He continued working at the warehouse until 1989, when he finished his Master’s in Education at Pacific Lutheran University.

That’s when he became a counselor at Peninsula High School.

He currently serves as a Career Counselor at both Gig Harbor and Peninsula High Schools. He’s been integral to the strong relationship Gig Harbor High School and Peninsula High School have had with the Running Start program at TCC, working with college staff to set up on-site assessment testing, info sessions, and workshops.

Running Start staff at TCC describe him as “hands down, the best high school counselor that any of us in the TCC Running Start office have ever worked with.”

“Dave Burmark’s impact on students and their futures in the Peninsula and Gig Harbor communities has been profound,” reads his nomination. “In the best of ways, Dave touches lives at such a critical stage for young adults, putting them on the right path, giving them ideas to broaden their horizons, supporting them through transitions—and truly changing their life trajectory for the better.”

Dave has been involved in a number of community activities over the years, coaching PAA soccer, assisting at Gig Harbor community events Tidefest and Winterfest, mentoring counseling interns, and serving as Key Club advisor.

He is a regular guest speaker in UPS counseling classes, and served on the Professional Education Advisory Board at UPS from 2002-2008.

As his nomination states, Dave Burmark represents the enormous impact TCC alumni can and do have out in the world after they leave TCC.

Image courtesy of The News Tribune

TCC’s 2012 Distinguished Alumnus Dave Burmark has guided thousands of students through the college decision process in his 23 years as a career and guidance counselor at Peninsula and Gig Harbor high schools, but he doesn’t necessarily see himself as “distinguished.”

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Tacoma Wine Classic Comes Home The Tacoma Community College Foundation’s biggest fundraiser was hosted on campus this year, in a space so transformed that it was barely recognizable as the Student Center cafeteria where generations of students have grabbed a hasty bite of lunch while looking over lecture notes.

“Our patrons loved having TWC back on campus,” said TCC Foundation Director Bill Ryberg. “Many attendees had not been to TCC for years. They were impressed with the way the college presented itself, and by the transformation of the library and Opgaard Student Center into very attractive venues for enjoying fine wines and great food.”

Student volunteers pitched in with enthusiasm. They seemed to especially enjoy shuttling guests around campus in golf carts.

“Guests were able to meet a number of students who were serving as chauffeurs, guides, and hosts,” said TCC Foundation Board Chair Pat Shuman. “It’s a natural to hold the event on campus.

We have a lot to be proud of here, and we want our patrons to see first-hand what they are supporting.”

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Governor Signs Jobs Bill at TCC Governor Gregoire and state legislators met at Tacoma Community College April 23, 2012, to sign the Jobs Bill and the Capital Budget.

One of the projects funded by the Capital Budget is TCC’s new Harned Center for Health Careers.

Jobs Bill (ESB 5127) co-sponsors Senator Derek Kilmer and Representative Hans Dunshee were present to witness the Governor sign the bill, which creates approximately $1 billion in funding for construction jobs – an estimated 18,000 jobs.

“Today’s all about good jobs – good jobs for Washington men and women in the construction industry, which has been hurt the worst in this recession,” said Gregoire.

The Capital Budget includes funding for new “shovel-ready” construction projects around the state. TCC’s Harned Center for Health Careers is one of those projects, and construction is scheduled to begin as soon as possible.

“Our project here at TCC may be just one pebble in this exciting statewide project list, but I can assure you that it will make a very big splash in this community,” said TCC President Pamela Transue.

“TCC is known for the quality of our health care programs,” said Transue.

“This new facility will allow us to upgrade and expand our offerings, provide more students with outstanding career opportunities in health care, and respond to critical health care needs in our community.”

Gregoire noted that TCC has had to turn away 700 qualified Health Careers students per year due to lack of space. “Now they can start training those workers who will have a career in a growing industry,” said Gregoire. “And to those 700, where the door was closed… the key is unlocked, the door is open, come on back and apply – welcome to Tacoma Community College!”

The center will be named for Mr. Joe Harned, who made the largest private donation in the college’s history and was present at the signing ceremony.

Costco offers internships to TCC students Costco calls them “internships.” But at $11 per hour, 40 hours per week, the intensive 12week internships they’re offering TCC students compare favorably to most summer jobs. The company is expanding a program pioneered in Oregon into the South Sound – and partnering with TCC as the program’s flagship school.

Natalie Wilkerson, the Advising Department Career Center Coordinator, held a meeting for students interested in obtaining a full-time, paid 12-week Costco internship. Wayne Harris, General Manager of the Gig Harbor Costco, selected TCC students Abdullah Rauf and Joaquin Vidrio from more than 60 that attended the meeting. The interns will rotate through shifts in different departments, experiencing the multiplicity of roles it takes to run a large company like Costco.

“Wayne was thrilled with the enthusiastic, diverse and talented students he met at TCC,” said Wilkerson. “This internship will be available to our students every summer.”

Harris has already expanded the program to the Tacoma Costco, so four or more TCC students will have the opportunity to participate in the internship program.

H.C. “Joe” Harned, Dr. Pamela Transue and Governor Christine Gregoire

“This internship is open to all students at TCC,” said Wilkerson. “Because Costco is such a large business, they are not looking for just one type of degree. The goal of the internship program is to provide students with an opportunity to gain exposure to Costco’s culture, business practices and potential long-term career opportunities.”

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Partnering to Engage Community

Gary E. Milgard Family Foundation funds Internationally Educated Nurse Program What happens if you train and practice as a nurse in one country, and then move to another country? The answer for most nurses who move to the United States: Find another job.

The Gary E. Milgard Family Foundation awarded the Tacoma Community College (TCC) Foundation a $200,000 grant to help change that. The grant funds a 10-month Internationally Educated Nurse (IEN) transition program which enables nurses certified in other countries to gain the skills to become RN-certified in the United States. To qualify for the program, which starts in Summer 2012, participants must meet specific language proficiency requirements and other criteria. Training is provided at nominal cost to the students.

IENs are nurses who have received their nursing education outside the U.S. They have contributed significantly to the U.S. nursing workforce since WWII. Yet many IENs find themselves unable to pass the national licensure examination and are therefore, unable to work as RNs. Difficulties with credentials verification, skills gaps, and communication challenges all contribute to this problem.

The grant enables TCC to expand and revise the curriculum of the IEN Transition Program pilot implemented in 2010 to a full credit-bearing certificate course of study designed to meet Washington State Nursing Care Quality Assurance Commission requirements. The program also includes comprehensive wraparound services, including credential evaluation, language coaching, and career assistance.

Program Director Satwant Singh-Kurtz says the program also addresses the equipment found in American medical settings. Equipment can vary significantly from country to country. “We teach them the new technology, how to use all the equipment we have here,” said SinghKurtz. “Many international nurses have never seen an insulin pump.”

The program benefits the community as well as the students. IENs reflect the diversity of the patient population. Enabling them to be employed in their field of expertise increases not only their personal earning power, but the contribution to the local tax base of a currently underemployed/unemployed skilled population. The individuals served by this project are current, established legal residents of the Greater Tacoma-Pierce County area.

Ultimately, Singh-Kurtz believes the program will benefit patients.

“It’s not just about taking care of a disease. You have to take care of the whole person and make them comfortable. One reason I like international nurses is, they bring that caring to patient care – that’s how they’re trained.”

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A Banner Year for Titan Athletics Men’s Basketball The Titan Men’s basketball team won their secondever NWAACC championship, largely thanks to Mark McLaughlin, who led the nation in Junior College scoring.

McLaughlin was named NWAACC Western Region MVP and has signed to play for the University of Washington in 2012-13. The other two outstanding players of the year, Nate Walker and Domnique NWAACC Western Region MVP, Mark McLaughlin Williams, were signed by Central Washington University.

“I am so happy and proud of Dom, Mark and Nate,” said Men’s Basketball Head Coach Carl Howell. “They led us to the championship and were then all rewarded with full scholarships to NCAA Division I and Division II schools with great basketball traditions. Those are the reasons why kids come to play at TCC – to get your education paid for and to win a championship!”

Carl Howell was named the NWAACC Men’s Basketball West Region Coach of the Year.

Assistant Coach RJay Barsh – who helped the Titans clinch their first NWAACC championship ten years ago when he played for TCC in 2002 – accepted a head coach position at Southeastern University in Florida.

Tusalava Kuaea and Hayley Bennett

Women’s Volleyball Coached by Angela Spoja, Women’s volleyball took second in the western region this year and made it to the NWAACC tournament. Hayley Bennett signed to play for Webber International University in Florida and Tusalava Kuaea signed to play for University of Arkansas - Monticello.

Men’s Baseball Four Men’s Baseball players signed to four-year colleges. Matt Bell and Garrett Picha will be attending the University of South Alabama, a D1 school. JJ Nazzaro is headed for Gardner Webb University of North Carolina, a D1 school. And Jeff Larabee will play for Campbellsville University of Kentucky, an NAIA school.

Women’s Soccer The women’s soccer team is sending three outstanding players to Warner Pacific College in Portland, OR. Monica Araujo, Victoria Clemenson, and Delaney Smith were all selected as NWAACC All-stars in 2011.

“I am very proud of these three student-athletes for continuing their education , as well as their passion for the game,” said Head Coach Jessie Costello. “I believe our school and soccer program here at TCC has prepared them very well for success in the classroom and on the field.”

Want to help raise money for Athletic scholarships? Join us for the 10th Annual TCC Althletic Golf Tournament Friday, Aug. 17, 1:30 p.m. at North Shore Golf Course in Tacoma.

Call 253.460.4462 for more information.

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Campus Previews Peace Obelisk at Student Art Exhibit A Peace Obelisk will be installed at Tacoma Community College this September – just a short walk from the sculpture studio where it was created.

After the TCC Nonviolence Committee originated the idea in 2007, they handed it off to sculpture instructor Kyle Dillehay.

“We didn’t want simply to order such a pole from a company,” said Nonviolence Committee member Susan Donaldson. “We wanted the pole to be made here on campus by students in the art program.”

Dillehay designed the peace sculpture as an obelisk. He’s aware that the form comes with strong associations of warfare and conquest – so he chose materials to contribute peaceful connotations, mixing spent bullet casings into the 700 lbs. of silicon bronze used to cast the piece.

The piece was created over 18 months by 20 sculpture students. They started by choosing words for “peace” from the 57 languages spoken on campus and added more words and symbols for sculptural representation. The piece debuted at the Spring 2012 Student Art Exhibit and will be installed on the hill between the gym and the Student Center in September. Dedication ceremony info to follow!

Commendations: 2. Recommendations: 0.

TCC wrapped up Year One of an aggressive new accreditation cycle in style this spring with an unusual outcome from the accreditation committee: two commendations and no recommendations. The report marks the college’s completion of the first year of an accreditation cycle that has been compressed from seven to four years. The full Year One accreditation self-study can be viewed on TCC’s website: www.tacomacc.edu/accreditation

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TCC Chosen as “First Link” College Tacoma Community College and the Community Colleges of Spokane have been chosen as the two colleges to pilot the CTC (Community & Technical College) Link transition starting next year.

The State Board for Community and Technical Colleges (SBCTC) describes ctcLink as “the implementation of a new, integrated technology foundation that will provide modern online services -- anytime, anywhere – to all CTC students, faculty and staff and the SBCTC.” The “first link” colleges will lead the Washington’s 34 community and technical colleges as they transition away from the failing legacy system developed during the late 70s and early 80s.

TCC Instructor Selected as Fulbright Scholar TCC Business Transfer Instructor Len Heritage will be teaching in Kosovo this September.

Heritage is one of approximately 1,200 U.S. scholars awarded Fulbright grants this year. He will spend two terms teaching and working on curriculum development at the American University of Kosovo, Pristina. With a background that includes both finance and law, Heritage will integrate law, accounting, and statistics into a single financial accounting course. He will also assist instructors with curriculum development and conduct seminars for local businesses on topics such as forensic accounting.

“Kosovo is a relatively new country that has a very low standard of income – people make about $3,300 per year,” said Heritage. “At the American University in Kosovo, they’re trying to educate the local populace in business and related subjects, with the idea they’ll be able to revitalize the economy and increase the standard of living.”

“TCC was chosen as a FirstLink college because of our reputation for leadership and innovation,” said President Transue. “As a pilot college, we will have the opportunity to shape the IT services that will be used by all colleges in the state, and we will have a leg up on the implementation of these new systems. We will also have more vendor and State Board support than later colleges will have.”

After TCC and Spokane complete the transition, the other colleges will follow in waves, with eight colleges starting the process every six months. Temporary interfaces will be in place to enable systemwide functions—like regulatory reporting—while some colleges are on the new system and some are on the old.

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Back to the future TCC celebrates the big 5-0 in 2015 – but we don’t see any reason to lose our institutional memory just because we’re getting older.

Do you have great stories about the TCC of 10, 20, 30 years ago? Can you help us put names to faces?

Call 253. 460.4381 to get involved!