Tacoma Community College Winter 2015
Leaving a Legacy Dr. Pamela Transue TCC President 1997–2014
Message from Liz Dunbar, Chair TCC Board of Trustees In 2015, Tacoma Community College is turning 50. Since 1965, TCC has been honored to serve more than 500,000 members of our community. For the past 17 years, TCC has been fortunate to have Dr. Pamela Transue as its leader. Since 1997, President Transue has led the college through its largest physical transformation with multiple new buildings, major renovations, and new landscaping. On the academic side, TCC has become a national leader in shifting from a teaching paradigm to a learning paradigm – where the focus is now on how well students are learning. TCC is an Achieving the Dream Leader College – a recognition given to colleges that use data to increase student success. During her time here, President Transue has seen technology change the world and the classroom – both virtual and physical. TCC has embraced technology to enhance the learning experience both in and out of the classroom. Under President Transue’s leadership, TCC has become a college of first choice. With a modern campus, relevant courses, a clear mission and strong leadership, TCC is poised to serve Tacoma for the next 50 years. On behalf of the Board of Trustees, we wish to thank President Transue for her excellent leadership. She is truly leaving a legacy.
TCCMagazine Volume 6, No. 1 Editor Rachel Payne Writers
Rachel Payne Shawn Jennison Hannah Turner
Design Sakura Moses Laura Chipman Photography Rebecca Carrol Stuart Isset Shawn Jennison Rachel Payne
TCC Magazine is published biannually by Marketing, Communication & Outreach, Tacoma Community College, 6501 So. 19th St., 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.
Contents
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Leaving a Legacy
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President Transue: A Student’s Perspective
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Share Your TCC Story
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Open for Learning
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Student Profile
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TCC Launches Career Coach
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Learning Never Stops
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Alumni Profile
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Leaving a Legacy When Dr. Pamela Transue began her tenure as president of Tacoma Community College in 1997, the world was changing. Gas prices were just over a dollar. Fax machines and dialup modems were used daily. Cell phones had pull out antennas and not everyone had one. Microsoft dominated PCs with Windows 95. AOL coined the phrase, “You’ve got mail.” At TCC, change was also on the horizon. PHYSICAL TRANSFORMATION In 1997, TCC’s Tacoma campus was in desperate need of a facilities makeover. President Transue outlined a plan for what would become the college’s single largest physical transformation. Since then, TCC has constructed 7 new buildings and renovated several older buildings. Campus landscaping has been transformed with the addition of a new bridge, a walkway, a campus commons, and a Japanese Friendship Garden. Construction of quality, modern buildings and sustainable landscaping has been a major focus of Dr. Transue’s capital vision. The involvement of faculty and support staff in the design of buildings has resulted in high levels of student satisfaction. TCC has received local and national recognition for LEED Silver and Gold building designations, recycling and waste reduction, solar and geothermal energy use, and green parking lots. “Finally, the quality of the buildings and grounds is beginning to more accurately reflect the quality of what’s going on inside those buildings,” said President Transue in a recent interview. 2
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NATIONAL LEADER IN STUDENT SUCCESS
HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUT TO COLLEGE PRESIDENT
Under Dr. Transue’s guidance, Tacoma Community College has become a national leader in building on high quality teaching to an evidence-based focus on how well students are learning. Using a variety of innovative tools, TCC has boosted student completion rates and reduced the achievement gap among students from different backgrounds.
Dr. Transue gave up on education before she made it her career.
Many of TCC’s practices have become national models. In 2011, Tacoma Community College became a national Achieving the Dream Leader College. “We define excellence through inclusivity. Once students arrive we provide a welcoming environment and the support services they need to be successful.”
THE LONGEST SERVING PRESIDENT With a career spanning nearly 18 years, Dr. Transue is the college’s longest serving president. “I love TCC, and when I’ve had opportunities to leave, I have concluded that I could get much more accomplished by staying in this environment than by moving to another. You begin to ask yourself what is most important in your life and for me it has been staying where I have a strong sense of connection, a love for the community, and excellent relationships with people who share my passion for the mission of TCC.”
As a teenager, she dropped out of high school because she did not feel like it was a good fit. After traveling with the Up With People show, and later working for the post office, she ended up at the University of Washington. “Without a diploma or GED I was not admissible, but someone decided to take a chance on me so I got in.” As a first generation college student, Dr. Transue found her passion. She obtained her GED and continued her education. “I love talking to GED students, because I can offer them hope. I have been where they are.” Dr. Transue attended the University of Washington, earning her bachelor’s degree, and Ohio State University, where she completed her master’s and Ph.D. She also attended the Institute of Educational Management at Harvard. Dr. Transue is the author of two books and numerous articles. She has been a frequent presenter at national and statewide conferences as well as local business groups and events. Before coming to TCC, she served as Executive Dean at Portland Community College and as Special Assistant to the President at the University of Washington. Professionally, Dr. Transue has received multiple awards including the 2010 CEO of the Year award for the Pacific Region from the National Association of Community College Trustees and the 2010 CEO of the Year Award from the State of Washington Trustees Association.
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Leaving a Legacy
Dr. Transue has served as chair of the board of the American Association of Community Colleges, secretary of the board of the American Council on Education, president of COMBASE, a national organization devoted to community-based learning, and president of the Washington Association of Community and Technical College Presidents.
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT Throughout her career at TCC, Dr. Transue has taken an active role as a leader in the Tacoma community. She has served on a number of boards including Tacoma Goodwill Industries, Tacoma Pierce County Chamber of Commerce, United Way of Pierce County, The Greater Tacoma Community Foundation, the Pierce County Regence/Blue Shield Advisory Board, and Tacoma Rotary 8.
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BRIGHT FUTURE “When you think about the collective impact we have had on the quality of our community, it is extraordinary. I love this college. It’s a wonderful place to be. The spirit of collaboration that is part of the institutional culture here is a key strength.” “Under Pamela’s leadership, TCC transformed into a nationally recognized community college,” said Chad Wright, immediate past chair of the Tacoma Community College Board of Trustees. “This was made possible because of her exceptional vision and her capability to work well with the trustees, faculty and staff through good times and some of the most difficult times in the history of the community college system. Her imprint will forever be a part of this college. I wish her all the best in her retirement.”
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President Transue:
“Don’t feel as if you have
When walking into Dr. Transue’s office, it’s hard not to notice the wall adorned with plaques from her many accomplishments. They are evidence of the long journey she has undergone on her way to TCC. Looking at Dr. Transue’s resume, there is a clear progression. Beginning as a “Special Assistant to the President” at the Univ. of Washington in 1982, she continued on until she reached the top. Although it looks to be a carefully plotted climb, she confessed that she didn’t know where she was going along the way.
to see the end! Just keep looking for that window to the next thing that interests you. Life throws you curves, there’s no question in that. Keep the doors open, wherever they lead you.”
A Student’s Perspective Excerpt from an article published in the student newspaper “The Challenge” Dec. 4, 2014. By TCC Student Hannah Turner.
Dr. Transue’s story isn’t quite what you would imagine seeing her now. Although she said that she felt very driven during her many years as a student, getting her bachelor’s, master’s and eventually her doctorate in English, she admits that it always wasn’t that way: “I really do identify with our students because I dropped out of high school myself, and so many of our students have.” She added, “When I did get ready to go to college, I didn’t have the confidence that I was going to be successful, so that’s something else that I think is often an issue for our students, lacking that confidence. I was successful as a student, I was a really good student, and I loved it and developed this passion for learning.” I mentioned to Dr. Transue that many students come to TCC and they don’t have confidence in their ability to be successful. There are countless people here undergoing a sort of rewiring process – they arrive at TCC during tumultuous times in their life feeling insecure or unfulfilled and leave as successful, confident members of the community. This change happening to students at TCC doesn’t just apply to their scholastic abilities or academic career, it’s an instrumental change that is integral to success of their lives.
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To that she replied, “That, to me, is one of the most powerful aspects of working in a community college environment. I can’t think of anything better than what we do in the community. The opportunities that we give to individuals to develop to their full potential and the impact it has on the community. We take people where they are and help them to move forward from there and to regain some of that confidence that they may have lost. I think that one of the things that has always struck me is that we seek excellence through inclusion, and through having an open door, by saying ‘anyone who wants to come and give this a try has the opportunity to do so.’ Some other types of institution define excellence through exclusion, through keeping out anyone who hasn’t achieved very high levels of academic success. I prefer the inclusive model, which allows us to really help people to move forward with their dreams and their goals. And it’s remarkable to see the kind of transformation that sometimes takes place in people because of their experience here.”
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“(TCC) is a major player in this community for whole hosts of people who come with dreams and aspirations, and they have a chance to make those things happen.” – James Walton, 2009 Distinguished Alumnus
“There are so many people in our community who have been first generation students. I mean, I happen to be one of them. My parents were immigrants.” – Lilly Warnik, former TCC student, retired TCC Foundation Director
“It’s the person who is standing in front of the room, who is basically taking their knowledge and their heart and transferring it to you as a student… That’s where the lights go on.” – Bob Shupe, Class of 1967
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Share your TCC Story! Break out the cake and light the candles – we’re celebrating our 50th birthday in 2015! Are you one of the halfmillion students TCC has educated since we opened our doors in 1965? Whether you learned here, taught here, or worked here, we want to hear your story! Share you TCC experience by uploading text, photos or video at tcc50.org by March 15 and be entered to win an iPod! We’ll keep you posted on upcoming 50th events.
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Photos from the Grand Opening of the H.C. Joe Harned Center for Health Careers See more at Flickr.com/ tacomacc
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Open for Learning H.C. Joe Harned Center for Health Careers Tacoma Community College’s new “Harned Center” opened to the public with speeches, a ribbon-cutting ceremony and tours Sept. 4, 2014. TCC President Pamela Transue spoke of the building’s importance as a regional resource for health careers training, noting that approximately 1,800 students will pass through its doors each day, and roughly 17,000 students will train there over the next two decades. “We aren’t just here to celebrate a building. We’re here to celebrate the amazing things that are going to happen in that building,” said Representative Derek Kilmer. “Those are the doors of opportunity. Those doors will be entered by people every day to get a great education, and to get a great job.” Designed to promote collaborative learning, the Center’s floorplan reflects a key goal of TCC’s Health Careers Programs: train health care providers who take a team approach to treatment.
Photo Caption: Prominently displayed above the campus-facing entrance, Beliz Brother’s sculpture “Flow” is visible from the college’s new Campus Commons and from inside the building.
“We know that we have better outcomes if we have teambased care,” said Bob Chrittenden, Senior Health Policy Advisor to Governor Inslee, who spoke on behalf of the Governor. The building’s open central atrium encourages mingling, and group study spaces are incorporated throughout the building. Features like rooftop healing gardens and prominently displayed staircases remind students to cultivate health in their own lifestyles. “This building is about health, and it encourages people to walk the stairs,” quipped Liz Jacks of NBBJ Architects, design lead on the Harned Center project. Jacks also noted that the building is “sited to knit TCC and the community together,” with street-level and campus-level entrances positioned as “an invitation to pass through it. Two years earlier, the Center’s groundbreaking ceremony coincided with namesake Joe Harned’s 95th birthday. Mr. Harned was at the ribbon cutting to celebrate his 97th. The building opened for classes with the start of Fall Quarter.
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STUDENT PROFILE
Meet Miss Teen Seattle: Tibrea Cagle Cagle kept going because she had something to hope for. She knew that if she made it to graduation, the state would pay for her to go to college – and she’d finally get her own place. “That’s why I went through it – I knew there was hope. I remember crying so many times. The good side of foster care is, it made me strong.” This September, Cagle started at TCC. She plans to get a transfer degree in business and finish up at UWT. Eventually, she wants to be a fashion merchandiser with her own business in New York City.
When Tibrea Cagle got a letter saying she’d been entered in the Miss Teen Seattle pageant, her foster mom advised her to throw it away. “My foster mom was like, don’t do it, it’s a scam!” said Cagle. But Cagle actually had been anonymously entered for the pageant. She decided to go for it – and won. Miss Teen Seattle promises “pageantry with a purpose,” emphasizing personality and selfconfidence. In her interview with the judges, Cagle talked about her experiences as a foster child. “I believe that foster kids are the underdogs in many situations. Because you’re in foster care doesn’t mean that you can’t strive for success – I wanted to turn that stereotype around. I can still achieve greatness.” 12
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When Cagle was 12 years old, her mother struggled with addiction. She and two sisters were placed with her grandmother. “I’ve seen my sisters leave one by one. I left when I was 15 because of family member issues.” Like many other kids, Cagle didn’t find much stability in the foster care system. Over the next three years, she moved five times and attended four different high schools. It was tough to relocate to Graham, where she had no friends or family and limited transportation. “When you enter someone else’s home, you’re really sick to your stomach. I was depressed. I wanted to go back to Tacoma.” But she kept her motivation up and graduated from high school on time.
“I know it’s going to take hard work,” said Cagle. But she wants to prove to other foster kids that it can be done. “I want to be the voice for foster children because I’ve been through the storm,” said Cagle. “Don’t let someone talk down on you, think that you can’t do it because they feel like they can’t do it. You can do anything if you’re motivated and determined to be successful to reach your dreams.” Up next for Cagle is the Miss Teen national pageant in Orlando, Florida. Regardless of the outcome, she plans to mentor children currently in the foster system. “It really will happen, no matter what you’ve been through, what you’re facing right now. You have to have the mindset to overcome and be strong.”
Learning Never Stops at Harbor Institute A new program at TCC’s Gig Harbor campus does away with tests, term papers and grades while keeping the controversial topics, impassioned discussions, and academic rigor that make the college learning experience… well, the college learning experience. “Harbor Institute is a multifaceted program for engaged, non-degree seeking adults,” said Gig Harbor Campus Executive Director Janine Mott at the kick-off party Sept. 19. “Courses are dynamic and topics are inspired.”
TCC Launches Career Coach Choosing a college degree can be intimidating. Students worry about job prospects and marketability as well as finding the right fit: how can I end up in a career I find meaningful, doing something I’m good at, and still meet my financial goals? To help students make informed decisions, TCC teamed up with Career Coach. Online starting December 2014, the tool is easily accessible, with links from the tacomacc.edu home page and the student portal. “Career Coach will assist students and the community with the steps that are needed to transition to a new career, determine an academic career path at TCC or create a resume that communicates their knowledge and skills to a potential employer,” said Natalie Wilkerson, Career Center Coordinator. Career Coach software links TCC degree and certificate pathways to job options. And it goes beyond that, detailing the number of jobs available in the South Sound and giving 10year projections for local retirement rates and expected job growth.
The Institute is a collective effort, comprised of paid instructors, Gig Harbor Campus staff members, and a committee of volunteer community members. Topics offered this winter include “Intro to Understanding U.S. Foreign Policy” and “Fair Trade in the Grocery Store: a Primer for the Interested Consumer.” “It’s about the community deciding which topics they want to teach, and what they want to learn about,” said Ben Paganelli, Harbor Institute chairperson. A typical Harbor Institute course meets 4 times for a 1.5-hour class and costs $47. The course structure aims to balance sufficient time and space for learning with a manageable time commitment and price structure. This fall, current and retired TCC instructors taught 4 of the 9 classes. But the committee is open to ideas, and the ultimate goal is for people from the community to become teachers as well as students. “This institute doesn’t exist without community support,” said Paganelli. “You’re welcome to suggest a class topic, offer to instruct, or volunteer for committees.” Learn more about Harbor Institute and TCC’s other Continuing Education opportunities at continuingedtacoma.com. Tacoma Community College GIG HARBOR CAMPUS
Harbor Institute Where learning never stops ...
Students can customize the search using the results of online interest assessment tests and a resume builder tool.
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ALUMNI PROFILE
Dr. Shawn Nelson Schmitt At the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Maryland, Dr. Shawn Nelson Schmitt examines patients’ cognitive functions. Some of them have experienced traumatic brain injury (TBI). Others have progressive memory loss caused by diseases like Alzheimer’s. Some have psychiatric symptoms. It’s work he finds fascinating and personally fulfilling.
Pathway to a Ph.D. Though academic achievement has always come easily to Dr. Nelson Schmitt, a straightforward path to a scientific career was never assured. He grew up in a single-parent household with limited resources, and English was his second language. His first was American Sign Language (ASL). “My mother was an Alaskan Native who moved to Washington to attend the Washington State School for the Deaf in Vancouver, WA. She was the only Deaf child of twelve siblings.” Dr. Nelson Schmitt came up through Tacoma’s Eastside public schools. “I enrolled in the Running Start program at TCC because I wanted more of an academic challenge. Additionally, I did not fit in well with most of my classmates in high school, so I felt that I would benefit from a different environment. I was particularly drawn to TCC because the student population was so diverse.” In Running Start, Nelson Schmitt found a challenging academic atmosphere – and a mentor who believed he was up to the challenge. “I attribute much of my perseverance to your encouraging words and rigorous academic standards,” he wrote to Running Start Advisor Christy Perotti, who is included in the acknowledgements section of his dissertation. It’s possible for a motivated Running Start student to graduate from TCC with both and AA degree and a high school diploma. And Nelson Schmitt was motivated. He focused on his studies and his job – tutoring his fellow students in writing and math through TCC’s Writing and Tutoring Center. Graduating with an Associate’s Degree with High Honors in
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2002, named Sociology Student of the Year, he was off to Dartmouth on a full four-year scholarship. In Dartmouth’s Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences, Nelson Schmitt took a course on psychological assessment. “I became fascinated by the idea of using test data to better understand the relationship between brain and behavior.” After completing a degree in Psychological and Brain Sciences, Nelson Schmitt moved to Washington, D.C. to begin the Clinical Psychology Ph.D. program at Gallaudet University, which serves America’s Deaf and Hard-of-Hearing community. He finished the program last May. “I am now the first in my family to finish high school, the first to graduate from college, and the first to complete an advanced degree.”
Launching a Scientific Career Currently, Dr. Shawn Nelson Schmitt is part of a research team headed by Dr. Mark Ettenhofer. Their team is testing a new driving rehabilitation system for its effects on brain performance and driving safety in civilians, active-duty military, and veterans who have experienced TBI. The virtual reality system, called NeuroDRIVE, has been designed to train patients on attention and working memory tasks applied to realistic driving scenarios. “This work may allow individuals with TBI to regain some of their independence post-injury,” said Dr. Nelson Schmitt. “Increased independence is associated with decreased symptoms of depression.” Soon, Dr. Nelson Schmitt will conduct neuropsychological assessments for patients at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. “The goals of these assessments are to identify an individual’s strengths and weaknesses and determine how best to utilize their strengths and build upon their weaknesses. For example, if an individual has difficulty remembering visual information but has no problem remembering verbal information, I might recommend that they use their verbal skills to help improve their learning and recall of visual information.”
Advice for Current Students So, aside from focusing on schoolwork, what’s the secret to making the leap from Running Start student to scientist? “Obtaining real-world experience is invaluable in STEM fields,” said Dr. Nelson Schmitt. “Seek out opportunities to train with and/or work for people who do what you want to do.” Dr. Nelson Schmitt noted that his first research opportunity came through a college volunteer position. He showed interest in the results he was entering into a spreadsheet, and discussed them with the professor. The volunteer position became a part-time job. Then he joined the lab as a researcher, and he was able to propose the study that became his thesis topic. “That first volunteer position in college triggered my current career trajectory.” Also: Don’t leap to the conclusion that you can’t handle the math. “Before you assume that math will be a barrier to gaining entry into a science field, investigate what type of math is required and its relevance to your future work,” said Dr. Nelson Schmitt. “Certainly, there are areas of science that are more mathfocused than others, but understanding the role that math plays in a given field may deepen your understanding and appreciation of it.”
Photo by Rebecca Carrol
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6501 S. 19th St. Tacoma WA 98466 Address Service Requested
TCC Foundation Luncheon
Tacoma Community College Foundation ANNUAL LUNCHEON
Feb. 5, 2015
TCC Alumni Night at Cheney Stadium July 23, 2015
TCC Athletics Golf Tournament Sept. 11, 2015 at Allenmore Golf Course
50th Anniversary Community Celebration Coming Fall 2015, visit tcc50.org for details.
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