2015 President's Report

2015 PRESIDENT’S REPORT Vision Wallace State will facilitate learning without boundaries, will be committed to every student’s success, will exemplify the spirit of perpetual improvement, and will promote an overarching sense of community. Mission Wallace State Community College is committed to learning that transforms lives and communities. In support of the mission, Wallace State Community College is committed to student success through: • a student centered, innovative, engaging, and supportive learning environment • providing teaching excellence that inspires a quest for lifelong learning • respect for uniqueness and diversity • strategic partnerships that advance community, workforce and economic development • cultural enrichment of our communities • accountability and integrity Values Wallace State Community College affirms these values: • Commitment to learning • Dedication to excellence • Academic integrity • Creative thinking • Respect for individual dignity and worth • Civic responsibility • Collaboration and partnerships A MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT It is with great pleasure that I present this summary highlighting the accomplishments of the past year at Wallace State Community College. This has been a year of looking forward to improved students success through new programs and career pathways, such as the GPS Freshman Seminar and the addition of stackable creden- tials in our career programs, as well as a year of reflection as we begin our 50th anniversary celebration. It has been a year of expanded partnerships, including the model Fast Track for Industry and REHAU Academy partnerships with our local schools and industries, and the partnership with Blount County and Oneonta officials to establish a new Wallace State campus in Oneonta in 2016. It has been a year of accolades for our College, as evidenced by our ranking among the top providers of workforce development in the state and region and recognition by the Ameri- can Association of Community Colleges and even the White House. We are most proud, however, of the individual and collective success of our students, whom we are entrusted to serve. We invite you to “Be One of Us” as we endeavor to transform the lives and communities we serve. Alabama Community College System Governance CHANCELLOR MARK HEINRICH ACCS BOARD OF TRUSTEES Gov. Robert Bentley, President Milton Davis, District 6, Pro-Tem Al Thompson, District 1, Vice President Chuck Smith, District 7 Ron Fantroy, District 2 Blake McAnally, Member-at-Large Susan Foy, District 3 Mary Scott Hunter, State Board of Education Frank Caldwell, District 4 Ex-officio Member Crystal Brown, District 5 2015 PRESIDENT’S REPORT BE ONE OF US. New Advancements in Health Education Wallace State Community College opened the new School of Nursing and Center for Science building, which features a state-of-the-art Simulation Center available for use by all of the college’s Allied Health Programs. The 115,000 square-foot facility offers the most up-to-date a debriefing room where the faculty goes through video foot- technology for instructing students in an atmosphere that age of the simulation and provides insight into their perfor- encourages cooperative education among faculty and fellow mance and gives instruction based on those details. students. “As a lifelong community college educator, I believe our stu- Exercises conducted in the nine-bed Simulation Center are dents deserve the best learning environments, and we strive run by faculty located in one of two control booths. The stu- to provide those kinds of learning experiences at Wallace dents take an active role in the “treatment” of their patient. State,” said Dr. Vicki Karolewics. “This new facility has been They make the decisions based on the symptoms that are many years in the making and it certainly extends our tradi- presented to them. After each simulation, the students enter tion of excellence into the future.” 2015 PRESIDENT’S REPORT BE ONE OF US. Wallace State’s new School of Nursing and Center for Science has been hailed as a model for interdisciplinary learning and visited by elected officials, representatives of state agencies, and leaders from the healthcare industry and Alabama’s colleges and universities. ACHIEVING: The Dream Wallace State joined this prestigious national reform network focusing on student success and has implemented a number of data driven measures to improve rates of student success, with an emphasis on completion. The project’s focus, which initially encompassed three areas in 2013, was narrowed to two in 2015 when the first goal, Strengthening Portals of Entry, was met through the integration of the new Lion Central one-stop center for enrollment services. IMPROVING THE SUCCESS OF TRANSITIONAL STUDENTS – Wallace State has implemented strategies for our most at-risk students to improve retention and progression of students to graduation, including a best practice model that allows students to self-select their appropriate level of study in English, math and reading within a set range of cut scores on the placement exam. The Transitional Learning initiatives’ primary goal is to make the transition into college as easy and seamless as possible for students. Students in transitional courses receive the ex- tra preparation in course assistance in English, math or reading they need. WSCC was awarded a grant to implement My Math Lab Plus to assist with these efforts. Results of this pilot will be announced in 2016. LEARNING COMMUNITIES – WSCC Learning Communities provides enhanced and shared cross-disciplinary learning activities, currently offered to students in classes Monday through Thursday during the 9:30-10:45 a.m. timeslot, with plans to expand offerings. Since its implementation, students have met to hear from individuals who have played a role in historic events, talked with inde- pendent filmmakers and participated in college events. Each class then creates program-specific learning activities related to the event. In the past year, 1,504 students enrolled in Learning Communities courses, up from 1,319 in the previous year. Relatedly, the percentage of students who believe that the culture of the college promotes achievement and educational goals rose from 87 to 96 percent in 2015. The student graduation rate increased by 10 percent and the student success rate, which includes retention, by 9 percent over the previous year. 2015 PRESIDENT’S REPORT BE ONE OF US. + Readiness3 Readiness3: Ready for College, Ready for Work, Ready for Life is the theme for Wallace State’s guiding Strategic Plan through 2017. Preparing students for the workforce and achieving excellent student outcomes are at the heart of the plan. “Our office promises companies that Wallace State will prepare them a competent workforce, and the college has never failed to deliver on that promise.” -- Dale Greer, Cullman Economic Development Agency Some of the most outstanding programmatic successes of the year: 100% EMPLOYMENT 100% PASS RATE KNOWN GRADUATES FOR ACADEMIC BOARD OR OTHER CERTIFICATION YEAR 2013-2014: Business Management and EXAMS: Physical Therapy Assistant, Supervision, Therapeutic Massage, Physical Diagnostic Imaging, Diagnostic Medical Therapist Assistant, Human Services, Health Sonography, Respiratory Therapy. Other Information Technology, Respiratory Therapy, top performers: Clinical Lab Technician Pharmacy Technology, Occupational Therapy (90.9%), Dental Hygiene (96%), Nursing Assistant, Child Development, Medical Assis- (92.9%) and Occupational Therapy tant, Emergency Medical Services, Diagnostic Assistant (96.8%) Imaging, Dental Assisting, Nursing, HVAC, Culinary Arts, Diesel Technology, Engineering Technology, Flight Technology, Machine Tool (See the Scorecard of Performance Technology, Welding, Agriculture/Horticulture, Measures at the end of this report for and Electronics Technology reported 100% more results.) employed or pursuing a higher degree 2015 PRESIDENT’S REPORT BEBE ONE ONE OF OF US. US. Wallace State is giving high school students the opportunity to enter the workforce faster, better trained and ready to advance in their employment. New Opportunities for Early College Enrollment STUDENTS STARTING EARLY, AND STARTING RIGHT For more than a decade, Wallace State has provided high school students the opportunity to simultaneously earn high school and college credit though its dual enrollment and Fast Track programs. In 2015, over 550 dual enrollment students were en- Wallace State President. “Business and industry have rolled at Wallace State, including 72 in the Fast Track ready access to a middle skills workforce. Parents save programs at WSCC and J.B. Pennington High School money on higher education tuition. Students complete and 84 in Wallace State’s new Fast Track for Industry their postsecondary education earlier and, as they program. enter the workforce sooner, the state gains taxpayers who contribute to a sound economic base. At Wallace Like the traditional Fast Track program, Fast Track for State, our strategic plan is Readiness3, assuring that Industry is located on Wallace State’s campus. Cull- our students are Ready for College, Ready for Work man County Schools instructors maintain classrooms and Ready for Life by helping students Start Early, Start in WSCC’s General Studies building to serve students Right, Finish, and Succeed.” from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. each day. The success rate for dual enrollment, and especially The program allows students to Start Early, jump-start- the Fast Track program, is exceptionally

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