Campus
Communicator
AUGUST • 2014
Northern Annual Golf Outing
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Posing for the annual group photo, from left, Rana Spurlock, Becky Yesenczki, April Schrump,
Hilary Curto, Thomas Queen, Jim Baller, Kelly Herr, Shelly Reager, Shannon Payton and Janet Fike.
Thanks to everyone’s support, more than $19,000 was raised to benefit the students of
WVNCC at our 5th Annual Golf Outing. On June 27, some 100 golfers joined us at
the beautiful Crispin Golf course at Oglebay. Participants enjoyed a lunch donated by
Quaker Steak & Lube and received a bag filled with golfing supplies and a T-shirt that
listed all major sponsors. The event ended with a delicious steak meal prepared and
served by Northern’s culinary chefs. At that time, golfers also received their prizes,
which were donated by many businesses around the area. May 29, 2015, has been selected for the next outing and we look forward to spending another day with friends
of WVNCC and its Foundation.
1. The maintenance crew, from left,
(Dave Monteleone’s brother) Gene,
Thomas Queen, Dave Monteleone and
Michael Kreuger, part-time summer
employee and WVNCC student.
2. The chefs take a break from grilling
steaks to pose, from left, Mark Glass,
Chris Kefauver and Bob Gracey.
3. Dr. Martin Olshinsky and Jim Baller
hold the Golf Outing raffle.
4. Shannon Payton, April Schrump and
Rana Spurlock sort the profits from the
day.
5. WVNCC staff members, Kevin
Serig, (Kevin’s stepson) Steve Gitlin,
Officer R.J. Faldowski and Ryan
Brevard.
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Kiss Cancer Goodbye
SGA representatives, from left, Martha
Whalen and Ina Jo Masteller join Ida
Williams in “Kissing Cancer Goodbye.”
On Aug. 8 the College’s Office of Student Activities and Wheeling campus
Student Government Association
members participated in the Ohio
County Relay for Life to benefit the
American Cancer Society. During the
evening students and staff walked in
honor of those whose lives have been
impacted by cancer. Students raised
about $600 for the American Cancer
Society. Northern also was awarded
“best cancer theme” tent. This marks
the eighth consecutive year that
Northern has won a best themed tent
award at the event.
Affordability
ment of Education. Northern’s ranking was on the list of public, two-year
institutions of higher learning with
the lowest net prices. The 2014 list
was announced in late July. The only
other West Virginia two-year college
on the lowest list was Bridgemont
Community and Technical College in
Montgomery.
While maintaining high quality
programs, affordability and accessibility are among Northern’s most
long-standing goals, according to Dr.
Martin J. Olshinsky, president. Olshinsky said the institution’s Board of
Governors, along with the college’s
administration, are acutely aware
of the rising costs of college. “Our
financial decision-making process
begins and ends with respect for how
our students will be impacted. That
value has been recognized because we
continue to be included in the nation’s
most affordable institutions,” Olshinsky said.
On the 2014 list are institutions with
the highest tuition and highest net
price and those with the lowest tuition
and lowest net price. WVNCC ranked
as number 66, with a net price of
$3,727 on a list of 95 institutions with
the lowest net prices. Bridgemont, at
$3,617, was ranked at number 57. This
compares to the national average of a
$7,163 net price.
Janet Fike, vice president of student
For the third consecutive year, North- services at Northern, said the lists are
generated with the following criteern has been cited by the federal
government as one of the most afford- ria: tuition includes the tuition and
required fees as reported to IPEDS by
able colleges in America. WVNCC’s
the institution and net prices includes
net price is the second lowest among
the state’s two-year institutions on the the cost of attendance minus grant
and scholarship aid as reported to and
2014 list.
calculated by IPEDS. Fike said the
WVNCC once again made the nationlists that show the highest are the top
al College Affordability and Trans5 percent while the lists for the lowest
parency Center list compiled by the
are the bottom 10 percent. Last year,
Integrated Postsecondary Education
WVNCC was listed at number 89
Data System used by the U.S. Depart-
with a net price of $3,414 and Bridgemont was ranked number 36 with a
net price of $2,081.
“That Northern has been cited for
three years shows we are consistent in
maintaining the processes that help
our students with financial aid, grants
and scholarships,” Fike said.
Fike explained the average net price is
the average price of attendance that is
paid by fulltime, undergraduate, degree-seeking students after grants and
scholarships are taken into account.
The average net price is generated by
subtracting the average amount of
federal, state and local government or
institutional grant or scholarship aid
from the cost of attendance. Total cost
of attendance is the sum of published
in-state tuition and required fees,
books and supplies and, if applicable,
the weighted average for room and
board and other expenses.
The Higher Education Opportunity
Act of 2008 called for the College
Affordability and Transparency Lists
to be created by July 1 of 2012. Under the requirements, six lists were
created. Three lists focus on tuition
and fees, and three others look at the
institution’s “average net price.” Each
list was broken out into nine different
sectors to allow students to compare
costs at similar types of institutions.
Off to See the Wizard
Northern’s Student Government Association is gearing
up for another great year, according to Student Activities
Director Shannon Payton. Students attended a leadership
training held on July 22. Students participated in a training called “The Great and Powerful Oz.” This program was
presented by Amy Olak. Students experienced through
group exercises how different leadership styles relate to
characters in the Wizard of Oz. Students also met on Aug.
22 to hold their first meeting of the academic year.
Standing, from left, are Martha Whalen, Diane Grim and Melissa
Kohout. Seated, from left, are Sarah Blankenship, Ina Jo Masteller
and Sigourney Kokosinski. In front is Paul Griffenberg.
Students Can Connect
An Open House & Community Resource Fair is being held on each one
of our campuses to connect students
to campus resources and community
members with local resources, according to CJ Farnsworth, director, Academic Student Support Services. The
schedule is as follows:
· Tuesday, Sept. 16, Weirton, 11
a.m. – 2 p.m., Main Entryway
· Wednesday, Sept. 17, Wheeling,
11 a.m. – 2 p.m., B & O Auditorium
· Thursday, Sept. 18, New Martinsville, 11 a.m. – 2 p.m., Library &
Academic Support Center
Participating agencies will share valuable information on beneficial programs and services, Farnsworth said.
In addition to informational literature, door prizes will be given away.
Community participants include, but
are not limited to: Northwood Health
Systems, Faith-in-Action Caregivers
Inc., Altenheim Retirement Community / Altenheim Resource & Referral
Services, WV Employment Service
– Workforce WV, United Bank, Youth
in Action!, YWCA Family Violence
Prevention Program, First National
Bank, West Virginia Department of
Rehabilitation Services, WVU Extension Service, Seeing Hand.
In conjunction with the event, the
Academic Support Center is sponsoring a Scavenger Hunt open only to
students. There will be one student
winner on each campus, with the
winners receiving a “bouquet” of gift
cards, one $100 card for groceries,
numerous restaurant gift cards for $50
each, a $25 gas gift card and several
others, Farnsworth said.
In other news from the Academic
Support Center, it has been announced by Academic Advisor Ryan
Brevard that the Academic Support
Center is blogging and has a vibrant
Facebook page. The blog web address
is www.wvnccacademicsupportcenter.wordpress.com and the Facebook
page web address is www.facebook.
com/wvnccacademicsupportcenter.
Military Mail Call All-Stars
Just as the 2014 summer session at
Northern began, the College received
official notification from the Friends
of Our Troops organization that
Northern was the number one ranked
college in West Virginia and ranked
number two of participating colleges
nationally in the annual Military Mail
Call program.
Director of Student Activities Shannon Payton said, “Once again thank
you to everyone for your participation
in our Military Mail Call program.
We will kick off again in early October
for this academic year’s effort. The
importance of ‘mail call’ to America’s
servicemen and women has never
diminished throughout the years,”
Payton said. “Our college community
each year finds time to write personal
letters that offer thanks to those in the
military along with news from home
and other friendly commentary.”
Goal of Military Mail Call is to provide supportive written communication to military men and women
“to counteract the emotional stress
associated with long-term separation
and unstable environment.”
The event will be held at the Matthew
Barker Memorial Complex (Paden
City High School Booster Building),
261 North 4th Ave. in Paden City.
Doors open at 6 p.m.
Tickets are $30 each and can be purchased by contacting Debbie Bennett
at 304-510-8761 or dbennett@wvncc.
edu.
Wild Wild West
The New Martinsville Friends of the
College and the Foundation of West
Virginia Northern Community College are excited to announce a “Mystery Dinner Theatre” fund-raising
event on Oct. 11, 2014. Proceeds will
provide scholarships to students on
the New Martinsville campus.
The evening will include wine tastings, auctions and an Italian dinner buffet catered by La Pasta Bella.
Guests then will participate in an
interactive game of “who done it” as
gunslingers in the Old West are hunted by a clueless marshal, a sophisticated Native American and a brassy
bounty hunter. “How the West was
Dumb” will be presented by Mystery
Theatre Unlimited and is described as
being fun for the whole
family.
Diversity Grant Awarded
The College has been awarded, for
the 10th year in a row, a state grant to
fund activities planned for the 201415 academic year that highlight issues
surrounding diversity.
Originally called the Social Justice
Initiative Grant, the competitive process has been renamed the Diversity
for Equity Grant program and is open
to all public institutions of higher
learning in West Virginia. Administered by the West Virginia Higher
Education Policy Commission and
the West Virginia Council for Community and Technical College Education, this year WVNCC was awarded
a grant for $7,980. The funds will be
used for year-long programming by
personnel of the Student Activities
department and of the Academic Support Center.
Activities will begin in October, Disabilities Awareness Month, and will
continue in January and February for
Martin Luther King Day and for Black
History Month. Women’s
History Month will be
marked by events in
March of 2015.
Annual All-College Day
The Weirton, Wheeling and New
Martinsville campuses were closed
on Wednesday, Aug. 20, so that the
College could hold internal meetings
during its traditional All-College Day
event. Faculty and staff gathered on
the Wheeling campus for a full day of
informational and training sessions.
After new employees were introduced
by Peggy Carmichael, chief human
resources officer, colleagues were
given the State of the College by President Olshinsky. In addition, Carmichael updated those gathered on the
presidential search committee and its
activities. Vice President of Workforce
Development Mike Koon presented
information about the College’s
involvement with the state’s Bridging
the Gap federal grant and also provided new information on Title IX
and the prevention of harassment and
discrimination.
Others, including Dr. Vicki Riley,
Janet Fike, Steve Lippiello, CJ Farnsworth, Larry Tackett, Pam Woods
and Amber Tate, offered insight to
a number of other College plans.
Discussed were campus safety and
security; the Academic Support Center, the College budget, information
technology, financial aid and loan defaults and the creation of institutional
dashboards.
The Classified Staff Council and the
Faculty Assembly also gave reviews of
their recent and upcoming activities.
In late afternoon, those in attendance
participated in a number of breakout sessions on topics such as p-card
holder training, budget monitoring,
classroom technology, serving students and changes in developmental
education.
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Chef Chris Kefauver is filmed by WTOV Channel 9 for his annual Jambo
Grill spots featured during the station’s coverage of Jamboree in the Hills.
From top, Becky Yesenczki and Joan Harvath sample some of the grilled
masterpieces, Ryan Brevard digs in, Chef Chris works his magic on
chicken, and Bob DeFrancis tries the shrimp and grits.