Campus
Communicator
MAY • 2014
2014 Commencement Now History!
A total of 388 WVNCC students
were provisionally graduated during
commencement exercises on May
9 in WesBanco Arena in downtown
Wheeling. The graduates earned 434
degrees or certificates because some of
them received more than one degree
or certificate.
The commencement’s main address
was delivered by Joe Eddy, president
and chief executive officer of Eagle
Manufacturing Co. in Wellsburg.
Valedictorian for the class of 2014 is
Hayley Argentine of Richmond, OH.
Prior to her remarks, Argentine was
given the Donald D. Nemanich and
Sarah O. Bodkin Academic Excellence
Award. The award is given by the faculty at Northern to honor the memory
of two of their colleagues who died at
early ages, leaving a legacy of classroom excellence.
The Distinguished Alumnus Award
was presented to David Hanes, of
Sherrard, a 2002 Northern graduate
who now is director of information
technology at WVNCC.
Other speakers included Sigourney
Kokosinski, of Wellsburg, Student
Government Association president,
who offered greetings on behalf of
students, and Kathy Herrington,
professor of psychology, sociology
and human services, and president of
the Faculty Assembly, who brought
greetings on behalf of faculty. President Olshinsky provided the welcome
and introductions. Dr. Riley, VPAA,
and Dr. Darrell Cummings, president
of the WVNCC Board of Governors,
conferred degrees and certificates.
Daughter of
Todd and Sandy Argentine,
the valedictorian graduated
with an associate of applied
science degree
in radiography.
The 2011 graduate of Edison
Hayley Argentine
High School
attended the University of Akron for
a year before enrolling at WVNCC
with the goal of becoming a radiologic
technologist. She consistently made
President’s List academic honors during her career at Northern.
Argentine is a member of Who’s Who
Among American College Students
and also is a member of the West Virginia Society of Radiologic Technologists. She says she spends her leisure
time with family and friends.
Hanes graduated from Union Local
High School in 1989, said he was not
ready for college and instead entered
the U.S. Air Force where he worked
in computer operations. In 1992, he
joined IBM in La Jolla, CA, and from
1993-97 worked for General Bottlers
in Toledo, OH.
The distinguished
alumnus then
returned to
the Ohio Valley, working
in computer
operations
for Uniscribe
Professional
Services in
David Hanes
Warwood
from 1998-99. After graduating from
Northern, where he was named to Phi
Theta Kappa, the academic honorary for two-year institutions, and to
“Who’s Who,” he joined the college’s
computer operations staff in 2003.
For a year prior to that, he served as
a counselor at the Children’s Home of
Wheeling.
As a volunteer, Hanes has worked
with Wheeling Catholic Elementary
School, helping to set up and maintain its computer networks, and with
Macedonia Baptist churches teaching
computer usage. Also, he is an advisor for the WVNCC Computer Club.
David admits that he will help “anyone who asks” who has a computer
challenge.
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Shelley Turbanic greets the winners, from left, Brittany Batton and Natasha Kowalczyk.
Cap & Gown Winners
The WVNCC Institutional Research department held a drawing and
gave away two complete cap and gown packages as part of its incentive
for students to complete their graduating student survey.
According to Pam Woods, director of institutional research, in order to
be eligible graduates had to complete their graduating student survey
by April 30 and enter all their contact information. The drawing was
held on May 1.
The two winners were Brittany Batton from the New Martinsville campus and Natasha Kowalczyk from the Weirton campus. Woods said,
“Both graduates were very grateful for the opportunity and pleased
with the outcome. This is the second year that the IR department has
held this drawing and both years were very successful and we are planning on doing this again next year.”
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1. Lisa Ingram takes a moment to hug her daughter
Lyndsey after receiving her diploma. 2. Officer Faldowski and Ida Williams help the students prepare for their
commencement walk. 3. Hilary Curto takes a moment
from photographing students to congratulate her best
friend Megan Fox.
Radiologic Partnership
Strengthened
growth in our area has remained
positive. This agreement provides yet
another opportunity for students in
this field, and we are pleased to cement further WVNCC’s relationship
with OVMC.”
Along with the Radiologic Technology Degree Completion program,
WVNCC also offers a full program
that leads to the awarding of an AAS
degree in radiography.
Signing the agreement are Laurie Labishak,
vice president of marketing at the hospital,
and President Olshinsky.
Officials from Northern and Ohio
Valley Medical Center at the end of
April signed a strengthened agreement in a unique initiative that grants
college credit as part of a hospitalbased radiology program.
The partnership allows for awarding
of an Associate in Applied Science
degree in the Radiologic Technology Degree Completion program at
WVNCC.
Dr. Riley, VPAA, explained students
who successfully complete the OVMC
certification program and complete
Northern’s college coursework then
are awarded the AAS degree and
become eligible to sit for the National
Registry Examination.
“This articulation agreement provides
a degree option to students wishing to
enter this field where jobs are in high
demand,” Dr. Riley said. She pointed
out the U.S. Department of Labor,
Bureau of Statistics, indicates that
employment for radiologic technologists is expected to grow faster than
average through the year 2016.
Radiologic technologists use various
kinds of imaging techniques for diagnostic and therapeutic procedures.
Use of ultrasound, computerized
tomography and magnetic resonance
imaging are common procedures such
technologists employ.
President Olshinsky said, “The health
sciences continue to expand and job
Nursing Students Honored
Two WVNCC nursing students, Ashley Smith and Lisa Anderson, have
been given the East Ohio Regional
Hospital Auxiliary Award.
According to Rita Berry, professor
of nursing at Northern, the students
applied for the award by submitting a
portfolio to the auxiliary of the Martins Ferry-based hospital.
The auxiliary invites “any student who
completed a clinical, mentored or
preceptored experience at East Ohio
Regional Hospital to submit a portfolio in order to be considered for this
award.”
The award is a monetary award, according to the auxiliary, which also
states, “We intend to recognize a
student or students that demonstrate a
passion for healthcare, a professional
attitude, and a strong work ethic
while maintaining academic success
throughout their clinical experience at
East Ohio Regional Hospital.”
Cost Effective
WVNCC has made it much easier for
West Virginia high school students
to take college courses: they can take
a three-credit-hour college course
for just $75 under new rules for early
enrollment classes that take effect in
the fall 2014 semester. That’s a savings
of more than $100 as stipulated under
previous guidelines.
Approval for the dramatic changes in
such tuition has been given by both
the West Virginia Council for Community and Technical College Education and the state’s Higher Education
Policy Commission.
“Community colleges in West Virginia
traditionally carry the lowest tuition
rates for students,” President Olshinsky said. “Rates for early enrollment
courses at the high schools, always
lower than normal tuition, now have
been drastically reduced even more.
This makes an early start on a college
career even more affordable.”
The early entrance rule approved sets
the per credit hour rate at a minimum
cost of $25, with final decisions on
such rates left with individual institutions. State institutions have a choice
of supplementing the minimum by
applying their own tuition waivers
from funds set aside by the colleges in
their separate budgets. Supplemental
funds also can come from third-party
sponsors to support the student’s cost
of the course.
Dr. Riley, VPAA, said early enrollment college courses typically are
available to junior and senior high
school students while exceptions to
that are reviewed at each institution.
For high school students who have
not yet taken tests required for course
placement, WVNCC will allow them
to take the COMPASS placement test
free for the first time. ACT and SAT
scores also can be used.
VPSS Fike said, “High school students wanting to enroll in early
entrance college courses are urged to
get further information from their
high school counselors or from West
Virginia Northern’s admissions office
email address wvnccadmissions@
wvncc.edu or by calling Wheeling
Campus Admissions Recruiter Dawn
Barcus at 304-214-8838, Weirton
Campus Counselor Lisa Soly at
304-723-7515 or New Martinsville
Campus Counselor Ina Robinson at
304-510-8769.”