MOTT COMMUNITY COLLEGE
CONNECTION
MARCH 2014
MCC
FACULTY
& STAFF
NEWSLETTER
WHAT’S
INSIDE
AROUND CAMPUS
GREENY AWARDS
MCC AMONG FIVE
COLLEGES TO OFFER
TRANSFER
OPPORTUNITIES TO
AUTOMOTIVE STUDENTS
MCC TO PRESENT FREE
STORY HOUR SERIES
FOR CHILDREN AND
CAREGIVERS
K-12 ART EXHIBITION
QUOTE OF
THE M ONTH
“Never limit yourself because of
others' limited imagination; never
limit others because of your own
limited imagination. ”
– Mae Jemison
MCC's Alana Ferguson receives state's
prestigious Campus Compact Award for
administering tax assistance program
Accounting Instructor Alana Ferguson was recently
honored with a Faculty/Staff Community ServiceLearning Award from Michigan Campus Compact
(MiCC), a coalition of college and university presidents
committed to fulfilling the public purpose of higher education. Ferguson, one of 26 recipients statewide to be
recognized, was formally honored during the Civic Engagement Institute 2014 Awards Ceremony & 25th Anniversary Celebration in Grand Rapids on Feb. 3. This
prestigious biennial award is the highest MiCC bestows
on faculty and staff in the state of Michigan. Ferguson,
nominated by Dale Weighill, Executive Dean of Professional Development & Experiential Learning at MCC,
was designated by peers as the faculty/staff person on
campus who has made the most outstanding contributions in service-learning and community
service. This award recognizes her influence on and the
engagement of students to be involved in community
service or service-learning through modeling, influencing or instruction. Ferguson provides her Accounting 215 students with real life experiences through the unique service learning project with
the IRS Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program (VITA). The VITA Program offers free tax
preparation to low- and moderate-income residents who are unable to prepare their own tax returns.
Each winter semester, ACCT 215 students apply their growing knowledge of tax theory through direct service to residents in the VITA Program. Over the past four years, ACCT 215
students have assisted hundreds of local residents and brought back thousands of dollars to the
Flint community. Ferguson was also recognized at the MCC Board of Trustees meeting on Monday,
Feb. 24 for her work with the VITA Program.
"You expect to come into the classroom and make a huge impact on adults," Ferguson stated at
the Board meeting, adding that this is the first year the program is being held on campus. "For me
that spark came when I was introduced to experiential learning. I’m very lucky that I have a program called VITA. It's really exciting to see the students take what we learn in the classroom and
actually prepare it for the client."
Women's History Month Celebration
The MCC Alumni Association is partnering with the Foundation for Mott Community College
to present a luncheon in observance of Women's History Month on March 20.
"Telling Her Story: Women with a Pioneering Presence" will feature Dr. Lillie McCain, MCC
Psychology Professor and Karen Church, ELGA Credit Union President. In addition, MCC Music
Prof. Townes Miller is scheduled to perform a musical presentation. The event will be held from
11:30 am to 12:30 pm on Thursday, March 20 at Applewood Café. The cost is $25 per person, with
cash or checks payable to Applewood Café. RSVP to 762-0536 as soon as possible, as seating is
limited.
d
Ca m p us
Chief Financial Officer
Larry Gawthrop shares this
news: The college had its A+
Underlying Credit Rating
reaffirmed by Standard &
Poor's rating agency. "Their
rationale included a strong financial position including a
sufficient amount of reserves,
moderate debt burden, and a
history of demonstrated willingness of the college to balance
expenditures with revenues," he
adds.
Marketing Assistant/Web Content Manager Rebecca GaleGonzalez lets us know that Michael Simon, President's Office and
Board Operations Manager, has been elected Vice-Chair of the
Board of Directors of the Weiss Advocacy Center, an organization
committed to preventing child abuse and neglect in Genesee
County.
Art Prof. John Dempsey will have an exhibition of large-scale
paintings and laser photos titled "Between Landscape and Place" at
the Semans Gallery, Royall Center for the Arts, organized by the
Durham Arts Council, Durham, North Carolina. The exhibition will
run from March 7 - April 27.
Graphic Design Prof. Jim Shurter brings news about Graphic
Design programs involvement in this year's American Advertising
Awards. Students Katie McWhorter won a silver award for her
Celebrity Magazine Spread – "Miyavi" and another silver award for
her "Half Hotel Stationary Set." She also won a $500 scholarship
from the AAF-GF. Evelyn Robb won a silver award for her Dreams
and Disasters lyric book design and she also won a Judges Choice
Award. In addition, Mara Fulmer, Prof./Coordinator Art &
Graphic Design, won a silver award in the professional category.
Simulation Support Specialist Brian Rasmussen tells us that
The Institute for Medical Simulation, located at the MCC Southern
Lakes Branch Center, is offering American Heart Association
Healthcare Provider CPR & AED classes scheduled for the following dates: April 1; May 6 and June 3. All classes are held at SLBC
from 1 to 5 pm. The cost is $68 per student. To register, please call
762-5000 and ask for the Simulation Lab.
Cheerleading Coach & Adviser Ann-Marie Christman is
looking for a faculty or staff member who may want to be an assistant cheerleading coach for the upcoming 2014-2015 season. Individuals with competitive cheer, tumbling, stunting and/or coaching
experience are preferred. Please email ann.christman@mcc.edu if
you're interested.
Arou
n
Music Prof. Bill Withem shares news about his recent activities. He has helped engrave the full score to Danny Elfman's music
from “Batman” (1989) into a study score. "For the first time ever,
now musicians, students, and conductors can purchase the score for
study," he adds. "As an aside, movie studios own all music used in
their films, and rarely release complete film scores to the public for
purchase. So it was great to be a part of that project, and it is available from Omni Music Publishing at
www.omnimusicpublishing.com."
Also, he brought in guest artist Soprano Stephanie Lowd who
visited MCC to work with our music students, offer school and career advice, and perform a recital on Tuesday, Feb. 18. She sang
her recital with pianist Catherine McMichael accompanying. It featured works by Mozart, Handel, Bizet, Rodgers & Hammerstein,
Lerner & Loewe, and Bill Withem. Several students were able to
perform for her, receiving valuable feedback. Those students, along
with members of the community, attended her recital. The event
was sponsored by the College Life Enhancement Fund.
Dennis Hughes, Prof./Program Coordinator Computer Aided
Drafting & Design, tells us that his son, Michael, is a pogo stick
professional and an MCC Alumnus, currently in the Engineering
program at UM Ann Arbor. In January, he performed in the Tournament of Roses Parade and last month appeared on the Queen Latifah Show performing a Pogo exhibition, Dennis adds. Check it out
at Mike Hughes Pogo on Youtube or Xpogo.com.
Automotive Technology Program Coordinator Matt Roda
shares news from his area. General Motors donated a 2008 GMC
Arcadia to MCC's Automotive Technology Program. The vehicle
will be used in many of the classes helping students get training on
up-to-date technology. Matt Roda says "This vehicle has some of
the latest technology on it like Tire Pressure Monitoring System
(TPMS), cam phasing (cam phasing advances or retards the position of the exhaust intake camshafts for better performance, fuel
economy and lower emissions based on driving conditions) and
Controller Area Network Communication (CAN) that will be very
useful in training MCC's automotive students."
Honors Program Coordinator Brian Ivory provides a report on
the activities of the Mott Campus Clowns. The clown troupe began
their Winter Semester service activities with shows at Linden Elementary and the Boys and Girls Club of Flint. On March 7, the
troupe departs for Philadelphia for a ten-day Alternative Spring
Break. While in Philadelphia, Brian and his student clowns will be
performing at elementary schools, Boys and Girls Clubs and the
144th annual St. Patrick's Day Parade.
New Employee: A hearty MCC welcome goes to Ross Domke,
Web Application Developer, Information Technology Services,
Start Date: Feb. 10. Welcome, Ross, to the MCC family!
GRiT's Greeny Award Winners
This month's Greeny Award winners are Michelle
Traver and BermiciaWebb. Michelle worked with ITS to
identify criteria needed to develop a system to go paperless
with the CPSC and Subcommittee Agenda packets and
Bermicia integrated it with the portal. Based on figures
from 2013, this effort saved approximately $5,000 in printing costs, helps reduce copier wear and is saving countless
hours of staff time. The Green Initiatives team sends a
thank-you to Michelle and Bermicia for their hard work and
creative solution to reduce waste and help with sustainability efforts at Mott College.
Michelle Traver and Bermicia Webb
Save the Date
Earth Day
Saturday April 12, 2014 • 10 am-3 pm
UM-Fint’s Harding Mott
University Center
www.earthday.mcc.edu
Bee Symposium
Monday April 21, 2014 • 5-9 pm
MCC Regional Technology Center
MCC among five colleges to MCC to present free Story
offer transfer opportunities to Hour Series for children and
automotive students
caregivers
Mott Community College is among a select group of Michigan
community colleges that have joined together to create a pilot
program that will allow students in automotive technology programs
to transfer among the schools with no loss of credits or repetition of
course work as they pursue their certifications and degrees. The Automotive Technology Articulation Agreement, signed by all participating
college presidents, will allow students in automotive technology programs to transfer among Mott Community College, Delta College,
Grand Rapids Community College, LansingCommunity College,
Montcalm Community College. Automotive technology programs
were chosen for the pilot because they already adhere to nationally
recognized automotive technician training standards.
"Michigan's auto industry is roaring back, and now more than
ever our state’s future and economic vitality depend on a workforce
with the necessary talents and training for the jobs of today and tomorrow," stated Nigel Francis, senior vice president of the Automotive
Office at the Michigan Economic Development Corp. and senior automotive adviser for the state of Michigan, in a press release issued Feb.
21 by the Michigan Workforce Development Agency. "This agreement
is both a great start in providing Michigan's automotive tech students
with the best possible path for success, and a stellar example of the
public, private and academic collaborations that are vital to having the
workforce we need to drive Michigan’s auto industry forward."
"Students attending community colleges at times face employment and life changes that require them to move to other areas of the
state, creating barriers to successful completion of their education.
The cooperation among these five schools will enable automotive
technology students who need to relocate to continue their education,
and have a seamless transition, in this high-demand field," added
Michigan Workforce Development Agency Director Christine Quinn.
"Our goal is that this program will serve as a model for other fields of
study, and that more community colleges in the state will participate,
with the common focus on supporting student success."
The colleges reviewed the National Automotive Technician's Education Foundation (NATEF) standards, instructional materials, assessments, and training equipment in the Automotive Labs to determine
course equivalencies. This extensive process ensures that students will
be successful in their program, and will produce the talent that the
Michigan auto industry demands over the next five to 10 years. As a
result of the successful completion of the articulation agreement, the
colleges will develop a manual that may be used by other colleges to
develop similar program agreements. The manual is expected to be
completed by September 2014.
"We want students to stay in Michigan, complete their degrees,
and work here," said Dr. Fiona Hert, President of the Michigan Occupational Deans Administrative Council. “This is just one way we can
try as community colleges to make students’ lives easier." For more
information on the Automotive Technology Articulation Agreement,
visit http://www.michigan.gov/wda. The Workforce Development
Agency promotes a flexible, innovative, and effective workforce system within the State of Michigan. The WDA and the Michigan Works!
system provide services to employers and job seekers to train and
place skilled workers in good jobs across Michigan.
A story hour program designed for children ages 2-7 and their
parents and caregivers is being presented by Mott Community College again this year. The storytellers, students enrolled in English
Prof. Heather Sisto's "Introduction to Storytelling" class (English 211) will be participating in MCC's Second Annual Story Hour Series to fulfill a community service requirement of the course. This
event is free and open to the public. The Story Hour Series will be
held in the Trustee Hall of the MCC Event Center, located adjacent
to the MCC Library. Three Story Hour sessions are scheduled at the
following times: Friday, March 28 at 9:30 - 10:30 am; Friday,
March 28 at 11 am -12 Noon; Saturday, March 29, 1- 2 pm. Prof.
Sisto, coordinator of the Story Hour series, will attend each session. Parents and caregivers should plan to attend the story hour
with their children. For more information, contact Prof. Sisto at
Heather.Sisto@mcc.edu. Additional service learning options available to ENG 211 students include presentations at Motherly Intercession agency, Woodside Childcare Center, and other local
childcare and elementary schools.
K-12 Art Exhibition
The Fine Arts Gallery is showing the Michigan Art Education
Association Region 10, K-12 Art Exhibition through March 11. Region 10 includes students in Lapeer and Genesee Counties. The
Fine Arts Gallery is located in the Visual Arts & Design Center.
Gallery hours are 9 am until 4:30 pm, Monday through Friday. For
more information, call the MCC Art & Design office at 762-0443.
Employee Appreciation
MCC's 7th Annual Employee Appreciation Event, "The
Wild West," is scheduled for Thursday, April 10 from 2 to
4:30 pm in the Ballenger Field House. Food, games, prizes and
presentation of the annual Outstanding Faculty & Staff Awards
will highlight the program.
The MCC Public Safety Department had a team bowling for the Big
Brothers, Big Sisters of Greater Flint For Kids' Sake event that
raised more than $100,000 over a four-day period in February at
Galaxy Lanes. This was the non-profit group's 35th annual event.
PRESORTED
STANDARD
US POSTAGE PAID
Flint, MI
Permit NO 51
1401 East Court Street
Flint, Michigan 48503-2089
MARCH 2014
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
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For more calendar items visit www.events.mcc.edu
3
10
Wild Ones Meeting
6:00-8:00 p.m.
PCC 1230
17
4
Special Meeting Board
of Trustees
6:15-9:00 p.m.
RTC 1301
11
Bruin Club
Board Meeting
12:00-1:30 p.m.
Genesee Room
18
MCCEA Board of
Directors Meeting
3-5:00 p.m.
PCC 1230
24
Board
of Trustees Meeting
7:30-10:00 p.m.
RTC 1301
31
25
5
6
SIM-CNA Workforce
Development
3:00-5:00 pm
SLBC
7
Parliamentarian Meeting
5:30-9:00 p.m.
PCC 1230
VITA Tax Center
8:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
ML 1217
13
14
12
Sierra Club Meeting
5:00-10:00 p.m.
PCC 1230
19
University Center
Transfer Information
10:00 a.m.-2:00 p.m.
CM 2133
26
MEMC Conference 8:00 Parliamentarian Meeting
a.m.-4:00 p.m.
5:30-9:00 p.m.
ML 1204
PCC 1230
20
21
Fridays at Applewood
9:00-10:00 a.m.
RTC 1301
27
Foundation for MCC
Board Meeting
12:00 p.m.-2:00 p.m.
PCC 1230
28
Flint Community Scholars
12:00-1:00 p.m.
RTC 1107