Dear Faculty and Staff:

Thanks to our unexpected snow day last week, this week’s Touch Base Tuesday is double the size!

Several SCC faculty, staff and administrators took part in the annual Missouri Community College Association fall convention in Kansas City, Mo., Nov. 6-8. In between valuable breakout sessions, several of your colleagues were recognized at the event: 

• Senior Service Award – Kathy Brockgreitens-Gober, assistant vice president for college transitions and support systems
• Distinguished Alumna – Sally Faith, former/retired mayor, City of St. Charles
• Governor’s Excellence in Teaching – Courtney Barrett, associate professor of occupational therapy assistant
• Technology Innovation – SCC Virtual Hospital/Amy Koehler, campus dean/dean of nursing and allied health

Amy Koehler, Courtney Barrett and President Kavalier

Congratulations to all!

I am very pleased to announce that Monica Hall-Woods, professor of biology and biology program chair, was honored with the Emerson Excellence in Teaching Award in a ceremony at the Ritz-Carlton in Clayton this past Sunday. Congratulations, Dr. Hall-Woods! 

The Chronicle of Higher Education just released an article focused on extensive research compiled by Georgetown University – Center on Education and the Workforce (McCourt School of Public Policy). This is the first national report to collect and analyze higher education data for the purpose of identifying return on investment. 

The report calculates the net present value (NPV) for 10, 15, 20, 30 and 40 years to determine the return on investment for students.  The NPV is how much a sum of money in the future is valued today.  The research is from college and university data included in the College Scorecard – data collected by the U.S. Department of Education.

I am thrilled to share that St. Charles Community College has the highest return on investment among the 12 Missouri community colleges. This is perhaps the best marketing news we could ever have for the college.  Please see the attached table for additional information.

The college’s annual Veterans Celebration, held on Nov. 8, featured a keynote address from Jackie Jackson, retired U.S. Marine Corps Colonel, highly decorated Vietnam War fighter pilot, and former Missouri State Representative. Colonel Jackson flew 668 combat missions in Vietnam, during which he was awarded four Distinguished Flying Crosses, 33 Air Medals, the Navy Commendation Medal for Heroism and Valor, and the Legion of Merit for Service to His Country. He is the subject of the book Way Beyond the Blue: The Memoirs of Colonel Jackie Jackson. The 2019 Veterans Celebration also featured a welcome by Donna Davis, vice president for human resources, and performances by Celebration Barbershop Quartet, an Oath of Enlistment ceremony for future service members, and a presentation by the Student Veterans Organization.

Andrew Gates, Donna Davis and retired U.S. Marine Corps Colonel Jackie Jackson

In an upcoming edition of Diverse: Issues in Higher Education, SCC will be recognized for making it into the Top 100 Associates Degree Producers for Minorities in the categories of: Associate for African Americans in Marketing, Associate for Two or More Races in Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Associate for Asian Americans in Marketing, and Associate for Total Minorities in Marketing. The publication recognizes new and evolving programs and practices in two-year post-secondary education.

This week we are celebrating International Education Week on campus! The celebration will include a festival and market, an open mic night, a poster display, and panel discussion. Please take some time to immerse yourself in a multicultural experience, Nov. 19-21 (learn more here). 

Next week is Thanksgiving, and because so many people choose to take additional time off to spend with loved ones, I would like to take this opportunity to wish each and every member of our campus community a very Happy Thanksgiving. Thank you for your role in helping our students succeed.

Enjoy your time with family and friends!

 

Barbara