‘FORE’ A GOOD CAUSE Be sure to save the date for a fun-filled day…for both golfers and non-golfers alike.

Friday, Sept. 28 The Orchards Golf Club The day kicks off with the 20th Annual SWIC Athletics Golf Classic. The 18-hole four-person tourney starts at noon and costs $90 per person, which includes greens fees, cart, range balls, box lunch, dinner and drink tickets. Visit SWIC.edu/golf for a registration form. The day continues with a Friday Night FUNdraiser at The Orchards (just three miles down the road from the Belleville Campus!) Come on out anytime after 4 p.m. and join us at the “19th Hole” for food, drinks and fun on the back patio. The highlight of the evening will be the Money Ball Golf Ball Drop, when numbered golf balls will be dropped from high above the green and the owner of the first golf ball in the hole, or closest to the hole, will win $1,000! Other great prizes will be awarded as well. Purchase your $5 chances through the Foundation, Athletics or College Activities. Visit SWIC.edu/moneyball for more information.

SEPTEMBER 2012

Hope to see you there!

WHERE IN THE WORLD IS FLAT KASHMIR? FLAT KASHMIR, THE COLLEGE’S PORTABLE MASCOT, WAS VERY BUSY THIS SUMMER! COLLEGE EMPLOYEES HAVE TAKEN HIM AROUND THE GLOBE VISITING ALL SORTS OF EXCITING PLACES.

SWGCC College Activities Supervisor Jill Lorance at Rainforest Adventures Discovery Zoo in Sevierville, Tenn.

Planning a trip in the near future? Don’t forget to bring Flat Kashmir along! Visit SWIC.edu/FlatKashmir to get your very own version. Director of Human Resources Sherry Favre in Maine

Digital Print Technician Tamy Sutton at Race for the Cure in St. Louis

Foundation Director Gary Gray in Ocho Rios, Jamaica

Retired employee Karen Lyons at the Blarney Castle in Ireland

ESL/Citizenship Director Lea Maue, Ph.D., in King’s Wharf, Bermuda

Other exciting locations Flat Kashmir has traveled to include Sweden, Alaska, Chicago, Cape Cod, San Francisco, Holiday World, Memphis, Germany, Nashville, Minneapolis, Austria and more! Visit Facebook.com/SWICKashmir for more photos, and look inside to see where he’s heading next!

FROM THE DESK OF THE PRESIDENT Welcome back … and congratulations. You’ve done it again. The latest Community College Week national rankings are out and Southwestern Illinois College is once again a top-100 institution in conferring degrees and certificates. It’s particularly impressive given there are 1,200-plus community colleges and more than 3,000 institutions nationwide that offer two-year programs. Simply put, our students earn degrees and certificates at a comparatively higher rate because we have the best instructors in the Illinois Community College system, and among the best in the nation. Complementing that superior classroom experience, our students also receive any and all assistance they need to be successful here, and after graduation, from genuinely enthusiastic administrators and staff, many of whom took time to meet, greet and assist students at the start of this semester. Thanks for that extra effort. According to U.S. Department of Education data reported in June by Community College Week, SWIC ranked 12th in awarding associate degrees in the “Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies” category; 25th in the “Less-Than-OneYear” certificates category; 41st in the “Precision Production” category; and 93rd in the “All Disciplines: Total Non-Minority” category. As further evidence of our focus on program completion, Illinois Community College Board stats show SWIC awards: • The second-highest total of occupational degrees and certificates. • The second-highest number of certificates of one year or less. • The fourth-highest number of Associate in Arts and Associate in Science degrees. • The fifth-highest number of certificates of one year or more. • The third-highest number of Associate in Applied Science degrees. To quote our esteemed vice president for Instruction, if one Chicago-area community college didn’t award nearly 4,000 certificates of less than one year to bus drivers and for food service – neither of which is a bad thing – then SWIC would be the number-one producer of all occupational degrees and certificates in Illinois. Of course, every school year brings earnest resolutions to improve, so I want to thank everyone who participated in our AQIP college discussion day last fall. That work sets the stage for us to do even better things for our students and communities this year and for years to come. More than 725 SWIC employees participated in the Higher Learning Commission’s Strategic Improvement Survey to rate our effectiveness as an institution. We filled the BC Varsity Gym at our September 2011 collegewide discussion day to determine our next series of Academic Quality Improvement Projects, with that work set to begin in coming weeks. These AQIP initiatives are vital to our accreditation by the HLC. Not surprisingly, our decades-long uninterrupted accreditation streak and consistent top-100 national rankings are driven by continuous selfimprovement achieved through teamwork. Thanks for assuming that vital responsibility. Pay It Forward,

Georgia Costello, Ph.D. President

SEPTEMBER CALENDAR 3 Labor Day (college closed) 4 Concert in the Café, “You Can’t Beat Experience

Band,” 7 p.m., BC MC Café

6 Exhibition Opening: Khara Koffel, Neil Jussila,

Michael Schoenewies and Peat “Eyez” Wollaeger, 6-8 p.m., BC SAC

7 Dinner Theatre, “A Fistful of Hollers!”

6:30 p.m., BC MC Theatre, ext. 5561 for tickets

7 Family Movie Night, “The Lorax,”

dusk, Lincoln Park across from RBC

8 Creative Kids: Know When to Fold ‘Em,

12:30 p.m., BC SAC, $1 per person

18 Concert in the Café, “Four of a Kind Band,”

7 p.m., BC MC Café

19 Mum Sale, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., BC Greenhouses 22 Creative Kids: Take a Hike and a Picture,

12:30 p.m., BC SAC, $1 per person

24 Russian River Cruise Informational Meeting,

5 p.m., BC Marsh Conference Room

25 Mum Sale, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., BC Greenhouses 28 20th Annual SWIC Athletics Golf Classic,

noon, The Orchards

28 Money Ball Golf Drop, 4-7 p.m., The Orchards 29 Creative Kids: Our Colorful World,

12:30 p.m., BC SAC, $1 per person

29 SWGCC PTK Trivia Night, 7 p.m.,

The Commons, $15 per person

SWIC.edu POLL RESULTS Reasons for Visiting the Website In August, after the new layout for SWIC.edu launched, website visitors were asked to complete the statement “I am visiting this site:” A majority, 66 percent, replied they were there as a student to check out courses. Sixteen percent responded that they were there to apply for admission. Eight percent said they visited the website to check out community services, 6 percent wanted to check out business services and 4 percent wanted to check out veterans services.

SEPTEMBER CAMPUS BRIEFS BELLEVILLE CAMPUS Don’t miss this month’s Concerts in the Café! You Can’t Beat Experience Band starts things off Tuesday, Sept. 4 at 7 p.m., and Four of a Kind Band will bring down the house Tuesday, Sept. 18 at 7 p.m. Contact College Activities at ext. 5561 for more information. Saddle up for a “Fistful of Hollers!” The murder-mystery dinner theater will be presented Friday, Sept. 7 at 6:30 p.m. in the BC MC Theatre. Tickets are $15 per person and include dinner. For more information or to purchase tickets, call College Activities at ext. 5561.

NEW-STUDENT ORIENTATION Dean of Success Programs Deborah Alford, standing, center, speaks to a group of students while they enjoy lunch during the 2012 New-Student Orientation at the Belleville Campus. Students who attended had the chance to learn their way around campus and discover all the resources and opportunities offered to students at SWIC. For more information regarding New-Student Orientation, contact Alford at [email protected].

The Schmidt Art Center kicks off its newest exhibition Thursday, Sept. 6 with a 6-8 p.m. reception and its first Creative Kids series program of the semester at 12:30 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 8. The exhibition features the works of khara koffel, Neil Jussila, Michael Schoenewies and Peat “EYEZ” Wollaeger. Creative Kids begins with “Know When To Fold ‘Em,” spotlighting playing card origami. Reserve your place for this session no later than Wednesday, Sept. 5. Participation is $1 per person. For more information, visit SWIC.edu/sac.

SAM WOLF GRANITE CITY CAMPUS Think you have all the answers? Take part in the SWGCC PTK Annual Trivia Night Saturday, Sept. 29. Doors open at 6 p.m. and trivia starts at 7 p.m. in The Commons. The cost is $15 per person. For more information or to register, call Patricia Pou at ext. 7441.

RED BUD CAMPUS Grab the whole family and head to Lincoln Park across from RBC for a free Family Movie Night! Don’t miss Dr. Seuss’ “The Lorax” starting at dusk Friday, Sept. 7. Get there early to have fun and win prizes while playing kid’s movie trivia before the show! Don’t forget to bring your chair or blankets for the lawn!

FACULTY RECITAL PLANNED Come check out the sweet sounds of classical and jazz music at the SWIC Music department Fall Faculty Recital Sept. 26 at 7 p.m. in the Belleville Campus Theatre.

STUDENT SPOTLIGHT

The recital will feature Tom Birkner, Ed.D., and Adam Hucke on trumpet; Ed Jacobs on euphonium; Andrew Jensen, D.M.A., singing tenor; Travis Mattison on guitar; and Diana Umali on piano. SWIC faculty will be showcasing their talents through the compositions of Sergei Prokofiev, Camille Saint-Saens, George Enesco, George Frideric Handel and Herbert L. Clarke. For more information about this and other upcoming events, contact Jacobs at ext. 5354 or at [email protected].

BLUE STORM SPIRIT The Blue Storm are back in action! This fall you can catch men’s and women’s soccer as well as volleyball in NJCAA games. Check SWIC.edu/athletics for schedules.

The 2012-2013 College Activities Board members from all campuses gather at the Belleville Campus for a fun-filled week before classes start. The CAB is a group of students who plan special events and activities open to the entire student body, faculty and staff, as well as events for the community.

FROM THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES AT THE AUGUST MEETING, THE SWIC BOARD OF TRUSTEES: •

Accepted three Community Services grants: a $455,180 Greater East St. Louis Community Grant (renewal) from the Illinois Community College Board for initiatives to support students and the greater ESL business community; a $400,000 renewal grant for ICCB’s Highway Construction Careers Training Program; and $20,000 renewal grant from the Village of Shiloh to support the Shiloh Senior Center though PSOP.

•

Accepted a $52,474 state Program Improvement Grant (renewal) to strengthen career and technical educational programs and services.

•

Approved the appointment of Vania Bragg as Financial Aid and Student Employment/student services coordinator.

“Regular Board Meeting Minutes” and “Other Board Minutes” are posted on SWIC.edu. Click “About Us” and “Board of Trustees.”

WIRED FOR SUCCESS —Pyramid Electric Electrical Systems Technician Todd Schlemer, center, shows SWIC President Georgia Costello, Ph.D. and Chief Information Officer Jim Riha, Ph.D. the intricacies of the networking technology being installed in the new addition to the Liberal Arts Building at the Belleville Campus. Administrators and staff toured the new building recently to view the progress of this latest addition to the college.

CUSTOM TEXTBOOKS

COOL READINGS —Physical Plant worker Ron Perigen takes a temperature reading of the heat radiating from the new white-painted rooftop at the Belleville Campus. As part of the college’s sustainability efforts, portions of the Main Complex roof were resurfaced white to better reflect sunlight and cool the surface. Physical plant staff recently recorded a 60-degree difference between the two color materials. By having the brighter color, the building was cooler over the summer, which helped SWIC reduce the amount of electricity needed to cool the building.

TEACHING FUTURE LEADERS —The first-place winners of 2012 Allsup High School Entrepreneur Academy’s business plan competition pose with Allsup, Inc. CEO and President Jim Allsup at the conclusion of the academy. From left, RaeShawn Thomas of Belleville, Nick Rodenberg of Columbia, Allsup, Kendall Roller of O’Fallon and Nick Doerr of Florissant, Mo. The annual five-day event is a partnership between Belleville-based Allsup, Inc. and SWIC. Taught by Associate Professor of Management/Marketing Tom Bilyeu, the academy provides free instruction to high school students who are interested in starting their own business or just want to learn more about the world of business. Allsup, a SWIC alum, also shared his business experience with the students. At the end of the program, teams of students competed for cash prizes in a business proposal contest.

Associate Professor of Art Paula McAteer, left, and Associate Professor of Art Don Bevirt show off their respective contributions to the customized textbook, “A World of Art.” Bevirt and McAteer ordered the customized covers to highlight the talent of the Art department faculty while also giving students a relatable textbook. Bevirt and McAteer are the first instructors at SWIC to contribute art to custom-covered textbooks and hope the trend continues through other academic departments.

REGISTRATION OPEN FOR MAKING STRIDES WALK This October, SWIC will again host the annual American Cancer Society “Making Strides Against Breast Cancer” 5K walk in honor of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

Join the fight Saturday, Oct. 27 at 8 a.m. at the Belleville Campus. For more information, contact Donna Watson at ext. 5262, or visit MakingStridesIllinois.com. Already signed up to walk? Let us know! Email [email protected] with information about you or your group’s involvement that day.

UPCOMING STUDY TRIPS

New York SWIC will offer a special Art course in the spring. The trip will focus on New York City art and architecture from March 11-14, 2013. ART 299 Art and Architecture of NYC is a three-semester-credit class. The cost of the tour is $900 – including three nights lodging, museum admissions and airfare. Meals, tuition, fees, tips and taxes are not included.

SWGCC ITC SNEAK PEEK —SelsiusTM Corporate & Career Training recently hosted an executive briefing at the Sam Wolf Granite City Campus. Managers from Afton Chemical shared their success working with SelsiusTM. A tour of the SWIC Industrial Technology Center gave industry leaders a first look at new industrial technology equipment, including CNC, welding, hydraulics and pneumatics. Industrial Technology Instructor Lou Marino, center, showed off some of the CNC equipment alongside SelsiusTM Account Executive Joe Streit, right.

SAFARI ADVENTURE PSOP Travel Specialist Nancy Bauer, back row on right, stands at the equator line in Kenya. Bauer recently lead a group on an African getaway, which included highlights such as the Rift Valley, Lake Nakuru, the “great migration,” and a night in a tree hotel.

THE SWIC SPEAKERS BUREAU IS LOOKING FOR NEW SPEAKERS! Are you an expert on a topic? Do you have a special interest, talent or hobby? If you have the gift of gab and think this might be the right fit for you, contact Jane Sparks at [email protected] or ext. 5490. For more information about the Speakers Bureau and for a list of current topics and speakers, visit SWIC.edu/speakersbureau.

Visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art and Museum of Modern Art to see masterworks by Picasso, Van Gogh, Dali and many others. Plus, take the opportunity to see iconic landmarks. An orientation session is set for Saturday, Sept. 15 from 9-11 a.m. in Belleville Campus Main Complex Room 1020.

Russia Visit Moscow’s Kremlin, feast your eyes on the treasures of the Hermitage Museum and stroll through the Catherine Palace while on a cruise through the rivers and lakes of Russia with the SWIC 2013 Travel Study Trip. The 11-day Russian River Cruise, July 7-17, 2013, is a three-semester-credit class for $4,599, plus tuition. An information session will be held Monday, Sept. 24, at 5 p.m. in the Belleville Campus Marsh Conference Room.

TREATS FOR TROOPS – SWIC is heading overseas to help the troops! Flat Kashmir, along with more than 100 SWIC can coolies, will be part of the care packages sent over to troops in Afghanistan this fall. Shirley Flinn, a member of PSOP, helps organize this effort every year and last year sent 1,000 boxes overseas. To help do your part, the “Treats for Troops” group is looking for donations of any kind of sweet or snack, as well as can coolies. To contribute to the cause, simply intercampus mail your donation to Susan Pflug at PSOP.

CLEAN OUT THOSE CLOSETS! Looking for a quick and convenient way to get rid of unwanted clothing items? SWIC recently joined efforts with USAgain to host clothing drop boxes at all three campuses. Accepted items include clothing, shoes, gloves, hats, linens, blankets or towels. Items dropped in these bins are diverted from landfills to be reworn, reused or recycled. Pictured with one of the new drop boxes are, from left, SWIC Director of Sustainability Karen Stallman, USAgain Community Recycling Specialist Carol Morgan and USAgain Division Manager Tom Jacquin.

SUSTAINABILITY CORNER BY KAREN STALLMAN

LEAF BURNING AND YOUR HEALTH Fall in the Midwest brings a beautiful display of colors and youthful excitement. At the same time, it is the beginning of leaf burning season for many Metro East communities. Leaf burning produces high levels of air pollution harmful to everyone -- especially the elderly, children and those with chronic heart and lung diseases. In addition to being hazardous to one’s health, open burning contributes to reduced visibility and is a known fire hazard. “Over 42 percent of Illinois residents suffer from asthma, bronchitis or other lung disease; or have allergies or heart ailments that are affected by leaf burning.” (St. Clair County Public Health Dept.) The open burning of leaves produces visible smoke that is composed of tiny particles which contain numerous harmful pollutants. If inhaled, these microscopic particles can reach deep into the lungs, causing serious health problems. Particle pollution can increase the chances of respiratory infection and trigger asthma attacks. Because leaves are often damp, they burn without proper air circulation, producing high levels of hydrocarbons. Hydrocarbons are harmful chemicals that can cause irritation of the eyes, nose, throat and lungs. Leaf smoke contains a significant number of hydrocarbons that are known carcinogens (substances capable of contributing to cancer). If you live in a community where burning is common practice, consider talking to your local representatives about a burn ban policy. Because of health concerns, more communities are offering alternatives such as green waste pick-up. Instead of burning your leaves, consider mulching or composting while allowing your lungs to breathe easier. There are no state laws prohibiting leaf burning in Illinois, but local governments can ban open burning. Municipalities also have the authority to regulate burning to specific times and/or weather conditions. To confirm the policy where you live, contact your city or village directly. The following Metro East communities have passed no-burn policies: • Belleville • Granite City • O’Fallon • Brooklyn • Glen Carbon • Scott Air Force Base • Collinsville • Highland • Washington Park • East St. Louis • Mascoutah • Edwardsville • New Baden For more information, contact Amy Funk with the University of Illinois Metro East Community Air Project at 618-514-7854.

SHOO, FLY, DON’T BOTHER ME Eww, fruit fly problem? If your farmers market finds are attracting unwanted visitors into your home, try pouring a small amount of apple cider vinegar or wine into a jar, cover it with plastic wrap and poke holes in it. The flies will be attracted to the liquid, but will be trapped inside the bowl. Clean and repeat every other day. ~st.louisgreen.com

HONORING ILLINOIS’ FALLEN In August, the United States flag and the state flag were flown at half-staff in honor of: • The victims of the tragedy in Oak Creek, Wis. In accordance with the Illinois Flag Display Act, the flags are flown at half-staff from sunrise to sunset on the day of the funeral of every fallen Illinois soldier and the two days preceding that day.

IT’S TIME FOR THE MUM SALE —The SWIC Horticulture Club will hold its annual mum sale Sept. 19 and 25 at the Belleville Campus Greenhouses. Mums will be for sale from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. both days. Associate Professor of Horticulture Kurt Range, pictured, sponsors the club.

SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT Professor Emeritus of Biology Leo Welch led a workshop at the American Association of University Professors Summer Institute on July 28 at Roosevelt University in Chicago. Welch, who is president of the State University Annuitants Association, presented on pension reform in Illinois and beyond. Minority Transfer and Multicultural Student Services Center Director Donna Moody has been selected to present at the Interdisciplinary Leadership Summit in St. Louis on Sept. 28. Moody will speak about bridging cultural divides with diverse clients. In August, Moody served as emcee for the Scott Air Force Base Icon Contest. The “American Idol”-style competition awarded one amateur vocalist a chance to compete against winners from all Air Force bases for a spot in the touring ensemble Tops in Blue. Professor of Biology Cinnamon VanPutte recently earned her blue belt in Brazilian jiu jitsu. VanPutte competes internationally and placed in the top 8 in the World Jiu Jitsu Tournament in 2011. She has started training for her purple belt and will be an assistant coach for the 2013 world tournament team.

GOT SOMETHING TO TALK ABOUT? Email [email protected] with your individual or department accomplishments.

ANNUAL CAMPUS SECURITY AND FIRE SAFETY REPORT Public Safety has posted the Annual Campus Security and Fire Safety Report at SWIC.edu/publicsafety/csr.

US SECURI P M TY A C

Campus Security Policies and Crime Statistics and Fire Safety Report: Pursuant to the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Campus Crime Statistics Act, previously known as the Federal Student Right-to-Know and Campus Security Act of 1990, the Department of Public Safety publishes and distributes an annual Campus Security Report and Fire Safety Report by October of each year. The CSR lists the campus crime statistics, on campus and surrounding public property, and noncampus facilities, for the

The CSR/FSR also outlines the Public Safety department’s authority,

FI

&

the years of 2009, 2010 and 2011. security policies, procedures for reporting crime, procedures for reporting sexual assaults/sex offenses and follow-up services, counseling and treatment services, crime prevention programs, accessibility of campus facilities, Substance Abuse Policy, and

RE

R O SAFETY REP 2012

2008 revisions of the Higher Education Opportunity Act with specific additions to hate crime reporting and emergency response and evacuation procedures, and missing student notification and fire safety issues for institutions that maintain an on-campus student housing facility. The annual CSR/FSR can be accessed via the Southwestern Illinois College website at SWIC.edu/publicsafety/csr, or a copy of the CSR/FSR can be obtained by contacting the Public Safety department at 618-235-2700, ext. 5221, or writing the director of Public Safety, 2500 Carlyle Ave., Belleville, IL 62221.

T

previous three years; for example the August 2012 report covers

TITLE III GRANT ENDS SEPT. 30 AUGUST 2012

Nicole Hancock works with students during her Basic Writing II class.

Title III refers to the U.S. Department of Education’s Strengthening Institutions Program and is commonly referred to as “Title III” for the section of the Higher Education Act of 1965 in which it is authorized (Title III, Section 311-315). Key contributors to writing the grant were Debbie Alford, Chris Leja and Joyce Ray. During the past five years, the grant has provided resources to faculty designing projects focused on improving instruction; improving institutional management through the use of technology; and improving the institution’s fiscal stability by matching local endowment funds. In accordance with the intent of the legislation to improve academic quality, one area of focus was curriculum redesign projects piloted in key developmental and gateway courses: Basic Reading, Basic Writing, Basic Writing II, Review of Arithmetic, Rhetoric & Composition I, General Education Statistics, Liberal Arts Mathematics, College Algebra, Principles of Biology I, Human Anatomy & Physiology I, Introductory Chemistry, Earth Science, Introductory Sociology and General Psychology. In each of the pilots, faculty revised curriculum by incorporating new instructional strategies, equipment or labs in order to improve student’s successful completion.



The Title III grant also provided funds for the implementation of learning communities to improve student engagement and retention, again, in key developmental and gateway courses. Four themed developmental learning communities were developed by faculty: Vampire’s Thirst for Blood (integrating Intermediate Reading with Basic Writing II), Gender Roles: Beauty vs. Brawn (integrating Basic Reading with Basic Writing), What Makes Me Tick? (Integrating Basic Reading with Basic Writing), and Addiction: Were you Raised to be an Addict? What is Your Poison? (Integrating Rhetoric & Composition I with General Psychology). One key to the success of the learning communities was the integration of Structured Learning Assistance (required weekly tutoring) provided by student tutors/mentors. Treasure Williams and Margaret Boone also created learning communities in two key gateway courses, Rhetoric & Composition I and General Psychology, on the topic of addiction.

Faith Christiansen and Judi Quimby work with students in the “Vampires” learning community.

Christie Highlander helps a student with ePortfolios in her paralegal class.

A third area of focus was the development of systems for the evaluation of student achievement in the general education core competencies across the curriculum. At SWIC, students continue to build their communication, reasoning and citizenship skills throughout their degree and certificate programs. The Outcomes Assessment Division assists faculty in designing assessments to evaluate student learning in these key competency areas. The grant supported 43 different core competency projects involving 49 faculty members and more than $21,000 in new instructional equipment and supplies, such as: clickers, curriculum-specific software, calculators, video cameras and pencasts/ smartpens. As a participant in a number of these projects, full-time faculty member Laura Dyer, Ph.D., noted, “For me, the Title III g rants have helped instill a renewed excitement in the classroom and for teaching. Over the last few years, I have had the opportunity to try new things with my classes that I probably would not have attempted without the support of Title III.” Title III funds also were used to evaluate the college’s general education core competencies through the use of electronic portfolios in assessing student learning. Three pilots were conducted using three different software platforms: LiveText, foliotek and ILAT Pass-Port. A number of SWIC faculty volunteered to assist with piloting each of the platforms and, as a result, the college can now design its own system to meet the specific needs of our disciplines, programs, faculty and students.



Another area of focus was faculty development. Over the past five years, Title III hosted one conference and sponsored (or co-sponsored with the college’s Faculty Development Division) 33 workshops and faculty learning circles in support of improving faculty instructional practices. These events targeted three areas: integrating active learning strategies in the classroom, improving connections with an increasingly diverse student body and integrating general education core competencies. These activities provided faculty the opportunity to learn from prominent educators and receive copies of related publications. Another faculty development initiative included the publication of a monthly Active Learning Strategies newsletter. In total, 27 issues were published during years two through five of the grant. In addition, Title III also purchased and/or donated 68 books to the SWIC library’s faculty development collection.

Samuel Betances, Ph.D., presented a workshop on cultural diversity.

In fulfilling the intent of the legislation to improve institutional management, online academic advising was established. Students now have the ability to track their progress toward completion of their degrees or certificates through eSTORM, a web-based portal.

by the system during counseling sessions.” A second initiative put forth through Title III was the launch of online new-student orientation. By providing online access to information vital to new student success, many students who

Students can self-generate degree audits and “what-if” scenarios to assess the consequences of making changes in their programs. To-date, students and college counselors have generated more than 182,000 degree audits. Counselor Linda Cowden, Ph.D. noted, “Basically, the reports are a quick and simple way to see what classes are left for a student to complete. Students appreciate seeing their various options when they are generated

would not have otherwise participated in an orientation program can now receive this information at their convenience. “Orientation is a proven retention strategy. Students who are aware of the resources and services at SWIC are more likely to participate in those programs, to become engaged with the college and to ultimately success,” notes Director of Success Programs Debbie Alford.

Title III also helped launch the Student Intelligence System (SIS). Using Microsoft® tools, a system was developed to provide timely and efficient access to enrollment and grades data for academic managers and faculty. Whereas users formerly had access to static reports, the SIS provides users with the capability to drill-down into the data and slice it based on student demographics such as age, gender, ethnicity, etc. As a result, users can complete more complex analyses and thereby improve academic, administrative and student support services decisions. Dean of Health Sciences and Homeland Security Julie Muertz notes, “Easy access to data at this level of specificity will be a tremendous benefit to coordinators in objectively assessing potential program and course retention issues.” Functionality is currently being developed to allow the tracking of new student cohorts through their degrees and programs to find where resources are most needed and can be most effective in improving student success and graduation rates. Pictured (from left to right): Laura Mondy, Nancy Homann, Mike Hinton and Linda Andres.

Pictured (from left to right): Donna Holesinger, Laura Mondy, Martha Giordano and Marilyn Quitmeyer

Title III legislation also helped improve the fiscal stability of the college. Title III funds were used to add $236,200 to the SWIC endowment fund, matching the funds raised by the SWIC Foundation, for a total endowment of $472,400. Including interest, the endowment has since grown to $481,081. This means the value of the endowment grew from approximately $49 per full-time equivalent (FTE) student in 2011 to $115 per FTE student in 2012. Growing the endowment will support longterm stability, upholding the college’s mission to remain affordable. An external evaluation completed in May reported that the staff members working on the grant have done an excellent job in meeting compliance requirements and achieving grant objectives. The evaluator believes this success be attributed to the capabilities, experience and knowledge of the grant staff. Members of the Title III team who have worked on the grant over the past five years include Activity Coordinator/Curriculum Specialist Donna Holesinger, Student Administration Technology Specialist Laura Mondy, Director Martha Giordano and Administrative Assistant Marilyn Quitmeyer.