Community Employers Meet at ANC

Local representatives from business, industry, and education gather at ANC's Governors Ballroom to hear details about the newly revived WORK Program.

WORK Program Coordinator Doug Echols explains the attendance policy of the Work Orientation and Retraining Keys Program to representatives of business, industry and education to emphasize that participants in the program will be expected to be dependable employees.

Community members from all sectors including business, industry, Workforce Services and education gathered for breakfast at the Governors Ballroom, on the campus of Arkansas Northeastern College, Friday, August 15, to learn about the newly revived WORK Program. Workforce Orientation & Retraining Keys (WORK) is a sixty clock hour program designed to lift under-skilled local residents living in poverty out of poverty and, simultaneously, advance economic development by expanding the local workforce.

 

“Through industry and community support, this program will reach out and find people who currently are not supporting themselves and give them the opportunity to learn the skills to be productive in the workforce. Not only is the WORK Program free to participants, it also incorporates an incentive pay to the students as long as they continue to meet the demands of the program, including showing up for each class on time,” said Dr. James Shemwell, President of Arkansas Northeastern College.

The eight-week program represents a comprehensive partnership effort among Arkansas Northeastern College, the Great River Economic Development Foundation, the Mississippi County Equal Opportunity Commission, area industries, community and faith-based leaders, and the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation, and is offered to participants at no cost.

New Certificate Program in General Industry Technology

In its efforts to prepare individuals for the local job market, Arkansas Northeastern College is proud to offer a new Certificate Program in General Industry Technology.  Requiring only 16 credit hours (five or six courses depending on the electives taken), the General Industry Technology Program offers interested individuals a quick option for preparing for the Mississippi County manufacturing workforce.

The General Industry Technology Certificate Programis eligible for federal financial aid. Additional funding opportunities are also available to students and can be explored with members of the ANC Financial Aid staff.

“This new certificate program in General Industry Technology will develop basic skills and knowledge that could be useful in applying for a position with an industrial employer,” said Gene Bennett, ANC Dean for Economic Development who added that holding such a credential could be beneficial for someone looking to get his or her foot in the door with local industry. “We have lots of job growth facing us here in Mississippi County. This certificate could be the ticket for someone wanting to get a job with one of our industrial employers.”

Given the prospect for industrial growth throughout Mississippi County, this new offering will help students, who complete the program, delineate themselves fromother applicants as they will be able to bring needed skills to the workforce. With courses such as Basic Electricity, Industrial Safety, and Introduction to Manufacturing, students will receive a general knowledge and preparation of different areas of a manufacturing plant.

“This program offers a wonderful opportunity to learn the employability skills needed to find work in our local job market and to do so in a relatively short amount of time,” said Bennett.

With courses for the program being offered both day and evening and in Blytheville and Osceola, students have flexibility in managing their schedules. Still, to ensure class availability and the opportunity for additional financial assistance, individuals are encouraged to enroll now.

Because the new program in General Industry Technology has been designated as Trimue Pathways Travel Stipend eligible, students living in Mississippi County may receive financial assistance with their travel expenses.  Gas vouchers will be offered on a first-come, first-served basis to General Industry Technology studentsthrough the ACE Advising Center. Students enrolling in the program could receive a travel stipend (roughly equal to $40 every two weeks) if they meet regularly with an advisor and demonstrate satisfactory progress.

“The goal is to break down barriers for students and help promote intensive, one-on-one counseling to increasestudent success and to incentivize certificate programs with local job demand,” stated ANC President Dr. JamesShemwell.

“It’s just another way that ANC can help students while also training for our local workforce,” added Bennett.

Anyone interested in this program or other ANC offerings should contact the Admissions Office at 870-838-2948 to get started. Registration is currently ongoing for the fall semester, but once classes begin it will be too late to enroll.  

“Trimue Pathways Travel Stipends and course availability cannot be guaranteed, so interested individualsshould call as soon as possible,” said Bennett.

 

ANC and ART Partner to Provide Internship for Aviation Maintenance Students

In an effort to establish a stream of highly qualified job applicants for the aviation maintenance workforce, Arkansas Northeastern College has partnered with Aviation Repair Technologies (ART) in Blytheville to provide an internship program for its aviation maintenance students. The desire is to provide incentive to students to complete the program and become certified aircraft maintenance technicians.

This relationship should mutually benefit both parties as well as the students served by fulfilling the needs of ART for a qualified entry level workforce and supporting ANC’s effort to build a viable Aviation Maintenance Program that will benefit residences of Northeast Arkansas.

Though in its initial planning phase, the desire is for ANC todevelop students for ART to interview for possible acceptanceas an ART intern who will also attend the ANC Aviation Maintenance program.  ANC will establish a late afternoon cohort dedicated to (but not exclusively) ART interns. This cohort will meet four days a week for six hours each day. The total time from start to completion is estimated to be twenty-six months.

Because of the commitment on the part of the student, ART has agreed to provide interns with a minimum of 30 hours of paidwork per week with the opportunity to work additional hours, if required, during periods when there will be no classes. No hours are guaranteed by ART but it is hoped that a steady, weekly,workload can be maintained so the interns derive a steady flow of income while being full-time students.

Though ART will not cover the cost of tuition, fees and books, intern students will have the same funding options available to them as other ANC students. This includes federal financial aid and privately funded scholarships. To be retained in the Aviation Maintenance Program, interns must follow all policies and requirements of the ANC program. They must also maintain a2.5 grade point average.

The decision to hire full-time or remove students from the intern program rests solely with ART, but does not extend to the student’s status in the ANC program. ART will determine the number of interns it accepts each semester.

Registration for the Fall semester aviation maintenance courses is currently underway. For more information, contact the ACME Center at 870-762-2726.

ANC Implementing Big Changes

ANC IMPLEMENTING BIG CHANGES

Arkansas Northeastern College will be implementing some big changes this spring in an effort to focus on student success, ANC will add a new advising center to its campus to allow more intensive academic and career counseling to students. Designed to provide professional guidance in the whole process of enrollment, from placement testing to career and goal setting, the new format will offer students a very hands-on approach in their decision-making on the front end. The new ANC Advising Center will utilize data analysis and test scores to direct students toward paths where their interests and aptitude intersect.

"By helping students get started right, we hope to help them be more successful in their endeavors. Our new process will blend an intrusive advising platform with the traditional faculty/mentor approach," said ANC President Dr. James Shemwell.

According to Shemwell, new students will receive the thorough, intrusive management of a professional College and Career Advisor for as long as students need. Once a student is on the right path and feels comfortable with his or her direction, he or she will be transitioned to a faculty advisor. Ideally this will occur following the first semester or first year. This ensures that students will receive additional help in all areas of academic and career readiness.

"These super advisors will take the time to investigate each student’s situation—his or her work obligations, placement levels, career goals, and much more. They will have onsite access to tutoring and testing. By the time a student has finished with his initial advisor, he or she should be positioned to achieve his or her educational and career goals," added Shemwell.

Time may seem like the impossible caveat in this procedure, but another major change in the College’s practices has eliminated that concern. The registration process will no longer be compressed into a two or three day span of time with long lines. Registration for summer and fall classes began on April 22 and will stay open until just before the start of classes. The idea is to allow students the time to come and meet with the advisors early and begin the process of being properly assessed and prepared to enroll in the appropriate courses.

"It is a very new concept for us and we are excited about it," said Shemwell. "This method of open registration allows more individual attention to be paid to each student and allows the student the opportunity to be better placed in a training program or program of study more fitted to their strengths, thus improving their potential for success. Additionally, it provides more opportunities to garner the financial aid needed."

While students will have more days to register for classes, there will be a cutoff date and absolutely no late registration. According to Shemwell the data shows that students who register late are significantly less likely to succeed. "It makes sense given the amount of planning necessary for becoming a college

student. Those who plan for it are more successful than those who just wake up on registration day and decide for whatever reason that they want to go to college." So, the message is clear, potential students need to plan ahead and prepare for college. ANC is willing to provide the professional assistance they need to help them succeed. As part of that mission, ANC is following the national trend of focusing on student success and will be implementing a more rigorous requirement on placement testing. Students scoring a 15 or above on the ACT test or equivalent on the

COMPASS test will have every ANC program of study as an option. Students scoring an 11 – 14 on the ACT or equivalent on the COMPASS will have a more defined menu of programs available to them as well as tutoring opportunities to increase their scores. ANC is home to an Adult Education Program which offers Skills Tutoring at no cost for individuals interested in College but who score a 10 or below on the ACT or equivalent COMPASS score.

"These new policies, based on years of data, will help us avoid setting a student up for failure. Now, we will have the opportunity to appropriately place students on an attainable path," added Shemwell.

In addition to the new advising center and changes in the registration process, the College has redesigned all of its developmental courses to provide students with the opportunity to progress through these courses more quickly and shorten the time to degree completion. Students who need remediation may also work prior to enrollment to improve their placement scores, with the potential to bypass the developmental courses altogether. A new credit math course, Mathematical Applications, has been developed to provide all career and technical students with only the specific math skills that are necessary for their chosen major. All of these courses are modularized and offered in a technology assisted format.

While the career and technical programs are regularly reviewed to ensure the content is relevant, these programs are being redesigned to identify any nonessential content and develop alternative delivery methods. All of these changes are being made in an attempt to increase student’s opportunity for success through technology assisted instruction, reducing seat time whenever possible, and reducing time to completion through the elimination of nonessential coursework.

Students who have skills learned through work or prior training experience may find that they are eligible for college credit for those skills. The College recognizes that much learning takes place outside the walls of the College. Some of this learning is comparable to knowledge gained in the classroom. This type of learning is referred to as "experiential learning" or prior learning assessment (PLA) and will be evaluated for credit. Students who feel they may be eligible for PLA should discuss the possibility with their advisor to determine if credit for prior learning in an option for them.

Each of these changes is being implemented solely for the purpose of increasing student success. "We are no longer as worried about the number of people coming in our doors as we are those going out the doors with some kind of credential," said Shemwell. "We understand that we may have fewer people enrolled in the short run, but we expect to see more people successfully finish, and that is more important."

Students interested in Arkansas Northeastern College and the programs it has available can visit the website at www.anc.edu or call the Admissions Office to get started at 870-838-2948.

Info for 2013 Graduation Ceremony Participants

Graduation Ceremony Participants, you and pick up your Cap & Gown Wednesday, April 24 - Friday, May 10 from 8am-12:30pm or 1:30pm-4:30pm in Statehouse Hall Room S117.

You must see Rosemary Lowe to receive your apparel!

Also, don't forget, graduation rehearsal will be Thursday, May 16 at 6:00pm in the Briggs/Sebaugh Wellness Center.  Please allow about 45 minutes.

If you have any questions, contact Rosemary Lowe at rlowe@smail.anc.edu.

ANC wins Softball Jamboree

 

The Arkansas Northeastern College Intramural Co-Ed Softball team won the four team jamboree that took place at Mid-South Community College in West Memphis, Arkansas. ANC along with Mid-South Community College of West Memphis, AR; Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas from Helena-West Helena, Arkansas; and East Arkansas Community College from Forrest City, Arkansas.

ANC went undefeated on the day and with only 8 players!!! The students had a great time and enjoyed getting to play softball!

IMPORTANT MESSAGE for Returning Students

 

Arkansas Northeastern College has a NEW OPEN REGISTRATION format. No longer will registration be limited to two or three days; however, there will be absolutely NO LATE REGISTRATION!!!

Beginning April 22, ANC will open registration for the Summer AND Fall semesters.

YOU NEED TO MEET WITH YOUR FACULTY ADVISOR BEFORE THIS SEMESTER ENDS! Faculty advisors may NOT be available during the Summer.

Start planning your Summer AND Fall schedules NOW to insure that you are enrolled in the courses you need.

Again, there will be NO late registration! You will NOT be allowed to enroll in a course once classes begin.

Mid-Term Tips from ANC Faculty & Staff

Stock image courtesy of stock.xchng user shho

There are two distinct times of the semester when students may feel their most stressed and vulnerable: mid-term and final exams.  Whether it's not knowing what to study, the classic good-in-class-horrible-at-tests syndrome, or just general nervousness, you and many others could be in zombie mode (after pulling all-nighters to cram), hyper mode (from insane amounts of coffee or energy drinks to offset late-night study sessions), or helpless resignation to the testing powers.  However, this can all be avoided with the right preparation and mindset.

Mid-term exams will be held this week at Arkansas Northeastern College.  There are several great resources on campus to help you both learn study skills for mid-terms and increase your odds of success anytime during the semester.  In this blog, several ANC faculty and staff members have come together to give tips and advice for mid-term week that are also helpful throughout your educational career.

• The Academic Success Center (ASC) is housed in the Adams/Vines Library Complex. Learning labs offer individualized instruction in the areas of mathematics, reading, writing, and vocabulary development.  ASC Mentor/Instructor Dr. Bridget Shemwell and the regular staff of the ASC, along with certified tutors and volunteers, work with individuals needing help, both on a drop-in and appointment basis. The staff also maintains a shelf of free materials addressing specific problems, such as procedures for writing essays and term papers, punctuation reviews, and other useful materials. For more details, contact Pat Ellis.
• TRiO Student Support Services (SSS), located in Statehouse Hall, promotes the development of a college climate supportive of the success of students.  As a participant, students can receive individual or small group tutoring from qualified peer or professional tutors.  Tutoring is available in developmental, general education and specific courses. In addition, computer assisted tutoring is available on an individual basis.  In addition to free tutoring, the program offers academic advising, career and personal counseling, and assistance in acquiring financial aid.  SSS also provides various study skill workshops during the academic year to assist students in preparing for course-work and improving their grades.  For more information about qualification guidelines, contact Director Lisa McGhee.
• Lance Morris, Biology instructor, says that for any class, time management skills are a must.  Setting aside time to study in the days before your exam, rather than putting it off until the day (or night) before is crucial.  Give yourself plenty of time to review and reabsorb the materials, and save exam eve as a time to go back and refresh.
• Mr. Morris also suggests that for Biology and many of the sciences, repetition is the key.  Rewrite your notes, copy a friend's notes (two minds are better than one), and flashcards for basic terms/definitions are all great tools to help hammer the ideas home.  Reading your  notes out loud, or having a friend read your notes out loud, can sometimes jog your memory.  Using colored pens with typing paper to create diagrams with labels are great, particularly with body systems, cell parts, and such.  Forming study groups with others in your class is also helpful.  He also suggests going to the web for tutorials at YouTube and Khan Academy on nearly every subject.
• For midterm exams and major essays, English instructor Julie Dorris states that many instructors are looking for critical thinking skills. Understanding contextual information is important, but you need to be able to interpret information from lecture, especially for essay questions on exams. And even though it may sound very basic, make sure essays are complete with an introduction paragraph, multiple support paragraphs, and a clear conclusion paragraph. You'd  be surprised how easy it is to make simple mistakes from nervousness or lack of sleep.  Always remember to read over and revise any paper, short answer, or essay question that you've completed. You want to catch your mistakes before your instructor does.
• History instructor Jillian Hartley expects much of the same from her students at Mrs. Dorris.  You need to be able to understand the information and put it into the proper context.  She adds, "I'm obviously looking for historical perspective and the accurate use of facts, but the main focus is developing the skills to analyze, synthesize (this is a big one with history) and critically think."
• If it's not been emphasized enough, Criminal Justice instructor James Hartley also notes that the content and structure of essays are the most important part of his exams.  Hone your skills by studying your lecture notes and practicing writing.

Best of luck on your mid-terms!  Do you have more suggestions that you'd like to share with students?  Leave a comment with your most helpful testing tips.

ANC Music Department presents Musical Moments

The ANC Music Department will present "Musical Moments:Vocal and Chamber Music" on Sunday, March 10, 2013, at 3:00 p.m. in the Adams/Vines Recital Hall at Arkansas Northeastern College, located at 2501 S Division Street in Blytheville.

The music of Handel, Mozart, Mendelssohn, Brahms, Finzi, and Loewe will be featured by the ANC Chamber Singers, with the KIPP Singing Scholars, under the direction of Sean Colonna, as special guests.  The groups will be accompanied by Grant Harbison, Baroque Trumpet, and Lauren Schack Clark, Pianist.  Dr. Keith Hearnsberger, Baritone, and Dennis Hay, Accompanist, will also perform.

For more information about the ANC Choirs, contact  Dr. Keith Hearnsberger at khearnsberger@smail.anc.edu.

Kennett High School Wins Quiz Bowl

Kennett High School quiz bowl team wins first place at annual ANC Invitational Quiz Bowl Tournament.

Eleven area high schools were on the ANC Blytheville Main Campus Friday, February 22, 2013, for the annual invitational quiz bowl tournament.  Participants visited from   Armorel, Manila, Buffalo Island Central, Marked Tree, Riverside, Crowley's Ridge, and Greene County Tech in Arkansas, and Caruthersville, South Pemiscot, Campbell, and Kennett in Missouri.

After a grueling day of tough competition, Kennett was declared the champion, with Greene County Tech in second and Riverside in third.

For more information about quiz bowl, contact Deanita Hicks, Chairperson of Communications and Humanities, at dhicks@smail.anc.edu.

Secondary Center Students Take 1st place

Welding students win first place in competition. (L to R) Kenneth Edwards (Blytheville High School), Andrew Simpson (Manila High School) and Taylor Cannon (Blytheville Charter School). 

 

ANC Secondary Center students took first place in the vocational division of the fourth annual Northeast Arkansas Weld-a-thon, hosted by Arkansas State University-Newport and Ozark Gas.

The school was awarded with a trophy and an ACE portable fume extractor.   Each winner received a full tuition scholarship to ASUN along with a Lincoln welding hood and a gear bag.  

There were more than 40 students from 14 area high school and technical programs competing in the event.  ANC secondary center students that won were Kenneth Edwards of Blytheville High School, Andrew Simpson of Manila High School, and Taylor Cannon of Blytheville Charter School.  The instructor is David Davis.

For more information about the secondary center, contact Angela Dixon at adixon@smail.anc.edu.

ANC Basketball Undefeated in Tourney

The ANC intramural basketball team went undefeated at the ASU Intramural Basketball Tournament, held on Saturday, February 23, 2013.  The first place win was exciting for all and a great finish to a great season.

ANC first defeated East Arkansas Community College 73-49.  The men then went to play against ASU Mountain Home, with a final score of 52-48.  They clinched their winning status with a  53-45 win against Phillips Community College in the Championship Game. ASU Beebe and ASU Batesville also played in the six-team tournament.

For more information about intramural sports, contact Matt McCord at mmccord@smail.anc.edu.

ANC Singers Selected to Participate in AIC

The Arkansas Intercollegiate Chorus (AIC) took place at the Arkansas All-State Music Conference February 14-16 in Hot Springs. Eight singers from the ANC Music Department were selected to participate by audition. These students included Caala Fagan, Kalesha Johnson, Ty Mitchell, Amy Jo Wells, Chris Hickingbottom, Zack Chipman, Quinton Adams, and J. Reid Lee. 

AIC is comprised of auditioned singers from various higher education institutions from across the state. Dr. Kent Hatteburg (University of Louisville) served as clinician, with Dennis Hay (ANC) accompanist.  

Dr. Keith Hearnsberger, R & S Chair for the Arkansas Chapter of the American Choral Directors Association, coordinated the event. 

For more information about the event or the ANC choir programs, contact Dr. Hearnsberger at khearnsberger@smail.anc.edu.