Igustavo Reyna named ANC's Spring 2021 Student Snapshot Recipient

 

Igustavo Reyna has been named ANC's Student Snapshot recipient for the Spring 2021 semester. Iggy is in the Steel Tech program. Congrats!

ANC Board of Trustees Meeting Highlights from 02/24/2021

 

On Wednesday, February 24, 2021, the Arkansas Northeastern College Board of trustees met via ZOOM teleconferencing for its regularly scheduled meeting where members welcomed new board member Mr. Gordon Miller of Leachville, AR. Mr. Miller was appointed to the board by Governor Hutchinson to fill the seat vacated by long-time member Sandra Kennett also of Leachville.

At the beginning of the meeting, ANC President Dr. James Shemwell read a resolution expressing the appreciation of the Board of Trustees of Arkansas Northeastern College and its College community to Ms. Kennett for her service. The Board approved the resolution and placed it in the permanent minutes of the ANC Board of Trustees for it to remain for historical purposes.

Members present were given an enrollment report by ANC Director of Student Services Courtney Fisher. 

Like enrollment numbers across the nation, the pandemic has led ANC to a slight decline for this Spring Semester with a total headcount of 1,220 as compared to last Spring’s number of 1,360. The total number of credit hours this Spring is 10,537 as compared to 11,593 last Spring. ANC was fortunate to show a smaller decline than most of its sister intuitions across the state. ANC staff contributes this to the college’s commitment to be flexible for students in its course delivery. ANC faculty have worked very hard to provide their students instruction utilizing a variety of methods including online and ZOOM teleconferencing.  

Mr. Scott Creecy, Physical Plant Director, gave a facility update including the need for a new roof on the Briggs-Sebaugh Wellness Center. The building’s roof was installed in 2005 and has surpassed the 12 year manufacturer’s warranty. Additionally, harsh weather has led to multiple leaks with last week’s snowstorm adding to the damage. The Board approved to replace the current roof at a cost not to exceed $190,000 including architectural fees.

In other news, Associate Vice President for Development and College Relations Rachel Gifford reported that ANC’s marketing team had been recognized by the Education Digital Marketing Awards. For eight years, Education Digital Marketing Awards (EDMA) have recognized the best educational websites, digital content, electronic communications, mobile media, and social media. Colleges and universities from across the country submit entries to be considered in one or more of 37 different categories. Entries are grouped by type of institution (2-year v. 4- year) and enrollment size. ANC was recognized with 10 awards, 6 Gold (the highest attainment) and 4 Merit. 

Considering the rapid and massive increase of digital students since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, digital marketing has become an elevated strategic priority. Gifford noted that ANC’s EDMA recognition is a direct reflection of the work of ANC’s marketing staff, Media Director James Hartley, and Webmaster Danny Graham. No two-year college in the United States was recognized with as many awards as was ANC. Also notable is the fact that roughly half of the 8th Annual EDMA winners list outside advertising agencies responsible for their ads/promotions. ANC’s digital ads are produced entirely in-house.

ANC Associate Professor of Life Sciences Lance Morris provided a report on ANC’s Strategic Planning Process which was approved by the Board. The FY21-23 Strategic Plan for the Arkansas Northeastern College was developed through a collaborative planning process. This process was guided by the College’s vision, mission, core values, and student learning outcomes. Development of the plan began in January 2019 and is a part of the College’s Quality Initiative for the Higher Learning Commission. A planning taskforce of forty-seven faculty, staff and administrators, representing all departments of the College, participated in the project with a goal to ensure the effective and efficient use of College resources. Data was collected from over 1,200 internal and external stakeholders. That information, along with current trends in higher education, was analyzed, prioritized and resulted in five strategic themes to be addressed in the plan. These themes were crafted into operational goals by the planning task force and forwarded to the Cabinet for editing and approval. The Cabinet added a sixth goal to include accountability and responsibility. The Vice Presidents then worked with their staff members to develop objectives and detailed action plans to accomplish each goal. The strategic plan addresses years 2020-2021 through 2022-2023. It is intended to be a “living” document that will be reviewed periodically and updated as is appropriate.

Board members were made aware that Arkansas Northeastern College has received two Regional Workforce Grant awards from the Arkansas Division of Higher Education in the amount of $122,000 for Allied Health and $29,000 for Computer Information Systems (CIS). The Board approved acceptance of the grants. The Allied Health Grant award will be used to purchase a state-of-the-art SimMan-3G. This technology will allow ANC to provide simulation training to supplement and enhance the clinical experiences of students in the Associate Degree Nursing, Practical Nursing, and Paramedic Programs. This simulation training helps develop student abilities in all three domains of learning: cognitive (knowledge), affective (attitude), and psycho-motor (skills). The Allied Technologies Grant award will be used to establish a Cisco Certified Network Associate lab to meet the workforce education and training needs of our business and industry partners. This need was established by the CIS Program Advisory Committee which determined that high level programming, networking, and coding were areas needed by local employers and that the Cisco curriculum was robust and rigorous enough to meet current and future industrial partner needs for IT professionals.

The Board also approved acceptance of an anticipated grant extension award of $15,000 by the ECMC Foundation Food Insecurity Grant. The ECMC Foundation announced the launch of its Basic Needs Initiative on November 19, 2019, funding grants for seven entities, including the Arkansas Community Colleges (ACC). ACC seeks to scale a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) outreach model across Arkansas’ 22 community colleges. The four pilot colleges involved in the ACC grant are the Arkansas Northeastern College, North Arkansas College, Phillips Community College of the University of Arkansas, and UA-Pulaski Tech. Each college agreed to develop and implement a SNAP outreach plan to address food insecurity among students by operating a campus food pantry and/or partnering with external providers to provide access to meals, as well as encouraging qualifying students with food insecurity needs to apply for SNAP benefits. Best practices developed at the pilot sites will be scaled to the other ACC colleges. 

ACC chose ANC as a pilot college due to its experience already working with SNAP recipients through the Arkansas Department for Human Services, as well as ANC’s already established collaboration with local organizations providing meals to the hungry. At its December 2019 meeting, the ANC Board of Trustees approved accepting a grant award of $60,000 ($30,000 per year) from the ECMC Foundation covering the period of January 1, 2020, through December 31, 2021. The onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, however, made progress on the grant during 2020 very difficult for all grant recipients involved. The ECMC Foundation has indicated a willingness to extend the grant term by six months, through June 30, 2022. This extension hopefully will allow for this initiative to function for a year with a more normal number of students on campus as opposed to the very low number of in-person students after March 2020 through the current Spring 2021 semester. ANC foresees spending the additional grant funds on meal stipends through its on-campus Sunshine Grille, by supplementing the College’s inventory of non-perishable food items already used to provide emergency nourishment for under-resourced students, including homeless students; and to fund part-time labor to function as a food pantry purchasing/inventory clerk. The Office of Community Relations leads the project for ANC, aligning with other supporting services for under-resourced students within that office, including the Opportunity Bus, success navigation, mentoring, Career Closet, and the Career Connect program.

Dr. Shemwell provided an update regarding the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplement Appropriations Act which was passed by The United States Congress and signed into law by President Trump in response to the pandemic.  CRRSAA includes funding to institutions to provide emergency financial aid grants to students whose lives have been disrupted, many of whom are facing financial challenges and struggling to make ends meet. CRRSAA also provides institutions of higher education funds to cover any costs associated with the pandemic, including significant changes to the delivery of instruction due to the coronavirus. The total amount allocated to ANC under CRRSAA is $1,289,031 by way of two grant awards. The grant award covering direct student aid is $283,441, matching the direct student aid portion under the CARES Act. The grant award covering institutional funds is $1,005,590. Executive staff is in the process of developing details and procedures for distributing the direct student aid portion, which under CRRSAA unlike CARES, requires a needs-based consideration. Executive staff recommends spending the bulk of the institutional CRRSAA funds on technological and functional upgrades to instructional spaces to allow for Internet-based broadcasting, such as Zoom, and to provide cameras and microphones such that remote students, both real-time and asynchronous, can experience a true virtual classroom alongside face-to-face students. These upgrades will provide ANC with maximum flexibility in the event of future pandemic situations, plus, more strategically respond to a massive increase in, and student recognition of, the convenience of remote learning. The College will have one year to fully expend the CRRSAA funding and allows capture of expenditures made after December 27, 2020, the date that President Trump signed the bill. The Board approved acceptance of the CRRSAA funds, both direct student aid and institutional assistance, allocated to the Arkansas Northeastern College totaling.

Dr. Shemwell also gave a report from the Arkansas Department of Higher Education (ADHE) that provided information regarding tuition, financial, and other statistics pertaining to Arkansas colleges and universities. The report informed the ANC Board of Trustees as to ANC’s performance and standing in comparison to other two-year colleges in the state. ANC offers the lowest tuition/mandatory fees of all Arkansas colleges and universities, as it has for many years, with the current amount of $2,840. The State average of $3,958 is 39% higher than that of ANC. Furthermore, ANC’s annual tuition/fees growth rate of 1.8% is well below the state average of 3.1% over the past five years. In terms of facilities, the presentation revealed that ANC has a smaller percentage (32.8%) of its overall facilities with maintenance needs as opposed to the state average (40.2%), an indication of ANC’s proactive approach to keeping its facilities in good operating condition. The last information presented revealed how each of Arkansas’ two-year colleges spends their revenues. ANC spends the highest percentage (49.7%) directly on instruction, nearly 10% above the state average (39.9%). ANC also invests a high percentage in the Public Service category, largely reflective of the College’s Community Relations outreach. The information provided by the state reflects that ANC spends more of its funds on instruction for students than on administrative costs.

American Greetings Donates Turkeys

 

Several ANC students received a blessing this past holiday season as American Greetings Corporation in Osceola donated approximately 40 turkeys to ANC for its food insecurities initiative. Through the College’s Community Relations Department, who partners with several local agencies, hungry students at ANC have the opportunity to receive food and snacks.  ANC was recently awarded an ECMC Grant to assist ANC's food insecurity students. The grant helped to create the ANC Food Pantry, which has a mission to end food insecurity in the lives of ANC students by providing them with access to food so they may focus on their academic endeavors. 

The Community Relations department works with Snap/E&T students to provide this service. The ANC Food pantry accepts donations from internal & external community partners. Additionally, ANC’s Success Navigator, Mr. Willie Williams, along with volunteer mentors from the community, provide workshops to help students learn changes they can make in their daily lives to eliminate this ongoing issue such as buying and preparing food on a modest budget.

This gift by American Greetings will help several students and their families have a nice meal for the holidays. “I was delighted when American Greetings Plant Manager (Osceola facility) Mr. Shannon Sullivan contacted me about donating the turkeys because I know how much this means to the students receiving them. We greatly appreciate the support of our community partners and companies like American Greetings who care about the wellbeing of our students and the people of our community,” added ANC President Dr. James Shemwell.

For more information about the ANC Food Insecurities Initiative or to donate, please call (870) 762- 1020 ext. 1458 or 1244. Donations made through the ANC Foundation are tax-deductible.

Navarro Chosen as Fall 2020 ANC Student Snapshot Recipient

 

Christina Navarro, Fall 2020 ANC Student Snapshot Recipient

𝗡𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗼 𝗖𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗻 𝗮𝘀 𝗙𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟬 𝗔𝗡𝗖 𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗦𝗻𝗮𝗽𝘀𝗵𝗼𝘁 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗽𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁

Arkansas Northeastern College Associate Degree Nursing student, Christina Navarro of Leachville, has been chosen as the ANC Student Snapshot recipient for the 2020 fall semester. Navarro was nominated by ANC Assistant Professor of Nursing & Allied Health, Kyra Langley. Langley noted that Christina is currently working as an LPN at Great River Medical Center while going to school to become a Registered Nurse. Langley said, “This is no easy task, but Christina handles the situation with grace and dignity. Each day she displays professionalism and integrity both in the classroom and in the simulation/clinical setting.” She went on to say, “She (Navarro) is respectful and polite to her peers as well as the faculty. She goes above and beyond to do her assigned work with detail. Her peers look to her for leadership and expertise and Christina humbly passes on that knowledge while also maintaining integrity to the fact that she is still learning and is a student herself.”

ANC's Associate Degree (RN) Nursing Graduates Performing at the Highest Level

ANC’s Associate Degree (RN) Nursing Graduates Performing at the Highest Level

Despite the challenges faced by the COVID-19 pandemic, Arkansas Northeastern College’s most recent Associate Degree Nursing graduates obtained a 100% licensure pass rate. This is an amazing accomplishment under normal circumstance, but with the sudden changes the pandemic forced on the program and students in the spring semester, this year’s pass rate is especially gratifying.

The licensure pass rate is based on completion of the National Council Licensure Exam for Registered Nurses (NCLEX-RN). The NCLEX-RN is the exam nursing graduates take to obtain their RN license once they have completed an RN program. The 100% pass rate reflects all first-time testers from July 1, 2019- June 30, 2020. For ANC there were a total of 35 graduates from the RN program who tested (29 from the 2020 class and 6 from the 2019 class).

ANC’s Associate Degree Nursing Program’s perfect pass rate was well above the state average for RN programs which was 84.9%, and also above the national average of 87.9%. These scores reflect the learning that was accomplished amid alternative course delivery and clinical setting changes. While the world has experienced changes due to the pandemic, the health care industry faced immediate, major changes that affected the method in which allied health students could continue their studies. This involved a move to ZOOM teleconferencing and online teaching from the onset of COVID-19 as well as utilizing virtual simulation and other exercises to a higher degree due to the inability to access healthcare facilities for on-site clinical learning. ANC nursing faculty worked earnestly to continue to prepare students in an ever-changing learning environment.

“We are so proud of how well the students did on their licensure exam especially considering the fact that the last eight weeks we completed all class content by ZOOM and clinical hours using virtual simulations, case studies, and other critical thinking activities. We honestly didn’t know what to expect and we were obviously thrilled by the results,” said ANC Director/Associate Professor of Associate Degree Nursing Tonya Pankey, M.S.N.,R.N., C.N.E.

“We are becoming more and more acclimated to new delivery methods for teaching and

communicating with our students,” said ANC Dean for Allied Health Brenda Holifield, M.S.N, R.N. “This has been a learning process for all of us and I am proud of the way we have all responded. Both our faculty and our students are working hard, and I believe the excellent pass rates are evidence of that hard work.”

With new processes currently in place in the Allied Health Division, Holifield is encouraging those interested in pursuing a nursing career to check out what ANC has to offer and to start now. Both the Associate Degree Nursing (RN) and the Practical Nursing (LPN) programs are currently accepting applications for their next cohort, which will begin in August 2021.

“If students will begin the application process now for the nursing programs, then they have the opportunity to complete prerequisites next semester before the next nursing class starts in the fall,” said Academic Advisor and Career Specialist for Allied Health Programs, Jackson Neil, R.N., B.S.N. Neil also added that now is the perfect time to explore interests in other allied health programs too, such as emergency medical technician, paramedic, nursing assistant and phlebotomy which all begin new classes in January.

“Students interested in our allied health programs, especially nursing and paramedic should not wait. Students can begin the application process now. Those interested are strongly encouraged to contact Mr. Neil as soon as possible to begin the process at 870-838-2984 or emailing him at jneil@smail.anc.edu ,” said Holifield.

ANC Board of Trustees Met via ZOOM - October 21, 2020

Members of the Arkansas Northeastern College Board of Trustees met via ZOOM teleconferencing for their regularly scheduled meeting on Wednesday (October 21) where they received copies of the Spark Magazine featuring works of art and literature by area elementary schools.

Elementary students from all Mississippi County Elementary schools submitted work for the
second edition of the Spark publication, which highlights the work of children grades kindergarten through sixth grade. While the initial publication of Spark last year featured students’ work for Blytheville, Gosnell, and Armorel schools, the second edition features artwork beyond the three initial schools to include Osceola, Rivercrest, and Manila school districts, as well as the KIPP School and the Delta School. Teachers from the respective schools collaborated with ANC faculty to collect the students’ work. Over 300 poems and pieces of art were submitted for this year’s publication. Awards for the selected winners were made by ACE Glass in Blytheville and laser-engraved by Sophisticated Stitch in Wilson, with both local businesses offering greatly discounted pricing in support of the effort. Forty submissions were selected for awards and special recognition. Awards were presented to students at each school in person by Dean for Arts & Sciences Ryan Perkins, Media Director James Hartley, and ANC’s Mascot “Ray.” Faculty and staff providing critical direction for the project were: Ryan Perkins, Dean for Arts & Sciences; Mallory Burnett, Instructor, English; and Danny Graham, Webmaster. Digital copies of the publication can be found on the ANC website.

Director of Student Services Courtney Fisher presented the College’s enrollment report for the Fall semester. While most colleges and universities across the nation have seen a significant decrease in enrollment due to the COVID-19 pandemic, ANC’s enrollment, while down, was higher than its staff’s earlier predictions. This may be partially due to the College’s larger online and ZOOM offerings. These offerings allow students to take classes without coming to campus, and ANC enrollment numbers show heavy increases for these types of classes. Fisher reported for this current semester the headcount for the 2020 semester is 1,358 compared to 1,562 in the fall 2019. Students enrolled in 12,058 credit hours this fall as compared to 13,182 last fall. ANC Faculty have worked hard to implement online and ZOOM classes and will continue to have such opportunities in the upcoming Spring 2021 semester.

The Board approved the hiring of four positions. Sarah Ellis has joined the staff as an Adult
Education Instructor; Maci Jones has accepted the position of Carl Perkins Coordinator, India
Kuykendall has been named as a TRIO EOC Advisor; and Mary Thomas is the new ADWORC Case Manager.

In other news, the Board heard a report regarding the recruitment of minority employees and
students. Arkansas Northeastern College is committed to the recruitment and retention of minorities represented in its faculty, staff, and students. To this end, various programs and activities have been instituted to accomplish this goal. Currently, minorities constitute 23% of ANC’s total employees and 32% of its student population. The purpose of the report is to document the progress of the College for the 2019-2020 academic year as it relates to the recruitment and retention of minority students, faculty, and staff. A copy of this report will be sent to the Arkansas Department of Higher Education in compliance with Act 1091 of 1999.

The Board also approved the acceptance of continuation of two grants. The Educational
Opportunity Center (EOC) is a program designed to assist adults 19 and older in returning to
education - in college, vo-tech, specialized school or GED programs. The program requires the advisors to serve 1,097 participants in Mississippi, Greene, Poinsett, Dunklin and Pemiscot counties in Missouri and Arkansas during each grant year. Services include help with enrollment and the FAFSA process. The Board accepted of the Educational Opportunity Center (EOC) Grant award for the 2020-2021 fiscal budget year for $391,147.

The Educational Talent Search (ETS) Program is a grant funded access program designed to assist school-aged children in grades 6-12 in programs and activities that guide them to college and careers. The program requires the advisors to serve 1,068 participants in 14 public schools in 3 counties throughout Arkansas and Missouri. Services include ACT preparation, financial literacy, FAFSA assistance, college tours, study skills enhancement, and more. The Board approved the acceptance of the Educational Talent Search (ETS) Grant award for the 2020-2021 fiscal budget year for $592,473.

ZOOM INET & ZOOM OPTIONAL Course Offering Methods and the New ZOOM Room were Major Topics in the Latest Board of Trustees Meeting

Members of the Arkansas Northeastern College Board of Trustees met via ZOOM teleconferencing on Wednesday, June 17, 2020, where they approved the renovations of a campus space for a new ZOOM Room.

ANC President Dr. James Shemwell reported to the Board that due to COVID-19 much of the College’s course delivery options had changed or been enhanced by technology to allow student to continue learning from remote locations. In addition to its traditional live classes and online courses, ANC has added to its delivery choices with many ZOOM Internet and ZOOM Optional classes. Many students appreciate these courses and prefer them to the traditional classroom.

“The number of classes our students are taking this summer term has actually increased, so we feel that they are getting comfortable with this new technology,” said Shemwell, who added that the ZOOM classes provide students with live feedback from classmates and instructors much like traditional classes.

Because of this, and to continue offering classes under social distancing guidelines, ANC has increased its ZOOM OPTIONAL and ZOOM INET offerings. ZOOM OPTIONAL offers a live classroom where the instructor is located, and the student has the option to attend the live classroom OR to attend the class remotely and simultaneously using the ZOOM teleconferencing. In ZOOM INET, instructors are teaching from a remote location and students may only attend via ZOOM teleconferencing. Either way, the class meets at a designated time and date with an instructor presenting the material.

Due to social distancing guidelines, ZOOM OPTIONAL live seating is limited and is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Therefore the Board approved a new ZOOM Room to provide an overflow space where students may still ZOOM into the class. The new ZOOM Room can also be used by any student for any ZOOM class as it will provide the necessary Wi-Fi connectivity to support the technology. Students coming to campus to participate in a ZOOM OPTIONAL class that is full will be directed to seating in the newly furnished, comfortable ZOOM Room, or they may go to any other remote area they wish as long as there is internet access. ANC provides free Wi-Fi in many of its parking lots, so students may even sit in their cars to attend a class.

“Technology has really opened up new avenues for our students. They can take online or ZOOM classes from home, which can solve problems with childcare or even work obligations. The flexibility we are offering students should alleviate many of the barriers that students have faced in the past, and the new ZOOM Room will give them a comfortable space on campus to relax while taking classes,” said ANC President Dr. James Shemwell.

ANC Vice President for Management Information Technology Services and Chief Student Affairs Officer presented a summer enrollment report to the Board. The numbers indicate a light increase over 2019 in the credit hours being taken. Headcount for Summer 2020 was 60 students less than 2019, but the student semester credit hour was 2,171 this summer as opposed to 2,132 in 2019.

Arkansas Northeastern College received notification of grant continuation from the Arkansas Department of Career Education for the Adult Education Program. The Board approved acceptance of the grant which includes the funding of four grants to be used solely for Mississippi County and totaling $358,725.22.

Before adjourning, the Board recognized the June 30, 2020, retirement of ANC Vice President for College Readiness Sherri Bennett who has 25 years of service to the College. Members of Bennett’s family and representatives from the departments she has overseen joined the ZOOM meeting for the reading of Resolution #75. The resolution expresses the appreciation of the Board of Trustees of Arkansas Northeastern College and its College community to Ms. Sherri Bennett and honored her with the declaration that she be designated Vice President Emeritus of the College and spread Resolution #75 on the permanent minutes of the Board of Trustees.