TRF Open House, EGF Scholarship Ceremony, Invitation to Alumni, Perkins Monitoring Visit, & New Strategic Framework.

Although it has finally gotten cold and wintry outside, things are lively within Northland Community and Technical College!  In this update, I will cover:

• Thief River Falls Open House – Feb. 1
• East Grand Forks Scholarship Ceremony
• Invitation to Alumni
• Perkins Monitoring Visit
• MnSCU Board of Trustees Adopts New Strategic Framework

Thief River Falls Open House – Feb. 1

On Wednesday, Feb. 1, the Thief River Falls Campus will be open for inspection!  During the day, many regional high school students will come to campus to experience the life of a college student.  We have heard that Lincoln High School will send more than 140 juniors for this post-secondary exploration.

Students can either spend time in technical program labs or attend liberal arts classes.  A special session is scheduled for students who want to take classes or earn an associate’s degree with the intention to transfer to a college or university for a bachelor’s degree.  There is also a session that will share information regarding the college application process, career choice, financial aid, and learning services.  The NCTC choir will perform and the Aviation programs will have an information booth set up in the Gunderson Commons so that interested students can talk to program representatives without having to go to the aviation site at the TRF Airport.

In the late afternoon and evening (4-7 pm), the campus will be open to the community.  This time is considered an “Open house/open office” time.  A number of faculty and staff members will be available to visit with community members about the college, liberal arts and technical programs, student services, and financial aid.  College classrooms, labs, and shops will be open for tours.  The Northland Jazz band will perform in the Gunderson Commons.  Athletic coaches will be on hand to talk with students and their parents.

This is a great time to come out and see the campus.

East Grand Forks Scholarship Ceremony

On January 17, the NCTC Foundation held a scholarship ceremony for students on the East Grand Forks campus.  This was another wonderful event celebrating the accomplishments of our students.  Over $12,000 was awarded to 26 students.  Students who received fall semester scholarships were also recognized.

In total, the NCTC Foundation has awarded nearly $150,000 to Northland students this academic year.  This makes a tremendous difference in the lives of our students.  Often the scholarship makes the difference in allowing students to stay in college.

Invitation to Alumni

Perhaps you have noticed Northland alumni in our communities wearing a new “Alum” pin with the Northland logo?  The pin was designed to recognize our alumni and allow them to demonstrate their pride in having graduated from the college. This is an invitation to all alumni to register with the NCTC Foundation.  We really want to get back in touch with you.  In the next few months, the Foundation will increase its efforts to communicate and build an alumni association.  Go to the Northland website (www.northlandcollege.edu), select the “Foundation & Alumni” tab, select the “Alumni” tab.  A registration form will appear for you to fill out.  In response, you will receive a Northland “Alum” pin and a decal with the Northland logo.

Perkins Monitoring Visit

Periodically, institutions that receive federal Perkins funding undergo monitoring visits to assure that the investment is being appropriately used.  Northland teams up with Pine to Prairie Cooperative, in a consortium made up of 28 secondary schools in our region, to provide workforce education.

The Northland / Pine to Prairie Consortium will have a visit from state staff and Perkins Consortium leaders on Tuesday and Wednesday this week.  Dean Dalen, the college’s Learning Services Coordinator has pulled together the schedule and all of the documents that will be reviewed by the team.  We anticipate a positive review.

MnSCU Board of Trustees Adopts New Strategic Framework

Last week the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities Board of Trustees formally adopted the new Strategic Framework for the system that had been proposed by Chancellor Steven Rosenstone.  The one-page framework is available for review at:

http://www.mnscu.edu/board/summary/2012/summary-january.pdf

In brief, the framework commits to:

• Ensure access to an extraordinary education for all Minnesotans
• Be the partner of choice to meet Minnesota’s workforce and community needs
• Deliver to students, employers, communities and taxpayers the highest value / most affordable option

In the weeks and months to come, I will address how Northland is contributing to these goals.
Upcoming College Events 

Jan. 27- Pioneer Basketball at Itasca Community College – 6 & 8 p.m.

Jan. 28 – Pioneer Basketball at Fond du Lac Community College – 1 & 3 p.m.

Feb. 1 – TRF Campus Open House

Feb. 4 – Pioneer Basketball Alumni Week-end

 

My schedule for this week:

Mon., Jan. 23 – TRF – NCTC Foundation Board Meeting

Tues., Jan. 24 – TRF – Perkins Site Visit

Wed., Jan. 25 – TRF – Perkins Site Visit/Exit Meeting

Thurs., Jan. 26 – EGF

Fri., Jan. 27 – TRF – Community Housing Task Group meeting

Have a wonderful week.

Successful Transfer of Credit & Foundation Scholarship Ceremony

This week’s update will focus on two topics:

• Successful Transfer of Credit – MnSCU Report to the Legislature
• NCTC Foundation Scholarship Ceremony – Thief River Falls Campus
  

Successful Transfer of Credit – MnSCU Report to the Legislature

Responding to concerns about transferability of credits within Minnesota’s public colleges and universities, the 2010 session of the Minnesota Legislature passed a law requiring the Board of Trustees of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities to “develop and implement a plan to improve credit transfer within the system.”  The law also requires the Board of Trustees to report to the legislature by February 15 of each year through 2014.

The 2012 report will be reviewed by the Board of Trustees at its January 17 meeting.  It is available to review at http://www.mnscu.edu/board/materials/2012/jan18/asa-03-transfer.pdf

In brief, the report makes four primary conclusions:

• A study of best practices in transfer throughout other public systems in the United States reveals that the MnSCU system has implemented almost all of these best practices, including statewide collaborations, communication of policies, academic policies, and use of data.
• Ninety-one percent of students who transfer within MnSCU institutions do so successfully without experiencing problems.  Of the nine percent who have reported problems, one third were related to acceptance of Minnesota Transfer Curriculum (MnTC) courses and one third were related to course equivalency determinations.  Of those students who appealed after encountering difficulties, 90% were able to have some or all of their disputed credits accepted.
• The “Smart Transfer Plan” is well on its way to full implementation.  The plan focuses on five areas:
  • Colleges and universities will use a common format for course outlines, the primary documentation of course content
  • A complete evaluation of all Minnesota Transfer Curriculum courses was completed; course equivalencies are displayed in u.select, a course equivalency database.
  • Students will be automatically informed of their rights to appeal and the processes through which they can appeal transferability of credits.
  • Information related to transfer on all institutional home pages will be consistent and accurate
  • Advisors and other staff involved in transfer activities will receive on-going and consistent training.
  • Successful transfer is a major priority for the Chancellor and the Board of Trustees.

At Northland, we have embraced the steps underway to insure that students receive thorough advising and guidance in their choices of courses, programs, and majors.  We work with universities to bring representatives to our campuses to meet with students and help them make their transfer plans.  Our Academic Affairs and Standards Council works to insure that course outlines are clear in their communication of intended outcomes and course content.

 

NCTC Foundation Scholarship Ceremony – Thief River Falls Campus

On Thursday evening, Jan. 12, eighty individual students were awarded more than 130 scholarships by the NCTC Foundation in an event in the college theater in Thief River Falls.  Nearly $75,000 was awarded.

This was a great event – a celebration of academic excellence on the part of our students and a recognition of the generosity of the many donors who have supported student scholarships over many years.  Donors include private businesses, community organizations and individuals, including college retirees, NCTC alumni, educators and employees.  Several of the scholarships have been established in honor of or in memory of family members, friends, or notable individuals.

The tagline of the NCTC Foundation is “Enriching Lives through Investing in People.”  The truth of this statement was in high visibility last Thursday.  I was so pleased to see that nearly all of the student recipients were present to accept their scholarship certificates.  Many donors or representatives of donors were also in attendance to make personal presentations.  The college and the community work well together.  This ceremony is a great example of the support our students enjoy.  A similar scholarship ceremony will be held at the East Grand Forks campus on Tuesday, January 17^th.

Upcoming College Events

Jan. 17 – TRF Campus Health Fair –for employees, students & public – 12-2 – Gunderson Commons

Jan. 17 – EGF Campus Spring Scholarship Awards Ceremony – 7 p.m.

Jan. 18 – Pioneer Basketball vs. Rainy River Community College; 6 & 8 p.m.

Jan. 21 – Pioneer Basketball vs. Hibbing Community College; 2 & 4 p.m.

Feb. 1 – TRF Campus Open House

 

Schedule

My schedule for this week:

Mon., Jan. 16 – Martin Luther King Holiday – Travel to St. Paul

Tues., Jan. 17 – St. Paul – MnSCU Board of Trustees

Wed., Jan. 18 – Dakota County Technical College – MnSCU Board of Trustees, Travel to TRF

Thurs., Jan. 19 – EGF – Cabinet, Shared Governance Council

Fri., Jan. 20 – EGF – meetings

 

Have a wonderful week.

Focus on Student Services, Facilities, and Information Technology.

We are starting a new semester and a new year.  It always seems that the most difficult part of this transition is adjusting to writing a new year when I date a document.  I’ve already slipped up a couple of times, but find that folks are very happy to correct me.

While many of us were taking a break during the holidays, NCTC’s student services, facilities, and information technology employees were hard at work.  Today, I will focus on them.

Student Services

Several weeks ago, I talked about the new efforts Northland was taking to encourage greater levels of student success.  This included requiring students to obtain access codes from an advisor prior to registering for spring semester.  This process ensured that all students would talk with someone who could help them assess their progress, their time management abilities, and their likelihood of ending fall semester in good academic standing.  We believe that all of these good outcomes occurred –student success for fall semester will be analyzed after the spring semester is underway.

In addition to this, federal and state definitions of what “satisfactory academic progress” means changed during the last semester, requiring the college to suspend more students.  Suspended students have the opportunity to appeal this action, by providing information to an appeals committee, of factors that will insure a better outcome in subsequent semesters.

Unlike “normal” semester starts, we had a greater number of students filing appeals – many of them successful.  This required a considerable amount of time on the part of committee members who read the files and/or talk with student petitioners.  The staff must organize all of the documents to be considered by the committees.

There were a lot of last-minute registrations.  Before registering, new students must take the assessment tests to assure they take courses appropriate to their academic skills.  And, there was no end of activity for our financial aid people.

We have GREAT, committed, and passionate student services employees at both of our campuses.  Each one has a personal commitment to assuring that each student has his or her concerns addressed.  Please take the time to acknowledge their work.

Facilities

At the same time that we were working so hard to get students situated for the new semester, our facilities staff members at both campuses were taking advantage of slower traffic to get a lot of things done.  I have been on both campuses in the past week.  Floors have been washed, shampooed, and waxed.  Summer-time capital improvement projects got the finishing touches – including a new glass-in entry to the Automotive Tech program at Thief River Falls.  The employee lounge in East Grand Forks was relocated and classrooms were recarpeted.

I think we all appreciate the cleanliness of our campuses.  There is a pride of ownership that shines through and is noticed by people in our communities.

Information Technology

The absence of students for two weeks also gives the IT employees the chance to update all student-oriented computers on our campuses and get them ready for the new semester.  This is not a small job, considering that we maintain nearly 500 student computers.

Upcoming College Events

January 12 – NCTC Foundation Spring Semester Scholarship Ceremony – TRF Campus

January 13 – Pioneer Basketball at Vermilion Community College

January 14 – Pioneer Basketball at Mesabi Range Community College

January 16 – Martin Luther King Jr. Day – No Classes – College Closed

January 17 – Health Fair – TRF Campus

January 17 – NCTC Foundation Spring Semester Scholarship Ceremony – EGF Campus

January 18 – Pioneer Basketball vs. Rainy River Community College

January 21 – Pioneer Basketball vs. Hibbing Community College

February 1 – TRF Campus Open House

 

My schedule for this week:

Mon., Jan. 9 – St. Cloud and St. Paul – meetings

Tues., Jan. 10 – St. Paul – Leadership Council

Wed., Jan. 11 – TRF All-Employee meetings

Thurs., Jan. 12 – EGF All-Employee meetings

Fri., Jan. 13 – TRF – FBM meeting
Have a wonderful week.

Visit to Thief River Falls from Commissioners Phillips (DEED) and Tingersol (Housing) & Minnesota Budget Projection.

This will be the last “Weekly Update” of 2011.  With students and faculty off campus for a couple of weeks, I will also take a break until January 9.

I remember my Dad saying that, as you grow older, each year is a smaller and smaller fraction of your life — so, the passage of time seems to go faster and faster.  Well, I must be getting older, because this year has really flown by.  My weekend was filled with all those comfy activities that prepare a family for Christmas – baking, wrapping, sending off cards and packages, and enjoying the unseasonably warm weather as I bustled on my errands.

Last week was a busy one, filled with many important activities for Northland.  Today, I’ll talk about:

• Visit to Thief River Falls from Commissioners Phillips (DEED) and Tingersol (Housing)
• Minnesota Budget Projection and What it Means to NCTC
• Holiday Greetings

Visit to Thief River Falls from Commissioners Phillips (DEED) and Tingersol (Housing)

Last Wednesday, Dec. 14, Mark Phillips, Commissioner of the Department of Employment and Economic Development, and Mary Tingersol, Commissioner of Housing, arrived in Thief River Falls for a deep discussion of the shortage of affordable housing that has developed in the community because of the rapid growth of Digi-Key Corporation and growth of out-of-area student population at Northland.

Their plan was scheduled to arrive at 9:30 am but, because of fog, the TRF Regional Airport was closed.  Their plane diverted to Grand Forks and the group drove to Thief River Falls.  About 60 people gathered at Northland for the discussion.  Scott Knutson, of Community Partners Research, Inc. presented a study of the Thief River Falls housing situation.  Then, a variety of other speakers presented ideas on how the community could work together to encourage the development of housing options.  A TRF Housing Task Group has been formed and will work together into the future.

At Northland, our primary concern is for students.  Often, to get into an apartment, they must have first-month’s and last-month’s rent and a security deposit – often as much as $1,500 up front.  Also, many rentals require a full 12-month lease, while students may only want or need to rent for nine months.  More flexible, efficiency apartments would be beneficial to our students who come from outside the area.

At the end of the housing meeting, Commissioner Phillips and others met with NCTC personnel involved with the unmanned aerial systems programs.  Scott Fletcher presented a briefing on the importance of the emerging industry for Minnesota and the necessity for Minnesota to develop a proposal to be designated as a UAS integration test site.  In late 2012, the Federal Aviation Administration Reauthorization Bill will designate between four and six areas in the United States for this activity.  Commissioner Phillips pledged to move ahead with this activity.

Minnesota Budget Projection and What it Means to NCTC

On December 1, Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB) released its economic forecast.  Surprisingly, an $876 million surplus was projected for the current biennium (2012-2013); a $1 billion deficit was anticipated.  While this is good news for the state, does it have any impact locally on NCTC?

At the recent MnSCU Leadership Council meeting, Vice Chancellor Laura King said “This is not bad news, but it is not necessarily good news.”  What she meant by that was that colleges and universities can now anticipate that they will not lose additional funding within the current biennium.  But, the long-term outlook may not mean that institutions will have additional funding in the future.

So, Northland may have a breather for a year.  The budget we developed for fiscal year 2012 may remain stable through fiscal year 2013.  Rather than once again cutting our college budget, we may be able to hold steady and concentrate on building other sources of revenue and growing our enrollment.

For the 2014-2015 biennium, a $1.3 billion deficit is projected statewide.  Minnesota’s economy has performed better than the national average with a current 6.4% unemployment rate, compared with 8.6% nationally.  Minnesota has recovered 35% of its jobs lost during the recession, compared with 22% recovery nationwide.  But, the insecurity of national and international economic and political situations makes long-term prediction very difficult.

If the $1.3 billion deficit eventually is accurate and if reductions due to the deficit are spread proportionally across the Minnesota state budget, the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system will likely suffer additional $21 million cuts in each year of the next biennium.

As always, I will keep you posted as information becomes available.

Holiday Greetings

I wish you all the best as we pause for the holidays.  I hope you all have time to be with family and friends, to reflect on the reason for the season, and to gather your energy and enthusiasm for spring semester.

Upcoming College Events 

Dec. 19-20 – Book Buy-Back Rep at TRF & EGF Campuses

Dec. 20 – TRF Campus Employee Potluck and retirement recognition for Mary Dyrud

Dec. 21 – EGF Campus Employee Potluck and retirement recognition for Dee Olson

Dec. 26 – Holiday – college closed

Jan. 2- Holiday – college closed

Jan. 5 – Faculty In-Service Workshop

Jan. 6-7 – Pioneer Women’s and Men’s Basketball Tourney at NCTC

Jan. 9 – Spring semester begins
My schedule this week:

Mon, Dec. 19 – TRF, Digi-Key Graduation

Tues, Dec. 20 – TRF

Wed, Dec. 21 – EGF

Thurs, Dec. 22 – TRF – Cabinet

Fri, Dec. 23 – vacation

Have a wonderful week and a great semester break.  See you in 2012!

Strategic Fundraising Plan & MnSCU System Strategic Framework

This is that time of year when people fantasize about the excitement of the holidays – reunion with families, special events, music, great food, and giving and getting presents, and – maybe – time to relax.  Yet for our students and faculty members, there is an exquisite tension that underlies all of the holiday buzz.

Northland’s fall semester final exams end on Wednesday, December 21.  Next week will be filled with studying, finalizing projects, and taking exams.  On top of that, many of our students are working and taking care of families.  Many students who have come from outside of our communities are making arrangements to travel and must plan ahead for what to take home.  Faculty members will be evaluating tests, papers, and projects and rendering final grades.  Grades are due in the registrar’s office on Dec. 22.

Then, everyone can breathe a sigh of relief and start to enjoy holiday festivities.  WRONG!  Our student services staff will be working steadily to insure that grades are entered, grade point averages are computed, students are informed if their academic standing is in jeopardy, registration for spring semester is verified, and financial aid checks are available for the start of the next semester.  There is so much that underlies the academic process at Northland.  I deeply appreciate the dedication of our employees who put our students first.

In this update, I will discuss:

• Institutional Goals – Strategic Fundraising Plan
• MnSCU System Strategic Framework

Institutional Goals – Strategic Fundraising Plan

Northland has enjoyed great success and notoriety in its awards of two federal Department of Labor grants for development of unmanned aerial systems-related programming.  These awards resulted from proposals that demonstrated vision, collaboration, and innovation.

I believe that it is time for Northland to assertively work to identify other areas within the college that could attract the investment of donors or compete successfully for grant funding.  To this end, Northland will engage in a process, starting in January, to identify a set of college initiatives and priorities linked to current and projected foundation, corporate and federal funding opportunities.  Led by a consultant team with successful experience within MnSCU institutions, Northland will develop a comprehensive strategic fund-raising strategy that will align its resources and priorities to more productively secure increased philanthropic and public funding.

A steering committee is being identified with representatives from the Academic Affairs and Standards Council, the Shared Governance Council, the New Program Development Committee, and the Staff Advisory Council.  The kick-off for the process will be on January 5 – the spring semester in-service day for faculty.

MnSCU System Strategic Framework

I reported earlier this fall on the strategic framework Chancellor Steven Rosenstone had articulated.  In brief, the framework calls for system institutions to ensure access to an extraordinary education for all Minnesotans, to be the partner of choice to meet Minnesota’s workforce and community needs, and to deliver the highest value/most affordable option for students.

At the latest Leadership Council meeting (MnSCU presidents and the Chancellor’s Cabinet), greater detail for these initiatives was discussed.

All colleges and universities must take aggressive action on campuses to improve retention and completion of students, improve the transferability of credits and credentials, speed up student progress through developmental coursework, and slow the growth of tuition.  Northland has aligned itself with these goals through the access and opportunity program, recent revisions to developmental courses, a pilot program linking developmental English and math, and tuition increases at levels less than the maximum allowed by the system and the legislature.  We certainly have more to do and will willingly strive to find pathways for improvement.

A comprehensive workforce development plan is being developed through the MN Department of Employment and Economic Development and MnSCU.  Employment sectors have been identified; geographical regions of the state are being developed.  Data on employment and workforce training needs will be analyzed and deep conversations will occur with industry to determine what the data doesn’t reveal.  It is an ambitious goal – but, by summer 2012, there will be a statewide plan for workforce development that will involve academic and technical programs at MnSCU institutions, customized training, and the Minnesota Workforce Centers.

Additionally, Chancellor Rosenstone and Minnesota’s Commissioner of Education, Brenda Cassellius, have been formulating a common vision to assure that high school students are college ready by the time they graduate.  Exciting stuff!

Upcoming College Events 

Wed, Dec. 14 – Pioneer Women’s Basketball @ Turtle Mountain Community College- 6 p.m.

Fri, Dec. 16 – Sketch Book Send-Off – Sponsored by Art Dept. – TRF Cafeteria – 10 a.m.

Sat, Dec. 17 – Pioneer Men’s Basketball vs. Lake Region State College – 3 p.m.

My schedule for this week:

Mon., Dec. 12 – TRF

Tues., Dec. 13 – TRF – Staff Advisory Meeting, Fed Grant WebEX

Wed., Dec 14 – TRF – Jobs, Inc., Mtg. with DEED Commissioner, Governor’s Housing Task Force mtg.

Thurs., Dec. 15 – EGF – Foundation Executive Committee, Planning Mtg.

Fri., Dec. 16 – EGF

Have a wonderful week.