Smiles for Scholarships

At a reception held in the Lincoln Theatre May 13 in honor of President Moeller’s retirement, The Friends of Dr. M. Valeriana Moeller contributed a total of $40,000 to the Campos-Moeller Scholarship Fund. Presenting the award to Dr. Moeller are, from left, Chairman of the Columbus State Board of Trustees William Dolan, Rick Sellers, treasurer of the Development Foundation Board of Directors, and Matt Kelly, executive director of the Development Foundation, Inc.

 

 

Dispatch columnist features Columbus State student, faculty member

In Wednesday's Columbus Dispatch, columnist Joe Blundo wrote about student Ken Lawton and the MH/CD/MR program's Community/Habilitation Assistant Certificate. The 28-credit-hour program is for students with developmental disabilities, who can read at the 5th-grade level. In the article, Jackie Teny Miller explains how the program empowers students and enables them to get jobs, and retired Chairperson Lenore Schniederman recounts how she first started the program. You can read the entire article here.

"CONGRATS, GRADS!"

Largest-ever class starts new phase

A record class—724 strong—received diplomas at Columbus State's Spring Graduation on June 12.

Some 20 graduates made it with a perfect 4.0 GPA, including valedictorian Paul Case. Case was a former construction worker who fractured two vertebrae in a fall, then came to Columbus State to study Construction Management.

The keynote speaker was State Treasurer Kevin Boyce, who told the graduates that with education comes the responsibility to make a difference.

Watch our commencement video:

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Opening Doors: Program aids students with autism spectrum disorders

Adjusting to college is hard for anyone, but Columbus State and its partner, the Educational Service Center of Central Ohio, are working to make it a little easier for one group of students.

This year several students are participating in the Autism College Transition program, or ACT. This program helps students with autism spectrum disorders make a smooth transition to college. Columbus State and the ESC hope it will be a model for other colleges, says Learning Specialist Matthew Wilson.

The autism spectrum, a series of conditions that impair an individual's ability to communicate and relate to others, includes autism, Asperger Syndrome, Rett Syndrome, Pervasive Developmental Disorder and Childhood Disintegrative Disorder. About 1 in 150 people are diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder, including 1 out of 94 males, according to autismspeaks.org.

The ACT program gives a year of extra support to students on the spectrum. Wilson is a full-time advisor for the students. The ACT team also includes a part time Mental Health Specialist and a part time Transition Specialist, as well as other personnel and supports from the Educational Service Center.

Students in the program get primers on campus services, the student code of conduct, etiquette in the college classroom and career counseling. The team members from the program assist the students as they self advocate with their professors and other Columbus State faculty and staff. College success and independence are the main goals.

Students on the spectrum have a hard time picking up social cues, although they're usually good with facts. Many students on the spectrum are intimidated by college, and so they never get to exercise their full potential.

"They all have these amazing talents for things I'll never be able to do," Wilson says.

Students in the program had years to figure out their high school classmates, but college puts them with an entirely new group of people. One student, Brittany, said college is a lot bigger than her high school, and she appreciated help getting her bearings.

Wilson says that the program is being designed so that it can be replicated by other colleges. "In the meantime there is plenty to do right here at Columbus State," he says. "We expect that the number of students in ACT will double every year for the next three years."

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Start Here, Finish at Franklin: Agreement expands bachelor's degree options

Thanks to a new agreement, it's easier for Columbus State Community College students to finish their bachelor's degrees at Franklin University.

Under the new agreement, announced March 2, students can take three years of classes at Columbus State, then transfer to Franklin University for a fourth year and graduate with a bachelor's degree.

The two colleges have had these degree completion agreements since 1999, but the deal expands those offerings. Now, students can use the agreement for any of Franklin's 21 undergraduate majors.

Although Columbus State offers only two-year degrees and certificates, it has degree completion agreements with dozens of colleges around the state. Find out more on our Transfer Students Page.

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Little Rembrandts: Columbus State Child Development Center adds art

Columbus State's Child Development Center is packed with amenities, including a new art studio. See as students exercise their creativity in this latest video.

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First in Students: Columbus State now the largest community college in Ohio

Columbus State now the largest community college in Ohio; third largest among all colleges and universities in the state.

With 24,237 students, Columbus State has become Ohio's largest community college.

The Ohio Board of Regents released the rankings October 22. Columbus State has also risen to No. 3 in enrollment among all Ohio colleges and universities, trailing only The Ohio State University and the University of Cincinnati.

There are now more freshman and sophomore students at Columbus State than at any other college or university in Ohio.

Autumn quarter enrollment at Columbus State grew by 5.8 percent this year over the 22,913 students attending the college at the same point last autumn. Columbus State's enrollment increase of 1,324 students topped all other colleges and universities in Ohio.

"We were thrilled to see these results," said Columbus State President Valeriana Moeller. "Many people at this college have been working very innovatively to make college more accessible and to meet the goals that Governor Strickland and Chancellor Fingerhut have set for higher education in Ohio."

She added, "We work hard to give students what they want: highly respected programs, small classes, individual attention, convenient courses, and very affordable tuition."

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A Family Celebration: CSCC marks biggest-ever graduation

The crowd came to its feet as the graduates - the largest graduating class in Columbus State history - came marching in.

The crowded auditorium became a sea of waving hands as family members found their graduates. The hall filled with whoops of jubilation and at least one air horn.

This wasn't some stuffy college ceremony. This was a family celebration.

Columbus State's Spring 2008 graduation took place June 13 at Veteran's Memorial Auditorium, and it was the college's biggest yet. A record 741 students petitioned to graduate, 184 of them with honors. Hundreds attended the ceremony - and they all brought friends.

The family of Chantal James came in 20 strong. Her twin children, O'Zyon and Zachariah, waved ribbons and cheered as their mother received an associate of science degree. In addition to her husband and children, Tracy Gale Thornton's brother and his family came in from Dayton to see her receive an associate degree in Business Management.

Husband James often handled their kids by himself while Tracy was studying, but he says it was all worth it. Her brother, Tryvan Leech Sr., said he'd seen Tracy's confidence level increase. Keely Schmidt got a rousing cheer from a dozen of her relatives and well-wishers as she received her degree in Early Childhood Education. Keely's mother, Sue, said Keely started as a nanny and decided to make child care her career.

"She's going to do great," Sue said. "She's always wanted to work with children." The keynote speaker, Chancellor Eric Fingerhut, said he could feel the energy from the podium. As chancellor, Fingerhut leads the Ohio Board of Regents and helps set policy for higher education in the state.

"I have never felt as much joy (at a graduation) as I do today," Fingerhut said. Fingerhut implored the new graduates to stay and put their degrees to work in Ohio. The class of 2008 won't just be getting jobs, Fingerhut said they'd be creating the jobs of the future. This year's graduates got where they are by believing in themselves and working hard, said Jennifer Uhl, who gave the student address. Uhl grew up with severe asthma, and always wanted to be a respiratory therapist. But when she got out of high school, she decided to postpone higher education.

That changed when she was 34, and she had a conversation with her father. "He said, 'If you want to do this, do it now and don't wait," Uhl said. She graduated the Respiratory Therapy program with a perfect 4.0 GPA.

President Val Moeller noted that Spring graduation fell on Friday the 13th this year. But she said the graduates have made their own luck. "It's rare that you find success," Moeller told the graduates. "You make success."

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Taking the long road to Columbus State

Many Columbus State students come straight out of high school - but some take a much longer journey before they reach college.

Columbus State is a common next step for women graduating from Amethyst Inc., says Lori Criss, Amethyst's chief operating officer. Amethyst is a Columbus-based nonprofit that helps women dealing with substance abuse issues. The program serves about 100 women at a time, providing housing and intensive rehabilitation services.

"For women in recovery who are receiving support from Amethyst, Columbus State becomes an extension of our long-term support, and we partner together in the message that recovery happens and the future is theirs to create," Criss says.

Tina Batts lost custody of her two younger children before enrolling in Amethyst Inc. in May of 2000. The program helped her get clean, learn parenting - and learn to look past the surface of things to what really matters. Batts regained custody in December 2000, and she has since developed good relationships with all four of her children.

"The past is what it is. We're working from now," Batts said. "Amethyst taught me that."

Amethyst taught Juanita Hayes to reach her goal by setting attainable milestones. She will graduate from Columbus State next year with an associate degree in behavioral science, then plans to transfer to Capital University's social work program. In a few years she'll be helping people who went through the same things she did.

Going to college as an adult learner was intimidating, Batts said. In her first class was a 16-year-old homeschooler, which made her the oldest person in the class. But through her, younger classmates got a first-hand account of the 1960s and L.A.'s Rodney King riots. She said her life experience helped with many of her classes.

"I've gotten many 'A' papers out of my alcoholism," Batts said.

For Juanita Hayes, one of the biggest adjustments was coming from an environment of chaos to one where people honestly wanted to see her succeed. She singles out Sue Hargrove, a developmental math teacher, as someone who went the extra mile to help her transition to school.

Photo: Juanita Hayes (left) & Tina Batts (right)

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$3 million scholarship program designed to bring adult students back to college

Board of Trustees meeting May 22, President Moeller announced the creation of a program that will provide $1,000 scholarships to 1,000 new students age 25 or older for each of the next three years.

The program will be funded with $3 million that became available when college enrollment for winter and spring quarters greatly exceeded expectations. The "Think Again" scholarship program will be the largest scholarship initiative in the 44-year history of the college.

The majority of the funding will be used to provide $1,000 scholarships to new students who either have never been to college or who do not have a degree and have not attended college during the past year.

Columbus State is seeking matching funds from private sources to expand - and possibly double - the number of students served and the overall length of this innovative program.

Ohio's new strategic plan for higher education calls for a 105 percent increase in the number of college students age 25 and older. "This program is a direct response to Ohio's strategic plan," Dr. Moeller said. "Community colleges have been serving adult students for many years, and this is a giant step to expand our efforts to help adults who may have thought they missed their chance to go to college."

Students who are interested in the scholarship must first apply for admission to Columbus State, which they can do online at www.cscc.edu.

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Chancellor discusses next ten years for higher education

Chancellor Eric Fingerhut led a panel discussion on Ohio's new 10-year strategic plan for higher education yesterday in the WD Ballroom. Panel members included President Moeller and Student Representative to the Columbus State Board of Trustees Connie Myers. The 90-minute discussion and question-and-answer session gave a good overview of the plan, with an emphasis on making college affordable, accessible and relevant to Ohio's business and industry needs.

Also participating in the panel were Donna Alvarado, chair of the Ohio Board of Regents; Joseph Alluto, provost at Ohio State University; Rep. Ted Celeste; John Stanford, executive assistant for Education Policy for Ohio; and Shaun Yoder, executive director for the Business Alliance for Higher Education and Economy.

Photo: Columbus State student Connie Myers talks about her own college experiences in a panel discussion with the Chancellor April 16. Looking on, from left are Shaun Yoder and Rep. Ted Celeste.

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28-student Landscape team places 10th in nation at annual Student Career Days

For the 12th consecutive year, the Student Landscape Association team from Landscape Design/Build placed in the top 10 teams at the annual Student Career Days competition, or the "Landscape Olympics."

This year's event was held during spring break at North Metro Technical College in Atlanta, Ga. The Columbus State Development Foundation Landscape Association Fund help support the effort. The 28-member team from Columbus State spent all year fund raising to pay for their trip to the competition. Hundreds of students enrolled in landscape, horticulture, and design/build programs from 66 two- and four-year institutions around the country competed in 25 different events ranging from arboriculture techniques to pest identification and sales presentation.

The host college, North Metro—which is a two-year college—won this year's event. Placing second through ninth were four-year colleges, and Columbus State was the second highest placing community college team, at 10th overall.

Top individual placings for Columbus State students included a first place in Annual & Perennial Identification for Amber Haynes, a second place in Sales Presentation for Matt Mayle, and third in Exterior Landscape Design for Jane Forbes.

Five students were awarded scholarships at the event, ranging from $1000 to $2500. Starlene Link, Amber Haynes, Kate Moushey, Matt Rietschlin, and Ryan Boston each earned a scholarship.

Photo: Adam Darst competes in Arboriculture Techniques at the 2008 Student Career Days held in Atlanta.

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A generous gift makes the Digital Downtown Arts festival possible!

Through a gift from The Pope Foundation to the CSCC Development Foundation the Downtown Digital Arts Festival is bringing together student photographers, designers, and artists. The three-day event is designed to educate, to inspire, and to entertain. The festival began as an idea sparked by CSCC faculty members who applied for a mini-grant through the development foundation a few years ago. The group received the grant and event was so successful, funding was secured to contimue the project.

CSCC's most talented and creative instructors will cover a variety of topics from Photoshop to design and animation to audio/video in interactive workshops.

An ongoing display will be available at the CEWD Ballroom, 315 Cleveland Avenue, 4th Floor on Columbus State's main campus. This display showcases the Best in Category and Honorable Mention winners' works. This culminating event will be held May 7, 8 & 9th.

For more information and festival details check out their website: http://www.cscc.edu/ddaf/html/main.html

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