Chancellor Mark James congratulates MCC-Longview students, encourages more campus success

Chancellor Mark James and MCC-Longview president Fred Grogan listen to questions and stories from faculty, staff and students during a special Tuesday lunch meeting in the Mel Aytes Education Center.


Meeting with faculty, staff and students Tuesday afternoon, MCC Chancellor Mark James said he was thrilled to see the dozen or more students who turned out to ask questions and share their own success stories from the classroom.

Students from the honors program, Phi Theta Kappa and even student government shared their individual stories about how a dedicated faculty and staff at MCC have helped launch them into new academic heights.

"These are the stories I love to hear," James said in his lunch meeting with MCC-Longview faculty, staff and students. "I love to hear about those successes and achievements directly from our own students. It is what keeps me going here."



The meeting was part of James' overall effort to visit all five MCC campuses and answer questions.

On Tuesday he sat down at MCC-Longview over wraps and chips to not only hear about some of the great milestones from students, but did answer some tough questions.

Faculty members questioned why it took so long for adjunct faculty to get paid at the beginning of each semester - sometimes six to seven week after classes start.

James admitted that the answer to the question was not perfect, but did spend a good amount of time trying to explain the whole process and how Vice Chancellor Tuesday Stanley and her staff were working to correct it.

Faculty members also asked about new ways to hire adjunct faculty members, which has become more difficult over time. Vice Chancellor Paul Long said the administrative staff have started a process that will pool all of the adjuct faculty from all five campuses into one database divided by subject. This will give department heads and hiring committees a chance to see all of the candidates from around the Kansas City region and possibly even find a few from other campuses that could fill in from time to time.

That process, Long said, is still in the works, but is moving forward steadily.

In the end, James spent close to two hours answering questions and hearing stories at MCC-Longview. James also promised to return to Longview for more Q and A sessions.

"We will be back," he said. "Believe me this is not just a one and done kind of commitment."

For more photos from Mark James's visit, click through to our Flickr page.

Precision Machining Career Exploration Dec. 14

A Precision Machining Career Exploration has been scheduled for Tuesday, Dec. 14, at Metropolitan Community College-Business & Technology. This event begins at 6 p.m. and runs for about one and a half hours, beginning in Technology Center Room 101A.

MCC’s Precision Machining program features a state-of-the-art, 8,800 sq. ft. laboratory full of manual machining tools and computer numerically controlled (CNC) machines. MCC-BTC is a HAAS Technical Education Center, Mastercam software training facility, and a NIMS testing center.

Visitors will meet academic and financial aid advisors who can help them get started in college. They’ll also tour the lab with the program coordinator, learning how to prepare for a career in Precision Machining, and what the daily work is like.

Programs range from a one-semester job-ready CNC certificate to two-year Associate in Applied Science degree in Precision Machining, with a manual or CNC focus. Many Kansas City employers are looking for graduates with these skills. Learn more about this field at mcckc.edu/precisionmachining and at the local chapter of the National Tooling & Machining Association website, www.kcntma.org.

Individuals may register online at mcckc.edu/visitbtc, call 816.604.5200 or e-mail btc.admissions@mcckc.edu. Walk-ins are also welcome. MCC-BTC is located at 1775 Universal Ave. Kansas City, MO, and on the web at mcckc.edu/btc.

OLAS serves Thanksgiving meals to needy residents

The Organization of Latin American Students (OLAS) recently volunteered at Guadalupe Centers Inc. Thanksgiving Luncheon. The MCC-Penn Valley student organization helped prepare drinks, set tables, clean-up and serve food to 500 GCI participants and community people with a Thanksgiving meal.

Penn Valley instructor receives jazz award

MCC-Penn Valley Music Instructor Clarence Smith was recently awarded the First Ahmad Alaadeen Award for Excellence in Jazz Education. The late Alaadeen was a Kansas City legend and saxaphonist. His widow, Fannie, will attend the Penn Valley Jazz Ensemble's winter concert on Dec. 13 at 7 p.m. in the Little Theater.

Selected jazz standards include works from the Hard Bop era as well as music from Count Basie, Maynard Ferguson, Donny Hathaway and a moving selection written by Alaadeen.

Congratulations to Smith and let's get in full swing with the holidays at the concert!

New Tool Tracks Job Market, Workforce Trends

The MCC Institute for Workforce Innovation has teamed up with the Mid-America Regional Council to give MCC staff and faculty easier access to information on job market trends.

MARC, the metropolitan planning organization for the bi-state Kansas City region, has agreed to provide MCC with access to a recently-acquired database that analyzes and generates reports on job market trends. The database, called EMSI, was developed specifically for colleges, workforce boards and economic development groups. The system can sort data by industry, occupation, demographic group or region, with projections for up to ten years.

As I.W.I. continues to look for new ways to support MCC’s development of a skilled and educated workforce, EMSI will be a valuable tool to support on-going research of regional needs. The I.W.I. community development team has already begun using the robust database tool: last month, the team created a report on the Lee’s Summit area at the request of leaders at Longview.

Kevin Kelley, I.W.I.’s director of community development, hopes others at MCC will also take advantage of this new tool.

“As the campuses are looking at ways to address the specific needs of their respective communities – and MCC as a district is looking at ways to address the needs of the metro area as a whole – EMSI is really going to revolutionize how we do program planning,” Kelley said. “The EMSI system allows us to focus down to a single ZIP code, or out to a national level. We’ve never had access to something like that before.”

The database’s capabilities will enable MCC, MARC and other community partners to investigate occupational trends and opportunities within the metropolitan area and see how Kansas City compares to the rest of the country. Other software features include access to business data which will be useful for forming industry partnerships. Economic impact reports can be used to track MCC’s continued role in the community, and the career pathways analyses and projections will aid MCC in delivering programming that ensures students’ success after graduation.

MCC has a long-standing relationship with MARC. Among other initiatives, MCC is a member of the organization’s workforce research committee, which also includes representatives from the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, the Kansas City Area Development Council, the Full Employment Council, the Workforce Partnership, Johnson County Community College and Kansas City Kansas Community College.

Workforce and job market reports, including research for a specific MCC service area or campus, can be generated upon request. For more information, contact Kevin Kelley, Pat Lees or Chris Butler at the MCC Institute for Workforce Innovation.

Robyn McGee- Interim Humanities Division Chair

Robyn McGee is serving as the interim humanities division chair for the remainder of the 2011 fiscal year. McGee has worked with MCC for 10 years and continues to teach composition and literature courses in the English department at MCC-Blue River.

She says of her teaching style “I like to create a very relaxed classroom atmosphere, but I also try to challenge students and keep them engaged during class.”

"I really look forward to working with everyone, Dr. Seabrooks, the other division chairs, and fellow faculty in the coming weeks and months," says McGee.

Sign up for the MLK Day of Service: Jan. 17.

PLEASE encourage students to sign up NOW.

  Sign up before Finals begin!

MCC is carrying on the tradition and having our second Martin Luther King Jr. (MLK) Day of Service! This is a day for faculty, staff, students and administrators to come together to give back to our community. Please encourage students to participate.

Monday, Jan. 17

^{8:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.}

^{We begin the day with an opening ceremony at MCC-Longview’s Education Center.}

^{Note: Jan. 17 MCC is closed.}

^{This event occurs BEFORE the spring semester begins.}

We have a NEW online sign-up designed for MLK Day of Service.

1)      Go to www.mcckc.edu/mlk to sign up NOW.

All the different service projects are listed online.

2)      Choose a campus

3)      Choose your service project

3) Fill out your information

4) Print and turn in the Travel & Photo waivers to the

Campus Life and Leadership Office (CC, 253)

Her story, an aspiring graphic artist

As each semester passes, MCC-Blue River art student Melissa Johnson moves a step closer to realizing her dream of becoming a graphic artist. At the encouragement of MCC-Blue River art instructor DeAnna Skedel, Johnson recently participated in Portfolio Day, an art college fair with several area institutions participating.

Portfolio Day is a great way for art students to connect with institutions who offer educational or career training programs in various aspects of art. Those institutions with art programs meet with prospective students and evaluate their portfolios. After meeting with several schools, four intuitions were interested in Johnson transferring into their art programs

“It was a great experience for me,” said Johnson. “The day was very helpful in preparing students to move into art programs.”

When asked how Johnson prepared she stated “drawing is my favorite class.” She also enjoyed digital sketchbook, a pre-graphics course as well as painting, and printing courses. Outside the class room, she worked on designing flyers for friends to gain additional experience and build her portfolio.

Johnson completed her GED five years ago and earned her aesthetics license. But she found cosmetology was hard on her body. She then turned to her dream of becoming a graphic artist and owning her own company.

Johnson credits her brother Bryan, her aesthetics instructor and others for recognizing her talents early on and encouraging her to look into the art field. And she credits all of her art instructors for helping her construct her portfolio and encouraging her to go to portfolio day. Step by step, she moves closer to achieving her goal.

For more information about the MCC-Blue River art program, visit www.mcckc.edu/blueriver or call 816.604.6400.

Evening at the Fed: a free professional development opportunity

The Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City invites educators to attend this week's Evening at the Fed, a professional development opportunity featuring a presentation about the current state of our economy. Attendees will receive a certificate of professional development and free materials to help apply the information in the classroom.

Dinner and Discussion for Educators
Topic: Economic Update and Lessons Learned from the Recession
Thursday, Dec. 2, 2010 - 5:30-8 p.m.
There is no cost to attend, but registration is required; space is limited.
Click for additional information or to register.

MCC-Blue River - So good to be liked!

Not long ago, MCC-Blue River set a goal of 500 Facebook friends by New Years.

Well, being the MCC over-achievers you are, we are proud to say we've reached that goal way ahead of schedule! Thanks to everyone that "liked" us.

Facebook is an amazing tool for staying informed about campus culture, events and special alerts. If you haven't already, checked us out on Facebook, click here.

MCC campuses on Facebook:

Business and Technology Center

Longview

Maple Woods

Penn Valley

The MCC-Blue River Chorale around town

MCC-Blue River spreads Christmas spirit around Kansas City!

Recently, a small group of the Metropolitan Chorale of Kansas City performed at a local Christmas party in the Longview Mansion in Kansas City, Missouri.

Upcoming Performance

The next scheduled performance is Dec. 11 at 7:30 p.m. at First Baptist Church, 500 Truman Road in Indepenence. Addmission for adults is $6 and children and seniors are admitted for $4.

For more information about the Chorale, click here.

HOLIDAY SUCCESS: MCC-Longview Recreation Center raises more than $2,000 for Harvesters

The MCC-Longivew Recreation Center successfully raised enough money to feed more than 10,000 people this past holiday weekend.

As part of the MCC-Longview Charity Boot Camp, personal trainers and staff there invited people to donate money and food online as the Rec Center and Harvesters partnered in a month-long campaign for the local food network.

With each donation to Harvesters, visitors would receive a free 45-minute cardio workout session at the Rec Center.

By the end of the end of the campaign, more than 22 people showed up Friday morning to break a sweat for charity. But even more took up the call online as organizers said they raised more than $2,000 for Harvesters.

In a letter to participants, MCC-Longview personal trainer Ryan Layman thanked everyone who helped make the event a success.

Thank you for visiting the MCC Longview Charity Workout Virtual Food Drive for Harvesters! Our drive was a huge success, collecting enough money and food to enable Harvesters to provide 10,014 meals for those in need in our community.

Thank you for your support of Harvesters and hunger relief!

MCC-MW prepares to battle winter elements

All over the district, mower decks are coming off tractors and snow blades and cabs are going on – the Facility Services team is preparing to battle the elements for another winter.

Everyone in Facility Services helps in the effort – custodians, groundsmen, mechanics and supervisors all pitch in – often starting work at 3 a.m. or earlier during winter weather.
At MCC-Maple Woods, for example, the equipment being prepared includes two pickup trucks with blades, a Bobcat skid steer loader, five tractors of varying sizes with blades and brooms, and several types of spreaders. A unique feature of the Maple Woods operation is storage sheds that permit ice control sand and salt to be purchased in bulk and loaded into spreading equipment with front end loaders – saving time and money over the use of bagged products.

“During the winter of 2009-2010 we moved snow or treated for ice around 20 times,” said Jeff Allen, Superintendent of Facility Services at Maple Woods. “We have to take care of parts of the campuses even on weekends and the week between Christmas and New Years because tenant-occupied buildings and fitness centers are open. We hope that this winter, it is not required quite that often – the fun kind of wears off after the first few times. We pride ourselves on the campus drives and walkways being in better shape than surrounding public streets and business parking lots after a winter storm.”

“One thing folks may notice this winter season is that some sections of sidewalk may be treated with ice melters as we have done in the past, while other sections may be treated with sand only after some storms,” Allen said. “This is because quite a few sections of deteriorating sidewalk were replaced this summer, and it is recommended that the use of chemicals be kept to a minimum on concrete that is less than a full year old. As part of our district sustainability and green efforts we also will be testing some products this season that are designed to be gentler on both our concrete and the environment.”

Two MCC-BTC students will represent Missouri in national competition

Aaron Troester and Dewitt Dixon, students at MCC-Business & Technology in the Cisco Networking Academy, are the Missouri champions in Cisco's 2010 NetRiders Skills Challenge. They will represent the state in the final round, a 60 minute online theoretical exam and 90 minute Cisco Packet Tracer activity and exam on Dec. 8. The top ten teams will be awarded prizes.

NetRiders is an interactive IT/Networking skills competition that will take place in multiple stages in the United States and Canada. The goal is to create a fun, educational challenge for students to compete with their peers across their state, the U.S., and Canada, in a real-time environment to showcase their IT/Networking skills. In addition, NetRiders helps to identify top talent for potential employment opportunities in the growing ICT and networking field.

The Winners: Grainger Tools for Tomorrow Scholarships

Two students at MCC-Business & Technology campus were awarded the Grainger Foundation's Tools for Tomorrow scholarship this week. Each will receive a $2,000 award and, in spring, a Westward tool kit valued at approximately $1,000. Grainger Foundation will award 150 such scholarships to students across the nation this year.

Pictured are Chris Jones, Grainger district branch services manager; Judah Schad, electronics & computer engineering technology student; Debbie Goodall, MCC-BTC president; Ryan McNary, electric utility line technician student; and Jari Allen, branch manager of Grainger's 18th Street distribution center.

Seeding begins on MCC-Longview Prairie Restoration project

MCC-Longview facilities staff braved the cool rain to begin planting the massive field of native grasses on campus today.

In partnership with the Missouri Department of Conservation, MCC-Longview spent much of the fall attempting to kill off the green field on the southeast corner of campus to make way for the native grasses being planted today.

By spring the grasses will begin to sprout and flower. The native Missouri grasses being seeded today include:

Little Bluestem

Big Bluestem

Indian grass

Switch grass

Plains Coreopsis

Cone Flower

Penn Valley Staff Association to host chili and soup contest

Due to overwhelming requests for another Chili and Soup contest, the Staff Recognition Committee is proud to host the Third Annual Chili and Soup Cook-off.

First place prizes will be awarded to the best soup AND the best chili. It’s time to dust off that old crock pot, pull out your favorite recipe and get cooking! All proceeds go to the Staff Association, which allows us to continue our Employee of the Month program. Not only does this event benefit the Staff Association, it is A LOT OF FUN!

If you think your soup or chili is outrageously delicious and would like to enter it in our contest, email or call Sam Sheil at 4115 . We are also in need of volunteers to help with this function, please let me know if you are interested!

Stop by and sample all the goodies plus get a bowl of your favorite, all for the low, low price of $3.00. Winter is right around the corner, so join us for a bowl of steaming hot soup or chili and vote for your favorite chef. We hope to see you there!

When: Friday, Dec. 10, 2010
Where: Upper level cafeteria
Time: 11:00a.m-1:00p.m
Cost: $3.00

Career opportunity

CO# 10-172 AC Payroll Coordinator
* posted Nov.24
* will be removed from the website on Dec. 12 for the initial screening.
* For more information or to apply:
www.mcckcjobs.com/applicants/Central?quickFind=51245

A. Fred Pohlman Shootout to be held at PV Thanksgiving weekend

Thanksgiving weekend is about more than big meals to basketball fans. It's also the weekend for the annual A. Fred Pohlman Shootout.

MCC-Penn Valley Men's and Women's basketball teams will host the areawide basketball tournament on Friday and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. in the gym.

The tournament is also a great opportunity to check out the Lady Scouts who are fresh off a 94 -55 victory from Saint Mary!

Freshman Ejehi Ehovon earned double-doubles with 16 points and 10 rebounds. Also, several players scored double digits:
Shekera Haynes, Freshman: 17 points
KeAla Jones, Sophomore: 15 points
Leah Smith, Sophomore: 15 points

So let's cheer on the Scouts and other local high school and college teams at the shootout this weekend!

Penn Valley helps needy student families for Thanksgiving

MCC-Penn Valley faculty, staff and students came together to make Thanksgiving special for needy students. The campus donated $1,434.00 towards the purchase of 21 full holiday meals for needy student families.

The amount was above what was needed and extra funds will be diverted to the Penn Valley Student Emergency Fund.

The annual Thanksgiving Meal Fund Drive is hosted by the Student Ambassadors. Gwen Moffett-Pate is the advisor.

MCC-Blue River- Offices Moved

Today, several MCC-Blue River Student Development offices are moving to new locations during the remodeling process.

For your records, please make note of the following changes:

Student Development Center
EC 114

Community Education
EC 123

Business & Records
EC 115

Admissions
AS 113

Student Development Services was clossed November 24 during the moving process.

MCC Hosts Freshman Legislators

MCC hosted a new kind of freshman orientation last weekend as nearly 50 newly elected state representatives and senators from Missouri and Kansas stopped at the MCC-Penn Valley Health Science Institute as part of a metro-wide tour.

The Kansas City Freshman Tour educated newly elected legislators about the Kansas City region’s importance to the overall economic well-being of both Kansas and Missouri.


The HSI visit included a panel discussion on early college and career preparation; Tracy Hall, MCC-Penn Valley associate dean of instruction, served on the panel. During welcoming remarks, MCC Board President David Disney underscored the importance of MCC’s role as the oldest and largest public institution of higher education in the Kansas City area, citing as an example the healthcare career education being delivered at the Health Science Institute.

The tour was coordinated by the Kansas City Area Development Council, the Greater Kansas City Chamber of Commerce, the Civic Council of Greater Kansas City and the Kansas City Area Life Sciences Institute. Other stops included the University of Kansas Medical Center, the Legends, the Kansas Speedway and Village West.

MCC- Blue River winter tournaments

Volleyball and Basketball
go together like peanut butter and

jelly at MCC-Blue River!

The fun begins with the volleyball tournament on December 2. The game starts at 1 PM and ends at 3 PM. Participation cost is $5 per player with a 4 person minimum and a 5 maximum per team. Each team must have at least 1 of each gender and include [at least] 1 MCC student. All participants will receive a BR t-shirt.

Not long after the volleyball face-off, the 3 v 3 basketball tourney will ensue on December 6. The start time is 1 PM and will conclude at 3 PM. Each team must have at least 3 players with a limit of 5 players total. A MCC student must play on each team. The winning team will score a championship t-shirt. MCC may develop intermediate and beginner categories based on the number of registered players.

All activities will be in the Arts and Sciences Gym.

For questions or to register, contact David Owens at 816-604-6426 or by email at david.owens@mcckc.edu. To view full-size flyers, visit the MCC-Blue River Facebook page.

MCC offers lifestyle coaching to employees

The MCC Wellness Program is now offering Face-to-Face Lifestyle Coaching as part of the Blue Cross Blue Shield (BC/BS) health care plan. Employees who are members of the BC/BS insurance plan now have the opportunity to meet monthly, at no cost, with a certified health coach, who is trained in psychology and health management.

If enough employees are interested in the program, the Face-to-Face coach will be conveniently scheduled at as many campuses that have participants. The coaches will work one-on-one with employees in 25 minute sessions to help develop personalized goals in a number of areas.

· Assistance in developing a personalized plan to improve health risks and changing long-held behaviors and habits
· Support and guidance during initial stages of change – which is a crucial time in behavior modification process
· Provide ongoing support and assistance to help you meet identified short and long-term goals
· Work to address environmental triggers that may interfere with goals
· Help identify ways to avoid triggers or develop new responses to triggers

Overall wellness is not related to one single health factor, but a combination of different physical and emotional health areas. Coaches will help combine these different factors into your own customized wellness plan to reach your goals.

Before making arrangements for a coach to come to MCC, we need to identify the levels of interest of the employees. Please complete this four question survey by clicking this link.

Registration will begin mid-January - just in time for New Year’s resolutions! This might be the year you can make those goals happen!

Taxtalk sessions at MCC-Penn Valley

MCC–Penn Valley will host three sessions of Taxtalk sponsored by H&R Block on Dec. 1 in the Education Center. Students and employees will have an opportunity to discuss matters relating to taxes and participate in a discussion about tax preparation.

The three sessions will give those in attendance a chance to discuss ways to be better prepared for the tax season. Participants will also have an opportunity to learn about various tax credits and deductions to consider before the end of the calendar year.

Parents of college age students can also get information on topics ranging from tuition-related tax breaks including the Hope credit, the Lifetime Learning credit, and other credits related to tuition and fees deduction.

The sessions will conclude with an opportunity for the attendees to speak individually with a tax preparer regarding additional information and tax preparation in the future.

Wednesday Dec. 1, 2010
MCC- Penn Valley Education Center – Room EC0019

Tax Talk Sessions:
11:00am
2:30pm
5:30pm

Please RSVP by noon on Tuesday, Nov. 30 to Laura Schneider or 816.604.4049.

MCC-Maple Woods displays student art at juried show

MCC-Maple Woods displayed the artwork of its talented students at the annual juried art show Nov. 18, 2010. Art of all types and media was on display for students, faculty, staff and the community to view and purchase.

Free slideshow design created with Smilebox

MCC-Blue River's PSI's Guns and Hoses

The bi-annual Guns and Hoses competition, sponsored by the MCC-Blue River Public Safety Institute, is a familiar staple on the Blue River campus. Fusing athletic fun with campus spirit; the event provided an enjoyable and entertaining spectacle in late October and early November.

Representatives from both the Fire and Police Academies competed in volleyball, dodge ball, soccer and flag football.

In spite of fierce competition on both ends, the Fire Academy retained the coveted Guns and Hoses Trophy by wining 4 out of 5 competitions. Along with their win [and the trophy], the champs also received Trailblazers Guns and Hoses championship t-shirts (which they are sporting in the picture).

However, all was not lost for the Police Academy, rallying from 14 points behind in flag football; they swiped the victory with a last minute touchdown.

When all was said and done, “Both academies had a great time and demonstrated exceptional school spirit," said David Owens, Blue River's fitness, recreation, and athletic programs coordinator.

MCC-Blue River business and records office closed on Nov. 23

The MCC-Blue River Business and Records office is closed today, November 23. MCC apologizes for the inconvenience.

MCC welcomes new employees

Christopher Martin - Maintenance Mechanic – MCC-Penn Valley
Annette Farrell – Early Childhood Resource Specialist – MCC Penn Valley
Larry McCrea – Sr. Campus Police Officer
Timothy Brewer - Sr. Campus Police Officer

2010 in photos at MCC-Longview

For the past year we have been taking photos around this big beautiful campus and posting them to our Flickr photo blog.

As we get close to the end of 2010, we thought it would be fun to highlight some of our favorites. We asked you to weigh in and here are the ones you picked. We tallied your votes based on comments, total views and, of course, photographer's preference.

Did we miss your photo? Let us know in the comments. Thanks again for letting us photograph you and the many amazing events in 2010.

We hope you enjoy and have a fun Thanksgiving weekend.

A Thanksgiving message from MCC-Longview associate dean Marvin Aaron

This Thanksgiving season is a great time — friends, family, good food and drink, and a four day weekend for most of us at MCC-Longview!

It is also a time to survey the things, people and moments for which we have a level of gratitude. For me, it is a time to reflect. It is here a deeper thankfulness emerges. A Thankfulness that is actually fun and makes me happier.

You and I co-create Longview and MCC each day. We bring our uniqueness — all the creativity, skillfulness, theory and practice — with us each day. I so appreciate the partnership and the opportunities, including the challenges, we have together.

I appreciate you.

I trust you will have a great time during this holiday time. Enjoy!

Marvin

Marvin Aaron is the associate dean of student development at MCC-Longview

Student Financials team sets the curve

Kathy Mercer (second from left) and Sherry Muirhead (second from right) from MCC’s Student Financials department accepted the Set the Curve Award from Paul Knight (left), TouchNet manager of client relations and Dan Toughey (right), TouchNet president.

MCC has won yet another hard-earned award, this time in recognition of the college’s efforts to streamline online payment options for students.

The Set the Curve Award was presented to MCC’s Student Financials department by the client advisory board of TouchNet Information Systems, the third-party vendor that supplies MCC’s online student payment, cashiering and online store systems. The award, which is presented every two years, recognizes innovation and achievement by TouchNet clients who set the curve in campus commerce.

“MCC won this award in part because of their commitment to student satisfaction, their focus on lowering delinquent accounts receivable, and their ability to effectively manage rapid growth in student enrollment,” said a TouchNet spokesperson.

Members of MCC’s Student Financials team accepted the award at TouchNet’s annual national COMTEC conference earlier this month in Kansas City. As part of the award, MCC will receive $500 in student scholarship funds.

MCC implemented the TouchNet system in 2009. Cindy Butler, district director of student financial aid, points to the value the system provides to MCC, especially to students.

“TouchNet software allows us to offer online payment options, electronic billing and direct deposit refunds to our students without the risk of storing their sensitive bank account information on our server,” Butler said.

HSI continues to earn top honors

For nearly 40 years, MCC-Penn Valley has trained some of the best and brightest minds in Kansas City’s healthcare workforce. In fact, Penn Valley produces the largest number of nursing and allied health professionals in the region.

In January, the campus opened the Health Science Institute (HSI), a 170,000 sq. ft. educational facility designed with the latest healthcare technology.

A key feature of the state-of-the-art HSI is a 10,000 sq. ft. virtual hospital with a fully functioning operating room, an emergency room, a neonatal intensive care unit and patient rooms.

In the nine months since HSI opened, it has earned a number of high honors, including two recent honors for the virtual hospital. The Society of Simulation in Healthcare has awarded the accreditation in core standards and teaching/education to the virtual hospital and the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) has selected MCC-Penn Valley as one of only 10 schools in the country to participate in a landmark simulation study. As participants in the NCSBN study, HSI faculty will undergo extensive training in running and debriefing simulation scenarios.

“We are honored to be one of the few programs in the nation to earn these prestigious honors,” said Sandy McIlnay, director of the MCC-Penn Valley Health Science Institute. “Simulation-based learning is one of the most innovative training methods for nursing and allied health students and professionals that ensure patient safety and quality medical care.”

HSI was also recently recognized by the Missouri Community College Association with the 2010 Technology Innovation Award.

HSI offers a number of programs to meet the healthcare worker shortage including: coding specialist, dental assistant, emergency medical technician (EMT)/paramedic, health information technology, mammography, medical transcription, nursing (ADN, LPN, CNA), occupational therapy, pharmacy technician, phlebotomy, physical therapy, radiology, sonography and surgical technology.

Time is running out! Get signed up for the MCC-Longview charity bootcamp

MCC-Longview's Recreation Center is once again ready to break a sweat and get physical to for charity.

Partnering with Harvesters, staff at the Longview Recreation Center are asking for donations that will benefit the community food network.

The Recreation Center and Harvesters have kicked off a virtual food drive at: http://www.mcclongviewcharityworkout.harvesters.org/

There, visitors can virtually donate food to Harvesters. Each donation will secure you a spot in the workout session with MCC-Longview personal trainers the day after Thanksgiving. Gyms across the country are participating and MCC-Longview is looking to you for help.

Last year, staff at the recreation center led an hour-long cardio workout where they raised more than $200 for the American Heart Association. MCC-Longview recreation staff members this season are looking for enough Harvesters donations to feed 1,000 families.

Donate online TODAY!

http://www.mcclongviewcharityworkout.harvesters.org/

MCC-Longview Boot Camp for Charity

10 a.m. on Nov. 26

The MCC-Longview Recreation Center

For more information contact Ryan Layman at 816.604.2424

United Way Victory Lunch

The United Way Victory Celebration Lunch was held today at the Hyatt Regency Crown Center. Attendees were entertained with announcements of many successful campaigns. During the lunch The Olathe Ki Daiko played celebratory rhythms of dance, Roy Scott of Blue Cross Blue Shield rapped, and the Della Lamb Children’s Choir sang several songs.

Overall, the Kansas City Campaign raised over $35 million dollars. Donors from MCC contributed almost $31,000 of those monies. There are still a few donations coming in.

Breakdown of MCC fundraising:
MCC Districtwide Fundraising Event at Inservice - $190
MCC-Administrative Center - $6,649
MCC-Blue River -$2,327
MCC-Business & Technology - $3,618
MCC-Longview - $7,233
MCC-Maple Woods - $3,458
MCC-Penn Valley - $7,162



Thank you for all those who gave and those who volunteered their time to help raise funds for The United Way. Live United!

Penn Valley Social Science Division hosts fifth annual toy drive

In the spirit of the season, MCC-Penn Valley's Social Science Division and Criminal Justice Association are hosting the fifth annual Project Kidz Toy Drive.

Toys are accepted for children from newborn to teenagers.

Toys will be collected until Dec. 10 and donated to the children of incarcerated mothers detained at the Jackson County Detention Center.

To participate, you can drop off new, unwrapped gifts in the Social Sciences Division, which is in room 301 of the Humanities Building at Penn Valley.

For more information, call 816.604.4282.

Assault proves urgency of partnership with Truman Medical Center

It started out as two nonprofits engaging in the good ole fashioned bartering system – free space in exchange for free services. But a crisis showed why this partnership was necessary for both institutions.

Truman Medical Center needed additional space for its behavioral health programs. MCC-Penn Valley needed to offer mental health services to its students. So Truman Medical Center Behavioral Health’s Futures Program moved onto the fourth floor of MCC-Penn Valley’s Campus Center building on Sept. 13.

“It only made sense for two urban institutions like Penn Valley and Truman to come together. We both serve the same population who has multiple challenges and disparities,” says Bernard Franklin, MCC-Penn Valley president.

Then on Sept. 14, MCC-Penn Valley Dean of Instruction Al Dimmitt was viciously assaulted minutes before a scheduled press conference with Governor Jay Nixon.
Veronica Highley, director of the Futures Program at Truman, says many students visited their offices in the days after the attack.

“We didn’t hear from many students who said they didn’t feel safe at Penn Valley anymore,” says Highley. “Many of the people who came to us shared how the incident triggered a lot of past issues. They talked about how they thought they had deal with past traumatic issues in their neighborhoods, in their homes and this incident caused those memories to resurface.”

The partnership allows Penn Valley students to get a free assessment and two visits with Truman counselors. If additional visits are necessary, Truman will work with students to identify payment programs and options. In return, Truman gets office space to serve its existing clients – many who are youth who have never been on a college campus.

“For many of our clients, neither they nor anyone in their family has gone to college. By coming to Penn Valley and stepping foot on a college campus regularly, it makes the dream of going to college a reality instead of a far-off place,” says Highley.

The partnership was also discussed in a recent issue of The Kansas City Star.

MCC-Penn Valley’s Health Science Institute selected as one of the 10 sites nationwide to participate in simulation study

The National Council of State Boards of Nursing (NCSBN) recently selected MCC-Penn Valley’s Health Science Institute to participate in a groundbreaking simulation study.

“We are honored to be one of only 10 schools in the nation selected to participate in this simulation study,” says Sandy McIlnay, Director of MCC-Penn Valley’s Health Science Insitute. “Simulation offers experiential learning opportunities for nursing students to learn how to manage patients with a variety of health care needs. Simulation also ensures patient safety and promotes better preparation of new nurses.”

As participants in this landmark study, HSI will experience extensive faculty training in running and debriefing simulation scenarios.

“Participating schools will have standardized, high-quality, validated scenarios they will be using throughout the study, as well as standardized assessments of clinical competency in both the simulation and clinical settings,” says Jennifer Hayden, NCSBN research associate and simulation study project director.

The HSI's Virtual Hospital is a 10,000 sq. ft. healthcare simulation center for students studying nursing, emergency medical services, physical therapy and other healthcare disciplines.

The suite includes: six learning areas that closely mimic hospital departments that provide a clinical environment for students and professionals to practice procedures such as intubation, IV insertion, cardioversion and lung decompression with 12 computer-operated human patient simulators that mimic various patient scenarios, such as: trauma, shock, collapsed lung, chest pain, cardiac arrest, pulmonary emboli, asthmas, neurological events, obstetrical emergencies and childbirth.

NCSBN provides education, service and research through collaborative leadership to promote regulatory excellence for patient safety and public protection.

MCC-Longview marathon class

Sure, students can sometimes complain that going to class is like running a marathon, but what if your class WAS ACTUALLY running a marathon?

Well, MCC-Longview’s John O’Connell and Jim McGraw, both running enthusiasts, will be teaching runners how to run for distance in a semester-long class beginning this coming Spring. The class will take runners from varying experience levels and give them the training they need to run their own marathon.

Not only will the class be fun, but you can also earn college credit, too.

O’Connell, who works with the Longview Recreation Center will be focusing on the physical aspect of training and conditioning for the long run.

McGraw, a counselor at Longview, will work with participants to make sure they are focused mentally to take on such a run and will keep them motivated throughout the process.

Both agree, with a combined effort they can get just about any one ready for a marathon of their own.

To sign up, check the MCC-Longview online schedule or contact McGraw or O’Connell for more information.

PHED 198 or GUID 199B: 2-credit hours

Saturdays 9 a.m. – 11 a.m.

For more information contact:

John O’Connell at 604.2440

Jim McGraw at 604.2313

What are you reading?

Some people like lists. These days, some people’s attention doesn’t go much further than the 140 characters in a tweet. So to keep it short, here is a list of the most clicked on articles in The MCC Insider since it's launch in August.

1. Home page
2. Message from the Chancellor
3. Career opportunities
4. MCC welcomes new employees
5. MCC welcomes new full time faculty
6. Sign up for employee health risk assessment
7. Cole retires after 11 years
8. Cinderelli Shelli at MCC-Maple Woods
9. Don’t go hungry at this year’s inservice
10. MCC-Longview welcomes new faculty

If there are things you would like to read more about, contact your campus or AC representative listed on the right hand side of this blog.

MCC-BTC Welding Student awarded $500 Scholarship

Carolyn Cassidy with welding program coordinator, Dr. Tim Gill

Carolyn Cassidy, recipient of the Edgar Jimenez Scholarship, wants to be an artist but she plans to be a welder first.

“My first attempt at welding was in my first welding class,” says Carolyn. “I had zero previous experience with welding – I had never held a welding gun until I got to MCC-BTC.” However, she has climbed to the top of the class.

“Carolyn is a great welder – she has a perfect combination of skill, patience, ambition, and the desire to learn,” says Dr. Tim Gill, welding program coordinator. “That’s why I encouraged her to apply for the Edgar Jimenez Scholarship.”

Carolyn is now $500 wealthier due to the donation and scholarship set up by MCC student, Edgar Jimenez. After retirement, Edgar has audited classes at MCC for the last 15 years. As token of his appreciation, Jimenez donated $500 for a scholarship to be awarded to a deserving student. This year that student is Carolyn Cassidy.

At age 20, Carolyn says she has always wanted to be an artist. “I was planning to go straight into art school, but my uncle, who is also a welder, encouraged me to take welding classes as a way to both create art and have a skill to fall back on,” says Carolyn.

“I would like to design and build large metal sculptures some day. The welding skills I am learning now will certainly be of use when I am out of school,” Carolyn says.

After finishing her A.A.S. degree in Welding and Management, Carolyn plans to transfer to a 4-year school to work on a bachelor’s degree in art.

For more information about the new A.A.S. degree in Welding and Management click here.

Fall Festivities at MCC-Maple Woods

Customize your own picture slideshow

MCC-Longview steps up for Hope House this holiday season

The Reentry Club at MCC-Longview is collecting items for the Lee’s Summit Hope House Christmas Store.

Hope House is in need of many new item donations - if you are able to donate even one thing, it will help a less fortunate person this Christmas.

You can download the entire list of items needed from the link below. Some items are very inexpensive and others are a bit more expensive.

Whatever you can donate will be appreciated. The Hope House is asking that these items be new items.

Please bring donated items to the Reentry Room (Campus Center 257) by Friday, Dec. 3.

Many thanks from the Reentry Club at Longview!

A few days off

The MCC Thanksgiving holiday begins at 4 p.m. next Wednesday, Nov. 24. Classes and office hours will resume on Nov. 29.

Happy holidays everyone!

Steen takes 6th place in fitness challenge

Congratulations to Jenny Steen, academic advisor at MCC-Blue River, for completing nine weeks of the Kansas City Fitness Magazine’s Weight Loss Challenge!

Steen lost a total of 21.8 pounds during the challenge, after losing 25 lbs on her own before starting the challenge.

Kudos to her fitness team at MCC-Maple Woods Fitness Center, mentioned in the video.