January-February
Monthly Report Activities

• Enrollment at BSC sites in Bluefield, Lewisburg, Beckley, and Welch continues to grow. Preliminary Spring Semester figures point to an increase of approximately 5% at the Bluefield campus and at the Greenbrier Community College Center and 40% at the Beckley Center, when compared to enrollment figures one year ago. Enrollment at the Welch (Mount View) location has tripled over year-ago figures.

• Presented a 12-event program for BSC’s celebration of Black History Month, as well as the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. candlelight vigil (January 20) Programs included a salute to the BSC national African-American collegiate football championship teams of 1927-28, a dramatic characterization of anti-lynching leader Ida B. Wells by Dr. Brucella Jordan, the “Underground Secret Railroad Quilt Display” by Serena Wilson, a scholarly lecture by Dr. Howard Wade, presentations by the BSC student organization “Minorities on the Move,” and numerous Campus Life Office initiatives.

• The inaugural class of inductees into the Bluefield State College Honors Program was recognized during a reception at the residence of BSC President Dr. Albert Walker. Twenty-two students accepted invitation into the Honors Program, which was initiated this year to provide additional leadership opportunities and a more rigorous academic experience for participants. This semester’s activities include symposia on leadership development, career development, and future technology, as well as a cultural trip. The program was established to encourage cross-disciplinary learning and experiences, whereby students could apply those experiences to their individual career goals. Honors program students must maintain a minimum 3.75 grade point average as fulltime students.

• As part of a national initiative to attract students into science and science-related careers, Bluefield State College has announced that it will offer an “Online Weather Studies” during the 2003-04 academic year. BSC has accepted the invitation of the American Meteorological Society, in cooperation with the U.S. National Weather Service, to provide student access to learning opportunities in the geosciences by implementing the program at minority-serving institutions.

• BSC accounting students and faculty are offering free volunteer income tax assistance for area residents through the VITA (Volunteer Income Tax Assistance) program. Last year, BSC students and faculty provided nearly 500 volunteer hours’ service, helping to complete more than 400 state and federal income tax returns.

• Prepared to host an “open house,” featuring the Southern West Virginia Literacy Center at BSC. With an emphasis upon cultivating the literacy skills of 100 adults from Southern West Virginia, this grant-supported initiative involving Bluefield State College and three regional service organizations will improve the competitiveness of the region’s work force and provide vital support for increasing participants’ high school and college graduation rates.

• Telecast throughout Bluefield-area cable system two Bluefield City Board of Directors’ meetings and the monthly Mercer County Board of Education meeting.

• The President of the BSC Alumni Association, Inc. contacted WV Governor Bob Wise and State Senate President Earl Ray Tomblin, stating disagreement with legislation proposing the combination of state colleges. Solicitations were made to others to do the same thing. Ultimately, the legislation provided a significant chance for BSC to grow.

• The Alumni Association is involved in revising its constitution. Revisions have been made and the document will be sent to chapters and members-at-large for suggestions and clarifications. The plan is to complete the process by the 2003 Annual Spring Meeting.

• Attempts continue to increase the Alumni Association’s membership. There is an attempt to reactivate the Beckley, WV chapter, and consideration is being given to starting a new chapter in the Tampa, FL area. It is hoped that the thousands of graduates in the immediate Bluefield area would sincerely consider membership. Individuals interested in starting a chapter are encouraged to contact the BSC Alumni Office.

• Began offering an “Introduction to Electricity” course and a “Programmable Logic Controllers” coursed as part of a customized Industrial Maintenance certificate program for Bluefield Beverage Co. (Bluefield, VA).

• Completed a customized “Leadership/Supervisory Management” skills certificate program for seven first-line supervisors at Gemark Services of WV (Bluefield, WV).

• Completed a customized “Construction Blueprint Reading” training program for eight employees of DCI, Incorporated/Contemporary Builders (Bluefield, WV).

• Developing a customized pre-employment training program for Magic Mart department store (Beckley, WV). This program will be sponsored in partnership with the Region 1 Workforce Investment Board.

• Coordinating a Nursing Student Retention program to increase both the retention rate and the percentage of qualified nursing applicants for the Associate Degree in Nursing Program at BSC. The retention program will include a combination of student tutoring services, development of retention-oriented courses and short programs, caring support and mentoring groups, instructional technology, and faculty development geared toward student retention, designed to help students succeed in their nursing courses and in the nursing profession. The initiative will also include a program during which nursing faculty will visit public schools throughout the College’s service region to promote nursing education and careers in an effort to increase the number of qualified applicants who choose to pursue a nursing degree in the future. This program is sponsored through an Independently Accredited Community and Technical College grant awarded through the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission (HEPC).

• Coordinating a partnership with the Webster/Nicholas County Rural Health Network with a goal of producing more registered nurses to work at health care organizations throughout this rural two-county region. Hospitals participating in this partnership include Summersville Memorial Hospital (Summersville, WV), Richwood Area Community Hospital (Richwood, WV), Webster County Memorial Hospital (Webster Springs, WV), and Camden on Gauley Medical Center (Camden on Gauley, WV). Students are recruited from these hospitals, as well as another partner, the Summersville campus of Glenville State Community & Technical College. The initial class of students is sponsored through a Workforce Development Initiative grant awarded through the WV Development Office.

• Developing and scheduling a series of open enrollment skills certificate seminars in management and computer training to be offered to business, industry, and the general public. Many of the computer training programs will also be offered in an Internet-based delivery system that has been developed in partnership with the College’s Center for Applied Research and Technology.

• Completed General Electric Fanuc Division Certified Computer-Numeric Controlled (CNC) training for several companies, including FMC Corporation-Canada, FMC Corporation-Texas, A-CARB LLC-Kentucky, Solar Turbines-California, IWS Automation Controls-Canada, Dana Corporation-Tennessee, PetroQuip Energy Services-Louisiana, and Michigan Automotive Compressor, Inc.-Michigan. These programs were completed at the Greenbrier Community College Center of BSC and the Center for Workforce and Business Development, in partnership with the Monroe County Manufacturing Assistance Center (MCMAC), a division of the Monroe County Technical Center. MCMAC is a certified training provider for General Electric Fanuc Automation Division and provides a variety of customized technical training solutions and services for manufacturing companies.

• Began a “Pre-Licensing Real Estate” course for 11 students at the GCCC through the Center for Workforce and Business Development.

• Developing a “Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act Awareness (HIPAA) continuing education program at GCCC through the Center for Workforce and Business Development, in partnership with the Small Business Development Center at WVU Institute of Technology (WVU-IT) and the Greenbrier Valley Economic Development Corporation.

• Hosted a “Starting a Business in West Virginia and Business Planing & Financing” workshop for 19 current and potential small business owners. This workshop was co-sponsored by the Bluefield State College Research and Development Corporation and the Small Business Development Center at WVU-IT.

• Continued an accelerated Cisco Certified Networking Associate semester 3 class with seven students participating.

• Scheduled “Basic Dysrhythmias” and “Critical Care Review” as continuing education programs certified through the West Virginia State Board of Examiners for Licensed Practical Nurses and the West Virginia State Board of Examiners for Registered Nurses.

• Hosted an Honors Program symposium for 22 Bluefield State College students. The seminar emphasized leadership and excellence in education, including sessions on “characteristics of effective leaders,” “diversity and leadership,” and “leadership vision.”

• Hosted a session of the Adult Leadership Program of the Greater Bluefield Chamber of Commerce. The program includes selected young leaders throughout the Bluefield, WV and Bluefield, VA business communities. The session was coordinated by the Center for Applied Research and Technology, introducing local leaders to BSC’s student robotics programs, research and development opportunities, and customized training opportunities.

• Served as a host site for the awards session of “MathCounts,” a math, problem-solving skills, and teamwork competition for area middle school students. Coordinated by the BSC Electrical Engineering Technology program in partnership with the BSC Instructional Technology Center, more than 90 students from the following schools participated: Gary Middle School, Mount View Middle School, Sandy River Middle School, Anawalt Middle School, Bluefield Middle School, Princeton Middle School, Oakvale Middle School, Glenwood Middle School, and Shady Spring Middle School.

• Served as a host site for a recruiting visit by Norfolk Southern Roalroad Corporation. The BSC Career Services and Placement Office coordinated the event, during which BSC students explored employment opportunities with the Railroad Corporation.

• Developing the class schedule for “Kids Kollege, 2003,” a summer program for students in grades 1-6, with an emphasis on math, science, computers, fine arts, and communications education. Courses planned for this year’s two sessions include “Number Scouts,” “All About Clouds,” “Sounds From Around the World,” “Cyber Explorer,” “Dinosaur Days,” “Solid Gold Math,” “Volcano World,” “Web Page Design,” and “Rainbows.” Now in its ninth year, the program provides exciting and creative learning opportunities for its youthful participants.

• Developing a schedule for Spring and Fall continuing education programs in “Lean Manufacturing,” in partnership with the West Virginia Manufacturing Extension Partnership, and “Business Writing, Grammar, and Usage,” in partnership with Morgan Associates, Inc.