BSC August Activities Review

Our August, 1998 summary includes two areas--partnership activities where we are fostering cooperative effort within our service area, and campus activities, with a specific focus upon activities that relate to advancing the goals of this institution under its mission. They follow.

Campus Activities

• Three minority faculty members, including two blacks, joined the Bluefield State College faculty at the start of the Fall 1998 semester

• Announced Homecoming '98 week (Oct. 3-9, 1998) program of activities

• Twenty-four of the original 30 students attending summer classes at BSC, through the M.O.R.E. ("Minority Outreach Recruitment Effort) program, have enrolled in classes for the Fall 1998 semester

• College conducted the second of two new student orientation sessions, August 7 at the Bluefield campus, and August 18 at BSC's Greenbrier Community College Center

• The renovated BSC Campus Corner Bookstore, redesigned through the collaborative efforts of BSC engineering technology and marketing students, welcomed students for the start of Fall 1998 Semester classes

• A two-day series of workshops, "The Art of Being a Successful Student, provided new students the opportunity to enhance skills in a variety of success-geared areas. The workshops were presented by the BSC Student Support Services program

• The Campus Life Office announced the dates for a trio of entertainers (one comedian and two musicians) to perform at the Student Union. One of the musical artists--an "old time" fiddle and banjo musician, will also perform for the BSC Creative Retirement Center

  Partnership Activities

• The BSC Business Division won a "Blue Ribbon Business Department Award" at the recent West Virginia Vocational Conference in Charleston. A BSC Associate Professor of Business was named the "College Business Teacher of the Year' at the conference

• BSC Foundation was notified by the WV Neighborhood Investment Program (NIP) advisory board that it has been selected to participate in NIP's 1999 program, permitting the BSC Foundation to award $40,000 in NIP tax credits to individuals, organizations, and businesses supporting scholarships for low income students

• Scheduled and promoted an RBA program information meeting, Sept. 1, at the Greenbrier Community College Center

• History instructor spoke at the Texas Ranger Hall of Fame & Museum's August, 1998 symposium

• Agreed to co-sponsor, with the Bluefield Holiday Inn, the November, 1998 Greater Bluefield Chamber of Commerce's "Business After Hours" program

• Nursing faculty member delivered scholarly presentation at sixth annual Associate Degree Nursing Faculty Development Conference in August

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

• BSC's Director of Multicultural Affairs met with numerous community, public schools, alumni, church, and civic organizations, with a focus on recruitment of minority students, faculty, and staff, and improving community relations

• BSC Center for Economic Enhancement completed welding certification preparation program for Triple S Corporation (Beckley, WV). In partnership with the Monroe County Manufacturing Assistance Center (MCMAC), five welders from the company were trained, then passed certification examinations to American Welding Society (AWS) standards of welding performance. These certifications will permit the company to be more competitive in a wider variety of manufacturing projects. (This program is funded through the Governor's Guaranteed Workforce Program.)

• Completed a 40-hour surface mining course for individuals interested in obtaining certification to work in surface coal mines

• Discussed developing a welding certification preparation training program with Platnick Steel and Engineering (Bluefield, VA)

• Developed a leadership -training proposal for a Cellular One management retreat in September at Glade Springs. The proposed program would provide leadership and communication workshops for Cellular One managers from throughout West Virginia.

• Center for Economic Enhancement began coordination of pre employment training program for prospective employees of Interbank, an organization scheduled to open teleservice call centers in both Welch and Bluefield, WV. The company will begin interviewing graduates of the intensive pre-employment program in mid-September, seeking to fill up to 25 positions per week in Welch, then in Bluefield. Other partners whose efforts will be coordinated in the project include Southern WV Community and Technical College, McDowell County Vocational and Technical Center, Welch Job Service, Mercer County Technical Education Center, Bluefield Job Service, and the WV Department of Education. (The project is sponsored through the Governor's Guaranteed Workforce Program and the WV Workplace Education Program.)

• Coordinating development of a workplace education program for B.F. Goodrich (Union, WV). The project involves assisting the company in evaluation of different alternatives for testing the basic skills of its employees with respect to the jobs they perform and developing training to meet these needs. Partners that Bluefield State College recruited to this project, Concord College and the WV Workforce Education Program, will assess and profile one representative job, and training options will be developed based upon that profile. The program will be expanded for other jobs if the initial pilot is successful. (The program is funded through the Governor's Guaranteed Workforce Program.)

• Scheduled "Grammar and Usage," and "Effective Business Writing" seminars for the Greenbrier Community College Center of BSC as part of a larger effort to better meet the needs of business and industry in Greenbrier Valley. These programs have been presented at the Bluefield campus of BSC and have been very favorably received by local businesses and members of the Greater Bluefield Chamber of Commerce.

• Completed a variety of well-attended programs for the Creative Retirement Center. Five of six computer workshops for adults (50 years and better) have been sold out, and waiting lists for three additional classes have been established. These additional classes will be scheduled for September. Other programs involving nature retreats and trips to sites of local interest have also obtained full registration.

• Registered 20 students for Bluefield campus classes and 11 students for Greenbrier campus classes for the 1998-99 National Registry Paramedic Certificate Program

• Center for Economic Enhancement is co-sponsoring a "Year 2000 Computer Workshop." Other sponsors include the WV Manufacturing Extension Program, First Century Bank, the Greater Bluefield Chamber of Commerce, and the Princeton/Mercer County Chamber of Commerce

• Completed the second session of "Kids Kollege,' a one-week summer enrichment program for children (grades 1-5)- The session had more than 40 children enrolled.

• Completed a "Safe-Sifters" baby-sitting training program for 20 local children. This nationally-certified program provides safety and first-aid training and techniques for children and is taught by an RN

• Co-sponsoring 'How to Respond to a Request for Proposal (RFP) program in Flatwoods, WV. Other sponsors include the Regional Contracting Assistance Center (RCAC), West Virginia Small Business Development Centers, West Virginia High Technology Consortium, and the Southern Virginia Community College Procurement and Technical Assistance Center

• Developed a fall semester schedule of continuing education courses at BSC's Bluefield campus for professional nurses. In a related development, a course has been scheduled at the National Mine Safety and Health Academy (Beckley, WV). This represents the first continuing education nursing course that BSC has provided in the Beckley area. Based upon response to this program, more courses may be offered in the Spring Semester.

• Completed scheduling for the 1998-99 Travel and Adventure Series program. This marks the 11th consecutive year for the program, which brings professional film makers from around the world to narrate their films on various locations and countries. This program is co-sponsored by Bluefield Regional Medical Center, Bluefield Regional Wellness Center, First Century Bank, AAA--The Bluefield Automobile Club, Abbott Bus Lines Inc., and the BSC Creative Retirement Center.

• BSC Center for International Understanding continued pre- programming planning for a two-week program, "Community Development" for 12 Azerbaijani social workers (Sept. 10-Oct. 10, 1998) in cooperation with Delphi International (Washington D.C.)

• CIU coordinated a one-week training program, "Building for the Future: Youth Development," for 20 youth from the Republic of Georgia and Abkhazia, August 2-9, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) USAID is currently reviewing three CIU program proposals:
  • "Improved Unions-Management-Government Relations" for Croatian officials and private sector (union) representatives (Sept. 19- Oct. 10, 1998);
  • "Solid Waste Collection" for Albanian Central and local government officials and private contractors (Sept. 25-Oct. 17, 1998); and
  • "Uzbekistan Judicial Development Program" for officers of the Judges Association (Oct. 17-Nov. 15, 1998) in cooperation with the American Bar Association

• CIU participated in two-week trade mission in Novgorod, Russia (July 19-Aug. 2), with six area civic/business leaders and officials, along with CIU Director, and implemented follow-up program

• CIU Russia Bureau arranged logistics for trade meetings in Saratov, Russia August 24 for Sylvester Myers & Associates, a project cost company. Mr. Myers is also chair of the BSC Institutional Advisory Board

• CIU is disseminating international bids to West Virginia companies

• Through the United States Information Agency (USIA), CIU is sponsoring internships and home stays for eight Russian entrepreneurs, August 24-September 19

• CIU is implementing international trade and investment export assistance service activities in its offices in Saratov (Russia), Bombay (India), Bratislava (Slovakia), Baku (Azerbaijan), and Dnipropetrovosk (Ukraine)

• Marketing and recruiting students for participants in English as a Second Language (ESL) program for International Students and their spouses

• Recruiting for ESL and degree-seeking students through the CIU Caucasus-Central Asian Republics Bureau in Baku, Azerbaijan; presently seeking an ESL instructor to send to Azerbaijan to teach ESL courses, beginning September, 1998

• Through its recently-relocated Washington, D.C. Bureau, CIU is negotiating relationships with foundations and development organizations in Europe for development projects and international trade

• CIU has created and advertised four full-time positions, including: CIU Washington, D.C. Bureau Coordinator, CIU English as a Second Language Coordinator, CIU Program Assistant, and CIU Global Trade Initiatives Research Assistant.

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