Jefferson State Singers to Perform on April 24th

The Jefferson State Singers will perform on April 24 at the Canterbury United Methodist Church in Mountain Brook at 7:00 p.m.


Admission is free and open to the public.


DRIVING DIRECTIONS TO CANTERBURY

From I-65:
Take the Lakeshore exit and travel east toward Homewood/Mountain Brook. After passing Samford University on your left and Brookwood Mall on your right, continue on Mountain Brook Parkway east to Overbrook Road. Turn left. The church will be on your left after approximately 1⁄2 mile.


From I-459:
Take the 280 West Exit traveling toward Mountain Brook. At Brookwood Mall, take Mountain Brook Parkway/AL Highway 149 east to Overbrook Road. Turn left. The church will be on your left after approximately 1⁄2 mile.


For further directions call the church office at 205.871.4695.


 

Jefferson State Named in Top 10 Digital Community Colleges in U.S.

e.Republic’s Center for Digital Education (CDE) announced on April 3 the results and winners of the ninth annual Digital Community Colleges Survey. Community colleges are being recognized for their innovative uses of technology to achieve first-rate student learning environments.

Survey questions and criteria examined and scored areas of digital and emerging technologies, such as use of mobile devices and technology integration into curriculum; strategic planning and data management; and professional development, including availability of technology tools and training for faculty and students. 

In addition, colleges were surveyed on their technology priorities, infrastructure and networks, collaboration and outreach efforts and use of technology innovations.

“Community colleges across the country are employing technology in exciting ways to develop unique learning environments on campus and to expand online learning opportunities 24/7,” said Alan Cox, Senior Vice President for the Center for Digital Education. “Many of the colleges honored this year have employed various technologies and social media to improve resources to further instructional goals. We are honored to acknowledge these community colleges’ technology advancements!”

All accredited U.S. community colleges are eligible to participate in the survey within the three classifications based on size of enrollment. CDE thanks Sprint for underwriting the survey and for their support of community colleges across the nation.

2013-2014 Digital Community Colleges Survey Top Ten-Ranking Winners

Large Colleges Category - 10,000 Students or More:

1^st        Johnson County Community College, Kan.

2^nd        Northern Virginia Community College, Va.

3^rd        Fayetteville Technical Community College, N.C.

3^rd        Lone Star College System, Texas

4^th        Northampton Community College, Penn.

5^th        Howard Community College, M.D.

5^th        Delaware Technical Community College, Del.

6^th        Kingsborough Community College, N.Y.

7^th        Harrisburg Area Community College, Penn.

7^th        Delta College, Mich.

7^th        Monroe Community College, N.Y.

8^th        Thomas Nelson Community College, Va.

8^th        Tidewater Community College, Va.

9^th        Germanna Community College, Va.

10^th      Montgomery County Community College, Penn.

10^th      Jefferson State Community College, Ala.

10^th      Community College of Allegheny County, Penn.

About the Center for Digital Education:

The Center for Digital Education (CDE) is a national research and advisory institute specializing in K-12 and higher education technology trends, policy, and funding. CDE provides education and industry leaders with decision support and actionable insight to help effectively incorporate new technologies in the 21st century. CDE is a division of e.Republic, the nation’s only media and research company focused exclusively on state and local government and education. 

For complete article, go to: www.centerdigitaled.com/awards/digital-community-colleges/Top-10-Digital-Community-Colleges-Survey-Winners-Honored-for-Technology-Innovations.html.

PTK Officers Honored

Jefferson State’s Phi Theta Kappa Chapter Honored for Distinguished Officer Team

The Officer Team of Jefferson State’s Shelby-Hoover Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society will be honored with the 2014 Distinguished Chapter Officer Team Award during Nerd Nation 2014, the annual Phi Theta Kappa Convention in Orlando, Florida, April 24-26. Recipients will receive commemorative medallions and be honored during the Hallmark Awards Gala.

Distinguished Chapter Officer Teams must be nominated by their chapter advisors through the Hallmark Awards application process, and are chosen based on the team’s demonstration of an exceptional atmosphere of teamwork, leadership abilities, promotion of Honors in Action, other engagement in the Society, and enthusiasm for the Hallmarks of the Society (Scholarship, Leadership, Service and Fellowship). Jefferson State’s Beta Lambda Delta officers were selected by a panel of judges from more than 200 nominees internationally.

Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society, headquartered in Jackson, Mississippi, is the largest honor society in higher education with 1,285 chapters on college campuses in all 50 of the United States, plus Canada, Germany, the Republic of Palau, Peru, the Republic of the Marshall Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, the British Virgin Islands, the United Arab Emirates and U.S. territorial possessions. Nearly 3 million students have been inducted since its founding in 1918, with approximately 131,000 students inducted annually.

Jeff State Named in Top 7 Online Programs for Veterinary Assisting & Technology

Veterinary technicians are sometimes referred to as veterinary assistants and indeed their job often involves assisting veterinarians. Officially speaking, however, veterinary assistants do not require any specialized training whereas veterinary technicians must have a formal education in the field and pass either a state or national exam demonstrating competency. This can make distinguishing among available programs somewhat difficult.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has found that the need for veterinary technicians is expected to increase at the rate of 30 percent by the year 2020, which is much faster than the average for all U.S. occupations (BLS, 2010). Now it an ideal time for anyone considering a career as a veterinary technician to explore educational opportunities.

It can be difficult for anyone looking to further their education to find the necessary time to do so. With the advent of the internet, many more people that may not have physical access to training are able to pursue careers assisting veterinarians as veterinary technicians. The schools on this list offer online programs for veterinary assisting, both certification for veterinary assistants and degrees for veterinary technicians, to students throughout the country.

Here are the top seven programs in the nation:

California State University East Bay
 - St. Petersburg College
 - Purdue University
 - Northern Virginia Community College
 - Jefferson State Community College
 - San Juan College
 - Cedar Valley College

In selecting the top online programs for veterinary assisting in the U.S., it was necessary to consider a few different factors, including accreditation, graduation rates, and overall accessibility of the program.

1.      Accreditation: When evaluating any institution of higher learning, it is a good idea to have a grasp on the college's accreditation status. For this list, we looked at those programs that were accredited by nationally recognized organizations in the field of veterinary technology, namely the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA). In order to become accredited, institutions must apply, submit data about their program, and subject themselves to site visits from AVMA members. While AVMA accreditation does not ensure any outcome for students, it is a way to ensure that a veterinary technology program has been thoroughly evaluated for its completeness and adherence to veterinary standards.


2.      Graduation Rates: When an institution does not see to it that most of their initial applicants see the program through to completion, it is setting students up for failure. This is why we have taken recent graduation rates into account when compiling this list.


3.      Clinical Components: Online learning has made education possible for more people than ever before and can be a great contribution to the veterinary assisting community. However, no one can truly be prepare for work assisting a veterinarian without setting foot in a clinic, which is why every program on this list also has a hands-on experience component.

From www.vettechcolleges.com

Sociology Students Donate Food for Kids

Jefferson State Instructor Lucy Lewis recently learned about a need for food for kindergarten through second grade students at Grantswood Community School.

Lewis heard about the need from Jefferson State Alumnus Lenore Hagood who directs the Mission Program at the Irondale United Methodist Church. The Mission Program wanted to provide food and snacks for these students during their spring break from school. For many of the children, the only food they receive is the free breakfast and lunch at the school.

Lewis mentioned the need in her sociology classes at the Jefferson Campus and Shelby-Hoover Campus. The Jefferson State students really responded and helped out! Below are photos of the food the Jefferson State students brought to donate.

Way to go students! We are proud of you!

Alumnus Shares His Incredible Story

"I’m Lawayne Orlando Childrey, a 2005 graduate of Jefferson State Community College. I begin my story by posing a question. How does a troubled, black gay youth from the Deep South grow up to become one of the most respected news journalists in the country? Some may say it takes a considerable amount of talent, hard work and determination. But for me it also included an immense struggle through a deep sea of adversities, including a crack cocaine addiction and an HIV diagnosis.

At the age of 4, I survived a deadly house fire that claimed the life of my 3-year-old cousin. Between kindergarten and second grade, I was repeatedly sexually abused by a close family friend and forced to watch my mother being beaten by the same man. Despite those traumatic events, as early as third grade, I had dreams of becoming a news reporter. But as fate would have it, distractions left me blindsided.

Being the only child of a single mother, I found myself hanging with the wrong crowd. I began shoplifting and engaging in devious behaviors, but unlike so many of my peers I never landed in the juvenile justice system.

Throughout high school, I excelled in my studies, winning numerous poetry and oratorical contests. However, I flunked out of college, ended up in a number of abusive relationships, and as a young gay man was spiritually and emotionally broken and dying from AIDS.

By the time I turned 30, I was the primary caregiver to my mother, who had lung and brain cancer and was now suffering from a series of strokes that left her partially paralyzed. I loved her dearly, but the concerns over her health as well as my own left me in a deep depression. To cope I turned to drugs, first marijuana, then crack cocaine. Finally, I convinced myself that the only real solution to my problems was suicide but I didn’t have the courage to pull the trigger of a gun or swallow a bottle of sleeping pills. I had hoped the crack would eventually burst my heart and subsequently, I’d end up dead.

By the grace of God, that was not the case. At long last, I decided to return to the faith that had been instilled in me since I was a child. In quiet desperation I whispered, “Lord, people are always saying you can do anything but fail. Well, if that’s the case please come and rescue me right away.”

Life as I had known it changed that day. I checked myself into an intensive drug and emotional rehabilitation facility. After several months of therapy, I emerged as a new man determined to fulfill my true purpose in life, which is to speak God’s word. Not as a preacher speaks to a congregation from a pulpit, but as a man who humbly tells the stories of how his own broken life was restored, renewed and redeemed.

At the age of 40, I enrolled at Jefferson State Community College, eventually becoming a member of Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. I also won numerous forensic speech contests and graduated magna cum laude with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Radio and TV Production and Broadcasting. Since then I have had the privilege of serving as Senior News Reporter/ Producer for Mississippi Public Broadcasting, which serves an audience of 2.8 million people and is a statewide affiliate of National Public Radio. Industry leaders have honored me with more than a dozen Associated Press awards, and a national Edward R. Murrow Award for Journalistic Excellence. I only mention those accolades as proof that regardless of how hopeless things may seem, if you believe in the Lord and yourself, you can still achieve your dreams. However, I also realize that fulfilling my childhood dream would never have come true without the training, support and other opportunities I received from my beloved Jeff State.

God placed it in my spirit years ago to tell the story of how he restored this broken vessel, making me whole again. My deepest appreciation is extended to the Alabama Community College System for allowing me the opportunity to tell it. As I share my story, my journey, my truth, it is in no way meant to glorify myself. Instead it is my sincere prayer that God will use it as a beacon of hope for men and women seeking to make a positive change in their lives as well as in the lives of others."

Dual Enrollment Pays Off in Pell City

Jeremy Swindeall, 20, of Riverside is the first graduate to complete

the dual-enrollment program between Pell City High School and

Jefferson State and find work at a local industry.

Swindeall is pictured with a Programmable Logic Control

at the Pell City Jeff State Campus.

by Elsie Hodnett
The Daily Home 

A Riverside graduate is the first to complete the dual-enrollment program between Pell City High School and Jefferson State Community College and find work at a local industry.

“We have had other students go through the program and to four-year degrees, but Jeremy Swindeall is the only student I’m aware of to complete the program in high school and at Jeff State and be hired at a local industry,” said David Felton, Jefferson State Community College program coordinator for the Manufacturing and Technology Program.

Swindeall, 20, said he began the dual-enrollment program as a senior during the 2010-2011 school year.

“I graduated and then got scholarships for my second and third years at Jeff State while working full-time for Voith (a mechanical engineering company),” he said.

Swindeall graduated last December with a two-year Automotive Automated Manufacturing Technology associates degree.

“My last class was a co-op class combining work and education,” he said. “It is like clinicals for nursing students but in a totally different field.”
Swindeall said he was able to work at Honda Manufacturing of Alabama for the co-op class.

“I work equipment services for Paint Line 1,” he said. “I work on anything and everything to make a car — ovens, conveyors, air houses, booths, robots. I’m hoping to work for Honda full-time.”

Swindeall said equipment services is a multi-trade job.

“I am learning PLCs (Programmable Logic Control) and industrial electrical,” he said. “And I have also taken courses in welding, fluid power, motor drives and others.”

Swindeall said PLC can be used to run anything that runs off a circuit — lights, ovens, conveyors and more.

“You can turn on a whole factory in five minutes by having it set up on logic,” he said.

Swindeall said when he started the dual enrollment program, he was not sure where it would lead.

“I wanted to continue and take the college courses to see where they led, and I found equipment services the right fit,” he said. “I’ve always liked to learn how things worked and use both my hands and brain—I like a challenge. The dual enrollment program gave me a chance to see some of what I would be working around.”

Swindeall said the dual enrollment program helped him tremendously.

“It is a fantastic program that helped put me in a position to have a career I enjoy,” he said. “Without the program, I highly doubt I would be in this position at my age.”

Swindeall said he would like to see the dual enrollment program offered to more students.

“It is amazing to see everything I have learned about in college implemented to control the natural environment to best benefit the production of high-quality vehicles,” he said.

Kim Williams, career and technical education director and curriculum coordinator for the Pell City School System, said they have been awarded a grant due to the joint partnership with Jeff State, local businesses and industry and the St. Clair County Economic Development Council.

“All these entities work together to try and meet the workforce demands of our area,” she said.

Williams said the grant will go toward expanding the dual enrollment program.

“We will find out at the end of March how much money we have been awarded,” she said.

Felton said the dual enrollment program offers courses for a two-year associates of applied science degree.

“The primary focus is in manufacturing for automation — robotics, electronics and mechanical systems,” he said.

Felton said the Manufacturing and Technology Center at Jeff State offers AAS degrees/certificates in automotive/automated manufacturing, industrial technology, electronics, biomedical equipment, CADD (computer aided drafting and design) and tool and die maintenance. It features high school dual enrollment, full and part time students, changing careers and apprenticeship programs with industry.

Technology career paths include electrical/electronics technician, mechatronics technician, robotics, engineering technology, CADD/designer, maintenance technician, automation/instrumentation, PLC, CMM programmers, quality technician, welding, machinist and marketing/sales representative.

“The Pell City Campus offers two of the six AAS degrees: computer aided drafting and design and industrial technology,” he said. “The grant will allow us to implement an electronics option and allow the Pell City Campus to offer three of the six AAS degrees.”

Felton said by partnering with the high school, it helps prevent a duplication of equipment in multiple locations.

“We are all very proud of Jeremy and his success,” he said. “And we are on the verge of the dual enrollment program becoming much bigger.”

Pictured (L to R) are Jefferson State Manufacturing and Technology
 Program Coordinator David Felton, Dual-Enrollment Program Graduate
Jeremy Swindeall and Pell City School's Career and Technical
Education Director and Curriculum Coordinator Kim Williams.

Jefferson State Phi Theta Kappa Chapters Honored During Regional Convention

Both chapters of Phi Theta Kappa enjoyed another successful year. This year, the Beta Lambda Delta chapter (Shelby-Hoover Campus) hosted the Alabama state convention. The theme was “Explore Your World,” and the chapter did just that! They set up a “Mini-Epcot” experience where former Phi Theta Kappa members from Ethiopia, India, Indonesia, Ireland, Mexico, and Peru shared their home countries with our guests. They also put on a cross-cultural dinner experience with cuisine from around the world.

Beta Lambda Delta was honored as a Five-Star Chapter. In addition, they were named a Distinguished Chapter and received the Continuing Excellence Award. Finally, their officer team received an outstanding team award.

The Pi Pi Chapter (Jefferson Campus) welcomed Jefferson State English Instructor Matt Boehm as their new advisor. At the regional convention, Pi Pi was also honored as a Five-Star chapter. In addition, Savannah Smith was named an Outstanding Officer.

Later this month, the chapters will travel to Orlando, Florida for the PTK International Convention.

All members and advisors thank the students, faculty, staff, and administration of the college for their constant support!