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Bond strengthened with Mount Aloysius College through additional Transfer Agreements

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College is continually working to strengthen its partnerships with local four-year institutions to better serve the region. Most recently, Penn Highlands has worked with Mount Aloysius College to optimize the transfer opportunities between the two colleges.

There are fourteen (14) articulation agreements in place between the two, creating seamless pathways for Penn Highlands’ graduates to complete a bachelor’s degree at Mount Aloysius. Program-to-program agreements with Mount Aloysius include:

• Accounting
• Business Administration
• Business Management
• Child Development*
• Computer Science
• Criminal Justice (A.S. & A.A.S.)
• Early Childhood Education*
• Information Technology* (Cyber Security, Network Administration, & Server Administration)
• Liberal Arts and Sciences (Liberal Arts & Sciences*, Secondary Education in General Science*, History/Political Science, & English)
• Psychology*
• Radiologic Technology

Programs with an asterisk (*) signify agreements that were recently added. These agreements follow the 2+2 model where students must earn an associate’s degree first before they are able to obtain transfer of credit with junior standing to Mount Aloysius College.

“We are committed to helping our students succeed,” said Dr. Walter Asonevich, College President. “These agreements provide transfer options for students that allow them to continue their education within the region and achieve success following graduation.”

In addition, Mount Aloysius also accepts a variety of Pennsylvania Highlands Community College course credits and can transfer up to 90 credits toward a bachelor’s degree. Transfer scholarships are available to full-time students.

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Fall classes begin on Monday, August 28, at each of the College’s five locations: Blair, Ebensburg, Huntingdon, Richland, and Somerset.

Blair Center to expand; Construction set to start in October

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College is responding to the need for additional education and training options in the region by expanding its current Blair County location in the Logan Valley Mall.

The expanded and updated Blair Center will have a total square footage of 18,766 that encompasses both floors of the Logan Valley Mall. The original size of the Blair Center was just 4,343 square feet.

“This expansion shows our commitment to the residents of Blair County and to academic excellence which has been a hallmark of Penn Highlands since its inception,” said Dr. Walter Asonevich, College President. “The look and feel of the space will be very modern and the instructional capabilities will be state of the art.”

Construction is expected to begin the week of October 23, with a soft opening planned for March 2018. The plans for the Blair Center include five classrooms, one science lab, one computer lab, a student services area, and several comfortable areas for lounging or individual study.

Several other faculty and administrative offices and service-related areas also exist in the new facility design. Both an elevator and open staircase will be added to connect the current space with the second floor addition.

The College’s new lease begins in 2018 and runs through 2027. The grand opening for the Penn Highlands Blair Center is slated for May 2018.

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Fall classes begin on Monday, August 28, at each of the College’s five locations: Blair, Ebensburg, Huntingdon, Richland, and Somerset.

3D rendering of proposed second floor expansion in the Logan Valley Mall.

New Advanced Learning System coming for Students

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College is fast becoming a dominant higher education provider in the region. To display this commitment to student learning and success, the College will be rolling out Schoology, a next generation learning management system, to select courses this fall, full implementation across all programming will be in place by Spring 2018.

Schoology will provide our students with increased capabilities to enhance their learning through collaboration and engagement. Students will be able to engage in discussions and group projects, participate in web conferencing, share and submit assignments, and hold peer reviews. All of which will better enable each student to be confident professionals.

The benefits of Schoology exceed standard coursework, providing students a place to continue important discussions with their professors, get additional help, and explore the groups and clubs that encompass Penn Highlands.

Faculty will be able to create engaging courses for any teaching method. Each instructor will be able to create media-­rich content and lessons, reuse past courses, and embed content from Microsoft Office, YouTube, and other content providers. They will also be able to provide students with both written and video feedback quickly and easily.

“I’m looking forward to seeing Schoology in action,” stated Sherri Slavick, Assistant Professor, Physical Sciences. “The system’s modern design will allow faculty like myself to collaborate with students more efficiently and effectively. The possibilities for what we and the students can do together will have no bounds.”

Schoology looks and feels like tools everyone uses on a daily basis, allowing students to spend less time training and more time engaging with their peers and faculty. “Schoology provides users with a forward-thinking learning management system that will cultivate innovation and ignite the educational experience among our College community,” commented Matt Hoffman, the College’s Chief Information Officer.

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education. Fall classes begin on Monday, August 28, at each of the College’s five locations: Blair, Ebensburg, Huntingdon, Richland, and Somerset.

About Schoology
Schoology is putting collaboration at the heart of the learning experience with an easy-to-use learning management system (LMS) that connects the people, content, and systems that fuel education. Millions of students, faculty, and administrators from over 60,000 K-12 schools and higher education institutions worldwide use Schoology to advance what is possible in education. Find Schoology on Twitter, Facebook, or online at www.schoology.com.

Faculty Members earn Promotion & Tenure

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College recently promoted and granted tenure to select faculty members who have, over time, demonstrated a commitment to excellence in teaching, advising, professional development, and service to the College and the community. Their work with students is exemplary and serves as an inspiration to students and colleagues alike.

Eligible faculty members go through a rigorous application and review process that assesses their effectiveness in full-time teaching/advising as well as service to the College, the community, and professional development.

Advancement in Rank was determined during the Board of Trustees April meeting. Tenure was determined during the Board of Trustees June meeting.

Faculty Earning Advancement In Rank:

• Dr. Robert Clark from Assistant to Associate Professor, Criminal Justice and Social Sciences. Dr. Clark holds a Ph.D. in Administration and Leadership Studies, an M.A. in the Sociology of Human Services, and a B.A. in Applied Sociology all from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. Dr. Clark is active in a number of local and national criminal justice and sociological organizations and holds leadership positions in several. He has presented sessions on victim precipitation and offender responsibility at international and national conferences. Prior to his full-time appointment at the College, Dr. Clark worked in child welfare and victim services as well as the juvenile and criminal court systems in Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Virginia.
• Ms. Jeannine McDevitt from Associate Professor to Professor, English. Employed by the College since 2002, Ms. McDevitt holds the M.A. in English Literature from Purdue University and a B.A. in English from Seton Hill University. As Department Chair for English, Ms. McDevitt conducts departmental meetings, coordinates assessment, provides departmental professional development, conducts peer observations, and otherwise provides a full range of support to adjunct instructors. Ms. McDevitt also provided leadership in online teaching that advanced the College’s capacity in this important delivery mode. She has presented sessions on assessment, adjunct faculty collaboration, and connecting effectively with students at national conferences as well as locally.
• Ms. Jill Mitchell from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor, Biological Sciences. Ms. Mitchell began her employment as a full-time faculty member in 2010. She holds a B.A. in Biology from IUP, a B.S. in Biology Education from IUP, and an M.A. in Science Education from Western Governor’s University. Ms. Mitchell served as Lab Manager and Program Coordinator of Biological Science. Her work in course development includes Genetics, Forensic Biology, a fully on-line Biology lecture/lab, and a new Academic and Career Planning course for first-year students. Ms. Mitchell participated in several national conferences, presented locally at an American Association of University Women’s STEM event, conducted a CSI workshop for Girl Scouts. Ms. Mitchell is active with St. David’s Lutheran Church and Conemaugh Twp. School activities.
• Ms. Tammy Calpin from Instructor to Assistant Professor, Medical Assisting Technology. Ms. Calpin began her career with Pennsylvania Highlands as a full-time faculty member in August 2014. She holds an M.S. in Nursing Education from IUP, a B.S. in Nursing from the University of Pittsburgh, and Nursing and Paramedic Diplomas from Conemaugh School of Nursing. Ms. Calpin was instrumental in preparing the College’s Medical Assisting Technology program for a highly successful national accreditation visit by MAERB/CAAHEP in 2016. She contributed to the text, “Introduction to Health Professions 7th Edition” and reviewed chapters in a forthcoming Anatomy and Physiology text (Goodheart-Wilcox). Locally, Ms. Calpin assisted in the preparation of three successful Lee Initiatives grants to advance the MAT program, volunteers with the Johnstown Free Medical Clinic and the East Taylor Township Fire Department (EMS) and Scuba and Water Rescue.
• Ms. Michelle Myers-Claypole from Instructor to Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences. Ms. Myers-Claypole began her career with Pennsylvania Highlands as a full-time faculty member in August 2014. She co-published “Seasonal Activity, Density, and Collection Efficiency of the Blacklegged Tick in Mid-Western PA” in the Journal of Medical Entomology. She and students have participated in an on-going study with the United States Department of Agriculture. She is the founding faculty advisor for the Rotaract Club and served as a judge for the Pennsylvania Junior Academy of Science (PJAS) Regional Competition. Prior to her full-time employment with the College, she was a Veterinary Technician Instructor at the Indiana County Technology Center and held several other biology/veterinary related positions. She holds a B.S. in Pre-Veterinary Biology from Juniata and an M.S. in Biology from IUP.
• Ms. Robin Hughes from Instructor to Assistant Professor, Mathematics. Ms. Hughes began her career with Pennsylvania Highlands as a full-time faculty member in January 2014. Ms. Hughes holds a B.S. in Mathematics from UPJ, an MBA from St. Francis, and a M.Ed. in Math Education from Kent State. Her service to the community includes participation in the “MATHCOUNTS” program and the Technology Student Association Leadership Conference. She maintains memberships in the American Mathematical Association of Two Year Colleges (AMATYC), the Pennsylvania Council of Teachers of Mathematics (PCTM), and the Pennsylvania State Mathematics Association of Two Year Colleges (PSMATYC).

Faculty Earning Tenure:

• Ms. Sherri Slavick, Assistant Professor, Physical Sciences. Ms. Slavick began her career as a full-time faculty member in January 2012. Ms. Slavick holds a B.S. in Secondary Education from University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown, and a M.S. in Education from Lebanon Valley College. She served as a Pennsylvania Department of Education Major Program Reviewer for graduate and undergraduate programs. She also holds a Certificate of Completion from Quality Matters in “Applying the QM Rubric (APPQMR)”. She maintains memberships in the Pennsylvania Science Teacher Association, American Association of University Women, and Cambria/Somerset County Safety Consortium, and Pennsylvania State Math Association of Two Year Colleges.
• Mr. Dennis Miller, Assistant Professor, Criminal Justice. Mr. Miller began her career as a full-time faculty member in August 2012. Mr. Miller holds a B.A. in Criminology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and a M.A. in Criminology from Indiana University of Pennsylvania. He holds memberships in the Community Relations Board at the Federal Correctional Institution located in Loretto, PA., the Academy of Criminal Justice Science, and the American Correction Association. Prior to his employment at the College, his professional experience included serving as a police officer, correctional treatment specialist, and hostage negotiator.

EUT Grads hired by Penelec

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College is proud to announce that Penelec (Pennsylvania Electric Company), a subsidiary of FirstEnergy Corp. (NYSE: FE), has hired five Penn Highlands’ graduates from the company’s utility worker training program.

The new employees were hired after graduating from the existing PSI program at Pennsylvania Highlands Community College, which was reinstituted by FirstEnergy in 2014.

The new Penelec substation employees listed by work location, with their hometowns, are:

• Clearfield – Colton Cunningham(Rouseville); Heath Wirfel (Ebensburg)
• Lewistown – Noah Kolar (South Fork); Zackary Mauk (Northern Cambria)
• Towanda – Wyatt Shuman (Rome)

PSI is an award-winning, two-year educational program originally developed by FirstEnergy in 2000 to help prepare the company’s next generation of utility line and substation workers.

The PSI students split time between courses at Pennsylvania Highlands Community College completing academic coursework, and the Penelec training facility in Richland. These graduates earned an Associate of Applied Science in Electric Utility Technology.

Since the program’s inception, FirstEnergy has hired nearly 1,500 line and substation personnel who completed PSI programs in Maryland, West Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

For information about how to enroll in the PSI program, call 1.800.829.6801, or visit www.firstenergycorp.com/psi. For full press release from FirstEnergy, click here.