Transcript ALABAMA SOUTHERN COMMUNITY COLLEGE “High Technology and Economic Development Partnerships” Building Institutional Capacity Rural Community College Alliance Memphis, Tennessee October 8, 2002

ALABAMA SOUTHERN
COMMUNITY COLLEGE
“High Technology and
Economic Development Partnerships”
Building Institutional Capacity
Rural Community College Alliance
Memphis, Tennessee
October 8, 2002
Alabama Southern Community College
Rural Southwest Alabama
“Alabama’s Most Rural Region”
Alabama Population Density
Per Square Mile: 79
Service Area Population Density
Per Square Mile: 19
STATE OF ALABAMA
8
Linden
Marengo
SERVICE AREA
8
Choctaw
8
[
8
Gilbertown
Wilcox
8
[
Camden
Thomasville
Thomasville Campus
Gilbertown Campus
Clarke
Chatom
8
Monroe[
Monroeville
Monroeville Campus
Washington
Miles
0
10
20
Alabama Southern Community College
Service Area:
 54% white, 45% black, 1% other
 Six rural counties (10,000 Square Miles)
 Largest city: 7,500 population
 Two large rivers
 Huge pine forest
 Superb hunting and fishing
 Economically and educationally disadvantaged
 Declining population
 Double digit unemployment
Four day/evening campuses:
Monroeville
 Thomasville
 Gilbertown
 Jackson

Merger in 1991:
Traditional junior college
 Trade/industrial institute

College enrollment:
1,400 headcount
 1,100 FTE

Initial Status
Limited, provincial view based upon institutional and
personal experience
 Low expectations for support in equipment, supplies,
and professional growth
 Resistance to cooperation and change based upon
scarce resources and lack of trust
 History of limited involvement with area business and
industry
 Low credibility as community change agent or
political influence
 Distinctive programs: forestry technology; paper and
chemical technology (both with low enrollments)

College Choice:
Status Quo
OR
New Shared Vision!!
College Internal Questions:
 What
did community/region need?
 How
did college need to change to meet
those needs?
 Were
we capable of meeting those needs?
 Were
we committed to change?
Alabama Southern Goals:
(1) Best rural community college in
America
(2) Catalyst and coordinator of
community and economic
development
“Alabama Southern has achieved
the most dramatic turn around of
any college in the history of the
Alabama College System!”
Dr. Fred Gainous, Chancellor,
The Alabama College System
Alabama Southern selected
one of the ten most innovative
community colleges in
America!
(out of over 1200 colleges)
NILIE, 1998
All Progress Must Begin With
TRUST
UNIVERSAL HUMAN RIGHTS PLEDGE
adopted by Alabama Southern Community College
I believe that every individual has infinite and eternal worth.
I believe that recognition of the equal and inalienable rights of all members
of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice, and peace
in the world.
I believe that every individual is entitled to dignity and respect, without
prejudice toward race, color, gender, disability, language, religion,
creed, national origin, property, age, or other status.
I believe that every thought and every act of such prejudice is harmful.
If it is my thought or act, then it is harmful to me as well as to others.
THEREFORE, I will strive every day of my life to eliminate such prejudice
from my thoughts and actions.
I will discourage such prejudice by others at every opportunity.
I will treat all people with dignity and respect.
I will strive daily to honor this pledge, knowing that the world will be a
better place because of my effort.
-- adapted from the Birmingham Pledge and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights
Components of Empowerment
Sense
of Significance
Sense of Competence
Sense of Community
Sense of Enjoyment
World-Class or “Best Ever”
are the only standards
that inspire or
are truly fun!!!
The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Commitment to Personal Independence
– Habit 1: Be Proactive
– Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind
– Habit 3: Put First Things First
 Commitment to Interdependence
– Habit 4: Think Win/Win
– Habit 5: Seek First to Understand,
Then to be Understood
– Habit 6: Seek Creative Cooperation/Synergy
 Commitment to Renewal/Revision/Refresh
– Habit 7: Seek Continuous Renewal

7 Habits of Highly Effective People
Common
Language and Values
Leadership 101
Customer Satisfaction
Internal and External Partnering
7 Habits Across-the-Curriculum
Initial Strategies
Intensive
contract training for
business/industry with over 100
partners developed
Invest in professional development of
faculty
Build partnerships
College has role in all good things !!
Alabama Southern Budget Strategy
 Commitment to reduce relative labor costs (only budget category
large enough to help meet new priorities)
 Reduce staff largely through retirement and attrition
 Garner additional revenues (largely through contracts and
grants) to support existing salaries (thereby reducing relative
labor costs)
 Eliminate unnecessary or low priority functions and activities to
optimize labor effectiveness.
In order to increase budget for:
professional development
technology infrastructure
equipment for instruction
trust-building
comfort/security with continuous change
VISION 2020
Convened 25 movers and shakers, including 8 Fortune
500 companies located in ASCC’s service area in 1993
 Survey: Priorities for ASCC
 Commitment to a new initiative - catalyst and
coordinator of community and economic development
for 6 rural counties
 Convened 300+ community leaders in regional rally in
1994
 Convened 6 county-by-county community leadership
sessions in 1995
 Convened regional rally for Vision 2020, March 2000

Other Regional Planning/Visioning
Create collaborations between chambers of
commerce, industrial recruiting, industrial
development boards, and tourism boards
throughout region
 Create strategic partnerships with major land
holders
 Identify niches - What is distinctive about region?
About individual community?
What are advantages?
How to create or enhance advantages?

Issues of Accountability
Guarantees of Quality
 University transfer
 Job placement - technical degrees
 Employer satisfaction - certificate programs
Results
 Improved advising system
 30% increase in rigor and standards in
technology programs
Forestry, paper, and
chemical industries
are the heart and soul
of the economy
of southwest Alabama.
(Large, high technology industries)
Special Professional Development Strategies
for High Technology Faculty
 All
high technology faculty have conducted
in-plant training courses
 All high technology faculty have participated in
one term internships in-plant to study industrial
processes for curriculum development
 High technology faculty have visited the best
training centers in eleven states to steal best
practices
Center for Excellence for Forestry, Paper
and Chemical Technology
Partnership of Alabama Southern/Auburn University
and regional industries
 Established in 1995 by the Alabama legislature as
Alabama Technology Network Center @ Alabama
Southern-- with $350,000 annual allocation
 NIST Manufacturing Extension Center for seven
counties
 Ties 5 instructional programs to the Center:
Forestry Technology, Industrial Maintenance,
Electronics and Instrumentation, Electrical
Technology, and Paper and Chemical Technology

CIBA Partnership
 Scholarships/internships/jobs
20 scholarships annually to high school seniors in two
counties
 Complete associate degree curriculum based upon
Voluntary Standards of American Chemical Society
 Three-month internships on industrial site
 Virtually guaranteed jobs @ $30,000+ annually
 Recognized by the American Chemical Society as
“workforce development model for the nation”
 Great public relations for company
 Improves workforce competency and
reduces training costs

Alabama Southern’s
scholarship-internship-jobs
partners include:
CIBA Specialty
Chemicals
Alabama River Pulp
Temple-Inland
Boise-Cascade
External Resources for
High Tech Development
National Science Foundation (NSF) grant (1998-2001) of
$870,000 for laboratory and curriculum development
(partners: Auburn University and area industries)
 U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) annual grants of
$220,000 for laboratory development (1998-2001)
 CIBA specialty chemicals in-kind support of $100,000
(1998) for engineering design of laboratory pilot plants
 Piping and instrument diagrams contributed by
Brazosport Community College for adaptation from
petroleum pilot plants to paper and chemicals
(resulting from Dow Chemical collaboration)

High Tech Development
Results--1998-2001
Completion of $1.1 million process industries
laboratory including eleven pilot plant trainers
 Curriculum development support of $700,000 in
concert with industry and Auburn University to
include paper and chemical technology,
instrumentation and electronics, electrical technology,
and industrial maintenance
 Laboratory for programmable logic controllers
(PLC’s) ($300,000); ranked by Lab Volt Corporation
as “best in four-state district”
 New welding laboratory ($150,000) in expanded
facility ($250,000)

Alabama Southern’s
PLC Lab is the best in
four southern states!
(Better than Mercedes!!)
Lab Volt Corporation, 2000
Alabama Southern’s
process industries lab is one
of the three best in the
United States!
(over $1 million in equipment)
National Science Foundation
Visiting Committee, 2001
Alabama Southern has
one of the six top
industry/education alliances
in the United States!
American Chemical Society,
Alliances, 1999
Alabama Southern’s
scholarship-internship-jobs model
is a “workforce development
model for the nation!”
American Chemical Society, 1998
Alabama Southern and it’s
partners have created a
“national model for
technical training.”
National Science Foundation
Visiting Committee, 2001
“Alabama Southern’s technical
training for the pulp and paper
industry is without equal in the
United States!”
Dr. Harry Cullinan, Auburn University,
Pulp and Paper Research Center
Two New NSF Grants
$488,000 two-year grant to complete additional
curriculum and equipment projects
$50,000 one-year grant to develop a plan for the
National Network for Pulp and Paper
Technology
Alabama Southern—National Center for
Pulp and Paper Technology
Partners: Auburn University, American
Forest and Paper Association, Maine,
Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Washington
Alabama Works—
Manufacturing Technology Institute
Alabama Works MTI coming to
Thomasville in 2003.
Machine Technology (32 weeks):
Lathes
Milling machines
Computer Numerical Control machining
Estimated investment: Over $1,000,000.
Partnerships for Education
TRIO
. . . .Over $1.5 million annually
exclusively for K-12 students
(Talent Search, Upward Bound, other)
Over
$1.2 million for Adult Education
and Out-of-school Youth.
Baccalaureate degrees through new
University Center--partnership with
Troy State University (pending)
Tourism
 Monroeville
and Monroe County designated
“Literary Capital of Alabama” in 1997
 Helped to develop annual community theatre
production of “To Kill a Mockingbird”
 Developed an annual writers’ symposium
 Created Alabama Center for Literary Arts
and Alabama Writers Hall of Honor(pending)
 Helped to obtain grant funds for restoration of
Old Monroe County Courthouse
Demopolis Higher Education Center
Demopolis City Council to receive $1.245
million Delta Regional Authority grant.
15,000 square foot building to be built on
30 acres in Demopolis Sportsplex.
Alabama Southern to serve as Managing
Partner. (ASCC Demopolis Campus)
Other partners: University of West
Alabama and University of Alabama
To open: Fall 2003.
The Learning Paradigm
at Alabama Southern
Strategies
 Strong commitment to faculty/staff
development
(at least one percent of faculty/staff
salaries budget)
 Required faculty mentoring:
National network of professionals:
(a) content/evaluation mentor
(b) instructional methodologies mentor
100% Full-Time Faculty are
Technologically Competent
Perhaps the most technologically competent faculty in America!!
 Windows
 Internet
Proficiency
 Microsoft Office  Electronic
Periodical Research
– Word
 Mainframe Ability
– Excel
to
Schedule
and
– Access
Advise
– Powerpoint
 Front Page
(40% and growing)
Alabama Southern
“Most Wired College in Alabama”
More Computers per Student
 Fiber-Optic Infrastructure on each campus
 Fast EtherNet to each Computer
 T-1 Lines deliver Voice/Data/Video between all four
campuses
 Two-way Audio/Video Teleconference Centers on all four
campuses (Fall 2001)
 Optical Drive Storage for all records
 Hosting WEBCT courses on own server

 90%
of classrooms on 4 campuses--Multi-media
“Never doubt that a small
group of thoughtful,
committed people can
change the world.
Indeed, it is the only thing
that ever has.”
Margaret Mead
ALABAMA SOUTHERN
COMMUNITY COLLEGE
“CLEARLY ONE OF THE MOST
INNOVATIVE COMMUNITY
COLLEGES IN AMERICA!!”
Visit our website: http://www.ascc.edu
E-mail: [email protected]
Building College Capacity for
Community and Economic Development
Create shared dynamic vision
 Eliminate historical practices, policies, attitudes that are
barriers to new vision
 High expectations for all faculty and staff
 Reorganize annually (or at least periodically)
 Highest standards for selecting/retaining non-tenured
personnel
 Zero-based budgeting (eliminate the less than necessary)
 Promote internal partnering
 Focus on learning, rather than teaching (The Learning
Paradigm)

College and University Contributions
to Economic Development
Colleges and universities play an integral part in the economic
development of the communities in which they are based.
Services include:
(1) Leadership in visioning and planning
(2) Technical Assistance to Existing Business/Industry
(3) Business Incubators
(4) Workforce Training
(A)
Literacy
(B)
Basic Skills
(C)
Traditional Programs
(D)
High Technology
(E)
Customized Contract Training
(5) Manufacturing Extension Services
(6) Partnerships for Education
(7) Tourism
(8) Healthcare
(9 Telecommunications
Alabama Southern Milestones In Achieving Goals
1992
1993
1994
Fred Gainous, Chancellor, Alabama Department of
Postsecondary Education:
“Alabama Southern has achieved the most dramatic
turnaround of any college in the history of the
Alabama College System.”
Debbie Dahl, Director of Finance,
Alabama Department of
Postsecondary Education:
“Alabama Southern is one of the five most efficient
community colleges in Alabama.”
Selected by the Ford Foundation to be a charter member of
Rural Community College Initiative, based exclusively
on the college’s reputation.
Milestones (cont.)
1997
George Baker, North Carolina State University:
“Alabama Southern is clearly one of the most innovative
community colleges in America.”
1998 Alabama Southern selected to receive 1998 David Pierce
Organizational Leadership Award from National Initiative
for Leadership and Institutional Effectiveness (NILIE)
and North Carolina State University.
1998 Alabama Southern selected as one of ten community colleges
featured in AACC national monograph –
“Managing Change: A Model for Community College Leaders.”
1998 One of only three colleges/universities cited for excellence in
MDC’S The State of the South 1998.
ALABAMA SOUTHERN
COMMUNITY COLLEGE
“CLEARLY ONE OF THE MOST
INNOVATIVE COMMUNITY
COLLEGES
IN AMERICA!!”
Alabama Southern
Teaching/Learning Initiative
“Perhaps the nation’s most
coherent, comprehensive,
state-of-the-art approach to the
Learning Paradigm”
Teaching/Learning Initiative
 Learning
Syllabus
 Outcomes-based/Competency-driven
Curriculum
 Learning-Styles-Driven Multiple
Methodologies
 Every Course Web-Augmented
 External Assessment
 Technology Augmentation
The Learning Paradigm
at Alabama Southern
Multiple learning styles assessment
for every entering student:
Myers-Briggs Personality Type
 Multiple Intelligences (Howard Gardner)
 Auditory/Visual/Tactual
 Left/Right Brain Dominance



Results printed on class rosters so that faculty know how to diversify
learning strategies
Students are taught how to make their own learning efficient and
effective .