In addition to our students and alumni, our employees are some of Columbia College’s biggest and best assets. Below is the list of the employees who joined the college or transitioned positions within the last month. Welcome to the new employees and congratulations to those who changed roles!

Come work at Columbia College! For a complete list of employment opportunities currently available, visit ccis.edu/jobs.

New Associates

• Aalisha Robinson started as Custodian in Physical Plant on June 6, 2022.
• J Robert Streit started as Director of the college’s Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, location on June 6, 2022.
• Jeneva Pace started as Director of Strategic Partnerships in Enrollment & Marketing on June 13, 2022.
• Shelda Sternberg started as Regional Military Recruitment Specialist in Admissions on June 13, 2022.
• Brennan Cape started as Head Men’s & Women’s Cross Country and Track & Field Coach in Athletics on June 21, 2022.
• Jennifer Grant started as Program Coordinator of the college’s Grissom ARB, Indiana, location on June 21, 2022.
• Angela Jones started as Part-Time Administrative Assistant in Nursing Program on June 21, 2022.
• Rachel Doran started as Records Coordinator (Hybrid Work Options) in Office of the Registrar on June 27, 2022.
• Naomi Valentin started as CRM Administrator (Remote) in Marketing on June 27, 2022.
• Jennifer Jewell started as Dean of the School of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences on July 1, 2022.
• Adam Backes will start as General Maintenance Worker in Physical Plant on July 5, 2022.
• Nathan Davis will start as Sports Information Coordinator & Game Day Operations Manager in Athletics on July 5, 2022.
• Matthew Livengood will start as Director of Instructional Design (Hybrid Work Options) in Online Education on July 5, 2022.
• James Price will start as Director of the college’s Salt Lake, Utah, location on July 5, 2022.
• Patrick Remis will start as Part-Time Clinical Instructor in Nursing Program on July 5, 2022.
• Brittni Westaby will start as Academic Advisor I at the college’s Crystal Lake, Illinois, location on July 5, 2022.
• Kyle Wichern will start as Enrollment Specialist I in Enrollment Service Center on July 5, 2022.
• Marcus Williams will start as Academic Advisor at the college’s St. Louis, Missouri, location on July 5, 2022.
• Jimmy Gomez will start as Location Support Assistant at the college’s Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, location on July 11, 2022.
• John “Chris” McCurley will start as Academic Advisor at the college’s Waynesville, Missouri, location on July 11, 2022.
• George Guba will start as Instructional Designer (Remote Work Options) in Online Education on July 18, 2022.
• Ernest Jones will start as Campus Safety Officer in Safety on July 18, 2022.
• Reza Alaeddini will start as Visiting Assistant Professor, Forensic Science in Academic Affairs on August 1, 2022.
• Jordan Chavis will start as Assistant Women’s Basketball Coach (9 months) in Athletics on August 1, 2022.
• Brittany Hagenhoff will start as Assistant Professor, Chemistry in Academic Affairs on August 1, 2022.
• Kristen Neeley will start as Director of Transfer Services in Admissions on August 1, 2022.
• Terryonna Nunnelly will start as TRiO SSS (Student Support Services) Advisor in Student Affairs on August 1, 2022.
• Bradley “Brad” Scharf will start as Assistant Professor, Biology in Academic Affairs on August 1, 2022.
• Sarah Shawver will start as Assistant Professor, Biology in Academic Affairs on August 1, 2022.

Employee Transitions

• Tristan Applegarth transitioned from Records Coordinator to Records Coordinator II on June 6, 2022.
• Cecelia Davis transitioned from Records Coordinator to Records Coordinator I on June 6, 2022.
• Grace Fear transitioned from Records Coordinator to Records Coordinator I on June 6, 2022.
• Melanie Taylor transitioned from Records Coordinator to Records Coordinator II on June 6, 2022.
• Irennasha Richmond transitioned from Academic Advisor at the college’s Fort Worth, Texas, location to the Evening Program on June 21, 2022.
• Miriam Carlos will transition from Academic Operations Specialist to Academic Operations Specialist II with Online Education on July 4, 2022.
• Dru Duemmel will transition from Instructional Designer to Senior Instructional Designer with Online Education on July 4, 2022.
• Allison Ehret will transition from Academic Operations Specialist to Academic Operations Specialist II with Online Education on July 4, 2022.
• Lisa Ford-Brown will transition from Associate Professor to Special Projects Coordinator Assessment & Accreditation with Academic Affairs on July 4, 2022.
• Molly Sartorius will transition from Mental Health Counselor to Clinical Director for Counseling Services on July 4, 2022.
• Carol Smith will transition from Team Lead-Admissions Contact Center to Assistant Director of Enrollment Service Center on July 4, 2022.
• Michelle Tharenos will transition from Coordinator of Student Involvement and Traditions to Senior Coordinator for Campus Life on July 4, 2022.
• Shana Luebbering will transition from PT Clinical instructor to Sr Clinical Instructor on August 15, 2022.

The post CC Employee Transitions – June 2022 appeared first on CC Connected.

Congratulations to the following students who were named to the Columbia College dean’s list for the Summer 2022 Semester (May-August 2022)! To be named to the dean’s list, a student must have completed 12 semester hours in a 16-week period and achieved a minimum GPA of 3.5 on a 4.0-point scale.

To jump directly to a location’s list of honorees, click on the location below:

Main Campus: Day Program | Evening Program

Nationwide: Crystal Lake | Denver | Elgin | Fort Leonard Wood | Fort Sill | Fort Stewart | NASJRB Fort Worth | Freeport | NS Great Lakes | NB Guantanamo Bay | USCG Honolulu | Hunter Army Airfield | Imperial | Jacksonville | NAS Jacksonville | Jefferson City | Kansas City | NSB Kings Bay | Lake County | Lake of the Ozarks | NAS Lemoore | JFTB Los Alamitos | NS Everett/Marysville | Mesquite | Moberly | Orlando | Redstone Arsenal | Rolla | Salt Lake | MCRD San Diego | NB San Diego | San Luis Obispo | Springfield | St. Louis | Waynesville | NAS Whidbey Island

Online: Online Program

Crystal Lake, Illinois (top)

Samantha Blach
Alyssa Misura
Crusita Ortiz
Kevin Parker
Amanda Popp
William Strombach
Stacy Tonneman

Day Program (top)

Theresa Amofa
Juliet Borgschulte
Cade Carlson
Ellie Crede
Kyle Davis
Alaina Elkins
Alexander Forsythe
Michael Gale
Andrew Hamilton
Kimberly Horn
Alexus Jenkins
Jacie Jones
Carter Kinkead
Oluwakemi Omotayo
Brandi Rolens
Amandeep Sandhu
Angela Shahdadi
Makayla Smith
Melissa Stallo
Nicole Startzman
Carter Sweet
Tamika Thornton
Honglin Wang
Kyley Weatherspoon
Jordonha Wilson
Tamara Young

Denver, Colorado (top)

Emily Eler De Souza
Suk Ju Lee
Mikayla Noble
Anusarga Shrestha
Ryan Taylor
Nawal Young

Elgin, Illinois (top)

Joseph Dony
Cynthia Flowers
Viviana Medrano
Terry Reed
Joanna Tkacz

Evening Program (top)

Taryn Alksnis
Chelsea Andrews
Renee Bosch
Vincent Chase
Jeffrey Davis
Ally Doyle
Robert Harding
Sean Irby
Lesli Kalleck
Sally Kessell
Julia Landers
Raushan Mahdee
Katie McDaniel
Zoe McDermit
Erin Raleigh
Andrew Ricks
Hope Roetemeyer
Cari Sapp
Erin Shults
Ishmael Timko

Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri (top)

Honey Akyeampong
Nicole French
Chris Hwang
Jonell Martinez
Sarah McKinney
Blaine Walker

Fort Sill, Oklahoma (top)

Quintin Anderson
Leeann Delgadillo-Cruz
Brooklyn Doll
Jonathan Mestre

Fort Stewart, Georgia (top)

Daryl Anderson
Joan Brown
Vanessa Dybes
Akasha Edwards
Shaniece Glover-Bates
Tereon Jackson
Marra Stone
Tachelle Tomlinsonlilite
Sherisse Washington

NASJRB Fort Worth, Texas (top)

Deedra Corbett
Francisco Galvez-Lopez
Katya Garnica

Freeport, Illinois (top)

Raegan Bass
Rosemarie Evans
Chandler Reifsteck
Frank Wise

NS Great Lakes, Illinois (top)

Shawn Robinson
Beverly Rodriguez

NB Guantanamo Bay, Cuba (top)

Brooke McWilliams

USCG Honolulu, Hawaii (top)

Ivanna Avila
Jose Francisco Coste Perez
Thomas Malpass

Hunter Army Airfield, Georgia (top)

Natalie Sucic Burns

Jacksonville, Florida (top)

Wanda Adams
Semaj Simon
Catherine Tolbert
Hector Torres
Francesco Violante
Erik Zimmerli

NAS Jacksonville (top)

Jovanni Charlton Crowl
Jaclyn Larkin
Aiyi Xu

Jefferson City, Missouri (top)

Clay Allen
Colette Beard
Stephanie Berndt
Justin Elliott
Brittany Gray
Jennifer Hanna
Miranda Linnenbrink
Virgen Mejia
Gladra Owens
Caid Stockstill
Carmela Thornton
Kamryn Twehus
Bethany Yarnell

Kansas City, Missouri (top)

Sarah Smith

NSB Kings Bay, Georgia (top)

Mallary Bloodworth

Lake County, Illinois (top)

Agnieszka Baldyga
Danielle Bretzman
Austin Esquivel
Ashley Hayner
Jennifer Van Teylingen

Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri (top)

Shanice Bailey Stoker
Timothy Bradley
Ryan Fuller
Matti Hoeppner
Kimberly Jones
Brittany Kitchen
Derrick Newman
Samantha Price
Valentena Sheremeta
John Stout
Samantha Ward

NAS Lemoore, California (top)

Jesse Bishop
Joshua Torres

JFTB Los Alamitos, California (top)

Guillermo Gutierrez
Armando Hidalgo
Claudia Merelle
Bella Samel

NS Everett/Marysville, Washington (top)

Nathan Broome
Kayla Clemons
Thomas Gay
Analyse Gee
Alena Morales
Elmer San Miguel

Mesquite, Texas (top)

Pamela Green

Moberly, Missouri (top)

Alyssa Pence

Online Program (top)

Ryan Addington
Briana Aguila
Shane Archer
Lascelles Barnes
Jessika Becton
Sarah Bemboom
Danielle Benson
Koal Benson
Cynthia Boccolucci
Amber-Nichole Brandt
Abigail Buhr
Cortnie Canote
Carlos Cardenas
Yarden Carroll
Maryurith Castillo
Dustin Cobbs
Alyssa Cooper
Joshua Dahms
Miranda Davis
Vanessa Debord
Kelli Denton
Ramona-Lisa Edgerton
Janiya Fernandez
Michael Gallegos
Kaitlyn Garner
Champagne Green
Rebecca Grey
Tyler Groskopf
Rebecca Hamilton
Jazmin Hill-Staten
Ashley Homan
Chandler Howland
Portia Hughes-Brewer
Josue Isidro
Phillip Jablanski
Brandi Jackson
David Jarvis
Michael Johnson
Tyler Johnson
Jasmine Jones
Jill Kalmar
Hunter Kimber
Paul Leyva
Tatiana Mandrosortega
Ashley March
Elizabeth Martino
Kendall Meadows
Andrew Mekebak
Eric Melendez
Taylor Morgan
Sarah Myles
Michael Newman
Jeffery Ninnemann
Luis Orozco
Ray Perkins
Angela Peterson
Jacob Phelps
Brittany Ponticelli
April Robins
Taryn Rodriguez
Jamie Rose
Caitlin Ryan
Michael Ryman
Janet Sachs Gebert
Kelly Schroeder
Aire Sirvaitis
Andre Smith
Zachary Steele
Tanya Swift
Andrew Thomas
Kyle Thomas
Tangi Tillman
Kyler Trentham
Nicholas Tribuzio
Yosniel Valdez
Jerryca Warfield
Jonathan Wesselmann
Dylan Wilson
Aleesa Wolf
Nena Yager
Jaden Zeigler

Orlando, Florida (top)

Alexandra Berger
Nicole Epperson
Alayna Huff
Gregory Roddy
Deisy Valencia

Redstone Arsenal, Alabama (top)

Nicholas Boysel
Michael Faria
Celarcia Johnson
Hailey Velez

Rolla, Missouri (top)

Rachael Foster
Cassandra Sherfy
James Tomnitz

Salt Lake, Utah (top)

Michael Dingman

MCRD San Diego, California (top)

Lizeth Gonzalez
Matthew Kugelman
Faydra McNair

NB San Diego, California (top)

Christian Castro Lopez
Keyon Coleman
Jocelyn Gano
Dustin Mirabal

San Luis Obispo, California (top)

Audrey Roben

Springfield, Missouri (top)

Cameron Briggs
Danielle Puckett

St. Louis, Missouri (top)

Preston Barrow
Meredith Palmer
Natisha Wilson

Waynesville, Missouri (top)

Shaynoah Hoskins
Christy Meredith

NAS Whidbey Island, Washington (top)

Bryan Barton
Paige Cartwright
Ashley Flaherty
Joshua Lazanis
Marie MacFarlane
Ivan Marin
Alexandra Miller
Moses Olasunkanmi
Madison West
Nathan Wisniewski
Rhonda Wright

The post Summer Semester 2022 dean’s list announced appeared first on CC Connected.

A lot has happened over the past two years, and as the emergency relief from federal student loan payments is scheduled to come to an end, you may be preparing to make student-loan payments; you can revisit our story from the Summer newsletter for ways to prepare. There are also things you can do to prepare yourself for loan forgiveness.

Student loan forgiveness has been a hot topic in the media the past two years. In reality, Federal Student Aid (FSA) and the Department of Education (ED) have been administering forgiveness under The Public Service Loan Forgiveness Program (PSLF) for several years, granting the first loan forgiveness in the fall of 2017.

The PSLF Program, established under the College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007, permits Direct Loan borrowers who make 120 qualifying monthly payments under a qualifying repayment plan while working full-time for a qualifying employer to have the remainder of their loan balance forgiven.

If you have researched PSLF in the past and found you did not qualify, there is a new limited waiver that could make you eligible. Until October 31, 2022, if you are a federal student loan borrower, you can get credit for payments that previously did not qualify under PSLF or Temporary Expanded Public Service Loan Forgiveness (TEPSLF). Under this waiver, credit for past payments may be given even if payments were made: 

• after the due date
• in the amount less than the amount due
• under a non-eligible payment plan

There are several things you can do to take advantage of the waiver before the limited PSLF waiver deadline, which is October 31, 2022:

1. Make sure you confirm your employer(s) are qualified

To be eligible for PSLF, you must work for a qualified employer; this is unchanged with the waiver. Columbia College is a qualified employer; you also want to check your past employers using the Federal Student Aid’s PSLF Tool, so you receive credit for years worked. The help tool will certify your employer, walk you through the qualifications for PSLF/ TEPSLF, and generate the form(s) you will need to complete and submit to be considered for qualification.

• To use the tool you will need to log in using your FSA ID.
• Have your employer information ready; the tool uses the Federal Employer Identification Number which is located on your W2.

2. Make sure you know your loan types and status

If you do not know your loan type or the status, you can review your aid summary at studentaid.gov/aid-summary/loans.

3. Take action to consolidate Loans, if needed

Only Direct Loans are eligible for PSLF. If you still have FFEL and Perkins Loans, you can only get credit for past payments if your loans are consolidated into Direct loans and your PSLF form is filed for prior employment by the waiver deadline. There are pros and cons to consolidation; after understanding all of your options, you may choose to consolidate. 

4. Make sure you review waiver changes

With this limited PSLF waiver, payment counts now include any loan program, any payment plan, and any loan type, excluding parent plus loans. The FSA announcement https://studentaid.gov/announcements-events/pslf-limited-waiver explains how the waiver works.

5. Make sure you review what is not changing under the limited waiver

There are many PSLF requirements that remain unchanged by the limited waiver. Among them:

• Making 120 qualifying payments or the equivalent
• Being employed by government, 501(c)(3) not-for-profit, or other not-for-profit organization that provides a qualifying service
• Working full time
• Having Direct Loans or consolidating into Direct Consolidation Loans
• Certifying qualifying employment for the periods you seek credit toward PSLF

The post Take Advantage of Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) limited-time waiver appeared first on CC Connected.

While the pandemic upended everyone’s routines, especially when it comes to learning, several students have discovered that the short-term headaches they experienced in changing learning modalities – think in-seat vs. online vs. virtual/Zoom – has given them greater flexibility as they continue their education. They come from diverse backgrounds, but they have a common thread – Columbia College has given them what they need, how they need it.

The “Zoom”-er

Transitioning from in-seat learning to Zoom might have become a pain for many, but for Thomas Gay, a student at the college’s location at Naval Station Everett/Marysville, Washington, it became his preference.

Thomas originally enjoyed his in-seat evening classes in Marysville, but as he moved into his junior and senior years of study, the in-seat schedule didn’t match his work schedule as a civilian Navy ship-building specialist at NS Everett. In addition, the 40- to 60-minute commute to his home in Snohomish made things equally difficult. With the switch to virtual classes via Zoom – two of his classes are based out of Missouri, so the time change works perfectly as his workday ends in the middle of the afternoons – he’s able to login from his office at home. “It took a little getting used to, but after a while, I really enjoyed it,” Gay says.

Back in the saddle

You can count Damien Comeaux among those students grateful for the return to in-seat learning. Comeaux began his college journey two years ago at the age of 22, four years after a severe knee injury during Army service in Korea and surgeries on both knees ended his military career. Now back in Fort Sill, Oklahoma, where he was shipped out for his first deployment, Comeaux worked through his disability benefits to begin taking classes at the college’s location on the installation at Fort Sill.

He had grown accustomed to the in-seat environment thanks to his military classes, so the classroom at Fort Sill was not much of an adjustment. Yet three months into his classes, the pandemic shifted everyone to a virtual setting. “I wasn’t familiar with Skype, and FaceTime was the only video experience I’d had,” he says. “It was a little scary stepping into virtual, especially for education.”

Yet Comeaux quickly got the hang of virtual classes. Like everyone else, he got used to wearing whatever he wanted in the comfort of his own home, and became accustomed to the convenience of Zoom. Yet once things started opening back up, Comeaux returned to in-seat learning, and noticed the difference. “There’s a social aspect that Zoom lacks; it’s definitely a different learning experience,” he says.

Comeaux earned an Associate in Business Administration degree, and has been employed as a student worker in the Fort Sill location office since March. He is currently working toward a bachelor’s degree in finance which he is projected to earn in December 2023. He has advice for fellow students that come into the office. “A lot of people think virtual will be easier. If you’re used to in-seat and want the full college experience, do in-seat.”

Online and loving it

Emmet Fried earned an associate degree – primarily via in-seat classes – from Imperial Valley College, a community college in California that has an articulation agreement with Columbia College. His advisor and one of his instructors at IVC, Guillermo Salgado, also serves as the director of Columbia College-Imperial, and convinced Fried to enroll at CC and pursue a bachelor’s degree in business administration. “[Guillermo] took a liking to me. I loved the course, and loved business. We became good friends. He really pushed CC, and I had a lot of interest, but a lot of factors kept me from doing it.”

At the time, Fried was serving as a corporal in the Marine Corps Reserves, and because his 2nd Battalion, 23rd Marines, G Company was called in to support the processing of Afghani refugees, he had to put his studies on hold. But he kept in touch with Salgado, who ultimately turned over advising duties to his colleague Veronica Alvarado; as advisor for the college’s military-heavy students in the San Diego area, she was much more in tune with military students’ needs.

Alvarado modified his schedule to better align with his degree path, while also understanding that Fried needed flexibility in his schedule, so he attended exclusively online. “I could do virtual education or in-seat, but the problem is time; I have to squeeze in assignments here and there, in bits and pieces,” Fried says. “I enjoyed in-seat very much while I was getting my associate degree, but it comes and goes. There are in-seat classes I’ve taken where the lecture doesn’t provide much value, so you end up reading the book to teach yourself anyway.”

While he was beginning this new journey, Fried was not only promoted to sergeant, but married his beloved wife Laura and became the principal for a local faith-based elementary school, Brawley Christian Academy. He also can’t express enough gratitude for the faculty and staff at Columbia College. “The funny thing with online is that my professors have been exceptionally available and accessible. I’ve really appreciated the time they’ve given me, let along the other students in my classes,” he says.

As an aside, one would assume that students in the Online Program – by far the majority of the college’s nearly 10,000 students this semester – would be the most firm in their desire to remain in their learning mode. Yet Joie Hendricks, the college’s director of Online Student Services, says that’s not necessarily the case. “I do know that we have a population of students who really appreciates being about to take Math, English, and Speech through either the virtual modality or in-seat at a location,” she says. “Those courses can be difficult to do entirely online, and having virtual and in-seat options has been very appealing for some students.” Hendricks also notes that because of the college’s numerous options, staff doesn’t have to spend time recommending a student take a course in-seat at another college, then transferring that credit into to the student’s CC transcript.

The bottom line

In the end, it’s all about what’s best for the student, and no matter how you thrive best, Columbia College is here for you. “I get off early because I start early,” says Gay, the virtual student from NS Everett/Marysville. “I think CC is great for the working adult.”

The post In-seat? Online? Virtual? At CC, the answer’s yes! appeared first on CC Connected.

Until recently, the only way CCG students could obtain tutoring support through Columbia College was through through an outsourced online tutoring system. That’s all changed with the expansion of the Academic Achievement Center (AAC) to offer support to all students, regardless of location.

Staff members at the AAC’s Ether L. Bruce Math Center and Elizabeth Toomey Seabrook Writing Center and Tutoring Services have nearly 120 combined years of experience teaching and tutoring at Columbia College, and includes former directors of both the Writing Center and Math Center, who are continuing part-time because they love working with students.

Tutors can help with content and study skills in a variety of subjects, including math and the sciences. They can also assist in developing your problem-solving skills, improving your writing, and better understanding texts, concepts, and assignments. Tutors can also support you in developing good study habits as you prepare for quizzes and exams.

“We’re here, let us help you!,” says Tahna Long, Academic Achievement Center Coordinator in the Seabrook Writing Center and Tutoring Services office. Assistance is available on a drop-in basis or by appointment for students on main campus in Williams Hall, or virtually via Zoom.

Looking for tutoring help? Schedule a session via the Appointment Scheduler (Aviso) in CougarTrack under the CC Links section. If you have any trouble making an appointment, please contact us at mathcenter@ccis.edu or writingcenter@ccis.edu, or by calling (573) 875-7616.

The post Tutoring now available for all CCG students! appeared first on CC Connected.

By Grossnickle Career Services Center

There are many routes to securing a solid job, and one “detour” might benefit job-seekers – especially first-time workers – more than others: Internships.

An internship can present you with new skills and opportunities that you would not receive otherwise. Interns not only gain technical knowledge within the industry of their choice, but they also learn how to interact with professionals in a workplace setting, and develop essential soft skills like time management, organization, adaptability, problem-solving and teamwork.

Good for you, good for them! You could enjoy numerous benefits from internships, including a solid extra line on that résumé you’ve been busy building. Among them:

• Just like you test-drive a car, internships let you “test drive” a career. Would I be happier working as a programmer or managing a database? Am I more comfortable working with patients or in a lab setting?
• The opportunities to network – your part-time colleagues could end up becoming your future coworkers
• Accumulating new skills
• Establishing relationships with mentors
• An introduction to the field’s culture and etiquette
• It helps you gain a real-world perspective on an occupation. How much overtime do employees really work? How much time is spent behind a desk versus in the field?

Employers also benefit from hiring interns. There are plenty of organizations that hire positions directly from their intern pool; after all, it’s a captive group that is already familiar with the company, its culture and operations. In addition, internships allow the employer to evaluate how a potential future candidate would perform in their actual workplace.

Looking for an internship? Contact the Grossnickle Career Services Center for help at ccis.edu/careerservices, email careerservices@ccis.edu or call (573) 875-7425.

The post The benefits of an internship appeared first on CC Connected.

By James Price, director, Columbia College-Salt Lake

Higher education has had a tough couple of years.

The pandemic forced us to look at how we teach students, what they need, and how to support them in their goals. Folks in our field are not always willing to change, but it has been very encouraging to watch my colleagues at Columbia College continually test, alter, and re-evaluate what we do. Because of that, we now have many flexible course delivery options for students and are currently developing exciting new degree programs that are more relevant to today’s world.

Unfortunately, though, the field of higher education overall has seen a large drop in consumer confidence in our product. Recent reports say that just a couple of years ago nearly two-thirds of Americans said higher education had a positive impact on the country. Today that amount has dropped to slightly over half.

What has happened is that more people are knowledgeable about the postsecondary options available to them now, and thus have much higher expectations about what they want from an education.

Columbia College meets those expectations head-on. The things that adult learners indicate are most important to them RIGHT NOW are: flexibility, value for their money, and a supportive community.

Flexibility is our bread and butter – students can take classes at a physical venue on a specific day and time, they can take classes virtually from anywhere (including their home) at a specific day and time, or they can take classes in an asynchronous fashion online. Students can take a term off, or two or three, and can return to complete their degree at their own pace. They can take several classes in a semester to complete their degree on a faster track, or they can pick up one class at a time if they so choose.

Columbia College offers real value for a student’s tuition dollar due to the one-price option. There are not only no book costs or supplementary education fees, but many important services are offered to students without any additional cost. As a matter of fact, that takes me to our supportive community environment…

We have advisors and experts for you every step of the way – we can provide guidance for your academic journey, but also help you identify your best financial options as well as utilize corporate or military funding if you are eligible. Our commitment to student wellness and mental health comes with no costs or strings attached. We have counselors and resources to get you in touch with the assistance you need at the time you need it. Our career services office helps you personally search and prepare for employment or internships, including reviewing your résumé, so that you are ready for that next adventure in your career. Your location staff here in Salt Lake are backed up by a team of folks always ready and willing to help with any obstacle you face in your education journey – all you have to do is ask.

So, while some are bemoaning the “state of higher education” as it is right now, I’m confident in how Columbia College has responded to the challenge. Just like we did in 1851, we are doing it today – we change lives… for the better.

The post The state of higher education today appeared first on CC Connected.

Alumni Fountain on Columbia College’s Main Campus

In addition to our students and alumni, our employees are some of Columbia College’s biggest and best assets. Below is the list of the employees who joined the college or transitioned positions within the last month. Welcome to the new employees and congratulations to those who changed roles!

Come work at Columbia College! For a complete list of employment opportunities currently available, visit ccis.edu/jobs.

New Associates

• Melissa Walton started as Custodian in Plant and Facilities on Jan. 27, 2020.
• William Daniels started as Computer Support Tech at the college’s Kansas City, Missouri, location on Sept. 6, 2022.
• Jennifer Kelly started as Location Support Assistant at the college’s Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, location on Sept. 6, 2022.
• Mary Williamson started as Sr. Operations Manager in Academic Affairs on Sept. 6, 2022.
• Lauren Catey started as Location Support Assistant at the college’s Grissom ARB (Indiana) location on Sept. 12, 2022.
• Jared Faulk started as PT Assistant Athletics Trainer in Athletics on Sept. 12, 2022.
• James Guffey started as Admissions Counselor in Recruiting & Admissions on Sept. 12, 2022.
• Erin Honkala started as Interim Assistant Sports Information Director in Athletics on Sept. 12, 2022.
• Kyle Loftus started as Tutor in the Writing Center on Sept. 13, 2022.
• Destiny Bailey started as Student Support Assistant at the college’s Salt Lake City, Utah, location on Sept. 19, 2022.
• Sarah Baillos started as Student Support Assistant at the college’s Kansas City, Missouri, location on Sept. 19, 2022.
• Sara Jane Bates started as Program Coordinator in CC Global Civilian & Online on Sept. 19, 2022.
• Shadel Hamilton started as Vice President for Columbia College Global in CC Global Operations on Sept. 19, 2022.
• Michael Britt started as Academic Advisor I at the college’s Fort Worth, Texas, location on Sept. 26, 2022.
• Thomas Halderman started as Administrative Assistant in the Nursing Program on Sept. 26, 2022.
• Jack Langen started as Advancement Services Assistant in Advancement on Sept. 26, 2022.

Employee Transitions

• Larry Cousins transitioned from Academic Advisor I to Academic Advisor II at the college’s Marysville, Washington, location on July 4, 2022.
• Michelle McClain transitioned from Senior Academic Advisor I to Senior Academic Advisor II at the college’s location on Whidbey Island, Washington, on July 4, 2022.
• Paul Kelly transitioned from Regional Recruitment Specialist to Regional Recruitment Specialist-Military in Recruiting & Admissions on Aug. 1, 2022.
• Katie Orf transitioned from Academic Administrative Specialist to Certification Officer & Data Collection Coordinator in Education on Aug. 1, 2022.
• Ethan Aragon transitioned from Building Monitor to Location Support Assistant on Aug. 29, 2022.
• Elizabeth Harris transitioned from Student Success Advisor II to Senior Student Success Coach in Student Success on Aug. 29, 2022.
• Jon Hardy transitioned from Student Success Advisor to Student Success Coach II in Student Success on Aug. 29, 2022.
• Kevin Fletcher transitioned from Strategic Communications to Advancement Services Manager in Advancement on Sept. 12, 2022.

The post CC Employee Transitions – September 2022 appeared first on CC Connected.

Apply Now! 

It’s time to apply for the Columbia College eScholarship! Selected individuals will be awarded a $2,000 scholarship for the 2022-23 academic year.

The eScholarship is designed to reward outstanding achievement in online study at Columbia College. Consideration will be given to those applicants who, in addition to meeting the minimum criteria, demonstrate a history of academic excellence and personal growth as a result of taking online courses with Columbia College.

This one-time award can be applied toward tuition, books and fees with Columbia College for this academic year. Cash awards will not be made.

To be considered for the eScholarship, the student must:

• Have registered for, and successfully completed at least three (9 hours) online courses during the past or current academic year.
• Have at least 21 hours of coursework with Columbia College (either in-seat or online).
• Be an undergraduate, degree-seeking student.
• Have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0 with Columbia College.
•  Complete the application form to include the short answer portion

The application can be found online by using the scholarship finder at http://www.ccis.edu/eScholarship. Once submitted, the application will be directed to your campus location for verification. 

Deadline: Friday, Dec. 9

If you would like more information or have questions, contact the Joie Hendricks at OSSadmin@ccis.edu.

The post Apply now for the $2,000 eScholarship! appeared first on CC Connected.

Sam Lewis, Vietnam veteran and 1995 graduate of Columbia College-Redstone Arsenal. – Skip Vaughn, The Redstone Rocket

By Skip Vaughn – The Redstone Rocket

Sam Lewis was a dreamer as a boy. Born in Antigua, he would lie on his back in the grass and look up at the sky and dream of traveling to faraway places. He left Antigua at age 10 and went to St. Croix and then to St. Thomas.

The same wanderlust inspired Lewis, who is a 1995 graduate of the Columbia College-Redstone Arsenal location, to join the Army on Feb. 17, 1969. He retired in August 1989 as a sergeant first class after more than 20 years which included a year in Vietnam.

“Feb. 17, 1969. That was my enlistment day. That was a good day,” he said. “The Army guided and molded my life in ways that it would not have been without the military.”

Read More

The post Helicopter repairman Soldier Sam Lewis ’95 served as door gunner appeared first on CC Connected.