I’m pleased to offer this update on recent activities and college initiatives. As always, please reach out to me with your thoughts or questions.
Enrollment Update
· As we head into August, our fall enrollment is 2.8% behind where we were last year at this time. More than 1,500 students are expected to register for coursework this month, so it’s imperative that we all continue to work together to help them complete our enrollment processes. Once again, please do everything you can to assist.
· We are continuing our push to attract new students by hosting admissions and community outreach events. This summer’s Instant Admission Week will be held from Aug. 12-16, but of course, students may apply online or in person prior to that. Members of the Admissions team are also visiting local library branches, and on Monday, Aug. 5, they will be at the Bethlehem Public Library at 5:30 p.m.
We are also having a Student Services Information Day on Aug. 24 for new students, parents and families. Plus, we are again organizing “student navigation” sites to address questions and provide directions to our students as they arrive on campus from Aug. 26 to Sept. 6. A call for volunteers to help staff our information booths will be forthcoming, so please consider helping out.
· I’m pleased to announce that we have expanded capacity in our Electrical Construction and Maintenance program by adding new sections at TEC-SMART for the fall semester. Students who were once on a wait list for the program are now able to enroll, and the program continues to accept new students for the fall term.
· Members of the Executive Team are now actively reviewing policies that impact student admission and enrollment. As always, if you have suggestions or ideas that may improve or streamline the enrollment process for students, or that may help boost enrollment in general, please share them with me.
Strategic Plan
· Members of the Strategic Plan Steering Committee have made considerable progress during the summer and are nearing completion of an implementation plan for the college’s approved 2019-2024 priorities and goals. The committee will meet again with our project consultant, Dr. Will Miller, on Aug. 2 and 16 to continue their work, as well as to finalize revised college mission and vision statements and refine a new statement of college values. More information will be shared as the team makes further progress.
· In order to continue the committee’s momentum and assess our progress in the strategic planning process, I am pleased to announce two promotions within the Office of Institutional Effectiveness. Dennis Wax was named director of strategic planning, reporting to Executive Director of Institutional Effectiveness Kathy Petley. Also, Meg Mann was promoted to accreditation and assessment analyst and reports to the Dean of Institutional Assessment Margaret Geehan.
Campus Safety
· The college’s Emergency Preparedness Committee will meet on Aug. 13 and develop plans to test our emergency communication tools once again and ahead of the fall semester. Please expect to hear more details about this test during the month of August. If you have a safety concern for the committee to consider, please contact Vice President Bill Reuter.
· As part of our ongoing security improvement efforts, we are planning to implement electronic access controls to most campus buildings. This would allow us to easily lock down in the event of an emergency. We are now reviewing the cost estimates, and plan to begin work this summer. In addition, we have replaced all classroom locks across campus for improved security.
Campus Updates
· The new Facility Master Plan, which will guide improvements to college infrastructure through the next five years, is now being developed. As part of the Master Planning process, a facilities assessment is currently underway, and findings will be reviewed at the next Facility Master Plan Steering Committee meeting on Aug. 15. In early September, the committee will hold information gathering sessions with employees and students, and a full draft of the plan is expected to be available this February. As a part of the project, we are also performing a comprehensive review and upgrade of college signage and wayfinding.
· The Guenther Enrollment Services Center roof will be fully replaced and brought up to new energy codes beginning in mid-August, with completion by mid-September. In addition, the Guenther board room will be renovated to accommodate larger groups, update technology, and replace the water-damaged ceiling. This process is scheduled to begin at the end of August and continue for about three months. The majority of construction activity will be carried out during evening hours to minimize the impact on college operations. Construction is also underway to renovate office spaces in Guenther for Academic Affairs administrators.
· The college’s new parking management system has been implemented and is now being tested. As mentioned in the all-employee email sent in May, the new system will offer a more streamlined process for vehicle registration and enforcement by allowing Public Safety to scan license plates to ensure valid virtual permits. In other parking news, the overflow parking lot across Route 4 (behind Panera) has been fully paved and is in the process of being striped; then lighting will be installed. The lot will add 92 parking spaces for our students and will be completed by the start of the Fall semester.
· Our classroom technology replacement project is 70% complete at this time, with the expectation that all 187 classrooms will be done before the fall semester begins. The project is addressing a variety of issues, from outdated technology to inconsistent configuration to technical problems. When completed, the upgrades will bring modern features, ease of use, standardization across spaces, and central management capabilities for proactive maintenance. Most importantly, it will bring stability to the instructional technology used in our classrooms. Information Technology Services has created a webpage to allow employees to view the status of the project.
August Events
· Late last week, we received the certificate of occupancy for the Gene F. Haas Center for Advanced Manufacturing Skills (CAMS). The facility is nearly complete, and a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the official opening will take place on Tuesday, Aug. 27 at 10:30 a.m. Members of the college community are encouraged to attend if possible, so please save the date. To RSVP and for more information, go to bit.ly/hvcc-camsopening
· Spread the word about the Foundation’s annual Alumni Night at the Joe on Sunday, Aug. 25 at 5 p.m. when the Tri-City ValleyCats take on the Staten Island Yankees. There will be a picnic that runs for one hour prior to first pitch and fireworks following the game. The cost for alumni is $18.50, and each guest receives a souvenir cap.
Finally, as we get ready to begin another academic year, I’d like to thank you all for your continued efforts toward meeting our enrollment goals, as well as your commitment to our students’ success.
Published: Fri, 02 Aug 2019 12:36:03 +0000 by r.ramsammy