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Athletics Expanding To Include Golf & Softball

The Black Bears of Pennsylvania Highlands Community College are excited to announce the expansion of its Athletics program to now include golf and women’s softball beginning this fall semester, August 2021.

With the recent addition of eSports, Black Bear Athletics will now be offering seven athletic options for its students. The robust sports offerings include their well-established men’s basketball, bowling, cross country, and women’s volleyball programs.

“Athletics has been a cornerstone of Penn Highlands for 10 years now,” stated Dr. Steve Nunez, President of Penn Highlands Community College. “As the college continues to grow, it only made sense to provide athletes in our region with more athletic opportunities in addition to the educational ones they are currently afforded.”

Athletics at Penn Highlands is well-known for its success both in and out of the classroom. In just ten years, Penn Highlands has produced over one-hundred thirty WPCC All-Academic Team members while also capturing two WPCC titles and two Region XX titles. The Black Bears were also home to an individual cross country champion at both the conference and regional levels. Penn Highlands has also been honored with three Coach of the Year awards.

Penn Highlands made the decision to add these sports based on their ability to attract local athletes, as well as the opportunity to compete both locally and regionally.

“Golf and softball are very popular sports in our area and will make great additions,” stated Sue Brugh, Director of Student Activities and Athletics. “Local athletes have the opportunity to participate and compete collegiately in a sport they love, while saving money and receiving a quality education.”

Pennsylvania Highlands is a chartered member of the National Junior College Athletic Association, competing in Region XX. The Black Bears are a part of the Western Pennsylvania Collegiate Conference (WPCC), which was founded in 1972.

Black Bear student-athletes compete across our region, allowing them the comfort and ability to practice on their own and then come together with teammates for competitive events. This approach ensures that students from all college locations can become Black Bears.

OPEN HOUSE TO SHOWCASE ATHLETICS

To highlight new athletic programs and showcase well-established ones, Pennsylvania Highlands Community College will be hosting its first-ever Athletics and eSports Open House on Sunday, April 11th, between 1 PM and 3 PM.

During this event, interested individuals will get to meet with coaches and assistants, the Director of Student Activities and Athletics, various college athletes, and members of the Admissions Office. This event is a great place to discuss eligibility.

In addition to an overview of Black Bear Athletics, presentations will be held regarding Admissions and Financial Aid.

RSVP is preferred, but walk-ins are welcome to attend. To learn more or to RSVP, contact Admissions at 814.262.6400.

To Attend Or Not To Attend, That Is The Question

The original column appeared in the Tribune-Democrat , written by Dr. Steve Nunez. Click here to see original sourced column.

“If you look back to the moment right before Yvonne was admitted to the University of Texas [with the goal of earning a bachelor’s degree], you can see the paths diverging in front of her. One would have led her to a community college in San Antonio and the other to graduate school at Harvard.”

That quote was nearly the last sentence to an otherwise fabulous episode of the podcast “The Campus Tour Has Been Canceled – This American Life.”

This podcast was originally a radio series on National Public Radio and is now easily found on your favorite podcast app.

The gist of this particular episode was about how the infamous SAT and ACT tests, often used as an academic metric for college admissions, were imprecise tools that favored the affluent. The reasons for this are a little complicated and outside the scope of this article, but the unintentional outcome has been that those colleges and universities that have relied heavily on the “unbiased” SAT or ACT scores often admitted more white students and fewer students of color than if they had just used students’ high school grade point averages alone.

Don’t get me started – this was one of my topics in my dissertation and I could write forever about it here (or you could just read my dissertation and be only the fifth person to ever reach that milestone).

We all carry inherent biases – it is the nature of the human existence. Many of those biases, often unintentionally, come out in productions of the entertainment industry and the media. For example, how often are “Southerners” presented as uneducated, backward rednecks or hillbillies in movies or TV shows?

Growing up in Southwest Virginia, one of the first things folks notice about me is my accent – which, I believe, is confounding to many when I’m introduced as the President of Pennsylvania Highlands Community College.

A similar stigma exists for community colleges. Community colleges are third-rate, some say. They are only for those that can’t hack a “real” university or college.

And while the cost of getting an education at a community college is substantially lower than most other higher education options – that cost difference is indicative of poor quality, not value.

More than once I’ve heard community members say something like, “Not everyone needs a post-secondary education – that’s why we have the community college.”

In many cases, these “types” of comments are not meant with malice and in some cases are even well-intentioned – heck, some of those comments have been made by my good friends who work outside the higher education business. But ultimately, comments like those are – well, ignorant.

Which brings me back to the quote at the top of this article.

I find these kinds of blanket quotes about community colleges to be infuriating and uninformed. The author of that episode was describing the intensive support that the University of Texas provides students who need additional academic help and attention.

He showered the University of Texas with praise for its seemingly unique way of supporting students who might not otherwise make it at the University of Texas.

And all I could think about, while I listened, is this is exactly what community colleges have been doing for decades. Community colleges are unique because we have an open door concept – we welcome students with varying levels of academic preparedness, meet them where they are at, remediate their skills if necessary, and help them attain their academic goals which may be to simply enter the workforce as quickly as possible or to transfer to a university to attain a bachelor’s degree.

Ultimately, going to a university or to a community college is not an “either-or” situation, and it’s not fair to insinuate that a student who goes straight to a university will be more successful than a student who goes to a community college. Believe it or not, some community college students matriculate to Harvard and many, including myself, end up in graduate school, too.

Written By Dr. Steve Nunez, College’s Fifth President. This monthly series appears in The Tribune-Democrat, and will allow Dr. Nunez to provide his perspective on the value of education and of a community college. 

In-Person, Online, & Hybrid Classes Set For Fall Semester

Penn Highlands Community College plans to hold in-person classes for the Fall 2021 semester while retaining its increasingly popular online and remote learning formats.

In February, Penn Highlands Community College transitioned back to face-to-face classes with success and without spikes in COVID-19 cases. This success, along with expanded vaccine roll-out plans, has provided Penn Highlands with confidence in the decision to offer in-person classes this fall.

Due to the popularity of our remote class offerings, Penn Highlands will continue to offer flexible course options such as split section, virtual classroom, online, and hybrid formats. A mix of class formats is essential to ensure that all students feel comfortable and safe within their preferred learning environment.

Open enrollment for fall 2021 courses begins on Sunday, April 3rd. Summer sessions are currently enrolling, the first day of summer classes begins on May 24th.

“The College is thrilled to once again be offering a robust number of in-person classes,” stated Dr. Steve Nunez, President of Penn Highlands Community College. “We know that many of our students perform better when they can easily connect in-person with their instructors and the great support staff that we have. It will be great to see our halls full of students.”

Penn Highlands Community College will continue to follow the recommendations of the CDC and the state of Pennsylvania. To ensure safety, class sizes have been reduced to allow for both students and faculty to interact in a safe environment. All readily available areas for students will be monitored and sanitized regularly, while every other computer workstation will be available for use.

The fall semester at Penn Highlands Community College starts on August 23rd. For more information on classes or programs, please contact Admissions at 814.262.6446 or admissions@pennhighlands.edu.

In-Person Open House Scheduled For April

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College will be holding an in-person Open House at its facilities on Monday, April 5th. Prospective students and their guests may choose to attend one of two sessions at either 2:30pm or 5:30pm.

Individuals will learn about Penn Highlands and its opportunities, including degree programs and coursework, transfer options, and financial assistance opportunities. Information on student life, including clubs, activities, and athletics, will also be presented. Faculty and alumni will be on-hand to discuss their personal experiences.

As an added incentive, prospective students will be eligible to win a 2021-2022 tuition voucher, good for a $250 discount, if they complete a survey while in attendance.

To attend, individuals must RSVP by clicking here.

No walk-ins are permitted due to COVID-19. Additionally, as a pre-caution to keep everyone safe, masks are required and social distancing protocols will be followed.

Open House locations include:

• Blair Center
  Logan Valley Mall (Next to Macy’s)
  5580 Goods Lane, Altoona, PA 16602
  814.201.2700 | blair@pennhighlands.edu

• Ebensburg Center
  881 Hills Plaza Drive, Suite 450, Ebensburg, PA 15931
  814.471.0010 | ebensburg@pennhighlands.edu

• Huntingdon Center
  6311 Margy Drive, Huntingdon, PA 16652
  814.643.6200 | huntingdon@pennhighlands.edu

• Richland Campus
  101 Community College Way, Johnstown, PA 15904
  814.262.6446 | admissions@pennhighlands.edu

• Somerset Center
  Somerset County Education Center
  6024 Glades Pike, Suite 210, Somerset, PA 15501
  814.443.2500 | somerset@pennhighlands.edu

Penn Highlands has been serving the community with quality and affordable academic options in an inclusive atmosphere since 1994.

For additional information, contact any of the college locations directly, or call us at 1.888.385.PEAK.

College Expands Transfer Agreement With Francis Worldwide (SFU)

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College and Saint Francis University’s (SFU) Francis Worldwide recently expanded its articulation agreement to now include fourteen (14) 3+1 and three (3) 2+2 pathway options.

Graduates of Penn Highlands will receive a 25% tuition discount for Francis Worldwide programs and courses included in the agreement. As an added bonus, these classes are offered in an online format for the convenience of working students.

The updated agreement expands on existing Penn Highlands educational pathways and allows students to complete up to 98 credits prior to transferring into a corresponding bachelor’s degree program offered by Francis Worldwide.

There are fourteen (14) 3+1 articulation agreements in place between the two institutions. These agreements allow for three (3) years of education at Penn Highlands, followed by one (1) year at SFU to complete a bachelor’s degree. Year three includes dual enrollment at both institutions. These 3+1 agreements include:

• Business Administration (A.S.) to Organizational Leadership (B.S.)
• Business Management (A.A.S.) to Organizational Leadership (B.S.)
• Criminal Justice (A.A.S.) to Criminal Justice (B.S.)
• Criminal Justice (A.S.) to Criminal Justice (B.S.)
• Entrepreneurship (A.A.S.) to Organizational Leadership (B.S.)
• Information Technology – Cyber Security (A.A.S.) to Computer Systems Management (B.S.)
• Information Technology – Network Administration (A.A.S.) to Computer Systems Management (B.S.)
• Information Technology – Server Administration (A.A.S.) to Computer Systems Management (B.S.)
• Marketing Management (A.A.S.) to Organizational Leadership (B.S.)
• Medical Assisting Technology (A.A.S.) to Healthcare Management (B.S.)
• Medical Assisting Technology (A.A.S.) to Health Studies (B.S.)
• Medical Coding & Billing (A.A.S.) to Healthcare Management (B.S.)
• Psychology (A.A.) to Behavioral Science (B.S.)
• Social Work (A.A.) to Behavioral Science (B.S.)

There are three (3) 2+2 articulation agreements in place between the two institutions. These agreements allow for two (2) years of education at Penn Highlands followed by two (2) years at SFU to complete a bachelor’s degree. These 2+2 articulation agreements include:

• Accounting (A.A.S.) to Accounting (B.S.)
• Early Childhood Education (A.A.) to Early Childhood Education (B.A.)
• Early Childhood Education (A.A.) to Early Childhood Education (B.S.)

“This expanded agreement shows the importance of partnering with local colleges; it allows our students to be positioned for success right here in our region,” stated Dr. Steve Nunez, President of Penn Highlands Community College. “Penn Highlands and SFU’s Francis Worldwide have been partners for many years, and this addition shows our continued commitment to each other and the communities we serve.”

“Penn Highlands and SFU’s Francis Worldwide will continue to focus on student success by offering dual enrolled programs that will allow students to have access to a bachelor’s degree at an affordable cost, all online,” added Dr. Karen Srba, Dean of Francis Worldwide. “This extended agreement between the two institutions means more adult students can access affordable education. Whether they are finishing up a degree they previously started or a new student who doesn’t want to transfer to a 4-year school, this extended program is the right choice.”

To learn more about this agreement, visit our transfer page.

Penn Highlands Community College has been proudly serving the Laurel Highlands and Southern Alleghenies regions for over 25 years.