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Commencement To Be Live Streamed

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College will be holding two separate graduation ceremonies and will live stream both events to comply with COVID-19 restrictions on large gatherings in Cambria County. The 26th graduating class will celebrate their success with this two-day in-person event where only the students and their (2) guests may attend. The ceremonies will live stream via YouTube and the college’s website.

On Friday, May 14th at 7:00 PM, Penn Highlands will honor these graduates:

• Associate of Arts (A.A.) and Associate of Science (A.S.) Degrees
• Certificates
• Diplomas

On Saturday, May 15th at 10:00 AM, Penn Highlands will honor these graduates:

• • Associate of Applied Science (A.A.S.) Degrees

To watch this year’s live stream of Commencement, visit the following links:

• College’s Website
• College’s YouTube Channel

Student Senate President Elizabeth Ruszkoski will be giving this year’s Commencement Address. Ms. Ruszkoski will be receiving an Associate of Arts in Psychology degree during the ceremony.

For additional details on Commencement, such as guest information, safety measures, and the event’s program, please click here to visit the official Commencement page.

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College looks forward to honoring over 300 graduates as a part of the Twenty-Sixth Graduating Class.

Gender Inequity In Higher Education: Not What You Think

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

When you think of post-secondary outcomes and potential gender inequities, what is your first thought?

You may think that at best, men and women are enrolling and graduating from community colleges equally. At worst, men are dominating the higher education landscape and females are lagging behind.

Traditionally, during the past century and longer, men have been the dominant force in higher education enrollment which has led to men having higher-paying and more-prestigious jobs (creating gender pay inequities) – and dare I say more power, politically and in business.

Something interesting happened at community colleges in the late 1970s. Enrollment, proportionally, of women, began to climb while enrollment for men began to dissipate. In 1975, males made up 55% of the community college enrollment. But by 1980, male enrollment had slid by 10%.

Today, men make up only 43% of the enrollment at community colleges.

But even more astounding than the recent enrollment declines of men was the dramatic shift in educational outcomes.

One might expect that the number of degrees earned each year would be directly proportional to the percentage of enrollees as it was in 1980 where men made up 45% of the enrollment and earned 46% of the degrees. However, in 2020 men made up 43% of the enrollment but only earned 39% of the degrees.

There is a perceptible gap in achievement between the genders that is strongly slanted toward women.

I hate to bore you with a bunch of statistics, but the take-home message is this – men have become less interested in enrolling into an institution of higher education, and if they do enroll, are graduating at lower rates.

The male-female post-secondary attainment gap is real and has been for decades.

My own doctoral dissertation confirmed this enrollment and attainment gap at Sauk Valley Community College (SVCC). On average at SVCC, males enrolled in significantly fewer numbers (males were only about 40% of the student population), were less prepared for college-level work (as determined by ACT/SAT scores and high school grade point averages), dropped out of college more often than females, and thus graduated less frequently.

This is a trend seen throughout the country at nearly every community college. Need proof? Go to just about any educational award ceremony and you’ll see that women are dominating the “competition.”

At one time, the Illinois Community College Board made all community colleges complete an annual survey of attainment of at-risk and underrepresented groups. The survey hadn’t changed in decades – the same questions and population classes were represented year after year.

Annually, when completing the survey, I laughed when I read that women were still being considered an at-risk or underrepresented group. Maybe in the early 1970s – but certainly not now, as women are killing it. Males are the underrepresented group and have been at community colleges for decades.

So what?

It is estimated that nearly 70% of near future jobs will require some post-secondary education. And yet I’m hearing from our business and industry friends that they cannot find qualified applicants.

How frustrating is it that we have hundreds of good, high-paying jobs right here in central-western Pennsylvania and we cannot fill them with qualified technicians and a highly educated workforce?

While this post-secondary enrollment and attainment gap is not as apparent at many four-year universities, community colleges enroll 5.5 million students annually. This disparity in attainment will have lasting effects for decades to come.

Ultimately, convincing more men to aspire to enroll and graduate from a post-secondary institution, such as a community college, is a must if we want to drive economic prosperity.

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. 

College Finalizes Richland Campus Purchase

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College is officially the owner of the Richland Campus facility, located at 101 Community College Way in Johnstown, PA, as of April 29, 2021. This is the college’s first owned property since it was established in 1994.

“We are beyond excited to own our main campus in Richland Township,” stated Dr. Steve Nunez, President of Penn Highlands Community College. “This purchase allows us to renovate certain areas and expand our current offerings, ensuring our students receive the quality education they deserve in a state-of-the-art learning environment.”

The Richland facility has been considered the main campus of Penn Highlands Community College since the lease began in 2007. The facility houses 101 employees and an annual average of 1,390 part-time and full-time students.

The finalized sale of the main campus building includes approximately 15 acres of property from the Richland School District for $6,000,000. The additional acreage purchase will allow Penn Highlands to expand the facility and incorporate any future programming, if needed.

“This is an exciting time for Penn Highlands Community College,” stated Lorraine Donahue, Vice President of Finance and Administration. “This marks the first time that the college has owned its own facility, and it shows the commitment we have to this region and its students.”

This purchase allows Pennsylvania Highlands Community College to further its mission, which is to provide students with affordable opportunities to gain the knowledge and skills they need to be successful in their work and day-to-day lives.

Photo is the front of our Richland Campus facility. Pictured left to right: Greg Winger, College Board of Trustees Chairperson; Dr. Steve Nunez, College President; Lorraine Donahue, College Vice President of Finance and Administration.

Photo includes Dr. Steve Nunez (left) and Lorraine Donahue (right) signing the paperwork in the Richland Campus Board Room to finalize the deal.

Penn Highlands Strengthens Ties With Pitt-Johnstown Through Expanded Transfer Agreement

Students interested in completing a bachelor’s degree at the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown (Pitt-Johnstown) will now benefit from an expanded transfer agreement between Pennsylvania Highlands Community College and the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown.

Students at Penn Highlands can easily transfer to Pitt-Johnstown in a number of programs now through this expanded 2+2 agreement. This means that Penn Highlands’ graduates can start as a junior at UPJ within the 29 program pathways listed below. By leveraging this expanded agreement, students in our area can save money without losing their college credits. Enrollment for the fall 2021 semester is currently underway.

There are now 29 program pathways included in this expanded agreement. The original agreement had only 17 program pathways. The complete list is as follows:

• Accounting, A.A.S. to Accounting, B.S. (Financial)
• Accounting, A.A.S. to Accounting, B.S. (Managerial)
• Business Administration, A.S. to Finance, B.S. (Certified Financial Analyst)
• Business Administration, A.S. to Finance, B.S. (General)
• Business Administration, A.S. to Information Systems, B.S. (Business)
• Business Administration, A.S. to Management, B.S. (General)
• Business Administration, A.S. to Management, B.S. (Healthcare)
• Business Administration, A.S. to Management, B.S. (Human Resources)
• Business Administration, A.S. to Marketing, B.S.
• Computer Science, A.S. to Computer Science, B.S. (Applied Track)
• Computer Science, A.S. to Computer Sciences, B.S. (Standard Track)
• Criminal Justice, A.A.S. to Criminal Justice, B.S.
• Liberal Arts and Sciences, A.A. to Communication, B.A.
• Liberal Arts and Sciences, A.A. to Creative Writing, B.A.
• Liberal Arts and Sciences, A.A. to Early Childhood Education, B.A.
• Liberal Arts and Sciences, A.A. to Economics, B.A.
• Liberal Arts and Sciences, A.A. to English Literature B.A.
• Liberal Arts and Sciences, A.A. to Environmental Science, B.A.
• Liberal Arts and Sciences, A.A. to Geography, B.S.
• Liberal Arts and Sciences, A.A. to History, B.A.
• Liberal Arts and Sciences, A.A. to Journalism, B.A.
• Liberal Arts and Sciences, A.A. to Philosophy & Literature, B.A.
• Liberal Arts and Sciences, A.A. to Political Science, B.A.
• Liberal Arts and Sciences, A.A. to Professional Writing, B.A.
• Liberal Arts and Sciences, A.A. to Sociology, B.S.
• Liberal Arts and Sciences, A.A. to Theatre, B.A.
• Psychology, A.A. to Psychology, B.S.
• Social Work, A.A. to Psychology, B.S.
• Social Work, A.A. to Sociology, B.S.

“Penn Highlands couldn’t be more excited to strengthen our already excellent partnership with Pitt-Johnstown by offering these additional program pathways,” stated Dr. Steve Nunez, President of Pennsylvania Highlands Community College. “Our two institutions work tirelessly to give local students more access to a post-secondary education and to improve the transferability of Penn Highlands courses to Pitt-Johnstown.”

“These programs represent a range of majors across Pitt-Johnstown, and they were developed to improve access and transferability for community college students wishing to complete a baccalaureate degree at Pitt-Johnstown,” said Dr. Janet Grady, Pitt-Johnstown’s Vice President of Academic Affairs. “We are very excited to work with our neighbors at Penn Highlands and fellow educators to increase the range and quality of options for baccalaureate degree completion within our region.”

Dr. Grady continued, “We look forward to welcoming even more Penn Highlands Community College students to Pitt-Johnstown.”

Click here to learn more about this agreement on Transfer Central.

College To Host The Science of Food Event, Part Of Remake Learning Days

After a most challenging year for education, Remake Learning Days of Central PA (RLDAA) launches this spring, joining over 17 national regions with family-friendly learning events designed to engage caregivers, parents, and kids around the country. RLDAA is an interactive national festival that will take place in Pennsylvania between May 6-16, 2021 and will host over 40+ programs in a partnership with ENGINE of Central PA STEM Learning Ecosystem. The events are designed for kids of all ages to help develop their sense of creativity, perseverance, and curiosity.

In doing its part for the community, Penn Highlands Community College and the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown have partnered and will be at Central Park hosting The Science of Food event on Saturday, May 8th, from 10 AM to 2 PM. The Penn Highlands Central Park Center is located at 425 Main Street in downtown Johnstown. This event is free and for all ages.

This local event, The Science of Food, is designed for parents and caregivers to learn alongside their kids and offer relevant and engaging educational experiences for youth of all ages (pre-K through high school).

Take a bite out of science during this event, where it will encourage you to play with your food! Through many rich STEM activities, participants will explore the following:

• Chemical reactions of food in culinary concoctions
• Fermentation experiments
• Discovering the biology of tastebuds
• Extraction of DNA in foods
• Growing your own food
• Making ice cream
• Candy chromatography

Each station will include hands-on activities for participants and may include takeaways, perfect for the budding chef, scientist, chemist, or anyone who likes to eat!

“Remake Learning Days is such a great opportunity to elevate all the great things that are happening throughout Central Pennsylvania across many amazing organizations, especially as we end a very hard year on us all,” says Amanda Smith, Director of K-12 Engagement and Assistant Professor of Education at Penn State University, and Executive Director of ENGINE of Central Pa. “This is a great way to end this academic year on a high note and celebrate and support innovative learning with our youth and families.”

Click here for a complete list of events and registration information. 

About Remake Learning Days Across America
It is led by Remake Learning (RL), a network that ignites engaging, relevant, and equitable learning practices in support of young people navigating rapid social and technological change. National partners of RLDAA include PBS Kids, Digital Promise, Common Sense Media, Learning Heroes, and Noggin. RLDAA is generously supported by The Grable Foundation, The Hewlett Foundation, Schmidt Futures, Carnegie Corporation of New York, and the Ford Foundation. Visit remakelearning.org for more information or follow RL on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. For more information specifically on Remake Learning Days Across America, visit remakelearningdays.org or follow RLDAA on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and the hashtag #RemakeDays.

About ENGINE of Central PA, a STEM Learning Ecosystem
A project of The Foundation for Enhancing Communities, fiscal agent, ENGINE of Central PA is one of the few university-led ecosystems to bring meaningful STEM research and innovations to K-12 education. Led by Penn State University, with an executive team of Intermediate Units, business/industry, and science centers/museums, and collaborations with community partners and organizations, our network builds a community of lifelong learners that promotes equitable access to meaningful transdisciplinary experiences. We strive to empower youth living and working in our region to be innovative problem-solvers, ready to succeed in the careers of tomorrow. ENGINE of Central PA is comprised of the following counties in Pennsylvania impacting over 160,000 students and 11,000 educators: Centre, Clearfield, Clinton, Cumberland, Dauphin, Fulton, Huntingdon, Juniata, Lebanon, Mifflin, Perry, and Schuylkill. For more information, visit https://www.enginecentralpa.org/.