The Pennsylvania Highlands Community College Black Bear Cafe, located on our Richland Campus, is now under new management. Penn Highlands has partnered with A. Thomas Management Company (operator of the Thomahawk Deli & Grill in Davidsville, PA) to provide excellent dining for all students, faculty, staff, and guests.
For hours and menu items, click here.
Pennsylvania Highlands Community College is delighted to recognize the following student-athletes for their academic and athletic achievements during the 2019-2020 year.
The following students were named to the NJCAA Region XX Academic Team:
Western Pennsylvania Collegiate Conference All-Academic Team honorees include:
The following student-athletes earned awards for their respective sports:
Region XX
Western Pennsylvania All-Conference
Individual honors were awarded to the following student-athletes for demonstrating heart, expertise, and dedication as Black Bears during the 2019-20 season:
Most Improved
Most Valuable Player
Coach’s Awards
Leadership Award
Delonte Fennell Award and NJCAA National Player of the Week
Penn Highlands is a chartered National Junior College Athletic Association member college, competing in Region XX. It is the mission of the NJCAA to foster a national program of athletic participation in an environment that supports equitable opportunities consistent with the educational objectives of member colleges. Their goal is to promote and foster two-year college athletics.
The Black Bears are a part of the Western Pennsylvania Collegiate Conference. The WPCC was founded in 1972 and currently consists of 10 member institutions.
Pennsylvania Highlands Community College is proud to announce the appointment of Mr. Robert Farinelli as the College’s new Vice President of Academic Affairs.
In his role as Vice President of Academic Affairs, Mr. Farinelli will serve as the visionary academic leader of all full-time faculty, adjunct faculty, and academic staff. His position is charged with creating an atmosphere of quality and innovation, as well as championing curricular and programming development.
“I’m excited to continue my career at Penn Highlands Community College and make a difference in the lives of those in southwestern Pennsylvania,” stated Robert Farinelli. “Changing lives for the better is important to me, and what better way to do that than helping students continue and complete their education.”
Mr. Farinelli has over 30 years of experience in higher education. Prior to Penn Highlands, he was most recently the Dean of Academic Affairs and Student Services at Three Rivers Community College in Norwich, CT. He also held the positions of Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, STEM Director, and Division Chair (Mathematics, Physics, and Engineering) at the College of Southern Maryland. He was also a Professor of Mathematics at the Community College of Allegheny County, in Pittsburgh, PA.
Mr. Farinelli holds an M.S. in Education from Capella University, an M.A. in Mathematics from the University of Pittsburgh, and a B.S. in Mathematics from Penn State University.
Are leaders born or created?
Some assume that leaders are born, that there is some intangible force that some folks have that allows them to lead people, make tough decisions, and carry the burden of leadership from birth.
It is my opinion that leaders are not born; they are created, molded, taught, and mentored. If that’s not true, then I threw three years and several thousand dollars away when I worked on my doctorate in leadership. And I think West Point and the Naval Academy might have something to say about that, too.
I guess it is possible that certain personality types may gravitate toward leadership more than others. For example, those with charisma, those who can command a room, may dominate leadership positions through the force of their personalities.
But history has taught us that great leaders do not have to be charismatic; leadership is not a popularity contest.
Good leaders can be any combination of quiet, boisterous, introspective, visionary, deliberative, thoughtful, collaborative, open, honest, transparent, decisive, and many other qualities.
Having been in academic leadership positions for almost a decade, and having been through several crises, I fully recognize that good leadership really matters.
And what it has taught me is that listening to a diversity of viewpoints is critical to being properly informed, that disagreement among team members is fruitful when personal agendas are set aside for the greater good, and that, once decisions are made, collaboration is critical to advancing the mission of the organization; better decisions are made together.
Great leaders trust (and hold responsible) the people they lead.
I spent nearly 24 years in Illinois working at a small community college. Several years ago, the state could not pass a full budget, and consequently, the financial support to community colleges was significantly delayed.
At the time, we had a relatively new college president, who I’m sure didn’t sign up to lead a college through a financial crisis not of his making.
But he never complained.
Instead, he circled the wagons and engaged his team in conversation. Many small and some large decisions were made over two years to stabilize the finances of the college.
Ultimately, I think the college learned many valuable lessons about how to work more effectively together, make transparent but tough decisions, and become more efficient overall.
Sometimes hard choices make people understand that change is important and necessary to have a thriving organization. Ultimately, while it was stressful at the time, going through that financial crisis made that college stronger.
Today it continues to thrive as one of the best community colleges in the nation.
I am lucky to be surrounded by many great leaders at Penn Highlands. While their styles and viewpoints vary, they are committed to the mission of the college.
Their commitment has been particularly important during this COVID crisis. We have learned a lot about ourselves as a college, and I believe it has made us more cohesive and efficient. And it has only reinforced my belief that leadership matters – that cohesive, effective, deliberative teams matter.
See you at Penn Highlands.
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.
Pennsylvania Highlands Community College is proud to announce the appointment of Mr. Matthew Bodenschatz as the college’s new Director of Recruiting and Admissions.
In his role as Director of Recruiting and Admissions, Mr. Bodenschatz will lead all efforts associated with the planning, development, modification, implementation, and evaluation of new student recruiting, including admissions processes and procedures.
“I’m thrilled to be joining Pennsylvania Highlands Community College at such a crucial time in higher education,” stated Matthew Bodenschatz. “I look forward to working with the great people in Admissions and the college as a whole, while also building strong relationships throughout the communities we serve.”
Mr. Bodenschatz has over 10 years of experience in higher education and admissions. Prior to Penn Highlands, Matthew was most recently the Director of Graduate and Continuing Education Admissions and Coordinator of Out-of-State Admissions at Mount Aloysius College. He also held the positions of Associate Director for Transfer and Adult Admissions, Assistant Director of Undergraduate Admissions, and Admissions Counselor while at Mount Aloysius College.
Mr. Bodenschatz holds a M.A. in Education Leadership: Adult and Higher Education from the University of South Dakota and a B.A. in Journalism from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown.