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Sequestered Realizations

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

I’m very new to Cambria County. I literally arrived here on Dec. 31, with the moving truck pulling away at midnight on New Year’s Day.

As I have physically isolated myself over these past several weeks, I’ve had time to sit quietly and reflect more than I think I ever have. These quiet contemplations led to this Top 10 list of “sequestered realizations.”

1. West-central Pennsylvania is one beautiful place. Having grown up in southwest Virginia, I know what beautiful landscapes look like. Here in Pennsylvania, parks and recreational areas are open for hiking and cycling as long as social distancing is practiced; I have taken advantage of it as much as I could. I must have biked and hiked 100 miles of trails over these past few weeks in the sun, rain, and even snow. We have a real treasure here.

2. And speaking of sun, rain, and snow – this area must have the most unpredictable weather in the nation. If I had my druthers, I’d take a few more days of sunshine.

3. Cooking at home more frequently has been inexpensive, fun, and satisfying. With that said, I can’t wait to head back to my favorite restaurants and break bread and drink beer with my friends and colleagues.

4. TV programming has gotten much better over the past five or 10 years. While there is only so much TV one person can watch, I always seem to find another show to keep my attention.

5. Essential workers rock. I can’t tell you how much I appreciate our essential workers, especially our health care workers who are putting themselves clearly in harm’s way. Kudos to your dedication.

6. I really appreciate my colleagues at Penn Highlands. As a collective, they have been supportive, positive, understanding, and hard-working. I am proud to be their colleague.

7. Moving into a new home during a pandemic is problematic.

8. The students of Penn Highlands are rock stars. I have called several of them over the past few weeks and I’m so proud of them for the way they have adapted to taking all of their classes completely online. Many of them are also essential workers at our local restaurants and grocery stores. Thank you for what you do and let’s finish the semester strong.

9. Most of my family and friends live outside the area. I cannot wait until I see them in person.

10. Going back to “normal” is not going to happen overnight. We will be practicing some type of social distancing for many more months.

But know this, despite any challenges, Pennsylvania Highlands Community College is open for business and will continue to provide high-quality education to our community.

Until next time.

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. 

Two New Online Programs Coming This Fall

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College continues to meet the needs of the region, while meeting the demands of the changing landscape of our society, with the addition of two new online degree programs: Medical Coding and Billing and Paralegal Studies.

Medical Coding and Billing (A.A.S.) is an associate degree that focuses on the growing field of electronic billing and reimbursement. Students will learn to create and use electronic medical records through a cohesive system for clinical, administrative, and revenue capture. The allocation of healthcare dollars has produced a shift in the medical billing realm where facilities are finding it more profitable to employ individuals with expertise in both coding and billing. Those with experience in managing electronic medical records are highly desired.

Paralegal Studies (A.A.S.) is also an associate degree that teaches the philosophy and methodology of legal practice. Graduates will understand the principles of law and policy that affect government, business, and nonprofit organizations. Degree holders in this area of study can pursue careers as legal assistants and paralegals.

“These may be unprecedented and uncertain times, but Penn Highlands is always prepared to provide our communities with optimal opportunities for success,” stated Dr. Steve Nunez, President of Pennsylvania Highlands Community College. “These new online programs are designed to fill high-demand positions requested by top employers in our region, ultimately setting up our students for a financially stable future.”

Both programs are scheduled to begin this fall. For additional information on these programs or other opportunities at the college, please contact our Admissions Office at 1.888.385.7325 or admissions@pennhighlands.edu.

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College has six locations throughout the Southern Alleghenies region that serve residents of western Pennsylvania.

Five Students Named To Transfer And Workforce Pathway Teams; Honored For Academic Excellence

The Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges (PACCC) recently announced the 26th Annual All-Pennsylvania Academic Team. The honor recognizes an exceptional group of community college students who have achieved academic excellence and demonstrated a commitment to their colleges and communities.

The 2020 awardees include 47 outstanding community college transfer scholars and eight exceptional workforce pathway scholars from across the Commonwealth. Transfer students must have completed at least 36 credits at a community college and must have a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher to be considered for these awards. Workforce students must have a minimum of 12 college-level credit hours at a community college and a cumulative GPA of 3.5 or higher.

The following students from Pennsylvania Highlands Community College were honored and are now members of the All-Pennsylvania Academic Transfer and Workforce Pathway Teams:

• Adriane Hautz, of Windber, will graduate in May 2020 with a degree in Psychology.
• Emily Krisko, of Portage, graduated in December 2019 with a degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences.
• Courtney Loughran, of Carrolltown, will graduate in May 2020 with a degree in Business Management. Courtney is the Workforce Pathway Scholar for Penn Highlands Community College.
• Danika Polka, of Mineral Point, graduated in December 2019 with a degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences.
• Evan Orr, of Homer City, will graduate in May 2020 with a degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences.

Adriane Hautz

Emily Krisko

Courtney Loughran

Danika Polka

Evan Orr

“The Commission applauds these outstanding student scholars on their terrific academic achievements,” said Elizabeth Bolden, President and CEO of the Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges. “By enrolling in high-quality educational or workforce programs at a community college, these students are building a foundation for a successful career while furthering their post-secondary study.”

Pennsylvania’s community colleges partner with the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education (PASSHE) universities to provide scholarships to eligible All-PA Transfer Team members at PASSHE institutions, providing two years of tuition at any PASSHE school. The transfer and workforce pathway scholars are typically honored at an annual banquet in Harrisburg, which was canceled this year due to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic.

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College congratulates these students on their academic achievements and looks forward to what each of their futures will hold.

No Foolin’: My Favorite Month is April

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

I must admit that I enjoy and downright celebrate April Fools’ Day.

I have been on both the receiving and giving ends of tremendous April Fools’ jokes over the years, and they have become part of my lore. For example, a colleague once sent a mass email to hundreds of folks at my work letting them know that April 1 was my birthday (it wasn’t).

For the rest of the day, people stopped by, texted or emailed me with warm (albeit very early) happy birthday greetings. One year, my former supervisor crafted a fake email that made it look like an important report I had written was being called into question for accuracy; he let me panic for about 30 minutes before pulling the plug on that joke (which wasn’t funny to me at all, but funny to everyone else).

But my favorite all-time prank is when I convinced a colleague to call Dr. Ella Funt at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago. After multiple calls to the zoo trying to reach Ella Funt, I saw in real time his reaction when he finally got the joke. For some reason, he didn’t laugh as much as I did.

So, my advice to you is to participate in a non-destructive, non-hurtful, but hilarious April Fools’ prank. But hey, watch your back because someone is aiming for you, too,

While April Fools’ Day is my favorite day in April, it is only one day of the month.

There is much to celebrate in April including, just to name a few, National Beer Day (April 7), Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day (April 12), and Earth Day (April 22). Is it just me, but shouldn’t National Beer Day and Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day be celebrated together?

In the higher education biz, April also means that summer and fall class registration has begun in earnest. High school students who will graduate this June are thinking about their future plans. But while we tend to think of graduation as a time of celebration, for many high school students, it is also a time of stress and anxiety.

For 12 years, these young men and women have known exactly what they will be doing the following year – they go to the next grade level. But now after graduation, they must more actively engage in planning for their next big step.

For me, my choices after high school graduation were to work in the coal mining industry, join the Army or go to my local community college. I chose to attend my local community college, where trained, caring professionals helped me select my classes and program of study. Their careful guidance set me up for success at the community college and for my next step at Virginia Tech, where I earned a bachelor’s degree in biology.

I’m proud to say that Pennsylvania Highlands Community College is also here to help with that post-secondary transition to college. Beginning this April, the Penn Highlands faculty and staff will guide and mentor hundreds of high school students and help them identify their academic goals and their best paths forward to achieve those goals.

And yes, while the coronavirus has disrupted some college services, we are still answering questions and registering students for classes remotely by phone or email. Feel free to reach out; we are here to help.

No foolin’.

See you next month.

PS: My heartfelt sympathies go out to each one of you as you deal with this pandemic.

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 Statement on COVID-19 (Coronavirus)

UPDATE: This statement has been updated on 3/13/20 and 3/16/20. Please click here for all up-to-date information and a message from our President.

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College cares about the health and welfare of our students, staff, faculty, and region. We work diligently to provide a safe learning and working environment for the entire college community. We understand that many institutions are moving to an entirely online format for their students. While we appreciate and understand why many of our four-year colleagues are moving classes to this format, Penn Highlands is in a slightly different situation based on our student population. We will continue with face-to-face classes for as long as we can safely do so.

Penn Highlands is a local community college that does not have residence halls or many students from distant locations or other countries. Our student and employee population are nearly all local, and we have not yet had our spring break to travel. Therefore, we have made the decision to respond appropriately to our local conditions.

We have consulted with local hospitals and have been advised that the risk of a local COVID-19 (coronavirus) epidemic is low. At this time, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) declares that the coronavirus infection risk is low for the general population. Additionally, Penn Highlands is following the recommendations from the CDC. Currently, there have been no confirmed cases of coronavirus in our service area.

Rest assured, we are continuously discussing the current local conditions. If the situation escalates, Penn Highlands will implement further steps to protect the health and safety of the college community, including canceling any large college gatherings, moving all classes to an online format, and having employees work from home (as appropriate).

If necessary, we will respond quickly to make changes to our current status based on factual information confirmed by the appropriate local and state authorities.

For the most up-to-date information: visit www.pennhighlands.edu/coronavirus.