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3+1 Agreements With Saint Francis University Yield Student Success & Strengthen Bond

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College has strong ties with local colleges and universities that are second to none. One such partnership that delivers on providing a clear path to student success is the college’s 3+1 articulation agreements with Saint Francis University. These agreements allow Penn Highlands’ students to transfer 98 course credits to a bachelor’s degree program at Saint Francis University. To complete a bachelor’s degree, students must then complete the final 30 credits with Saint Francis University after earning an associate degree.

A unique aspect of our partnership with Saint Francis University is that it contains a consortium agreement. This allows Penn Highlands and Saint Francis to work together to ensure financial aid can be used, for qualifying students, to cover the costs associated with taking classes at both institutions simultaneously.

There are six (6) 3+1 articulation agreements in place between the two institutions, creating seamless transfer options for Penn Highlands’ graduates to complete a bachelor’s degree at Saint Francis University. Agreements include:

• Accounting (A.A.S.) to Organizational Leadership (B.S.)
• Business Administration (A.S.) to Organizational Leadership (B.S.)
• Business Management (A.A.S.) to Organizational Leadership (B.S.)
• IT – Server Administration (A.A.S.) to Computer Systems Management (B.S.)
• Social Work (A.A.) to Behavioral Science (B.S.)
• Psychology (A.A.) to Behavioral Science (B.S.)

These 3+1 agreements have gained momentum in recent years as students are realizing they can keep pursuing a higher degree while already being enrolled in an associate degree program. Students understand this is a cost-effective way to receive a bachelor’s degree. In Fall 2018, four (4) students benefited from these agreements. Five (5) more students participated in Spring 2019. Now, there are over fifty (50) students interested in taking advantage of these agreements.

“When regional colleges work together as Penn Highlands and Saint Francis are doing, we can help students meet their educational goals without excessive student debt to contend with when they graduate,” stated Dr. Walter Asonevich, President of Penn Highlands. “That can make it easier for them to remain here, work here, and contribute to the growth and development of our region.”

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College has six locations that serve the Southern Alleghenies region. Applications are now being accepted for the summer and fall 2019 semesters.

Sophomore Tiffaney Smith Presents At Beacon Conference On Women’s Roles & Fashion

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College would like to congratulate Business Administration student Tiffaney Smith, of Vintondale, on receiving a Certificate of Achievement for her paper at the Beacon Conference. The Beacon Conference accepted Tiffaney’s paper, “The Evolution of Women’s Roles and Fashion,” and she was able to present it during the 2018 Beacon Conference.

The Beacon Conference was established by mostly Honors faculty to recognize, celebrate, and showcase the academic achievements of outstanding students at community colleges in the mid-Atlantic region. It encompasses a wide range of disciplines.

Her paper was prepared under the guidance of Penn Highlands’ professor Dr. Russell Newman. This year only 44 paper submissions were accepted, with three papers being chosen for presentation per category.

Tiffaney’s paper handles the topic of women’s roles and fashion. It takes the reader on a journey through time starting with the Victorian age, all the way up through present day. It walks the reader through different fashion trends and how they correlate with the attitudes and independence of the women in each time period.

Sophomore Tiffaney Smith plans to pursue her goal of owning her own business by transferring and earning her bachelor’s degree in marketing from Indiana University of Pennsylvania after she graduates from Penn Highlands Community College.

“I am grateful for the opportunity I had to participate in the Beacon Conference,” stated Tiffaney Smith. “The experience strengthened my ability to speak publicly and answer intellectual questions. That is something that I will be able to carry with me as I build to one day owning my own business.”

About The Beacon Conference
The Beacon Conference was born in 1993 when Rockland Community College (NY), with a grant from the American Association of Community Colleges and the Kellogg Foundation, and in association with Bergen Community College (NJ), Brookdale Community College (NJ), Catonsville Community College (MD), Dutchess Community College (NY), Harford Community College (MD), Kingsborough Community College (NY), Middlesex Community/Technical College (CT), Nassau Community College (NY) and Westchester Community College (NY), organized two conferences for student scholars at two-year colleges in the mid-Atlantic region. Since then, the conference has been sponsored by a coalition of participating community colleges, which take turns hosting this event each year on the first Friday of June.

College Responds to Governor’s Budget Proposal

The smallest community college in the commonwealth must once again find ways to continue serving its students without any additional funding from the state. Pennsylvania Highlands Community College was disappointed to learn that the Governor’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2020 did not include any increase in operating dollars for community colleges.

“We feel that the Governor may not be well informed about the mission and challenges faced by community colleges in Pennsylvania,” stated Dr. Walter Asonevich, President of Pennsylvania Highlands Community College. “Community colleges were created to meet regional needs for workforce training, and to ensure that access to a college education remains local and affordable.”

While student loan debt incurred by Pennsylvania students continues to rise, and there is persistent concern regarding the ability of our current workforce to fill available jobs, the institutions best suited to address both of those issues received no new support from the Governor’s budget.

A public community college covers the costs of the education and services it provides from three sources of revenue: a local sponsor, the PA Department of Education, and tuition and fees. The stronger the support from the sponsor and the state, the lower the tuition and fee costs need to be. This government support also provides funding for the development of new programs aimed at training students for current and future workforce needs.

State assistance is especially critical for small colleges like Pennsylvania Highlands. Working to serve the rural Southern Alleghenies means that operational costs are higher per student then found in more densely populated cities and counties. This lack of appropriate financial support may result in tuition and fee increases, harming the very population the college was created to serve.

“Pennsylvania Highlands prides itself on providing a superior educational experience that everyone can access,” said Asonevich. “We want to continue doing just that, but a lack of appropriate funding will hamper our ability to maintain those lofty standards.”

Pennsylvania Highlands is a regional leader that serves the Southern Alleghenies as a low-cost option for both higher education and workforce training.

College To Receive Nearly $500K For Computer Science & STEM Programming

As part of Governor Wolf’s plan to strengthen Pennsylvania’s workforce, Department of Education (PDE) Secretary Pedro A. Rivera visited with representatives from the Southern Alleghenies STEM Ecosystem at Penn Highlands to announce the PAsmart advancing grant that had been awarded. The state grant will help the ecosystem build on existing partnerships, taking a more comprehensive approach to addressing workforce needs in the region. For details, click on the image above.

Governor Tom Wolf recently announced $9.6 million in PAsmart advancing grants to enhance science and technology education in schools statewide. Of these grants, Pennsylvania Highlands Community College is set to receive $498,495 as a part of this round of PAsmart funds.

“Workers in all types of jobs increasingly need to use computers and technology,” said Governor Wolf. “In order to meet that demand, I launched PAsmart last year to expand science and technology education. These grants will help our schools and communities to expand STEM and computer science education. That will strengthen our workforce, so businesses can grow, and workers have good jobs that can support a family.”

Projects funded by the PAsmart advancing grants include computer science/STEM camps and after-school programs, STEM programming for pre-kindergarten students and classrooms and a mobile fabrication lab where students can gain hands-on experience with coding and robotics.

Other projects will develop internships in computer science and STEM, teacher training programs to increase the number of instructors for computer science/STEM and a Pathways to College program for high school students in the state’s rural northern tier region.

Sources: Governor Tom Wolf’s Office, Tribune-Democrat

Penn Highlands Named A 2019-20 Military Friendly School®

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College has been designated a Military Friendly School® by VIQTORY Media, the premier source for military personnel transitioning into civilian life.

The 2019-20 Military Friendly School® list honors colleges, universities, and trade schools in the country that are doing the most to embrace military students, and to dedicate resources to ensure their success in the classroom and after graduation.

“This year, and in years past, we have been recognized for our commitment and devotion to military service members, veterans, and their families,” stated Dr. Walter Asonevich, President of Penn Highlands Community College. “We want all veterans living in the Southern Alleghenies to know how much we value their service, and that we are dedicated to meeting their needs for education and training.”

Institutions earning the Military Friendly School® designation were evaluated using both public data sources and responses from a proprietary survey completed by the school. This year, 766 schools earned this prestigious designation.

The 2019-2020 Military Friendly® Schools list will be published in the May issue of G.I. Jobs magazine and can be found at www.militaryfriendly.com.

Methodology, criteria, and weightings were determined by VIQTORY Media with input from the Military Friendly® Advisory Council of independent leaders in the higher education and military recruitment community. Final ratings were determined by combining the institution’s survey scores with the assessment of the institution’s ability to meet thresholds for Student Retention, Graduation, Job Placement, Loan Repayment, Persistence (Degree Advancement or Transfer) and Loan Default rates for all students and, specifically, for student veterans.

About Military Friendly® Schools
The Military Friendly® Schools list is created each year based on extensive research using public data sources for more than 8,800 schools nationwide, input from student veterans, and responses to the proprietary, data-driven Military Friendly® Schools survey from participating institutions.

The survey questions, methodology, criteria, and weighting were developed with the assistance of an independent research firm and an advisory council of educators and employers. Ernst & Young, a global leader in assurance, tax, transaction, and advisory services, independently evaluated the scoring methodology used for the Military Friendly® Schools list using the criteria set forth by VIQTORY. The services performed by Ernst & Young were limited to advisory procedures and do not provide assurance over the scoring methodology.

The survey is administered for free and is open to all post-secondary schools that wish to participate. Criteria for consideration can be found at www.militaryfriendly.com/.

About VIQTORY
Founded in 2001, VIQTORY is a service-disabled, veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB) that connects the military community to civilian employment, educational and entrepreneurial opportunities through its G.I. Jobs®, Military Spouse, and Military Friendly® brands. VIQTORY and its brands are not a part of or endorsed by the U.S. Department of Defense or any federal government entity.