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Continuing Education Employee receives Certified Program Planner Designation

Andrew Podolak, Workforce & Continuing Education Assistant

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College would like to congratulate Andrew Podolak, Workforce & Continuing Education Assistant, on receiving the designation of Certified Program Planner, or CPP, by the Learning Resources Network (LERN). LERN is the world’s largest association in continuing education and lifelong learning.

By passing the CPP exam, Mr. Podolak has demonstrated knowledge in the ten key lifelong learning areas of expertise. “The CPP designation is a standard of achievement in the knowledge and understanding of lifelong learning,” noted LERN President William Draves. “By becoming a Certified Program Planner, Mr. Podolak has helped to professionalize the field of educational programming.”

This accomplishment will be recognized at LERN’s Annual Conference in November of 2017.

About Learning Resources Network (LERN)

LERN was founded in 1974 and serves more than 9,000 professionals every year. This association provides practical, how-to information on marketing, finances, management, sales and product development. LERN serves a wide variety of institutions, including state universities, four-year colleges, colleges within universities, private colleges, community colleges, technical colleges, public schools, recreation departments, and other associations. Over 3,000 CPP’s have been awarded throughout the world.

College named Silver Award Recipient by Victory Media

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College announced that it has been named a silver-level Military Friendly® School Award recipient in the category of community colleges for 2017. Victory Media, an originator of the family of Military Friendly® employment, entrepreneurship and education resources for veterans and their families, published its special awards for 2017 Military Friendly® Schools and Employers at https://militaryfriendly.com. For more than a decade, Military Friendly® ratings have set the standard for companies and colleges demonstrating positive employment and education outcomes for veterans and their families.

New this year, Military Friendly® Awards showcase the most powerful and effective programs of more than 200 companies and 1,200 post-secondary schools that were designated as “Military Friendly®” in November. Of those designated, 154 employers and 541 schools have been recognized for excellence in different categories, highlighting not only “Are you Military Friendly®?” but “How Military Friendly® are you?”

“All of our Military Friendly® award recipients set the standard for excellence,” said Daniel Nichols, Chief Product Officer of Victory Media and head of Military Friendly® development. “They offer exceptional examples of what it means not just to build a program that meets federal requirements, but one that serves the military and veteran community from classrooms to careers.”

Award thresholds were set by the leading educational institution in each category below:

• Public Universities <10,000 Students
• Public Universities >10,000 Students
• Private Institutions <10,000 Students
• Private Institutions >10,000 Students
• Non-Traditional Institutions
• Community Colleges
• Private Vocational Schools
• Online Universities
• Graduate Schools
• Tier 1 Research Institutions

Award levels are defined as:

• Top 10 Gold: List of the Top 10 in a category based on numerical score
• Gold Medal: Scoring within 20% of the last-ranked (10th) institution
• Silver Medal: Scoring within 30% of the last-ranked (10th) institution
• Bronze Medal: Scoring within 40% of the last-ranked (10th) institution

Companies and schools must have successfully completed a 2017 Military Friendly® survey and been designated as a 2017 Military Military Friendly® School or Employer to be considered for the Awards program. The names of awardees are published online at https://militaryfriendly.com and will be printed in the December issue of G.I. Jobs® or Guide to Military Friendly® Schools. To see a complete list of this year’s award winners, or to learn more about Military Friendly® ratings and how to participate, visit https://militaryfriendly.com.

About Military Friendly® and Victory Media:
The Military Friendly® Employers and Military Friendly® Schools designation process includes extensive research and a data-driven survey of leading companies and colleges nationwide. The survey, methodology, criteria, and weightings are developed with the assistance of an independent advisory council of educators and employers, and tested by EY based upon the weightings and methodology established by Victory Media. The survey is administered for free. Criteria for consideration and recipients of the designation can be found at: https://militaryfriendly.com. Founded in 2001, Victory Media is a service-disabled, veteran-owned small business (SDVOSB) that connects the military community to civilian employment, entrepreneurial and education opportunities through its G.I. Jobs^®, Military Spouse, Vetrepreneur^®, STEM Jobs^SM and Military Friendly^® brands.

College to offer free Prep Math Class in Richland and Blair

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College will be offering a free prep math class to assist those in our community who would like to prepare for an easy transition to college without having to incur any financial costs. This no-cost college prep class will be held at our Richland Campus and Blair Center, beginning in January.

This college prep math class with prepare students for college-level math courses. Students in the course will learn pre-algebra and introductory algebra. They will complete homework assignments, take quizzes, and complete tests in a traditional classroom setting.

Students who take this course will have the benefit of individualized attention in a small-sized classroom. After successful completion of this non-credit course, students will be prepared and confident to take college-level math courses at Penn Highlands Community College.

This college prep math course will begin on Tuesday, January 17th, and will end on Monday, May 1st. The course runs daily, Monday through Thursday.

For students interested in taking the course at our Richland Campus, it will be held from 12:30pm to 1:45pm. For students interested in taking the course at our Blair Center, it will be held from 9:15am to 10:30am.

For more information or to register, please contact:

• For Richland Campus: Student Success Center at 814.262.6451 or studentsuccess@pennhighlands.edu.
• For Blair Center: Julie Patosky, Director, at 814.201.2700 or jpatosky@pennhighlands.edu.

College Strengthens Ties in Computer Science with Area Universities

Dr. Kevin Slonka, Assistant Professor of Computer Science

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College has made great strides when it comes to the College’s Computer Science program and its ability to assist students wishing to transfer to the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown (UPJ) and Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP).

A recent addition to the existing transfer agreement between Penn Highlands and UPJ enables Penn Highlands’ students an affordable way to earn their Computer Science associate’s degree and then transfer to UPJ with Junior standing in either of their two Computer Science tracks. “This represents a major milestone for our Computer Science program,” commented Dr. Kevin Slonka, Assistant Professor of Computer Science and Computer Science Program Coordinator at Penn Highlands.

Penn Highlands’ students from across the Southern Alleghenies region can now graduate with an associate’s degree in Computer Science and transfer seamlessly into Pitt-Johnstown for their bachelor’s degree. “We’re extremely excited to partner with the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown to help local students receive the degree they want,” continued Dr. Slonka.

Dr. Slonka has also strengthened the College’s transfer relationship with Indiana University of Pennsylvania (IUP). While Penn Highlands’ graduates in Computer Science were already able to transfer to IUP, those students can now transfer with Junior standing into one of IUP’s four Computer Science tracks.

“The most exciting part of this new relationship is IUP’s designation as a National Security Agency (NSA) Center of Academic Excellence,” explained Dr. Slonka. Under this agreement, students wishing to become cyber security analysts can transfer into the Information Assurance track at IUP.

Additionally, IUP has agreed to bring its expertise in this area to assist Penn Highlands in becoming an NSA Center of Academic Excellence as well. IUP Computer Science Department Chair, Dr. David Smith, noted, “Together, IUP and Penn Highlands are preparing the next generation of cyber security professionals for the workforce in government and industry. Our centers will mutually promote cyber security awareness by providing seminars, talks, summer camps, and other activities for our communities.”

Richland Campus to host Conspiracy Theory Presentation by Hungarian Visiting Scholar

Dr. Péter Krekó, Fulbright Visiting Scholar

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College will be hosting a free lecture from Dr. Péter Krekó, a Fulbright Visiting Scholar, on Monday, November 14th, in the College’s Richland Campus Auditorium. His presentation, “The Psychology of Conspiracy Theory”, will begin at noon.

Péter Krekó is a Director at the Political Capital Institute, a Budapest-based Central European political research and consultancy firm. He is an Associate Professor at Eötvös Loránd University of Sciences in Budapest, and a member of the EU Radicalisation Awareness Network Centre of Excellence.

Dr. Krekó regularly serves as a commentator on international media. He has written many publications, including: A Russian Spy in Brussels, The Conspiratorial Mindset in Europe, European Far-Right and Putin, and A Hungarian Putin, and Russian Influence.

This presentation is conducted through the Fulbright Scholar Program’s Outreach Lecturing Fund (OLF). OLF enables Visiting Scholars to share their research interests, speak about their home country, and exchange ideas with U.S. students, faculty, and community organizations. Through these lectures, colleges and universities forge relationships with the Fulbright Scholar Program and Visiting Scholars.

This event is open to the public.