SPRING 2017
ON TCC Spotlight on Innovation 10 PLUS: Tyrance Billingsley: The first community college student to chair the statewide Student Advisory Board 4 Hungarian food sustainability expert Istvan Feher, Ph.D. 22 Spotlight on Alumni Dallas Elleman 24
Spotlight on TCC Magazine is a publication of Tulsa Community College Tulsa Community College 6111 E. Skelly Drive Tulsa, OK 74135
Contents 10 TCC Continues to Innovate With Professor Thomas Henderson
Leigh B. Goodson, Ph.D. President & CEO
4 TCC Board of Regents Paul H. Cornell, chairman Robin F. Ballenger, vice-chairman Martin D. Garber, Jr., secretary
22
Spotlight on Student Success Tyrance Billingsley
6
Spotlight on Excellence With professor Mark Frank, M.F.A.
8
Samuel Combs III, member Caron Lawhorn, member Spotlight on TCC Magazine is published each Fall and Spring semester.
Istvan Feher, Ph.D.
24 Spotlight on Alumni:
Ronald S. Looney, member William R. McKamey, member
Fulbright Scholar
Dallas Elleman
Spotlight on Stewardship Steven Cox
25
TCC Foundation
26
12 Spotlight on Diversity “Love Conquers Hate�
Spotlight on Saint Francis Nursing Scholarships Rebecca Ray
14
First Year of Pathways Overview
28
Spotlight on Cox Communications
20
SEC Career Placement & Student Success Center
30
Special thanks to our donors of the last year
Dear Friends, It is always my pleasure to be able to share the qualities and characteristics that make Tulsa Community College an asset to this community. Turning the Spotlight on our core values helps us share our successes with you and reinforce the importance of our mission. The stories in this magazine highlight our core values of student success, excellence, stewardship, innovation and diversity. In this issue, we’ll shine that Spotlight on Assistant Professor Mark Frank, whose commitment to Excellence has brought theatre students to TCC’s campuses as festival-goers and more importantly, TCC students. When we turn the Spotlight to Thomas Henderson, interim dean for the School of Engineering and Applied Technology and Associate Professor of Electronics, you’ll see how a spirit of Innovation inspires TCC students to work in developing fields like electric vehicles. With the Spotlight on Stewardship, we’ll show you how a focus on managing resources has reduced the College’s energy use by almost a third this year. Spotlighting Diversity lets us look at how students, faculty and staff built bonds by marching together with TCC’s award-winning Martin Luther King Jr. Day Parade float. Of course, our ultimate goal is Student Success. We’ll show that by putting a Spotlight on Tyrance Billingsley, the first community college student to chair the statewide Student Advisory Board for the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education. You’ll also see how our commitment to student success begins in the classroom, with instructors like Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence Istvan Feher, and continues outside the classroom with student supports like the upcoming TCC Career Placement and Student Success Center, which will change the face of Southeast Campus. And a look at TCC’s place in the American Association of Community Colleges’ Pathways Project demonstrates how College policies themselves can dramatically support student success. These aren’t just marks we make to champion our cause. We see each of these examples as ways TCC impacts student lives as they work to attain meaningful education and career goals. Thank you for your continuing support for Tulsa Community College.
Spotlight on Student Success Leadership development. Intellectual growth. A pioneering spirit. That’s been Tyrance Billingsley’s experience at Tulsa Community College. TCC proved to Tyrance Billingsley that he could excel and be a leader of students at any campus across Oklahoma. A sophomore political science major, Tyrance’s academic journey at TCC provided him the pioneering opportunity to serve as the first community college student to chair the statewide Student Advisory Board for the Oklahoma State Regents for Higher Education. “The TCC experience helped me succeed academically and as a person by allowing me to mature and develop,” said Tyrance, who also is president of TCC’s Student Government Association. “Coming to TCC with a great mixture of people from all different backgrounds and age groups allowed me to see all walks of life and better appreciate the opportunities ahead of me.” Tyrance plans to pursue his bachelor’s degree at the University of Tulsa. “When I graduated from Booker T. Washington, I understood I needed time to grow,” he said. “TCC has allowed me to grow through the diversity here. I love this school with all my heart. The administrators I have encountered here have been the most caring and influential that I have ever encountered.”
“The TCC experience helped me succeed academically and as a person by allowing me to mature and develop,” said Tyrance, who also is president of TCC’s Student Government Association.
Spotlight Spring 2017
5
tulsacc.edu/spotlightmagazine
Tyrance Billingsley , political science student
Spotlight Spring 2017
6
tulsacc.edu/spotlightmagazine
“Excellence means to me that you are doing the best you can to your abilities to do the job you promised to do when you were hired,� Frank said.
Spotlight on Excellence Mark Frank, faculty department chair and assistant professor and coordinator of theatre
For two days each spring semester, aspiring high school actors from across the region converge on the TCC campus to compete in the annual Oklahoma Thespian Festival. Initiated in 2016 by assistant professor Mark Frank, M.F.A., the first Thespian Festival brought 400 students to campus, along with college faculty from seven states to watch short student performances. “Students have 90 seconds to perform two pieces for the 45 colleges in attendance,” Frank said. “We also have college workshops, qualifying events for the National Thespian Festival in Lincoln, Neb., 10-minute scenes, Tech Olympics competition and improvisation.” In less than three years, Frank not only implemented the Thespian Festival on campus, but grew the number of Theatre majors in his program from 12 to 65. Frank’s drive to make the TCC Theatre program an example of teaching excellence earned him the first Goody Award of 2017, presented by TCC President and CEO Leigh B. Goodson, Ph.D. “Excellence means to me that you are doing the best you can to your abilities to do the job you promised to do when you were hired,” Frank said. “Excellence is the driving force of my day-to-day challenges of creating the best theatre program I can for TCC.”
Spotlight on Stewardship For the past six years, TCC has pursued a plan to replace aging infrastructure across campuses, raise awareness of personal energy use and support the concept of energy sustainability. The initiative is making a difference. Beginning in July 2016, for the first five months of the fiscal year, TCC saved more than $150,000 in utilities costs compared to 2015. “Certainly, in a time of significant reduction state funding, locating opportunities within our existing operating budgets to minimize this impact is helpful,” said Steven Cox, director of physical facilities. “We have experienced double-digit reduction in our utilities this fiscal year, including a 31 percent reduction in energy use in November 2016 alone.” It all adds up to responsible stewardship of the college’s resources, Cox said. “Stewardship is one of TCC’s core values,” he said. “This extends to how we manage the college’s resources, from scheduling classes to operating chillers and boilers for improved sustainability actions. “We’ve found our students to be very supportive of stewardship actions taken toward reducing energy use.”
“We’ve found our students to be very supportive of stewardship actions taken toward reducing energy use.”
Spotlight Spring 2017
9
tulsacc.edu/spotlightmagazine
Rodney Thurston, first class engineer
Spotlight on Innovation Innovation comes naturally to Thomas Henderson, TCC’s interim dean for the School of Engineering and Applied Technology and Associate Professor of Electronics. He built a radio telescope at age 20, which he used to transmit and receive radio signals by bouncing them off the moon. In 17 years as an instructor at TCC, Henderson has led students through similar innovative projects, including building electric vehicles (EVs). His students built an EV that competed in and completed a 61-mile challenge. They also converted a Smart Car to electric power and two electric-power “drag bike” motorcycles. “The projects are a continuation of both electronics and manufacturing courses where the students have the opportunity to use real lab experience to develop a project,” he said. “They get to see something hands-on that they did.” It’s not just electric powered vehicles that drive Thomas Henderson as a TCC professor, however. “I’m most proud of seeing the students able to graduate,” he said. “I know there will be some employer out there that ultimately will receive the gifts that they have and they will be a benefit to their company.”
Thomas Henderson, interim dean for the School of Engineering and Applied Technology and associate professor of electronics
Spotlight Spring 2017
11
tulsacc.edu/spotlightmagazine
“I’m most proud of seeing the students able to graduate,” he said. “I know there will be some employer out there that ultimately will receive the gifts that they have and they will be a benefit to their company.”
Spotlight on Diversity There should be no walls that prohibit anyone from pursuing an education at TCC, says Eunice Tarver, assistant vice president of diversity and inclusion and interim provost of the Northeast Campus. “The work that we do is making sure that we eliminate any barriers that prevent equal opportunity for our diverse student population,” she said. Sometimes that work might be ensuring that the campus is accessible to students using wheelchairs, or that communication is open to the deaf and hearing impaired, or that military veterans find their place on campus. Other times, it might be decorating a parade float and participating in Tulsa’s annual Martin Luther King Jr. Day activities or marching in the annual Pride Festival and Parade. For the second consecutive year, Tulsa’s MLK Jr. Day parade in January was highlighted by the appearance of a TCC float decorated to match the “Love Conquers Hate” theme. TCC tied for first place in the “Employee Built-Corporate” category. “Diversity, inclusion and equity are essential components for any institution committed to educating global citizens and creating a more equitable society,” Tarver said. “I’m most proud of our students, staff and faculty who intentionally work to create a campus environment where all members feel respected, valued and cared for.”
Spotlight Spring 2017
13
tulsacc.edu/spotlightmagazine
“Diversity, inclusion and equity are essential components for any institution committed to educating global citizens and creating a more equitable society,� Tarver said.
A Path to our Future: First year of Pathways overview. Tulsa Community College is one of 30 community colleges nationwide participating in The Pathways Project, a national initiative focused on building better bridges for students from high school graduation to college completion, leading to university transfer or credentials that match labor market needs. “My commitment as President is to get students to and through TCC successfully. This national initiative is working towards redesigning community colleges across the country to ensure success and graduation,” said TCC President & CEO Leigh B. Goodson, Ph.D. “Just as TCC led the national discussion when we created Tulsa Achieves in 2007, our participation in the Pathways Project gives us the opportunity to continue to transform education and to be a model for graduation strategies.”
The Pathways Project is funded by the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and led by the American Association of Community Colleges. Under the Pathways model, colleges compress the educational choices students have when they begin college to ensure curriculum is focused and transferrable and students receive more intensive advisement support. When TCC was accepted into the Pathways Project in 2015, it came just as the College was embarking on reorganizations of Student Affairs and Academic Affairs, two major undertakings that were outlined by the College’s 2016-2020 Strategic Plan. Both of those initiatives helped align the College with the pathways model. “Our acceptance into the Pathways Project didn’t
“These maps are not the only path,” said Director of Academic Advising Molly Farley. “They’re the set of courses recommended by faculty to provide students with the background of knowledge to succeed with a degree. We want the students to have all the resources and information they need to get to where they want to be.” continued on page 16
tulsacc.edu/spotlightmagazine
At the first institute in February 2016, each college team developed a written campus change strategy and a preliminary timeline for major aspects of pathways design and implementation. For the second institute two months later, TCC’s team began working to develop clear, efficient and coherent maps for all
These maps, which TCC has branded as MAPs, for “My Academic Plan,” outline specific course sequences, progress milestones, and program learning outcomes developed by faculty and advisors that show students a clear pathway to completion, further education and employment. This helps students both keep track of their progress toward a degree and avoid taking classes that won’t advance them to graduation. Although the program maps outline a recommended selection of courses, they are not intended to limit students to a single path through each program.
15
The selected colleges, including TCC, are the first to participate in Pathways Institutes, a series of six 3-day workshops that pair Pathways Project colleges with expert coaches for intensive advisement and support. Each event focuses on a critical aspect of institutional change and pathway design/implementation. Colleges prepare advance work ahead of each institute, and leave with action plans for their college.
of the programs at the institution.
Spotlight Spring 2017
replace or supersede the Strategic Plan,” Goodson said. “It was a confirmation that our Strategic Plan points us in the right direction. The Pathways Project equips us with the tools to improve graduation, retention, and transfer rates for students as identified in the Strategic Plan.”
The program maps created through this process will be included in the College catalog and will be the starting point for students in selecting their courses. When students meet with an advisor – now required each semester for all first-time entering, degreeseeking students – they will be able to create a custom path for themselves to map their progress. For the third institute in October 2016, TCC mapped the College’s entire intake process to understand where students can get lost in the process. This helped admissions and enrollment staff understand student intake systems and how their policies can create barriers to success for students. After reviewing this information, each college at the institute was provided examples of how the student intake process can be restructured for student benefit.
“We found that we have way too many confusing touchpoints,” said Assistant Vice President for Enrollment Management Eileen Kenney. “This institute helped us map out what we want students to know and when. Each interaction should direct students to the next one throughout the recruitment, admission and enrollment processes.” At the fourth institute in February 2017, colleges focused on monitoring student progress to ensure students are succeeding along their program maps. TCC will create processes to identify students at a higher risk of classroom struggles and direct them to campus resources before classes begin, and add processes for faculty to identify students in need of academic assistance before failures appear on their transcripts. Each of the policies and initiatives tied to the Pathways Project are intended to improve student
WHAT WE’VE DONE Expanded New Student Orientation and made it mandatory for all first-time entering full-time students 3,452 participants in Fall 2016 Implemented mandatory advising for first-time entering, degree-seeking students
Mapping each degree for full- and part-time students to provide clear pathways to graduation Adding academic advisors to meet demand for mandatory advising
metrics. Right now, fewer than one-third of fulltime TCC students graduate or transfer within three years. Approximately four out of every 10 students leave before the next fall semester, and only 23 percent of full-time students at the College earn 24 credit hours in the first year. Although these numbers are comparable to national community college averages, TCC wants to be better. “Our goal is always student success,” Goodson said. “It has always been Tulsa Community College’s mission to help students reach their educational goals, and our mission of access has provided countless opportunities for students. Pathways ensures we don’t lose focus on that mission of access while we expand opportunities for student success.”
WHAT WE WILL DO
Redesign the student recruitment process to ensure steps in recruitment, admission, and enrollment direct students forward and don’t create confusion
Monitor student’ progress through their degrees and coursework, and create systems to notify faculty and retention specialists when students fall behind Work with local businesses and transfer schools to ensure our pathways align with workforce and academic demands
17
Embedding Senior Academic Advisors, librarians and Student Life representatives in each Academic School to provide expertise in specific programs
Spotlight Spring 2017
WHAT WE’RE DOING
tulsacc.edu/spotlightmagazine
Implemented on-time enrollment for all courses and withdrawal rates decreased by 11 percent in Fall 2016 and 15 percent in Spring 2017.
THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2017, 6 PM Cox Business Center HONORING ALISON ANTHONY Director Strategic Outreach, President Williams Foundation - Williams Company
President’s Society annual members contribute a minimum of $1,000 annually toward TCC’s academic programs. The President’s Society provides material support to the TCC Foundation for important college initiatives and critical needs. President’s Society memberships run from January to December of each year. Memberships may be held jointly by couples or anonymously.
PRESIDENT’S SOCIETY MEMBERS Leeland Alexander Robin Ballenger* Howard and Billie Barnett* Konnie Boulter* Teresa Burkett D. Forrest Cameron Karen and Barry Davis Ed Fariss Steven Fate
Jay Helm Alana R. Hughes George and Aldean Newcomb Krumme Phil and Adriane Lakin Ron and Sue Looney Tim Lyons and Pat McKamey* Sanjay Meshri
Pierce Norton Joseph Parker Jerry and Joan Parkhurst Brian Paschal Dr. Frank and Mary Shaw* Jana L. Shoulders* State Farm Insurance Company* Steve Turnbo *Denotes Lifetime Member
COLLEGE PROFILE
1 BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION 2 PRE-NURSING 3 LIBERAL ARTS/GENERAL STUDIES
TOTAL ENROLLMENT FOR 2015-2016 5,701 FULL-TIME 11,459 PART-TIME 3,088 CONTINUING ED FALL 2015
3,412 FIRST-TIME ENTERING STUDENTS FALL 2015
4 NURSING 5 MULTI/INTERDISCIPLINARY STUDIES 6 PSYCHOLOGY 7 ACCOUNTING
1,516 CONCURRENT STUDENTS FALL 2015
8 PRE-EDUCATION: ELEMENTARY & SECONDARY
2,142
9 BIOLOGY
TOTAL GRADUATES 2015-2016
10 PRE-ENGINEERING
Total Financial Aid 2015-2016
$62,961,450 $2,123,149 1,897 ENROLLMENT FOR 2015
$4,358,162 1,481 ENROLLMENT FOR 2015
529,543 TULSA ACHIEVES TOTAL VOLUNTEER HOURS SINCE 2007
tulsacc.edu/spotlightmagazine
Top 10 Degrees
25,039
19
1 2 3
STUDENT EXPERIENCE LEARNING OUTCOMES DATA-INFORMED DECISIONS
Student Profile
Spotlight Spring 2017
Top 3 Priorities
Pay it Forward TCC Career Placement and Student Success Center will alleviate lines, connect students to prospective employers
tulsacc.edu/spotlightmagazine
Those long lines should soon be alleviated, thanks to Tulsa voters, who last year approved a $5.3 million initiative to build a Career Placement and Student Success Center on TCC’s Southeast Campus.
Spotlight Spring 2017
It can be a hurry-up-and-wait situation for students, said Jan Clayton, Ed.D., TCC’s Senior Student Affairs Officer.
20
For a community college with 25,000 students across four campuses, the process of enrolling for classes at TCC often requires negotiating a labyrinth of lines.
“We’ve got students in lines that sometimes wind down the hall and around the corner,” Dr. Clayton said. “One challenge is the space is not structured in a way that accommodates the effective flow of student traffic.”
The vote was part of the $884.1 million Vision Tulsa package of economic development projects that Tulsa voters overwhelmingly endorsed in April 2016. The Career Placement and Student Success Center will expand key services to students considered essential for graduation and job attainment. The Center will help students link to academic support for graduation success and job skills for Tulsa’s workforce. TCC has partnered with the Tulsa architectural firm GH2 to design the new facility, which will incorporate an existing building that currently serves many of the student services functions, said Sean Weins, TCC vice president for administration. Construction is expected to begin in late summer and take approximately one year.
Emphasis of the new facility will be on “student success,” Weins said. The current building doesn’t use all available space in an efficient manner. “I was a junior college student myself many years ago,” he said. “And I can tell you that nationally higher education facilities weren’t designed so much with the student success component in mind.” Times have changed. It’s not enrollment but completion that has emerged as a measurement of success for higher education institutions. “Completion is really more important than enrollment,” Weins said. “So, that’s what this Center is designed to support. It’s a onestop shop for students to make sure they are beginning with the end in mind and have a pathway to success.”
BENEFITS OF THE NEW CENTER WILL INCLUDE: It will serve Tulsa residents who want to remain in Tulsa and expand their career skills and career opportunities through higher education. More than 90 percent of TCC graduates remain in this area and invest their careers in Tulsa businesses. It will expand student support services, including enrollment, advisement, financial aid and other services. National studies show that students graduate at higher rates and increase their job readiness with enhanced academic and career counseling support services. It will impact Tulsa’s economic vitality by providing a ready workforce in growing job sectors. By 2020, 59 percent of Oklahoma jobs will require a college credential. It will help TCC continue to meet its Complete College America goals to increase the annual number of TCC graduates to a total of 2,964 by 2020.
It will help TCC increase its focus on overcoming barriers to college persistence and graduation for first-generation and adult students.
It will support TCC’s goal to increase number of graduates from 14 percent to 20 percent by Fall 2018 with increased personnel and expanded facilities. “Our priority is to pay it forward,” Weins said. “There is data out there that says for every dollar invested in education, it produces $4 in economic growth. This Center is designed to do just that.” For Dr. Clayton and her student services staff currently spread across four locations, the Student Success Center will offer space specifically designed to connect students with potential employers.
“We are excited to centralize our career services support resources into one campus location,” she said. “The Career Services Office within the Student Success Center will be a space where prospective employers will have the opportunity to engage and network with our students and where we can capitalize on their knowledge to better train and prepare our students for the workforce.” TCC has long been planning for the creation of new space to better serve students, Weins said. Vision Tulsa is making that a reality. “If not for the taxpayers voting ‘yes,’ this wouldn’t have happened,” Weins said. “We believe it’s going to be a difference-maker for students, and I can’t wait for it to be completed.”
Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence brings research into ‘sustainability’ to TCC TCC students had the rare opportunity this academic year to learn from a Hungarian food sustainability expert and international business consultant who came to campus as a Fulbright Scholarin-Residence. Istvan Feher, Ph.D., is an economist and Hungarian university professor whose four-decade career has taken him to more than 60 countries as a sustainability, agriculture and institutional development adviser. Along the way, Dr. Feher served in the Hungarian government as head of the Cabinet of the Ministry of Agriculture and deputy secretary of state, Ministry of Agriculture and Regional Development. That deep background in education, government and business led him to connect last year with the Fulbright Scholar Program, an academic exchange program of the U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Educational and Culture Affairs. Fulbright representatives made a presentation at Szent Istvan University, where Dr. Feher is a professor emeritus. “I had a discussion with Fulbright representatives, and they told me my profile was very close to what the University of Tulsa and Tulsa Community College were looking for,” Feher said. “They asked me to send my CV to the Fulbright agency, which sent it out to Tulsa.” Fast-forward one year, and Dr. Feher is completing a tenure as Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence at both TU and
TCC. He is leading courses as part of TU’s Global Scholars Program and TCC’s Honors programs on subjects related to global food security. He has also researched Oklahoma agriculture and food sustainability issues. “The students at TU and TCC are better global citizens just by the exposure and engagement that Dr. Feher brings to the classroom and the study of food sustainability,” said Douglas Price Ed.D., TCC’s director of global learning. Dr. Feher has taught an international economics course and seminar at TCC and presented a series of European Studies lectures at TU. As part of his research into Oklahoma sustainability, Dr. Feher took a group of students to a working sustainable farm near Poteau. “It was a good example of how the people can learn and see the sustainabilityand ecologically-friendly agriculture production,” he said. “Agriculture requires knowledge and innovation.” While in Oklahoma, Dr. Feher has reached out to food and agriculture industry insiders across the state. He said he is taking away positive impressions of both his Tulsa students and Oklahoma agriculture. “I made a lot of visits,” he said. “I took my students and made connections with food banks, I visited farms and local markets and the people who are dealing with the local food production and food supply.”
23
tulsacc.edu/spotlightmagazine
Istvan Feher, Fulbright Scholar-in-Residence
Spotlight Spring 2017
“The students at TU and TCC are better global citizens just by the exposure and engagement that Dr. Feher brings to the classroom and the study of food sustainability,” said Douglas Price Ed.D., TCC’s director of global learning.
Spotlight Spring 2017
24
tulsacc.edu/spotlightmagazine
Spotlight on Alumni: Dallas Elleman “When I came back to Tulsa, I thought I was too old to go to school or my mind wouldn’t work the way it used to or something like that,” Elleman said. “But the work ethic I picked up over the years and the experiences I had made me a better student.”
After graduating from Charles Page High School in 2000, Dallas Elleman played in a rock band, worked in construction and as an installer for a cable TV company. A decade later, he was married with three children and wanting to make a difference in the world. So Elleman enrolled at Tulsa Community College at the age of 30. In his time on TCC’s campus, Elleman earned associate degrees in physics, mathematics and electrical engineering. He was a TCC Honors Program graduate, a PIPESTEM Scholar, and a member of Phi Theta Kappa. “When I came back to Tulsa, I thought I was too old to go to school or my mind wouldn’t work the way it used to or something like that,” Elleman said. “But the work ethic I picked up over the years and the experiences I had made me a better student.” In addition to earning academic degrees, Elleman immersed himself in campus activities and extra-curricular projects that won him grants and scholarships, and took him far beyond the campus. For instance, he twice competed in the National Science Foundation Community College Innovation Challenge in Washington, D.C. He
also completed an internship with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. Last spring, Elleman became the seventh TCC recipient of the prestigious Jack Kent Cooke Scholarship and is eligible to receive up to $120,000 to pursue his bachelor’s degree. “From the day that I enrolled at TCC, I was trying to think about how I was going to pay for or accomplish the next phase,” Elleman said. “I knew that an associate degree at TCC was probably going to be do-able. But I didn’t know how I was going to pay for a university. The Jack Kent Cooke scholarship stood out to me. I set my sights on that; it was pretty much the only way I was going to be able to go to a 4-year university and still be able to take care of my family.” He is currently a student at the University of Tulsa where he is an engineering physics major specializing in electrical engineering and robotics. He credits TCC Biology professor Mary Phillips for serving as his TCC mentor and encouraging him to pursue the activities that carried him far beyond the classroom. “She has been such a huge influence on me, and provided me so many opportunities,” he said. “Just going to college improved my life in so many ways.”
The Tulsa Community College Foundation provides support to Tulsa Community College and its mission by developing key relationships and financial resources.
Meredith Siegfried Madden, CEO, The NORDAM Group, Inc. Nancy N. McDonald, Community Volunteer Wesley G. Mitchell, Director ITO Account Delivery, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Susan B. Neal, VP for Public Affairs, Research & Economic Development, University of Tulsa Pierce H. Norton II, President & CEO, ONE Gas Henry Primeaux III, Investor Roger Ramseyer, Vice President & Tulsa Market Leader, Cox Communications Lou Reynolds, Senior Partner, Eller & Detrich John Rupe Jr., CEO, Rupe Helmer Group E. Paul Samuels, Senior VP, Wealth Management, Morgan Stanley Charles T. Sexton, Community Volunteer Mary Shaw, Community Volunteer Melinda Stinnett, President, Stinnett & Associates, LLC David Stratton, President, JPMorgan Chase, Tulsa Steve Turnbo, Chairman Emeritus, Schnake Turnbo Frank
STAFF Leigh B. Goodson, Ph.D., President & CEO, Tulsa Community College Lauren Brookey, Vice President of External Affairs and President of TCC Foundation Mark McMullen, Chief Financial Officer, Tulsa Community College Jeanne Blackwell, Administrative Assistant, Tulsa Community College Foundation Monica Champ, Director of Major Gifts, Tulsa Community College Foundation Mautia Hall, Assistant Director of Development, Tulsa Community College Foundation Rachel Hutchings, Director of Development, Tulsa Community College Foundation
TULSA COMMUNITY COLLEGE FOUNDATION 6111 East Skelly Drive, Suite 605, Tulsa, OK 74135-6198 Phone (918) 595-7836 | tccfoundation@tulsacc.edu
25
TRUSTEES Leeland Alexander, Associate Vice President, OU-Tulsa Schusterman Center Billie T. Barnett, Community Volunteer Teresa Meinders Burkett, Partner, Conner & Winters, LLP Jim Cameron, CEO, Cameron Glass, Inc. Carlin Conner, President & CEO, SemGroup Corp. Lisette Coston, Executive Director of Support Services, Saint Francis Health System Sharon King Davis, Partner, King Investments Jim Dunn, Chairman, Mill Creek Lumber & Supply Co. Ed Fariss, Retired Steven L. Fate, Director of Business Operations Support, Public Service of Oklahoma Shane Fernandez, President of Nabholz Southwest, Nabholz Corporation Susan E. Harris, Retired/Consultant M. Ted Haynes, President, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma Andy Kinslow, President, KKT Architects, Inc. David Kollmann, President, Central Region, Flintco, LLC Jim Langdon, Publisher, Langdon Publishing Co. William M. Lissau, Oklahoma Market President, Bank of America Mina Lotti, Community Volunteer Tim Lyons, President & CEO, TTCU The Credit Union
Spotlight Spring 2017
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE CHAIR: ALANA R. HUGHES, Chief Operating Officer, Charles & Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation VICE CHAIR: KONNIE BOULTER, Program Director, The Oxley Foundation SECRETARY/TREASURER: PHIL LAKIN, JR., CEO, Tulsa Community Foundation PAST CHAIR: JOAN P. PARKHURST, Parkhurst Investments
tulsacc.edu/spotlightmagazine
2017 TCC FOUNDATION BOARD
Scholarship Spotlight:
Nursing Students Seeing Pink
“I’ve gotten all my required classes at TCC and can just merge into the University of Oklahoma program once I graduate from TCC with my associate degree.” said Ray, 37, a TCC nursing student.
Rebecca Ray, nursing student
“I’ve gotten all my required classes at TCC and can just merge into the University of Oklahoma program once I graduate from TCC with my associate degree.” Rebecca utilized TCC’s Career Mobility Track designed specifically for working professionals like her to make the change. “I go to class Friday and have clinicals Saturday, so I’m able to work during the week and still spend time with my family, which is nice,” Ray said. “I’m currently working private duty because it provides more flexible hours.” TCC offers both a Career Mobility track and a Traditional track for nursing students. There are approximately 400 students pursuing an associate degree in Applied Science in Nursing at any one time, said Dr. Rick Hollingsworth, Associate Dean of Nursing. “Our Career Mobility track is designed for LPNs or Paramedics who are wanting to return and obtain their associate degree in nursing and take the NCLEX-RN Exam,” Dr. Hollingsworth said. “The average age of our students is 32 to 34.” Nursing cohorts in the Career Mobility track meet at both the TCC Owasso Community Campus and the TCC Metro Campus with each offering different academic schedules for ultimate flexibility for students. A critical factor in Rebecca’s pursuit of her associate degree and RN license is the Saint Francis Nursing Scholarship she received as a student in TCC’s program. The scholarship provides her $2,000 per semester.
Students who receive the Saint Francis Nursing Scholarship agree to work for six months at Saint Francis for every semester they receive the scholarship. That translates into a 2-year commitment for receiving the scholarship over four semesters. “We are very appreciative of Saint Francis’ generosity to help our students and to be supportive of higher education for nurses,” Dr. Hollingsworth said. “Saint Francis has been a champion in the area of providing support for scholarships and funds for expansion to increase the number of nurses to care for the citizens of Oklahoma.” For Rebecca, the Saint Francis Nursing Scholarship has translated into flexibility and a bit of financial freedom. “The scholarship money has been a tremendous help,” she said. “I’ve been trying to pay as I go and not take much in student loans, so the scholarship money has helped me work part time and go to school instead of trying to work full time, go to school and be a mom.” Rebecca has set her sights on a nursing management position as her ultimate career goal. Until then, she’s hitting the books for the first time in 15 years. “I’ve had to revisit my study habits, and my children have had to learn that whenever I shut my bedroom door that means I need study time and need to be left alone,” she said. “It’s been challenging and also been very rewarding.”
tulsacc.edu/spotlightmagazine
“I decided that I had climbed the ladder as far as I could with my LPN license, and it was time to go back to school,” said Ray, 37, a TCC nursing student who expects to graduate this spring.
“We have earmarked at least $500,000 for nursing scholarships over the four year project period,” said Midge Elliott, RN, M.S., J.D., Dean of Health Sciences. “The goal over a four-year project period is to graduate 200 more nurses than we otherwise would have.”
27
However, advancing in the profession would require more education.
The Saint Francis Nursing Scholarships are provided by a $1 million gift from Saint Francis Health System to the Tulsa Community College Foundation.
Spotlight Spring 2017
After working as a Licensed Practical Nurse for 15 years in hospital and hospice settings, Rebecca Ray decided it was time for a change. She wanted more out of her career, possibly moving into a management role.
Tiffani Bruton knows the value that Tulsa Community College brings to the Tulsa community from the inside out. “I am a product of TCC,” said Bruton, director of public affairs for Cox Communications in Tulsa. “I spent the first two years of my college education there.”
Spotlight Spring 2017
28
tulsacc.edu/spotlightmagazine
Spotlight on Community Partner: Cox Communications
More recently, Tiffani completed three terms as a member of the Board of Trustees of the TCC Foundation, which provides support to Tulsa Community College students, faculty and staff and its mission by developing key relationships and financial resources. Atlanta-based Cox Communications is a broadband communications and entertainment company, providing advanced digital video, Internet, telephone and home security and automation services over its own nationwide IP network. Cox serves approximately 6 million residences and businesses nationwide. Cox established a close relationship with TCC almost 15 years ago and has been steadfast in its support of the College and its mission. “We saw this as an opportunity to be involved with an organization that wasn’t just offering classes to students, but really creating a stronger economic development engine in our community,” Tiffani said. “As a corporation, that’s important to us.”
Roger Ramseyer, Vice President & Tulsa Market Leader for Cox, now serves on the TCC Foundation Board of Trustees, continuing the close relationship established years ago. “As a business that is striving to grow and as an employer of 500 Tulsans, we know that the foundation of a thriving city is a well educated and well trained workforce,” Ramseyer said. “The thing that strikes me about TCC is that it makes higher education affordable and attainable to those who might not otherwise be able to benefit.” For Cox, education plays a critical role in preparing employees to assume whatever role they are asked to step into, Bruton said. “You can leave TCC 100 percent workforce ready,” she said. “It’s such an important part of a strong, thriving community.” It has been a both-sides-now experience for Bruton as a former student and now a former TCC Foundation Board member. “I was one of the few board members who had gone through the TCC experience as a student, but what was overwhelming to me was the level of commitment and support of business leaders who are on that board,” she said. “They recognize the value that TCC brings to our community. The tremendous strides the college has made in the last decade are really phenomenal.”
The Signature Symphony at TCC hosted Overture, a gala featuring international cuisine with wine pairings and music from across the globe. The event took place on Friday, March 3, and nearly 200 people attended the fundraiser which benefitted Higher Scale, the Signature Symphony’s music education and outreach program. Higher Scale teaches children in Tulsa-area schools how to play the violin, viola and cello and provides free interactive musical experiences to children of all ages through performances in schools and opportunities to experience professional musicians in live performances. TTCU The Credit Union was the presenting sponsor for the event, which raised approximately $50,000. Kimberly Self chaired the event and Tim and Carol Lyons served as the honorary chairs. The Overture committee included auction chair Jane Primeaux, Brenda Barnes, Marcia Brueggenjohann, Kelly Clark, Chelsea Feary, Andrés Franco, Susan Harris, Jerry Hoopert, Rachel Hutchings, Katie Johnson, Susan Martin, Delia Pierson, Brittany Sawyer, Dr. Dean VanTrease and Jacqueline Wilson.
TCC Foundation Inaugural Wish Book a Success. This past November, the TCC Foundation launched The Wish Book 2016, an ultimate wish list for educational opportunities and experiences for TCC students and faculty. The catalog was filled with real-life gifts to help students lay a foundation for graduation and success in life. The Wish Book raised more than $53,000 during TCC’s end-of-year holiday giving campaign. Ten of the 17 gifts featured in The Wish Book were fully funded. Those include: NASA Oklahoma Space Grant Consortium scholarships TCC Research Retreat Tulsa Area Biomedical Education and Research Consortium internships African American Student Association scholarships TedxTulsaCC TCC Honors Program Scholars TCC Honors Roundup 10 Honors College scholarships TCC Student Art Show Pamela McGowan Scholarships for students through the Education Access Center
A few funding opportunities still exist for The Wish Book and can be viewed at www.tccwishbook.com. Be on the lookout for The Wish Book 2017 next November!
Special thanks to our donors of the last year
Spotlight Spring 2017
30
tulsacc.edu/spotlightmagazine
UP TO 1,000 ABM Janitorial Services Ashley R Adams David Adams Leeland Alexander Diana V Allen Azzam Almounajjed Gregory A Anderson Janice K Anderson Karol Andrew Arts & Humanities Council of Tulsa Lara L Atherton Marjorie A Atwood Wendy Aubrey Virgil L Averbeck Allan Avery Jenger Baker Denise R Baldwin Helen and David Barlow Barnett Family Foundation Marguerite E Barnette Carrie A Bateson Paxton Belcher Deborah and David Benton Rebecca Bloom Charles and Betsy Blue Christine Blueford Harold Bockelken Cathleen J Boen Cynthia M Boese Konnie Boulter Patti and David Bowman Lori L Bradford Martin L Bregman Marsais J Broadway Lauren and Rob Brookey Angelica O Brown Jennifer Brown Michelle L Brown Esther Bruce Amy Bruner Nicole P Burgin Susan A Burlew Vickie Busick Business Resource Unlimited Bill Byrd Lechelle Calderwood Cameron & Associates Realtors D F Cameron Stephanie Cameron Brett and Jennifer Campbell Karla Campbell Thomas and Charlotte Campbell Mary V Cantrell and Jason Brimer Casady School Lea T Catlin Cassandra D Cline
Rochelle E Colby Ron Coleman College Staff Council Commerce Bank Conner & Winters Patti A Conroy Phil Cooper Sandra D Cooper Jodi Corley Lisette and Brad Coston Laura E Cowan Frances K Cowden Lucinda G Crain Lawton and Kathy Daily Kevin and Kelly David Patricia Davis Jennifer Deal Keilah K Deatherage Kimberly N Dewey Mike and Kathy Dinneen Julie K Donelson Dorinda Donnell Harriette S Dudley James D Dunn Robert J Dyer Carol A Ebrahimi Dana R Edwards Kathleen Edwards Eller & Detrich Shirley K Elliott Kyleigh M Embrey Susan K England ExxonMobil Foundation Noam Faingold Wayne Fallgatter Ed Fariss Ruth A Fate Chelsea Feary James M Fellows Kayla Ferlazzo Pageant D Ferriabough Flintco Industries Inc Bangorn Foster Richard L Fox Emily Frank Irving Frank Kimberly E Frank Estella M Franken Susan K Fryer Factory Funding Debra Gamache Cynthia Gharibvand Julie C Giovannetti Nicole Glavan Rebekah Graves Patrick H Green Delisa D Griffin Patricia A Griffin
Michelle L Hamilton Diane E Haney Rebecca R Hankins Karen R Harmon-Miletello Margaret A Harrison Brett J Hastings Mel Hatfield Ruben W Haye Sharon Helm M J Henderson Smith Mina Herren-Hale Ben Herrig Cynthia K Hess Kenny L Hess Phillip A Hill Pati L Hoffmann Judy A Holland Abigail T Holloway Catherine D Hoover Carole Huff-Hicks Alana R Hughes Christine C Hughes Gary and Julie Hunt Mary P Hunter Dean and Rachel Hutchings Michael D Igelman Nancy S Inglett Eileen Kenney and William Ivy W B Jackson Terry K Jacobs-Davis Robert James Carolyn A Johnson David H Johnson Gary E Johnson Glen Johnson Judith A Johnson Rob Johnston Jenk Jones Kristi S Jones Jose R and Laura B Medina Foundation Joshi Technologies International Bush Joseph Mary E Kent Terence and Jeannette Kern Deborah King Percy Kirk Gloria A Kirkpatrick Ken & Judi Klein Lori P Knight David A Kollmann Hilary A Koppel George and Aldean Newcomb Krumme Anna C Kuchta Bob and Kristen LaBass William J Lamberton Gin Lang
Alexa K Larson-Thorisch Regina K Lary Arantxa Lasa Caron and Shawn Lawhorn Timothy E Lawson Larry D Leonard Terry Lewis Ariana Livingston Jemina and John Lotti Pam L Lucas Madalene Church John Major Scott P Mannas Jamie Manning Kathie K Marrs Susan L Martin Kendra A Mason Aaron D Massey Shannon L Matthews Allison P McDaniel Amanda D McDaniel Thomas K and Stacey McKeon Mark R McMullen Heather McNeil Sanjay and Julie Meshri Marina A Metevelis MidFirst Bank Shari Millican Wes and Yolanda Mitchell Dorothy A Moaliitele Sally R Mondragon Sheila M Moore John M Mosher Mount St Mary High School Dean L Muse Stacie D Nelson Heidi Nestor Matt Newman Evelyn Nienhuis Northeastern State University Oklahoma Physical Therapy Association Sally M Osburn Michael H Oshiro Palace Cafe LLC ChihChin Pan Joan and Jerry Parkhurst Dawn A Parton Jerry L Patrick Jeanne A Payne Andrea R Peverley Julianne M Pfister Anne E Phillips Michael W Pierce Audra J Pitts Sarah E Plunkett Julie M Porterfield David R Poth
$1,001 TO $10,000 Audrey L Alcorn Anchor Stone Company Robin Ballenger Bama Foods Limited Partnership Inc Bank of America Bank of Oklahoma Brenda Barnes Billie and Howard Barnett Sam and Lorelei K Barton Ray and Linda Booker Montie & Betty Box Marcia Brueggenjohann Mary Ann Bumgarner Teresa Burkett Peggy L Burks Tim Caldwell Jim and Janet Cameron CamGlass Chickasaw Nation Tom and Billie Clarke Community Care HMO ConocoPhillips Corporate Contributions Mike Cooper Coretz Family Foundation
Joe and Hannah Robson Ross Group Construction Corporation Ruth Nelson Family Foundation RVA LLC Sam and Rita Combs Charitable Fund Schnake Turnbo Frank Inc Selser Schaefer Architects Dr. B. Frank and Mary Shaw Meredith Siegfried Madden Dr. Keith and Lisa Stanley Stinnett & Associates Lee and Carol Swarthout TCC Faculty Association Tulsa Community Foundation Tulsa Regional Chamber University of Oklahoma Wallace Engineering Structural Consultants Inc Walton Family Foundation Inc Williams Companies Jacqueline Wilson Women’s Foundation of Oklahoma Workspace Resouce Inc WPX Energy Inc YOT Full Circle Foundation
$10,001 TO $100,000 Anne and Henry Zarrow Foundation Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Oklahoma Cherokee Nation Businesses Cox Communications Founders of Doctors’ Hospital Inc Herman Kaiser Foundation Hille Foundation JPMorgan Chase Lobeck Taylor Family Foundation Maxine and Jack Zarrow Foundation ONE Gas, Inc. ONEOK Inc. Sarkeys Foundaton Ken and Wanda Wolfkill
$100,001 TO $500,000 Charles and Lynn Schusterman Family Foundation Oxley Foundation Public Service Company of Oklahoma TTCU The Credit Union
$500,001 AND ABOVE George Kaiser Family Foundation
ABOVE $1,000,000 Saint Francis Health System
tulsacc.edu/spotlightmagazine
Paul Cornell Crossland Construction Brian S Culp Kari E Culp Darden Family Charitable Foundation Barry and Karen Davis Stephen and Ruthie Duenner Peggy D Dyer Jim East William A Eaton Judy L Edmonson Steven Fate Lloyd and Mary Ann Elliott Janice Fonkalsrud Kelly C Fonkalsrud Andres Franco Fritz Baily PC Marge and John Gaberino Martin D Garber GH2 Architects John R Gibson Terence F Golla Leigh and Mark Goodson Great Plains Coca Cola Bottling Company John Harper Susan Harris M. Ted Haynes Helmerich & Payne Inc Helmerich Foundation James and Julie Higgins Hispanic American Foundation Jerry and Catherine Hoopert HP Enterprise Services Jim Norton Toyota Johnson Controls David and Katie Johnson Jones Gotcher & Bogan Sharon King Davis Kirkpatrick and Kinslow Productions Langdon Publishing Company Ron and Sue Looney Phil Maltby Matrix Service Company Joe and Nancy McDonald Joe and Carol McGraw Bill and Pat McKamey Jim and Ann McKellar Mervin Bovaird Foundation Carol O Messer Metro Christian Academy David S Morse Nabholz Construction Corporation Rick and Susan B Neal NORDAM Group Inc. Pierce and Debbie Norton Oklahoma State University Foundation Tom and Jennifer Palmer Joseph Parker Robert and Delia Pierson Stuart Price Jane and Henry Primeaux III QuikTrip Corporation Quota International of Sand Springs Alicia A Ranne Kelley Rash R L Reynolds
31
Kathleen E Tolbert Terjuana L Townes Antonia F Trainor Tulsa County Veterinary Medical Association Tulsa Library Trust Tulsa Public Schools Tulsa Rose Society Steve Turnbo Deacon and Piper Turner University of Oklahoma Foundation Tammy D Upshaw Jennifer Van Patten Dean and Vesta Vantrease Jane Varmecky Sarah G Wagner Robert A Wakely Mary P Walker Virginia R Wallace Zengyu Wang Cynthia A Ward Robin Warden Carrie A Warren Jane D Warren Roger and MaryAnn Wehrs Kyle Whistler Travis and Lindsay White Gary Whittiker Joshua J Wigington Rhonda A Williams Jeane Williamson Paula Willyard Clarice D Wilson Marta L Wolohoh-Haworth Jerilyn J Woodburn Richard A Woolery Margaret H Yar Redonna R York Phyllis Zeligson Jeff Zickefoose
Spotlight Spring 2017
Professional Staff Council Denise A Purifoy Matthew E Rabe Charlotte Ragsdale Bill and Donna Ramsey Roger Ramseyer Jack Rea Brandon J Reese Suzanne B Reese Stephen and Denise Regouby Renaissance Hotel Tulsa Sherree R Richey Lynn L Richmond Russell Q Roberts Rogers State University Foundation Inc Michael Rogers Lawrence G Rosenborough Charlotte M Rowe Rupe Building Company Ruthanna B Snow Charitable Foundation Wilfred Sanditen Dick Schmitz Joseph Schnetzer Lynn E Scott Kimberly M Self Sexton & Co PC Gary Shaffer Talia Shaull Margaret C Shiroma Patrick Shurden Sheryl Siddiqui W H Sidner Michael C Siftar Melody A Simmons Carol A Singleton Michael D Singleton Helen M Sisler Maranda Skaggs Barbara C Slagle Shawn B Slaton Jeffrey and Robin Smith Kenton D Smith Tracy R Smith Maria Soto Erma D Spann Diana and Mark Spencer Diana G. Spence Belynda J Spitzer St John Medical Center St Matthew’s Episcopal Church Ida W Stangl Paul and Karyl Stanton Lisa J. Stanley Karen J Stclair Sue Stees Michelle Stephens Melinda F Stinnett Robert G Stone Lewis W Taggart Melissa Q Teachnor Sydney N Teel TES Productions The Board of Education Hooker School Dist I The Commerce Trust Company Steven Thomas Randall S Thompson
NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. POSTAGE PAID TULSA, OK PERMIT NO. 428
909 South Boston Tulsa, OK 119 www.tulsacc.edu
TCC CORE VALUES
As an educational institution charged with providing lifelong learning opportunities for its students and its community, Tulsa Community College identifies integrity and quality as the cornerstones upon which all other values rest—shaping both priorities and decision making throughout the institution. STUDENT SUCCESS is the reason TCC exists. We strive for all students to be successful in their educations and we strive for the education to effectively prepare students for their lives. Learning is the focus because it is the essence of an institution of learning.
EXCELLENCE drives us. We strive to provide excellent education to our students, excellent resources to our community, and excellent administration and management for our employees. STEWARDSHIP guides our daily decision-making. We investigate community needs and expectations and then respond by providing quality education that is responsive, convenient and affordable. INNOVATION sparks our creativity and ensures that the hearts and minds of our students, faculty, staff and administration are actively engaged in acquiring learning, increasing our knowledge, and leading the community forward. DIVERSITY is our common bond. Sincere appreciation for and cultivation of differences enriches our lives, the community, and the education we offer. It is a source of our pride and integral to our success. Tulsa Community College is committed to establishing an environment for its students and employees that fosters inclusion, values equity and diversity, embraces and respects the dignity of people, and provides equal educational and employment opportunity. In compliance with all applicable federal and state laws and regulations does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, religion, disability, status as a veteran, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, or any other basis protected by applicable discrimination law in its policies, practices, or procedures. This includes, but is not limited to admissions, employment, financial aid and educational programs, activities, or services. The Title IX Coordinator, 6111 East Skelly Drive Room 627, Tulsa, Oklahoma; Phone 918-595-7842; email: TCCTitleIX@tulsacc.edu has been designated to handle inquiries regarding non-discrimination policies. This publication, printed by FedEx is issued by Tulsa Community College as authorized by Title 70 O.S. 4413. 3000 copies have been prepared and distributed at a cost of $6,298 ($2.09 per copy). This publication is issued by Tulsa Community College authorized by Title 70 O.S. 4413 and is located at the following website(s): tulsacc.edu/spotlightmagazine