ALABAMA SOUTHERN COMMUNITY COLLEGE

“High Technology andEconomic Development Partnerships”

Building Institutional CapacityRural Community College Alliance

Memphis, TennesseeOctober 8, 2002

Alabama Southern Community College

Rural Southwest Alabama

“Alabama’s Most Rural Region”

Alabama Population Density

Per Square Mile: 79

Service Area Population Density

Per Square Mile: 19

Wilcox

Washington

Choctaw

Clarke

Monroe

Marengo

Miles

20100

8 Monroeville

8 Thomasville

8 Linden

8 Chatom

8

8 Camden

[ Monroeville Campus

[[ Gilbertown Campus

STATE OF ALABAMA

Thomasville Campus

BLOWUP OF THE SIX COUNTY EOC SERVICE AREA

Gilbertown

SERVICE AREA

Alabama Southern Community CollegeService Area: 54% white, 45% black, 1% other Six rural counties (10,000 Square Miles) Largest city: 7,500 population Two large rivers Huge pine forest Superb hunting and fishing Economically and educationally disadvantaged Declining population Double digit unemployment

Four day/evening campuses: Monroeville Thomasville Gilbertown Jackson

Merger in 1991: Traditional junior college Trade/industrial institute

College enrollment: 1,400 headcount 1,100 FTE

Initial Status Limited, provincial view based upon institutional and

personal experience Low expectations for support in equipment, supplies,

and professional growth Resistance to cooperation and change based upon

scarce resources and lack of trust History of limited involvement with area business and

industry Low credibility as community change agent or

political influence Distinctive programs: forestry technology; paper and

chemical technology (both with low enrollments)

College Choice:

Status Quo

OR

New Shared Vision!!

College Internal Questions:

What did community/region need?

How did college need to change to meet those needs?

Were we capable of meeting those needs?

Were we committed to change?

Alabama Southern Goals:

(1) Best rural community college in America

(2) Catalyst and coordinator of community and economic development

“Alabama Southern has achieved the most dramatic turn around of

any college in the history of the Alabama College System!”

Dr. Fred Gainous, Chancellor, The Alabama College System

Alabama Southern selected one of the ten most innovative

community colleges in America!

(out of over 1200 colleges)

NILIE, 1998

All Progress Must Begin With

TRUST

UNIVERSAL HUMAN RIGHTS PLEDGE adopted by Alabama Southern Community College

I believe that every individual has infinite and eternal worth. I believe that recognition of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of

the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice, and peace in the world. 

I believe that every individual is entitled to dignity and respect, without prejudice toward race, color, gender, disability, language, religion, creed, national origin, property, age, or other status. 

I believe that every thought and every act of such prejudice is harmful. If it is my thought or act, then it is harmful to me as well as to others. THEREFORE, I will strive every day of my life to eliminate such prejudice

from my thoughts and actions. I will discourage such prejudice by others at every opportunity. I will treat all people with dignity and respect.  I will strive daily to honor this pledge, knowing that the world will be a better

place because of my effort.-- adapted from the Birmingham Pledge and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Components of Empowerment

Sense of SignificanceSense of CompetenceSense of CommunitySense of Enjoyment

World-Class or “Best Ever” are the only standards

that inspire orare truly fun!!!

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Commitment to Personal Independence

– Habit 1: Be Proactive– Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind– Habit 3: Put First Things First

Commitment to Interdependence– Habit 4: Think Win/Win– Habit 5: Seek First to Understand,

Then to be Understood– Habit 6: Seek Creative Cooperation/Synergy

Commitment to Renewal/Revision/Refresh– Habit 7: Seek Continuous Renewal

7 Habits of Highly Effective People

Common Language and ValuesLeadership 101Customer SatisfactionInternal and External Partnering7 Habits Across-the-Curriculum

Initial Strategies

Intensive contract training for business/industry with over 100 partners developed

Invest in professional development of faculty

Build partnershipsCollege has role in all good things !!

Alabama Southern Budget Strategy Commitment to reduce relative labor costs (only budget category

large enough to help meet new priorities) Reduce staff largely through retirement and attrition Garner additional revenues (largely through contracts and grants)

to support existing salaries (thereby reducing relative labor costs) Eliminate unnecessary or low priority functions and activities to

optimize labor effectiveness.In order to increase budget for:

professional developmenttechnology infrastructureequipment for instructiontrust-buildingcomfort/security with continuous change

VISION 2020 Convened 25 movers and shakers, including 8 Fortune

500 companies located in ASCC’s service area in 1993 Survey: Priorities for ASCC Commitment to a new initiative - catalyst and

coordinator of community and economic development for 6 rural counties

Convened 300+ community leaders in regional rally in 1994

Convened 6 county-by-county community leadership sessions in 1995

Convened regional rally for Vision 2020, March 2000

Other Regional Planning/Visioning Create collaborations between chambers of

commerce, industrial recruiting, industrial development boards, and tourism boards throughout region

Create strategic partnerships with major land holders Identify niches - -

What is distinctive about region? About individual community?What are advantages?How to create or enhance advantages?

Issues of AccountabilityGuarantees of QualityUniversity transferJob placement - technical degreesEmployer satisfaction - certificate programs

ResultsImproved advising system30% increase in rigor and standards in technology

programs

Forestry, paper, and

chemical industries

are the heart and soul

of the economy

of southwest Alabama.(Large, high technology industries)

Special Professional Development Strategies for High Technology Faculty

All high technology faculty have conducted

in-plant training courses All high technology faculty have participated in

one term internships in-plant to study industrial processes for curriculum development

High technology faculty have visited the best training centers in eleven states to steal best practices

Center for Excellence for Forestry, Paper and Chemical Technology

Partnership of Alabama Southern/Auburn University and regional industries

Established in 1995 by the Alabama legislature as Alabama Technology Network Center @ Alabama Southern-- with $350,000 annual allocation

NIST Manufacturing Extension Center for seven counties

Ties 5 instructional programs to the Center:

Forestry Technology, Industrial Maintenance, Electronics and Instrumentation, Electrical Technology, and Paper and Chemical Technology

CIBA Partnership Scholarships/internships/jobs 20 scholarships annually to high school seniors in two

counties Complete associate degree curriculum based upon

Voluntary Standards of American Chemical Society Three-month internships on industrial site Virtually guaranteed jobs @ $30,000+ annually Recognized by the American Chemical Society as

“workforce development model for the nation” Great public relations for company Improves workforce competency and

reduces training costs

Alabama Southern’s scholarship-internship-jobs

partners include:CIBA Specialty ChemicalsAlabama River PulpTemple-InlandBoise-Cascade

External Resources for High Tech Development

National Science Foundation (NSF) grant (1998-2001) of $870,000 for laboratory and curriculum development (partners: Auburn University and area industries)

U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) annual grants of $220,000 for laboratory development (1998-2001)

CIBA specialty chemicals in-kind support of $100,000 (1998) for engineering design of laboratory pilot plants

Piping and instrument diagrams contributed by Brazosport Community College for adaptation from petroleum pilot plants to paper and chemicals (resulting from Dow Chemical collaboration)

High Tech DevelopmentResults--1998-2001

Completion of $1.1 million process industries laboratory including eleven pilot plant trainers

Curriculum development support of $700,000 in concert with industry and Auburn University to include paper and chemical technology, instrumentation and electronics, electrical technology, and industrial maintenance

Laboratory for programmable logic controllers (PLC’s) ($300,000); ranked by Lab Volt Corporation as “best in four-state district”

New welding laboratory ($150,000) in expanded facility ($250,000)

Alabama Southern’s PLC Lab is the best in four southern states!

(Better than Mercedes!!)

Lab Volt Corporation, 2000

Alabama Southern’sprocess industries lab is one

of the three best in the United States!

(over $1 million in equipment)

National Science FoundationVisiting Committee, 2001

Alabama Southern hasone of the six top

industry/education alliances in the United States!

American Chemical Society,Alliances, 1999

Alabama Southern’sscholarship-internship-jobs model

is a “workforce development model for the nation!”

American Chemical Society, 1998

Alabama Southern and it’s partners have created a

“national model fortechnical training.”

National Science FoundationVisiting Committee, 2001

“Alabama Southern’s technical training for the pulp and paper industry is without equal in the

United States!”

Dr. Harry Cullinan, Auburn University,Pulp and Paper Research Center

Two New NSF Grants $488,000 two-year grant to complete additional

curriculum and equipment projects $50,000 one-year grant to develop a plan for the

National Network for Pulp and Paper Technology

Alabama Southern—National Center for Pulp and Paper Technology

Partners: Auburn University, American Forest and Paper Association, Maine, Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Washington

Alabama Works—Manufacturing Technology InstituteAlabama Works MTI coming to Thomasville

in 2003.Machine Technology (32 weeks):

Lathes

Milling machines

Computer Numerical Control machiningEstimated investment: Over $1,000,000.

Partnerships for Education

TRIO . . . .Over $1.5 million annually exclusively for K-12 students (Talent Search, Upward Bound, other)

Over $1.2 million for Adult Education and Out-of-school Youth.

Baccalaureate degrees through new University Center--partnership with Troy State University (pending)

TourismMonroeville and Monroe County designated

“Literary Capital of Alabama” in 1997Helped to develop annual community theatre

production of “To Kill a Mockingbird”Developed an annual writers’ symposiumCreated Alabama Center for Literary Arts

and Alabama Writers Hall of Honor(pending)Helped to obtain grant funds for restoration of

Old Monroe County Courthouse

Demopolis Higher Education Center

Demopolis City Council to receive $1.245 million Delta Regional Authority grant.

15,000 square foot building to be built on 30 acres in Demopolis Sportsplex.

Alabama Southern to serve as Managing Partner. (ASCC Demopolis Campus)

Other partners: University of West Alabama and University of Alabama

To open: Fall 2003.

The Learning Paradigmat Alabama Southern

Strategies Strong commitment to faculty/staff development (at least one percent of faculty/staff

salaries budget) Required faculty mentoring: National network of professionals:

(a) content/evaluation mentor (b) instructional methodologies mentor

100% Full-Time Faculty are Technologically Competent

Perhaps the most technologically competent faculty in America!!

WindowsMicrosoft Office

– Word– Excel– Access– Powerpoint

Internet ProficiencyElectronic Periodical

ResearchMainframe Ability to

Schedule and AdviseFront Page (40%

and growing)

Alabama Southern“Most Wired College in Alabama”

More Computers per Student Fiber-Optic Infrastructure on each campus Fast EtherNet to each Computer T-1 Lines deliver Voice/Data/Video between all four

campuses Two-way Audio/Video Teleconference Centers on all

four campuses (Fall 2001) Optical Drive Storage for all records Hosting WEBCT courses on own server 90% of classrooms on 4 campuses--Multi-media

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful,

committed people can change the world.

Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

Margaret Mead

ALABAMA SOUTHERN COMMUNITY COLLEGE

“CLEARLY ONE OF THE MOST INNOVATIVE COMMUNITY COLLEGES IN AMERICA!!”

Visit our website: http://www.ascc.edu

E-mail: jajohnson@ascc.edu

Building College Capacity forCommunity and Economic Development

Create shared dynamic vision Eliminate historical practices, policies, attitudes that are

barriers to new vision High expectations for all faculty and staff Reorganize annually (or at least periodically) Highest standards for selecting/retaining non-tenured

personnel Zero-based budgeting (eliminate the less than necessary) Promote internal partnering Focus on learning, rather than teaching (The Learning

Paradigm)

College and University Contributions to Economic Development

Colleges and universities play an integral part in the economic development of the communities in which they are based.

Services include:(1) Leadership in visioning and planning(2) Technical Assistance to Existing Business/Industry(3) Business Incubators(4) Workforce Training

(A) Literacy(B) Basic Skills(C) Traditional Programs(D) High Technology(E) Customized Contract Training

(5) Manufacturing Extension Services(6) Partnerships for Education(7) Tourism(8) Healthcare(9 Telecommunications

Alabama Southern Milestones In Achieving Goals

1992 Fred Gainous, Chancellor, Alabama Department of Postsecondary Education:

“Alabama Southern has achieved the most dramatic turnaround of any college in the history of the Alabama College System.”

1993 Debbie Dahl, Director of Finance, Alabama Department of Postsecondary Education:

“Alabama Southern is one of the five most efficient community colleges in Alabama.”

1994 Selected by the Ford Foundation to be a charter member of Rural Community College Initiative, based exclusively

on the college’s reputation.

Milestones (cont.)

1997 George Baker, North Carolina State University:

“Alabama Southern is clearly one of the most innovative community colleges in America.”

1998 Alabama Southern selected to receive 1998 David Pierce Organizational Leadership Award from National Initiative for Leadership and Institutional Effectiveness (NILIE) and North Carolina State University.

1998 Alabama Southern selected as one of ten community colleges featured in AACC national monograph –

“Managing Change: A Model for Community College Leaders.”

1998 One of only three colleges/universities cited for excellence in MDC’S The State of the South 1998.

ALABAMA SOUTHERN COMMUNITY COLLEGE

“CLEARLY ONE OF THE MOST INNOVATIVE

COMMUNITY COLLEGES IN AMERICA!!”

Alabama Southern Teaching/Learning Initiative

“Perhaps the nation’s most coherent, comprehensive,

state-of-the-art approach to the Learning Paradigm”

Teaching/Learning InitiativeLearning SyllabusOutcomes-based/Competency-driven

CurriculumLearning-Styles-Driven Multiple MethodologiesEvery Course Web-AugmentedExternal AssessmentTechnology Augmentation

The Learning Paradigm at Alabama Southern

Multiple learning styles assessmentfor every entering student:

Myers-Briggs Personality Type Multiple Intelligences (Howard Gardner) Auditory/Visual/Tactual Left/Right Brain Dominance

Results printed on class rosters so that faculty know how to diversify learning strategies

Students are taught how to make their own learning efficient and effective .