SCC receives $100,000 from SunEdison for Pre-Engineering Program

The SCC Foundation will receive $100,000, payable over four years, from SunEdison, Inc. (formerly MEMC Electronic Materials, Inc.). The funds will be used for student scholarships and academic enhancements for SCC’s Pre-Engineering Program, and is the largest gift the college has received for an academic program.

“We are thankful for SunEdison’s generous gift, especially now, as SCC’s Pre-Engineering Program has expanded in recent years,” said Kasey McKee, SCC vice president for college advancement.

A plaque in SunEdison’s honor will be added outside the physics and engineering lab located in SCC’s Administration Building.

“SunEdison is keen to encourage education in science, engineering and technology and we are proud to support St. Charles Community College’s efforts in this area,” said Graham R. Fisher, Ph.D., chief scientist at SunEdison. “The dedication

and passion that Professor Dave Niermann brings in guiding students to an engineering career is commendable. His knowledge and experience in the industry provides invaluable additional insight, which he is able to pass on to his students, and in turn makes them more marketable for jobs.”

Niermann, associate professor of pre-engineering and computer-aided drafting, coordinates SCC’s Pre-Engineering Program, which provides up to two years of transfer credit toward a Bachelor of Science degree. SCC students have opportunities to visit universities and companies and to benefit from guest lectures and interaction with local professional engineering societies.

“More than 100 SCC alumni currently are enrolled at various accredited uni-versities, regionally and nationally, including Ivy League universities, and we continually hear from those institutions about how well SCC students perform,” said Niermann.

St. Charles Community College has been selected as one of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch Top Workplaces, college officials announced.

“This is a very positive acknowledgement of the type of work environment we have at SCC,” said Ron Chesbrough, Ph.D., SCC president. “We are a group of dedicated and caring individuals committed to providing a quality education for our students and to meeting the needs of all those we serve.”

The Top Workplaces are determined based solely on employee feedback. The employee survey is conducted by WorkplaceDynamics, LLP, a leading research firm on organizational health and employee engagement. WorkplaceDynamics conducts regional Top Workplaces programs with 37 major publishing partners and recognizes a list of 150 National Top Workplaces. Over the past year, more than 5,000 organizations and one in every 88 employees in the U.S. have turned to WorkplaceDynamics to better understand what’s on the minds of their employees.

SCC’s highest rated factor was in the direction category, with results from a survey showing employees believe the college is going in the right direction, have confidence in the leadership of SCC and believe SCC operates by strong values and ethics. SCC was one of only 90 companies of all types and sizes selected as a Top Workplace in the St. Louis metropolitan region.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch published the complete list of Top Workplaces on June 23. For more information about the Top Workplaces lists and WorkplaceDynamics, visit www.topworkplaces.com and www.workplacedynamics.com.

PRESIDENT’S REPORT | August 2013

SCC listed among 2013 “Top Workplaces”

Officials from St. Charles Community College, joined by alumni from SCC’s Pre-Engineering Program, gather on Friday, July 19, as SunEdison officials present $100,000 to be used for student scholarships and academic enhancements to SCC’s Pre-Engineering Program.

Mild weather and strong attendance marked the occasion as faculty, staff, students, alums and community members took part in the SCC’s Open House at the LU-SCC Center for Nursing and Allied Health Services on Thursday, Aug. 15.

The event included a ribbon cutting ceremony for St. Charles County’s first Virtual Hospital. SCC students will benefit from this simulated educational experience that features four fully equipped hospital rooms, each with a high-fidelity mannequin.

Lindenwood University and SCC announced the unique two-year/four-year, public/private collaboration in March, with SCC relocating and expanding its Nursing and Allied Health Sciences Program to #1 Academy Place in Dardenne Prairie, former site of Barat Academy. The new location will help SCC to respond to the high interest in its nursing and allied health

Students returned to the SCC campus and the new LU-SCC Center for Nursing and Allied Health Science for fall classes on Monday, Aug. 19. Pre-census enrollment figures have the fall headcount at about -4 percent compared to the same time period in 2012.

Several college departments took part in

programs and meet the growing demand for careers in the healthcare field.

“We are moved in and pleased to welcome the students,” said Patti Williams, SCC dean of nursing and allied health. “Not only will the center provide more opportunities for hands-on learning and better access to equipment and technology found in the field, it also will expand the

capacity of the program so more students can enroll.”Classes at SCC begin this week. SCC’s nursing

and allied health programs will serve approximately 250 students in 2013-14. College officials anticipate enrollment in these programs to double in the next five years, pending board and state approvals. Students in these programs consistently exceed state and national pass rates for licensure. Frequently, pass rates of 100% have been achieved.

“We are proud of the reputation SCC’s graduates have in the community, and this is an exciting step toward the future growth of SCC’s nursing and allied health programs,” Williams said.

various enrollment-boosting efforts that brought figures in line with projections made earlier in the spring. Social media, phone calls, fliers, posters and a one-stop registration event encouraged new and returning students to enroll. Headcount for fall currently stands at about 7,383 students who registered for some 73,300+ credit hours.

SCC celebrates move and opening of Virtual Hospital at new center

Cross-departmental efforts play a role in fall enrollment

Cutting the ribbon at SCC’s Virtual Hospital (from left): Rose Mack, SCC Board of Trustees, James D. Evans, LU president, Ron Chesbrough, SCC president, William Pundmann, SCC Board of Trustees, Patti Williams, SCC dean of nursing and allied health, Chris Breitmeyer, SCC vice president for academic and student affairs.

Swing a club for a good cause – education! The SCC Foundation is hosting the 17th annual Presidents Classic

Golf Scramble on Monday, Sept. 30, at Old Hickory Golf Club. Proceeds will support much-needed scholarships and high-quality academic programs.

Registration and lunch open at 10:30 a.m. and the start is set for noon. The four-player scramble includes 18 holes of golf, contests, cold beverages, snacks, happy hour and awards. Three flights and a limit of 34 foursomes will allow for reasonable speed of play. For information, contact Betsy Schneider at 636-922-8473.

17th Annual Presidents Golf Scramble is Sept. 30

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Proceeds from charity softball game will help students affected by disasters

More than $1,700 was raised July 19 during a softball game that included teams from the St. Charles Community College Department of Public Safety and the Cottleville Police Department versus the Cottleville Fire Protection District and the Central County Fire Protection District.

Proceeds from the fundraising event helped to create a disaster relief fund to help SCC students affected by the recent tornado and other disasters such as fire and flooding.

In addition to attendance ticket donations, the event also included a 50/50 raffle and other raffle items up for grabs during the game.

“Not only did we raise money for the relief fund, we also had a lot of fun,” said Bob Ronkoski, director of public safety, SCC chief of police and the event organizer. “This new fund is an important way for the college to show that we care about our students.”

The game was held at the SCC softball field. For more information about the fund, contact Ronkoski at 636-922-8604 or rronkoski@stchas.edu.

A member of the police department team swings for the fences.

Some 400 visitors attended the open house on Aug. 15 that commemorated the move of SCC’s allied health programs to the new LU-SCC Center for Nursing and Allied Health Sciences.