|
|
DUNWOODY NEWS
Board of Trustees approves Health Care platform
The Board of Trustees of Dunwoody College of Technology approved a plan and funding for the creation of a new Health Sciences and Technology academic platform yesterday afternoon. The Health Sciences and Technology platform will include four initial programs:
“By all estimates, the need for trained healthcare workers is going to continue rise over the next two decades,” President C. Ben Wright said. “The Health Sciences and Technology platform is a response to that need and fits well with Dunwoody’s mission to provide a hands-on technical education to a diverse group of students and grow Minnesota’s pool of skilled, employed workers.” The programs will begin operation in September 2009. Shelli Lampi, director of the Health Sciences department, will work over the next year on hiring staff and developing curriculum. In addition, the College will seek the necessary accreditations for the programs and begin facilities renovations to create Health Sciences labs and classrooms. Congratulations winter quarter graduates!A ceremony honoring Dunwoody's 47 winter quarter graduates was held March 6 in Decker Auditorium. Part of the ceremony celebrated Dunwoody's Gateway program, which helps incoming students get ready for academic coursework by helping them brush up their math, English, computer and study skills. Speakers included Gateway Instructor Eeris Fritz and two student speakers, both of whom went through Gateway -- Gene Anthony Jenkins, Automotive Service Technology w/Toyota Certification, and Daniel Robert Jackson, Electrical Construction and Maintenance Technology. Jackson's grandfather graduated from Dunwoody 70 years ago. Graphic Design and Printing's InternExpoDunwoody's Graphics and Printing Technologies and Graphic Design programs are holding a unique job fair from 2 to 7 p.m. Feb. 21 on campus. InternExpo 2008 invites companies looking to hire interns to vist the "booth" of each student in order to view their portfolios and resumes. For contact details and more, download the InternExpo Invite (PDF file). Dunwoody opens Southwest Metro campusDunwoody College of Technology is working with the Carver-Scott Educational Cooperative (CSEC) to bring increased educational opportunities to residents of Carver and Scott counties. Beginning this spring, Dunwoody will offer several certificate programs and two degree programs, at CSEC’s main campus in Chaska. “This new initiative is in keeping with our mission to provide outstanding technical education to the Twin Cities area,” President C. Ben Wright said. “We are confident that this partnership with CSEC will allow us to offer the full Dunwoody experience beyond the borders of our traditional campus” In order to emphasize the ties to the original Dunwoody location, the initiative will be called the Dunwoody College of Technology, Southwest Metro Campus. Dunwoody College's partnership with the Carver-Scott Educational Cooperative (CSEC) officially launched at a Jan. 8 open house at the CSEC main building. Dunwoody Southwest will launch on March 17 with a two-year computer networking associate of science degree, a two-year bachelor of science in applied management (two-year degree prerequisite), the Carlson Certificate of Quality and the following nine-month certificate programs: civil engineering technician, computer networking, facility service management and manufacturing SolidWorks. In addition, it will continue to offer the land surveying technician certificate program that it began last year in partnership with CSEC. For more about Dunwoody Southwest programs, including application information, contact Debra Kerrigan, Dunwoody Southwest Metro Campus Program Manager, at (952) 368-8813 or dkerrigan@dunwoody.edu. Also see the Dunwoody Southwest Web page Open houses will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on Feb. 7 and Feb. 26 at the CSEC building, 401 East 4th St., Chaska. Career Services Center named after Standard Heating founderDunwoody held a naming ceremony for the Anthony L. Ferrara Career Services Center yesterday afternoon. The name was chosen by alumni Ted and Todd Ferrara in memory of their father, Anthony, the founder of Standard Heating and Air Conditioning. At the ceremony, both Ted and Todd spoke about their father's high regard for Dunwoody and the impact the College has had on their own lives. The Ferrara brothers have given a generous combined gift to Dunwoody's "Good to Great" campaign, making possible major campus improvements, including recent renovations to the Career Services Center. They also continue to build upon the legacy of their father. Ted serves as chairman of the board and Todd as vice president of Standard Heating. Ted also serves on Dunwoody's Board of Trustees and is a past president of the Dunwoody Alumni Association's Board of Managers. The Anthony L. Ferrara Career Services Center has a proven track record of matching Dunwoody graduates with local employers -- 98 percent of the members of the College's June class found jobs in their field of study within six months. Founder's DayDunwoody College of Technology celebrates Founder's Day today. Founder's Day marks the day -- Dec. 14, 1914 -- that Dunwoody Institute opened its doors. About 70 students attended that first day of classes, which were held in half of the Central High School building on Fourth Avenue. At that time, courses were available in machining, printing and woodworking. Electrical and auto programs were added later and within 10 years, Dunwoody was serving 1,400 students. Vice President of Academic Affairs Richard Wagner Named to Accreditation PanelRichard Wagner, Vice President of Academic Affairs, has been named to the Academic Quality Improvement Program (AQIP) Reaffirmation Panel. The panel will be responsible for reaffirming the accreditation of institutions that are AQIP members, and will focus on reaching two decisions for each institution -– a) does the institution meet accreditation standards and b) should the institution continue participating in AQIP? The panel began reviewing reaccreditation files for the 39 AQIP member institutions earlier this month and expects to have all files reviewed by early spring 2008. Wagner is a major proponent of the concept of continuous quality improvement. “The idea of continuous improvement was already part of the culture of Dunwoody College when we committed to being part AQIP,” Wagner said. “However, formally implementing AQIP principles in our planning and assessment has been well worth it. I welcome the opportunity to help other institutions go through the Reaffirmation of Accreditation and share with them Dunwoody's best practices as well as learn from what they have done.” Wagner has presented on various aspects of continuous quality improvement at the 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2007 annual meetings of The Higher Learning Commission. He has also facilitated Strategy Forums for colleges that are new to AQIP, served as a peer-evaluator to conduct Quality Checkup visits to determine and ensure colleges meet the criteria of AQIP and the Higher Learning Commission for accreditation, and has evaluated and provided feedback to college Systems Portfolios to help colleges improve their continuous improvement systems. As Vice President of Academic Affairs, Wagner oversees Dunwoody College’s more than 25 programs. He holds a doctorate in education policy and administration (concentration in higher education) from the University of Minnesota. Prior to joining Dunwoody in 2004, he served as Vice President for Learning and Academic Innovation at Hennepin Technical College. Jeremy Hernandez updateJeremy Hernandez visited Dunwoody College earlier this week and met with our admissions staff. Given the spontaneous expression of support for Jeremy, he expressed interest in re-enrolling either in Fall Quarter of Winter Quarter. Assuming that he does return, Jeremy will be the first recipient of the Better Performance of Life’s Duties Scholarship fund. The fund’s name comes directly from the last will and testament of William Hood Dunwoody, which sought to establish a place where youth “may learn the useful trades and crafts, and thereby fit themselves for the better performance of life's duties.” Dunwoody has a 93-year tradition of providing opportunities for young people to improve their lives. Dunwoody College has already received several donations to the fund and has heard from others that have expressed interest in helping out. Those who are interested in making a (tax-deductible) contribution should call (612) 381-3052 or visit www.dunwoody.edu/donate. Jeremy Hernandez and DunwoodyAfter reading the media reports about Jeremy Hernandez’s story and his dream of becoming an auto mechanic and hearing from staff, alumni and community members that wanted to help, Dunwoody College of Technology extended an offer to Jeremy last week. The offer is this: if he wants to come back to Dunwoody and finish his degree, we will make sure he is able to do so. The College announced Tuesday morning that it will set up a “Better Performance of Life’s Duties” Fund in honor of Jeremy’s heroic and selfless actions in response to the Aug. 1 collapse of the 35-W bridge. The fund has been established to help students like Jeremy who have gone beyond the call of duty to help others and who need financial assistance to complete their Dunwoody education. Should Jeremy decide to re-enroll at Dunwoody he will be the first beneficiary of the fund. The name of the fund comes directly from the last will and testament of our founder William Hood Dunwoody. His vision in endowing the institution was to “provide for all time a place where youth without distinction on account of race, color or religious prejudice, may learn the useful trades and crafts, and thereby fit themselves for the better performance of life's duties.” Jeremy is currently considering the offer. This is a young man who, along with many others in our community, has experienced a traumatic, life-altering event. He has also been caught up in the media whirlwind that followed the bridge collapse. Dunwoody has let him know that the offer is out there, but that there is no pressure and no hurry to respond. Jeremy should take whatever time he needs to think about his future. Those who are interested in donating to the “Better Performance of Life’s Duties” Fund can contact Dunwoody College at (612) 381-3052 or www.dunwoody.edu/donate. Dunwoody Academy's first dayThe inaugural school year of Dunwoody Academy, a technical charter high school sponsored by Dunwoody College, kicked off yesterday with a school assembly featuring comments from President Ben Wright and Senior Vice President Robert Doty as well as from Dunwoody Academy President Keith Mayes and Principal Linda Huntzicker. More than 200 ninth and tenth graders from around the Twin Cities metro area have enrolled in the Academy. In addition to normal high school curriculum, Academy students will receive specialized training in Automotive, Construction, Healthcare or Manufacturing Technologies. During the day the students also met each other and their teachers, learned more about the expectations of the Academy (for example, students wear uniforms, attend school for 8 hours a day and have an extended school year) and participated in other first-day activities. They also got a special "first class" gift -- a backpack adorned with the Dunwoody Academy first class logo donated by Dunwoody College Board of Trustees member Robert W. Carlson. For more on Dunwoody Academy, see: Minneapolis Star Tribune story I-35W Bridge CollapseThe Dunwoody College community offers condolences to those affected by the I-35W bridge collapse. This is a tragedy that struck literally at the heart of the Twin Cities community and our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families. The Dunwoody community is encouraged to help replenish regional blood supplies. To donate blood, contact the Red Cross at 1-800-GIVE-LIFE or Memorial Blood Centers at 1-888-GIVE-BLD. YCAP students to participate in Aquatennial ParadeMore than 70 students from Dunwoody College of Technical College's Youth Career Awareness Program (YCAP) will participate in tonight's Aquatennial Torchlight Parade, which begins at 8:30 p.m. just north of the Dunwoody campus. Dunwoody staff members, the YCAP/Rotary International van and the Dunwoody truck and Dodge viper will also be part of Dunwoody's entry in the parade. This is the second year that YCAP has participated in the Aquatennial Parade. Dunwoody's YCAP program focuses on under-represented students, particularly students of color, who have completed ninth grade and have the potential and or desire to succeed in a technical career. Students must be in good standing with their schools and maintain a minimum 2.0 grade point average. Students who complete the summer program receive a $600 stipend, and those who complete the four-year YCAP program receive a scholarship to attend Dunwoody College upon graduation from high school and successful application to the College. In addition to a six-week summer session, which runs through Aug. 3 this year, YCAP students attend monthly workshops during the school year. More than 900 students have participated in the YCAP program since it was founded in 1988. 93 percent of those students have graduated from high school, and of those who graduated 85 percent have enrolled in post-secondary education. For more about the YCAP program, see: HVAC Systems Servicing Program Granted AccreditationDunwoody’s HVAC Systems Servicing program was recently granted accreditation by HVAC Excellence, the largest provider of HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) technician certification. Dunwoody is the first and currently only school or college in Minnesota with an accredited HVAC program. The accreditation assures prospective students, employers and the community that the program meets the highest industry standards and prepares students for success in an ever-changing industry. It also endorses the program as a model for other HVAC programs in the field. To gain accreditation, Dunwoody staff went through the lengthy process of preparing a self study of the HVAC program, providing documentation showing compliance in nine standards set by HVAC Excellence. Executive members of HVAC Excellence reviewed the self study and then selected a group of industry veterans to conduct an in-depth, onsite evaluation, which was held in March. HVAC Excellence, a nonprofit organization created in 1994, aims to improve the future and current technical workforce’s competency through quality education. It works to achieve this by offering educational program accreditation, educator credentialing, and field technician and master specialist certification exams. Dunwoody Students Win More Flexo Awards Three Dunwoody students were recently awarded medals at the Flexographic Technical Association's (FTA) Excellence in Flexography Awards competition. Karen Hanson won two Gold Medals, one for Graphic Design and one for Pre-Press; Dominic Rodgers won a Gold Medal for Press; and Brandon Vito won a Silver Medal for Press. The medals were won in the student category. Medal winners were announced Sunday, May 6, during the President's Award reception at Foundation of FTA's 2007 Annual Forum in Montréal, Canada. First started in 1960, the Excellence in Flexography Awards competition recognizes outstanding technical achievement in flexographic printing. Technical achievement is defined as any work that has an extremely high level of execution, or any work that includes the use of techniques, processes, controls, materials, tooling, or equipment that contributes to the advancement of the flexographic printing trade. FTA judges reviewed work broken down into 12 categories—wide web, mid web, narrow web, folding carton, napkin, corrugated, preprinted linerboard, envelope, newspaper/publication, graphic design, student and self-promotion. "Each year the quality of flexo printing improves. Winning entries continue to demonstrate the leading edge capability of the flexo process and set a standard for other printers to follow." said Tony Bart, chairman of the FTA Awards Committee, "Winners win the respect of the industry, their printer segment peer group and their customers--the print buyers." The competition is open to all printers, suppliers, prepress providers, students, graphic artists, and FTA members and non-members alike. View Brandon Vito’s award-winning work (PDF, 400k) View Karen Hanson’s and Dominic Rodgers award-winning work (PDF, 800k) Dr. Parvis to be honored by Walden University Dunwoody’s Dr. Leo Parvis has been chosen as the 2007 Outstanding Alumni of Walden University. The award will be presented in July during Walden's graduation. The Outstanding Alumni Award recognizes a Walden graduate who exemplifies the Walden scholar-practitioner model and who has made exceptional contributions to her or his profession, discipline, or community since graduation. Dr. Parvis is a Senior Instructor in Arts and Sciences. Dunwoody’s TTEN program judged one of the nation’s best. Dunwoody’s Toyota TTEN program has been selected as one of only ten recipients of the 2006 TTEN School Recognition Award from Toyota. The Special Recognition Program was established to recognize Toyota’s highest performing TTEN schools across the country. According to Toyota, Dunwoody earned this reward through “its excellent implementation of our TTEN training model.” The operation of a high-performing TTEN program requires the adherence to many guidelines and policies. Each program was judged on graduate objectives, the maintenance of instructor and program certificates and compliance with Toyota training requirements. Toyota officials visited Dunwoody on April 24 and attended a reception that also included representatives from local Toyota dealerships and Dunwoody auto instructors. Dunwoody’s Lee Frisvold will attend a regional Toyota conference in May where he will receive a plaque commemorating the award. 
|
