Connors to Receive Title III Native American Serving Nontribal Institutions Grant
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onnors State College has been selected to receive funding under the Title III Native American Serving Nontribal Institution (NASNTI) Program. This grant will be in the amount of $1.75 million over five years. Connors State was one of nine higher education institutions selected for this grant. The purpose of the NASNTI program is to provide grants and related assistance to Native American-serving non-tribal institutions to enable such institutions to improve and expand their capacity to serve Native Americans and low-income individuals. “We are honored to be a recipient of this grant,” said Dr. Ron Ramming, Interim President of Connors State College. “The NASNTI grant will allow Connors State College to equip a state-of-the-art patient simulation laboratory, implement technology into the curriculum, expand tutoring and advising services to Native American
health care students, and expand cultural and medical instruction relevant to Native American health care.” Connors State College, an accredited community college serving more than 3,100 students annually, is located in the heart of eastern Oklahoma’s Native American region. More than one-third of CSC students are Native American. Connors State’s service region encompasses two Native American Nations, Cherokee and Creek, both of which have desperate shortages of qualified healthcare workers for the clinics and hospitals. “We know there is a severe shortage of Native American health professionals in our communities,” said Dr. Ryan Blanton, Connors State Associate Vice President of External Affairs. “We designed this grant to expand the capacity of our nursing program and to provide Native American students resources to be academically, culturally, and professionally successful.”
CSC to Induct 5th Athletic Hall of Fame Class
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onnors State College will induct its fifth Athletic Hall of Fame Class on October 15 in the Stone Student Union in Warner. The event kicks off with a reception at 5 p.m. in the Ken Ogdon Family Connors State College Museum, located inside the recently renovated Russell Hall, with dinner and inductions to follow at 6 p.m. Tickets are $40, and can be obtained by contacting Bill Muse, CSC Athletic Director, at (918) 463-6231. Inductees include Kyle Roat and Humberto Sanchez (baseball), Lloyd Jernigan and Dr. Michael McGee (men’s basketball), Athena McCoy and Kenya
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Robinson (women’s basketball), Nick Ditolla and Jack Gilbreath (football), Amber Grider Purtell (softball), and A.D. Stone (outstanding leadership). “We are very excited about the fifth Athletic Hall of Fame Class – this group of inductees excelled both on and off the athletic courts and playing fields of Connors State College,” said Muse. The Connors State Athletic Hall of Fame is the highest honor that can be bestowed on a Cowboy or Cowgirl who participated in athletics. For more information, contact the Connors State College Athletics Department at (918) 463-6231 or visit www.connorsstate.edu.
Ag Orientation Class Hosts Russell for Ballot Question Forum
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essica Russell, Director of State Government Relations for the Oklahoma A&M Board of Regents, visited the Connors State College Warner Campus on Monday, October 10, for a State Ballot Question Forum inside the LLC Auditorium. Hundreds of students, faculty and staff members attended the event either in person, or live via ITV on both campuses. Jake Walker, Ag Instructor, coordinated the event with assistance from the Connors State Administration. The forum tackled the seven state questions, which are certified to appear on the Oklahoma ballot on November 8, 2016.