Jefferson State Community College Annual Report 2019

Vision To educate and inspire our students, and provide the best pathway to achieve their goals.

Mission As a member of the Alabama Community College System, Jefferson State Community College serves and enhances its communities by providing affordable, accessible, quality educational and workforce development opportunities.

Jefferson State does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, disability, or age in its admissions, programs and activities in compliance with the Title VI and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975, Title IX of the Educational Amendments of 1972 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990.

Jefferson State Community College had a special year in 2019.

We launched new and exciting programs, provided new services to students, strengthened partnerships, and supported a spirit of collaboration among our community partners.

Most importantly, we upheld our legacy of providing excellence in education and workforce training while making them accessible and affordable for everyone.

I am proud to share how Jefferson State made a difference in the lives of approximately 14,000 students, their families, and our community over the past year.

I invite you to explore our 2019 Annual Report and see how Jefferson State serves our students and our community.

Sincerely,

Keith A. Brown President

Jefferson State celebrated its first graduates in the new Respiratory Therapy Program in December.

The Respiratory Therapy Program helps meet the workforce demand of our community while providing in-demand careers for graduates.

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, employment of respiratory therapists is projected to grow 21 percent from 2018 to 2028, much faster than the average for all occupations. The median annual wage for respiratory therapists was $60,280 in 2018.

Jefferson State has begun construction on Allen Library at the Jefferson Campus to upgrade the exterior entryway to enrollment services. When complete, these enhancements will provide more efficient access for students needing assistance with advising, financial aid, and veterans affairs. The college recently completed the renovation of the first floor and other areas of the building.

Jefferson State added men’s and women’s cross country teams in the fall of 2019. The teams competed in numerous events across Alabama and had a successful season. Gabi Rodriquez (pictured second from right) earned “2019 Runner of the Year” honors for the Alabama Community College Conference.

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Jefferson State announced plans to build a new welding facility at the Shelby-Hoover Campus in 2020. The new 5,000 squarefoot building will bolster Jefferson State’s efforts to address the growing need for welders in the college’s service area. In the past three years, the number of Jefferson State welding students has grown from nine students to about 200 students.

According to 58 Inc., an economic development group in Shelby County, welding jobs are the second-highest indemand jobs in Shelby County.

Jefferson State became the first community college in Alabama to offer distinctive automobile tags. Sales from the tags provide money to the Jefferson State Community College Foundation for scholarships. For each $50 tag purchased, $48.75 is returned to a scholarship fund.

Jefferson State and the Horizons School have partnered to provide a new culinary certificate option for students with learning disabilities. This program helps bridge the gap to employment for young adults with learning differences while meeting the needs of community employers.

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Served 8,704 degree-seeking students for the 2019 fall semester Served 1,482 non-degree seeking students Served 2,204 dual enrollment students Served students from more than 100 Alabama High Schools 50 percent were first-generation college students

For every dollar received by Jefferson State, our community receives $18.70

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With more than 250 nursing graduates each year, Jefferson State is the leading producer of graduates with associate degrees in nursing in Alabama Ninety-six percent of all Jefferson State Nursing students pass the National Council Licensure Examination (NCLEX) For the past six years, the job placement rate for Jefferson State’s Radiologic Technology graduates is 100 percent.

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In the spring, Jefferson State held the 5th Annual Judy M. Merritt 5K Run and Eggstravaganza. The 5K event raised funds for scholarships and the eggstravaganza, in its inaugural year, provided the opportunity for a community-wide Easter egg hunt for all ages. More than 2,000 participated in the event and, through partnerships and sponsors, many of the participants left with prizes.

In November, Jefferson State participated in the “Clean Home Alabama” initiative with other Alabama community colleges throughout the state.

The effort helped promote the continuous beautification of the state’s natural landscapes during the state’s bicentennial year. Jefferson State initiated four clean-up efforts in the college’s service area, including two on the Cahaba River, one at the Easter Seals Community Health Clinic and one in Clanton removing litter from roads. In total, Jefferson State’s efforts collected more than 200 large bags of litter and debris.

Jefferson State celebrated the graduation of seven moms in the Building Opportunities for Lasting Development (BOLD) Women in Welding Program.

The program, a partnership between the City of Birmingham and Jefferson State, provided classroom instruction, hands-on welding, and the knowledge and skills for in-demand career opportunities.

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Jefferson State’s annual Veterans Day program honored men and women of our armed forces who have sacrificed for our freedom. This year (L to R) Major Darold Carson, Lt. Mike Daven port and Staff Sgt. Amos Wilcoxon (a JSCC student) shared their military experiences and discussed the non-combat and humanitarian aspects to today’s military. President Keith Brown (R), who serves in the Alabama Air National Guard, thanked our guests and all of our veterans for their service to our country.

Jefferson State’s Black History Celebrations culminated with a special program on February 27 featuring Jefferson County Sheriff and JSCC Alumnus Mark Pettway. Attendees were also were treated to a performance by the Jefferson State Singers and a presentation on important historical facts in black history. JSCC’s Culinary and Hospitality program provided refreshments.

Jefferson State received an $8,000 “Women In Manufacturing and STEM” grant from The Recursion Program, a nonprofit organization with a mission to tackle and eradicate the causes of the persistence of poverty. The grant helped create opportunities for low-income, single women who live below 200 percent of the poverty line. Efforts were made to assist them in their goal of creating a more stable home life and stepping out of the bonds of poverty by increasing employment readiness.

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Jefferson State students Grayson Murray (L) and Juwon Bearden were recently awarded the prestigious Benjamin A. Gilman International Scholarship to study abroad during the summer of 2019. Murray and Bearden were the first community college students in Alabama to ever receive the scholarship and both studied Spanish in Guatemala.

Jefferson State’s Student Government Association held a winter formal for students in February. The student dance was a sellout and offered aerial dancers, a DJ, a photo booth, fire and ice themed food and mocktails, and a fire show finale.

Jefferson State held a free Health Sciences Career Fair for the community in the fall. This engaging and hands-on event allowed students and the community to explore the health programs offered at Jefferson State.

Representatives from all of Jefferson State’s health programs were present to answer questions and provide information about the college’s in-demand health programs.

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Each September, Jefferson State celebrates its homecoming with students, employees, alumni and the community. This “Pioneer Day” provides an opportunity for students and employees to enjoy time together on campus with fun, food, and activities. Part of the day includes the college’s version of “The Amazing Race.” In the race, employees and students form teams to compete with each other in various events. This is a special day at Jefferson State!

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Jefferson State collaborated with community partners in a “Signing Day” event for students signing into apprenticeship programs with local companies. Hosted by 58 Inc., CentralSix AlabamaWorks!, and the Shelby County Chamber of Commerce, this event celebrated the launch of three U.S. Department of Labor Registered Apprenticeship Programs. The event helped address the needs of local employers for highly skilled trades in manufacturing.

The Alabama Community College Conference (ACCC) Cross Country Championship was held at the University of Montevallo on October 25 and Jefferson State Runner Gabi Rodriguez earned “Runner of the Year” honors for Alabama (Region 22). She is a graduate of Oak Mountain High School and a freshman at Jefferson State. Gabi represented Jefferson State and the ACCC at the NJCAA national championship in Albuquerque, New Mexico in November.

Welding Student Stephen Parris was awarded a $3,600 scholarship to study automotive manufacturing at Jefferson State. The scholarship, along with a mentorship program led by seasoned automotive manufacturing professionals, were provided through the combined efforts of the Alabama Automotive Manufacturers Association and the Alabama Community College System to help fill more than 10,000 automotive manufacturing jobs in Alabama within two years.

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Bryan Kirkland received Jefferson State’s Outstanding Alumnus award in 2019.

Kirkland was a member of the college’s last basketball team and has overcome an incredible amount of adversity in his life.

After a motor cross racing accident left him paralyzed in 1992, he has competed and won gold, silver, and bronze medals in the Olympics, and Track and Field World Championships. In 2012, he became the first paralympic athlete inducted into the Alabama Sports Hall of Fame.

Jefferson State’s Speech and Debate Team recently competed at a tournament in Kentucky. Team members (L to R) Joseph Honeycutt, Heaven Sheppard, Kristian Grayson, Daniel Davis, Katlyn Grayson, and Zavoun Watts competed in an International Public Debate Association debate along with other two-year and four-year schools.

The JSCC team frequently earns awards even when competing against larger teams from larger colleges.

The Jefferson State Men’s Golf Team earned recognition on the Alabama Community College Conference (ACCC) Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll.

Every player on the team made the ACCC Honor Roll and the team had a cumulative grade point average of 3.54.

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Jefferson State’s Beta Lambda Delta Chapter of the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society earned Alabama’s “Most Distinguished Chapter” for the third consecutive year. The chapter, established 17 years ago, has earned top honors in the state ten times and top honors internationally (out of more than 1300 chapters) two times. The chapter has finished in the top ten internationally eight times.

Jefferson State Culinary Instructor Todd Jackson (right) and his team recently won “Best Overall” in the Alabama Wildlife Federation’s 2019 Birmingham Wild Game Cook-Off. The team prepared a smoked venison and sweet potato stew with blackberry onions and spicy pecans.

The Jefferson State Speech and Debate Team traveled to Baytown, Texas in September and earned the “Top Community College” award in the Mendoza Debate tournament. Team members Nathan Wright, Heaven Sheppard, Kelvin Thomas, Daniel Davis and Kelsey Wilson represented Jefferson State and earned numerous awards during tournament.

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The Jefferson State Women’s Golf team recently competed at the NJCAA Regional Women’s Golf Tournament in Decatur, Alabama. Team member Chelsie Elliott (second from left) placed 3rd overall and Kate Wood (R) placed 5th overall.

Elliott and Wood both qualified to compete in the NJCAA National Tournament in Daytona Beach, Florida.

Several Jefferson State Sigma Kappa Delta English Honor Society students won national writing awards at the convention in St. Louis.

Ben Wilson (R) won 1st place in Literary Analysis and Danita Miniex won 3rd place in Poetry.

Austin Armstrong (not pictured) won 3rd place in Literary Analysis.

The Jefferson State Leadership Academy Class of 2019 presented their year-long project and graduated in April. The Leadership Academy enables Jefferson State employees to learn more about the college’s goals and strategies while inspiring contributions to its success. This year’s class enhanced study spaces for students at all campus locations to help students with successful completion of their educational goals.

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