2022-23 Annual Report

2022-2023

ANNUAL REPORT

Transform Your Future McCook | North Platte | Broken Bow | Imperial | Ogallala | Valentine mpcc.edu

GREETINGS FROM

Greetings Alumni, Friends & Stakeholders, The 2022-23 year was a success in and out of the classroom and on and off the field of play. MPCC experienced slight overall growth in full-time equivalent (FTE) student enrollment over the previous year. In comparison to our assigned IPEDS peers, MPCC was tied for #1 in first-time, full-time student retention from Fall 2021 to Fall 2022 at 71%.

We signed a Guided Pathway agreement with UNK. We expanded our CDL training program. We completed the Health and Science Center addition and “broke the brick” to signify the start of the McCook East Campus renovation. We held business and community sessions to gather input as we looked to build the 2023-2026 Strategic Plan. Several athletic teams won conference championships, and some were recognized for high academic achievement.

In October, MPCC hosted a team of five peer reviews for our comprehensive evaluation towards our reaffirmation of accreditation. The Higher Learning Commission (HLC) Institutional Actions Council voted to reaffirm institutional

RYAN PURDY MPCC President

accreditation for MPCC for another 10 years as a result of that visit.

MPCC also pursued accreditation for the early entry program and were was successful. MPCC became the first community college in Nebraska to achieve the status. The accreditation will make it easier for high school students to transfer credits in college-level courses to other postsecondary institutions.

In November at the Nebraska Community College Association Annual Meeting, we had the opportunity to recognize our outstanding alumnus.

Dr. Michael Bauer, originally from Culbertson, began his educational journey in 1994 at McCook Community College (MCC) and graduated in 1996.

After completing medical school, he began working for the Surgical Institute of South Dakota where he remains today.

The six Nebraska community college presidents worked collaboratively with the Nebraska Legislature during the Spring 2023 legislative session to finalize a new funding structure for the community colleges. Beginning with the 2024-2025 fiscal year, the community colleges will continue to levy the twocent capital fund property tax request, and the general fund property tax

request will be dependent on the state’s ability to fund a community college future fund formula. If the state can’t fund it, the colleges will be allowed to levy a general fund tax levy only at the amount needed to offset the shortfall.

Student-athletes representing McCook Community College, North Platte Community College and the MPCC Rodeo Team continued to shine in the classroom with numerous all-academic accolades and on the field of competition with several nationally ranked individual performances. The MCC men’s baseball team were was within two games of reaching the NJCAA College World Series. Ethan Murdoch was named to the NJCAA All-American Second Team.

The MCC men’s golf team won its first ever West District Championship and placed 16th at the national tournament.

Ethan Gough was one of five golfers to be named NJCAA PING All-American.

The MCC and NPCC Women’s volleyball teams were each recognized for high academic success. NPCC softball player Elena Montoya was named NJCAA All-American Second Team.

And finally, for the first time in MPCC history, all of our 2023 LPN and RN students for the 2022-23 school year passed their NCLEX boards.

Congratulations to our nursing students, faculty and staff for reaching this level of excellence.

I hope you enjoy reading the 20222023 Mid-Plains Community College annual report to learn more about the great things that are happening at your community college. Don’t hesitate to share with us your input on how we can better serve you as we desire to continue to improve in all areas to sustain and grow our region.

Ryan Purdy, MPCC President

OUR MISSION

Transforming lives through exceptional learning opportunities for individual student success.

OUR VALUES The College believes that certain values should guide each decision made in the operation of the College. We value excellence in education through:

•

Integrity

•

Programs that enhance the quality of life for people and our region

•

Accessibility and affordability

•

Respect for our college, communities, and the people we serve

•

Open and honest communication

•

Safe, quality, and engaging environments

•

Continuous collaboration among all campuses

OUR ROLE MPCC seeks the following instructional and service priorities: •

Applied technology and occupational education and, when necessary, foundations education

•

Transfer education, including general academic transfer degree programs, or applied technology and occupational programs which may be applicable to the first two years of a bachelor’s degree program, and, when necessary, foundations education

•

Public service, particularly adult continuing education for occupations and professions, economic and community development focused on customized occupational assessment and job training programs for businesses and communities, and avocational and personal development courses

•

Applied research

VALENTINE

CHERRY *WNCC Portion of Cherry County

HOOKER

ARTHUR

MCPHERSON

THOMAS

BLAINE

LOUP

BROKEN BOW

LOGAN CUSTER

NORTH PLATTE

OGALLALA KEITH

LINCOLN COUNTY

PERKINS

CHASE HAYES

FRONTIER

IMPERIAL

1

Matt Broz Kim Korgan

2

Jo Etta Brown Tyler Pribbeno

3

Cynthia Duncan Kirk Crawley

4

Dr. Ben Lashley Kent Miller

5

Ernie Mehl Tricia Schaffer

DUNDY

HITCHCOCK

RED WILLOW

MCCOOK

Matthew Broz

Kim Korgan

Cindy Duncan

Kirk Crawley

District 1

District 1

AT LARGE Ted Klug, Jr.

Jo Etta Brown District 2

Dr. Ben Lashley District 4 (Chair)

Kent Miller District 4

Tyler Pribbeno District 2

Ernie Mehl District 5

District 3

Tricia Schaffer District 5

Rea lignment of E le c t i o n D i s t r i c t s Ba s e d o n 2 0 2 0 C e n s u s

District 3

Ted Klug, Jr. At Large

ACADEMIC AFFAIRS The Mathematics and Science division finalized a 2+2 agreement with UNK in Biology. The program will begin in the fall of 2023.

Created a two-year plan of study for face-to-face and online criminal justice students.

Students interested in taking music classes have the option of earning a music certificate beginning in the fall of 2023. The certificate requires 19 credit hours of music specific courses and be a stand alone or applied toward an Associate of Fine Arts degree with music emphasis.

Added a phlebotomy course in McCook as part of the Medicine Laboratory Technology program.

Graduates of the Licensed Practical Nurse program who took the NCLEX received the fourth highest pass rate (94.74%) in the state. Registered nurses earned an 82.61% pass rate which also earned them the fourth highest in the state.

Updated course requirements for the Accounting Certificate and the Associate of Applied Science in Business with an emphasis in accounting degree.

Eight early entry students successfully completed both Principles of Accounting I and II during the 2022-23 academic year.

The McCook Community College FBLA-Collegiate student organization had four students qualify for their respective events at the national conference.

The Electrical Technology program worked on the District 177 Mall project as part of an internship opportunity under the supervision of Halls Electric Company.

The welding technology program in McCook saw enrollment grow to 29 students which included dual credit.

MPCC/UNK SIGN TWO-PLUS-TWO AGREEMENT

N

ew two-plus-two Guided Pathway agreements between Mid-Plains Community College and the University of Nebraska at Kearney are making it easier than ever for students seeking fouryear degrees in biology and business. Both took effect in the fall of 2023.

Students pursuing an Associate of Science degree, taking a specific sequence of courses at MPCC, can now transfer every course directly into UNK’s Bachelor of Science in Biology degree program.

MPCC classes transferred to UNK previously but did so as electives.

Now the classes will transfer as part of the student’s intended course of study - whether it is a comprehensive biology degree or a biology major with a chosen minor.

MPCC’s portion of the agreement focuses on completion of general education requirements, which students can start in high school.

Graduates of MPCC’s Associate of Science degree program transfer fully to UNK and enter as third-year biology majors.

Similarly, students can earn an Associate of Applied Science Degree in Business at Mid-Plains then, regardless of their area of emphasis, transfer to UNK to obtain a Bachelor of Science, Business Administration Comprehensive Degree. Both online and in-person formats are available.

“It’s huge for students pursuing an Associate of Applied Science degree,” said Dr. Jody Tomanek, vice president of Academic Affairs.

REAFFIRMATION OF ACCREDITATION

“The option offers them more opportunities for transfer and is a complete degree plan, so students don’t have to guess what will transfer.

Everything is laid out for them. Our advisors work with them to make sure they are taking exactly what they need for a seamless transfer and completion in eight semesters.”

The partnerships build on and expands the great working relationship Mid-Plains already has with UNK. A pathway also exists with UNK for students seeking an Associate of Arts degree through MPCC.

comprehensive evaluation was conducted during the 2022-23 academic year as part of the normal accreditation process by the Higher Learning Commission.

Five reviewers read a narrative explaining how Mid-Plains Community College meets accreditation standards, reviewed documentation evidence and led meetings with faculty, staff and administrators to verify the standards are being met.

As a result, the High Learning Commission voted to reaffirm MPCC’s institutional accreditation for another 10 years.

The action reflects the college’s commitment to mission, integrity, teaching and learning as well as institutional effectiveness, planning and responsible use of resources.

The effort to gather and organize evidence was led by MPCC’s Institutional Effectiveness team. The college cabinet and the planning and improvement core team helped develop a comprehensive report representing work done across the institution. The contributions of many employees institution-wide was invaluable to the success of the accreditation efforts.

FALL 2022 ENROLLMENTS

COMMUNITY CAMPUSES

BROKEN BOW CAMPUS Headcount

HALSEY DUNNING TAYLOR ANSELMO SARGENT MERNA ARNOLD BROKEN BOW CALLAWAY BERWYN ANSLEY OCONTO MASON CITY

237

TOTAL STUDENTS

COMMUNITIES SERVED

19

12 Graduates

HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ENROLLED IN

2022-23 DUAL CREDIT CLASSES

FULL-TIME

FROM BROKEN BOW CAMPUS AREA

170

300

PART-TIME

IMPERIAL CAMPUS

21

13 Graduates FROM IMPERIAL CAMPUS AREA

FULL-TIME

108

PART-TIME

Headcount HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ENROLLED IN

COMMUNITIES SERVED

IMPERIAL

WAUNETA HAYES CENTER PALISADE STRATTON TRENTON BENKELMAN

2022-23 DUAL CREDIT CLASSES

243

184

TOTAL STUDENTS

OGALLALA CAMPUS

15 Graduates FROM OGALLALA CAMPUS AREA

34

FULL-TIME

ARTHUR

OGALLALA

BRULE

168

PAXTON GRANT

PART-TIME

COMMUNITIES SERVED

Headcount

HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ENROLLED IN

297

2022-23 DUAL CREDIT CLASSES

312

TOTAL STUDENTS

VALENTINE CAMPUS

21

9 Graduates

FROM VALENTINE CAMPUS AREA

FULL-TIME

103

PART-TIME

CROOKSTON VALENTINE KENNEDY

WOOD LAKE

BROWNLEE MULLEN SENECA THEDFORD

COMMUNITIES SERVED

Headcount HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ENROLLED IN

2022-23 DUAL CREDIT CLASSES

247

158

TOTAL STUDENTS

BUSINESS COMMUNITY EDUCATION REPORT orking collaboratively with the community campuses, trainings and programs are offered through the Business and Community Education (BCE) department. BCE’s reach is broad, offering program opportunities to business and industry, continuing education courses for the upkeep of certificate and credentialing, offering conferences and workshops, Ready for Work training programs, motor school programing, as well as traditional community education courses for everyone from youth to the elderly.

With the 2022-2023 year, the MPCC Business and Community Education department’s motor school program, located on the North Platte North Campus, held its first full year of Commercial Driver Training (Entry Level Driver Training Compliant) courses with a full-time motor school coordinator. The motor school department, which began with just the Commercial Driver Training course, added a variety of courses to accommodate Class B licensing, hazardous material endorsement, school and passenger bus training, and offered one-stop shopping by providing testing to our students by BCE’s own DOT certified staff. By the end of the 2023 college

year, the motor school had offered 19 courses, expanded its reach by offering a course in McCook and Valentine, served 78 students, and has plans to expand with another full-time coordinator and additional outreach courses.

LB51 provided the college the opportunity to offer law enforcement courses for continuing education and preacademy coursework. A total of six classes were held throughout the year, accommodating law enforcement personnel throughout the 18-county area and beyond.

The Ogallala Community Campus hosted four Private Pilot Test Preparation courses. Each intense 4-day ground school covered the topics needed to master the private pilot federal written examination. Plans are to expand this course throughout the 18-county area.

The Business and Community Education department are partners with six area hospitals to offer the use of HAL, an advanced patient simulator. HAL, originally purchased in 2021, was put on hold throughout COVID. In 20222023 area health care personnel began utilizing HAL and benefiting from its advanced life-like emergency scenarios to fulfill their continuing education needs.

YEAR

20-21

21-22

22-23

Classes Offered

1,262

1,476

1,552

Students Served

12,778

16,413

17,749

Total Hours

80,781

92,482

106,069

id-Plains Community College brought home two top 20 finishes from the College National Finals Rodeo in Casper, Wyo. June 11-17.

Kaden Wooters and Maggie Underhill represented the MPCC Rodeo Team with Wooters ending up 14th in the average in the steer wrestling and Underhill finishing 18th in the barrel racing average. The top 20 times in her event were separated by mere hundredths of a second.

Both Wooters and Underhill were sitting third in the region in their respective events heading into nationals.

MPCC Rodeo Team Timed Events Coach Wyatt Clark and MPCC Rodeo Team Roughstock Coach Aukai Kaai accepted a plaque at the CNFR Coaches Breakfast in recognition of the MPCC Stampede being named the 2022-23 Rodeo of the Year for the Great Plains Region.

The MPCC Rodeo Team hosts the Stampede every year in September at the Wild West Arena in North Platte. It’s the second time in three years Mid-Plains has earned the recognition.

Wranglers booster committee.

The award is given to rodeo team athletes who excel in the classroom and arena during the fall semester.

Selection is based on GPA and total points earned.

Also at the CNFR, MPCC Rodeo Team member Dalton Kunkee, of Lexington, was honored with the 2023 Stan Harter Memorial Scholarship. The presentation of the $1,000 scholarship was made during a final performance of the rodeo.

It was one of many scholarships MPCC Rodeo Team members were awarded this year.

Nick Rettinger was the recipient of the $500 Bob Hoyt Memorial Scholarship, and Jace Richter won a $500 scholarship for being the top point earner in the MPCC Rodeo Team’s fundraising contest.

Underhill and Andrea Meyer each received $900 scholarships from NEBRASKAland Days funded by NLD’s annual Cowboy Kickball event, and Underhill also gained a $500 Ben Marlin Memorial Scholarship.

Kalyn Nielsen and Dalton Kunkee both took home $1,000 Dual Excellence Scholarships from the

Kaden Wooters, Rex Day, Malcom Imes and Jett Sjeklocha were all presented with $250 from the Wayne Carpenter Memorial Scholarship Fund.

Additionally, five team members were awarded $1,000 scholarships from the Kiplinger Foundation during the team’s annual spring fundraiser rodeo in McCook. The members were: Richter, Nielsen, Underhill, Rettinger and Sydney Dunlap.

BASEBALL | The McCook Community College baseball team played deep into the postseason in 2023 but came up two wins short of qualifying for the NJCAA College World Series.

A mid-season 16-game win streak propelled the team to 33 wins during the regular season – the most in the past 10 years and the 22-12 record against Region IX opponents was also best ever.

Offensively MCC batted .319 and was tenth in the nation among 170 Division I schools, with 579 runs, 143 doubles (sixth most), 90 home runs (ninth best), as well as top-10 totals in extra-base hits with 1,090.

Starting pitcher Myles Chabi and outfielder Ethan Murdoch were picked for the Region IX first team and designated hitter/catcher Michael Quick was named to the second team.

Murdoch led MCC batting .405 with 17 home runs and 74 RBIs. He was also named to the second-team all-American NJCAA team – the highest honor ever for an MCC player. He’s moving on to play at Marshall University.

Chabi led all Region IX pitchers in wins compiling a 9-3 record in the regular season with a 3.96 ERA striking out 52 hitters in 61.1 innings. Quick batted .361 with six home runs and 47 RBIs in 48 games.

GOLF | The McCook Community College Golf team capped a record-setting season finishing 16th in the NJCAA National Tournament in May at the Sand Creek Golf Course at Newton, Kan. This was the fifth time in the past six years that MCC qualified for the national tournament.

The team, under coach Tyler Loop, also won its first ever West District Championship.

MCC ranked 13th in the final regular-season Division I NJCAA Men’s Golf Rankings.

MCC golfers won the Region IX championship for the third time in school history and won their last eight regular-season tournaments. Coach Tyler Loop was named the Region IX Coach of the Year. Sophomore Ethan Gough and freshman Cade Cryer were named to the Region IX first team, while sophomores Brayden Dahl and Cayden Wynne were named to the second team.

Gough became the first MCC golfer to be named to the NJCAA Division I PING AllAmerican and All-District Team. Only five golfers in the nation received first-team all-American status. He finished in 24th place in the national tournament, also the best finish ever for any MCC golfer.

MEN'S BASKETBALL | The McCook Community College men’s basketball team tied for second place in the Region IX South standings with Western Nebraska, but MCC dropped to the third seed because of the first tiebreaker – the Cougars swept MCC during the regular season.

Under third-year coach Jacob Brandl, MCC went 6-6 in Region IX south play and 11-19 overall. The team lost the opening-round home contest to Otero Junior College.

MCC started the Region IX south schedule 1-4 but went 5-2 in February.

Sophomore Simon Akena led MCC in scoring, averaging 15.8 per game and 5.7 rebounds. Freshman Noah Boyed, led all Region IX south players in rebounds, averaging 8.5 per game, and also topped all players in blocked shots with 46.

Akena was named first-team All-Region IX as well as first team all-Nebraska Community College Athletic Conference. Boyed was honorable mention Region IX and tabbed for the all-NCCAC team. Martel Evans was an honorable mention pick for the Nebraska Conference team.

Akena will continue his career at Division 1 Utah Valley and freshman William Humer (Sollentuna, Sweden) accepted an offer to play at Division 1 San Jose State. He averaged 7.8 points and 6.5 rebounds per game and shot 49.4 percent from the field.

SOFTBALL | It took the MCC softball team 55 games, but on the final day of the regular season the team went over .500 for the first time to finish at 28-27.

MCC finished third in Region IX and in the postseason tournament beat Western Nebraska 4-1 and second-seeded Trinidad State 3-2. Against top-seeded Northeastern Junior College, MCC led 5-3 in the bottom of the sixth inning when the game was suspended one day because of weather. The next day, NJC scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh to claim a 6-5 win. That setback sent MCC to the consolation round where they lost to Trinidad State 10-1.

Four players were selected to the All-Region IX Division I team.

Sophomore Madisyn Simms and freshmen Andie Suhai and Ella Covill-Marter were selected first team and Nevaeh Ogden received honorable mention.

Simms MCC hit .444 with a team-best 71 RBIs. She had seven home runs, 22 doubles, four triples and 12 steals with a .453 on-base mark and slugged .704. Suhai led the team with 12 home runs, batting .454, reaching base 52 percent of her plate appearances and slugged .839. Ogden batted .365 with 18 extra-base hits, 27 RBIs and 20 steals in 21 tries. She had a .462 on-base average.

Covill-Marter led the pitching staff going 12-10 with 20 complete games. In 174 innings pitched she struck out 235 hitters, which was ninth best in the country among 494 pitchers at 147 Division I schools.

VOLLEYBALL | The MCC volleyball team went 7-3 in the south sub-region standings, the best mark since Hayley Kobza assumed head coaching duties in 2016.

The team went 21-10 during the regular season and 1-2 in the postseason tournament. MCC finished second in the South with 1,252 kills (11.38 per set) with a .172 hitting percentage, 1.92 blocks per set, 16.46 digs and 2.06 aces per set. MCC's 1,811 digs on the season were the most among 12 Region IX teams.

Sophomore Victoria Thomas led MCC with 322 kills during the regular season (2.93 per set). Freshman Fernanda Merancio was second with 252, freshman Gabby Caskey had 176.

Gracen Tuttle led MCC in the middle with 64 blocks, sophomore McKenna Crews had 368 digs and freshmen setter Jessie Jerome ranked fourth in the South with 488 assits.

Merancio received first team All-Region IX honors while Thomas, Crews and Jerome were named to the second team.

Four sophomores are moving on to four-year programs including: Crews with Minnesota State University; Makayla Brown will play at Shaw University in North Carolina; A’Dasia Porter moves on to Blue Mountain College in Mississippi; and Jisell Chumacero is moving to Missouri Valley in Marshall, Mo. Freshman Alexis Pontine signed on with Division 2 Adams State in Colorado.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL | The MCC women's basketball team under Coach Brandon Pritchett, won the Nebraska Community College Athletic Conference title going 5-1, but finished Region IX south play with 4-6 record (12-18 overall)Pritchett's squad finished 10th best in the nation in free-throw percentage, shooting 73.2 percent.

Sophomores Vanessa Jurewicz and Taryn Lindsey, were named to the All-Region IX South team and freshman Gemma Gruettner Bacoul was selected to the all-defensive team. Jurewicz and Lindsey were also named to the first-team all-NCCAC team and Gruettner Bacoul received honorable mention.

Jurewicz averaged 15.4 points per game and connected on 40.2 percent of her shots.

She signed on to division 1 University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Lindsey led all Region IX south players in free-throw shooting at 85 percent – 11th best in the country. She averaged 12.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game. She will continue her career at the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, a division 2 program.

Gruettner Bacoul played in 31 games, starting 16. She averaged 7.0 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.

Valentina Monzo Diaz, will play at Division I University of Alabama-Birmingham. In her MCC career she played in 39 games, scored 185 points, grabbed 114 rebounds and dished out 36 assists.

Itziar Aransay Badia, is moving on to Mount Royal University in Calgary, Alberta.

Badia played in 52 career games, scored 152 points, averaged 2.9 points and 1.4 rebounds per game.

VOLLEYBALL: The North Platte Community College volleyball team qualified for the NJCAA Region IX Championship after hosting the opening round of the postseason tournament.

The Knights fell to No. 1 seed Central Community College at the championship game – officially bringing their season to a close. North Platte ended the season with an 8-27 overall record and record of 1-3 in conference play.

Three NPCC volleyball players were subsequently named to the NJCAA All-Region IX Team: Morgan Ramsey, of Bartlett; Whitney Chintala, of Fleming, Colo. and Avah Steggall, of Alliance.

Ramsey, a sophomore outside hitter, finished the season first in the region with 3.44 kills per set and second in the region for total kills with 396.

Chintala, a freshman libero for the Knights, ranked third in digs per set with 3.60. She was also third in overall digs with 447.

Steggall, a freshman setter, notched an average of 6.48 assists per set, putting her third in the region.

Based on their classroom efforts, Ramsey, Vanessa Wood and Tessa Metschke were selected for the NJCAA’s All-Academic First Team for earning a 4.0 GPA. Emily Johnson and Karley Spillane made it onto the NJCAA’s All-Academic Second Team with GPAs of 3.8-3.99, and Alexis Becerra scored a spot on the NJCAA All-Academic Third Team for having a 3.6-3.79 GPA. As a whole, Knights Volleyball had an overall 3.66 GPA – earning it an Academic Team of the Year honor from the NJCAA. The team was also selected to receive the 2023 U.S. Marine Corps/American Volleyball Coaches Association Team Academic Award – making it one of nine NJCAA Division II teams to receive the recognition.

Additionally, NPCC’s volleyball team earned the Honor Roll distinction from the USMC/AVCA, placing it in the top 20 percent of team GPAs within NJCAA’s Division II.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL: The NPCC women’s basketball team punched their ticket to their third straight Region IX Championship during the 2022-23 campaign. Knights battled throughout the forty minutes but fell in the championship game and closed out the year with a 9-21 overall record.

Fumnanya Ijeh and Jada Grigsby earned All-Region IX and Nebraska Community College Athletic Conference honors for their efforts on the court during the 2022-23 season. Reece Halley joined her teammates as a NCCAC selection by receiving the ninth most votes from coaches within the conference.

Additionally, Reece Halley and Noel Warrior were named NJCAA All-Academic First Team honorees for earning a 4.00 GPA during the 2022-23 academic year.

MEN’S BASKETBALL: The Knights men’s basketball team closed out the 2022-23 season with a 13-16 overall record, while finishing 2-4 in Nebraska Community College Athletic Conference action.

Transfer Bruce Carpenter finished the season averaging 19.7 points per game, while tallying 153 rebounds, 40 steals and dishing out 112 assists. His ability to create shots on the offensive end earned him All-Region IX South Third Team, NCCAC, and Omaha World Herald All-Midlands Juco honors.

Ramiah Adedigba joined his team on each of those lists by being named an honorable mention Region IX South selection, an NCCAC All Conference Team honoree and an Omaha World Herald All-Midlands Juco honorable mention selection. Kayden Crosby rounded out the postseason honors as an honorable mention selection by the NCCAC, as voted on by conference coaches.

SOFTBALL: The North Platte Community College Softball Team rounded out its season with an All-American selection. Elena Montoya was named as a Second Team All-American by the National Junior College Athletic Association.

Montoya had a stellar sophomore season, leading the region with a .541 batting average, hitting seven home runs, with 20 doubles, 39 runs batted in and 63 stolen bases. She concluded the year ninth in the nation in batting average and third in stolen bases. In the field, she notched 94 putouts and 65 assists while posting a .914 fielding percentage.

The 2022-23 season marked the second year in a row that Montoya and her teammate Kelsey Woodhouse made the All-Region IX Team. Joining them was freshman Nancy Martinez.

Martinez was chosen as the region’s Defensive Player of the Year. She tallied 27 RBIs on 44 hits while maintaining a batting average of .396. She added 40 putouts and 60 assists and finished with a fielding percentage of .935.

Woodhouse’s batting average of .430 placed her fifth in the regional rankings.

She was also fifth in stolen bases with 22, ninth for home runs and 10th for RBIs. Woodhouse had 26 runs on 52 hits during the season. On the defensive side, she contributed 79 putouts and boasted a fielding percentage of .944.

Academically, nine members of the softball team were selected as Easton/NFCA AllAmerica Scholar Athletes. They were: Montoya, Woodhouse, Martinez, Juliana Ortiz, Angelina Lockhart, Esper Lewandowski, April Grace, Jenelle Gudjonson and Ellie Toelle.

Montoya was also named to the NJCAA All-Academic Second Team for achieving a 3.8-3.99 GPA. Gudjonson, Martinez and Toelle landed on the NJCAA All-Academic Third Team based on their GPAs of 3.6-3.79.

Overall, Knights Softball recorded a 3.37 average GPA, which earned it an Academic Team of the Year honor.

The Knights advanced to the Region IX Championship in Columbus in May but ultimately fell to Southeast Community College in the final round. They ended their regular season with a record of 15-31 and conference record of 3-8.

STUDENT DATA

MPCC RANKED FIRST AMONG OUR PEERS

in retention rates of first-time in college, full-time students from Fall 2021 to Fall 2022.

Mid-Plains Community College Mid-State Technical College Southeastern Community College Minnesota West Community and Technical College Carl Sandburg College Bay de Noc Community College Cloud County Community College Iowa Lakes Community College Southwestern Michigan College Coffeyville Community College Southern State Community College Flathead Valley Community College Allen County Community College Carl Albert State College Western Nebraska Community College Eastern Oklahoma State College

71% 71% 69% 67% 66% 64% 64% 60% 60% 57% 57% 54% 51% 50% 50% 50%

Non-Credit 4.26% On Ground 63.47%

Online 29.22%

On Ground 60.77%

2022-23 M

2022

RE

C

M

C

3 C

Dual Credit 19.38%

FT

Distance Learning 6.01%

PC

-2

Distance Learning 5.75%

PC

Online 30.52%

E

MPCC FALL-TO-FALL RETENTION RATE

DI

TH

OURS

10 YEAR TREND

2022-23 MPCC Graduate Count (336) & Awards by Type (379)

5-Year Trend

Full Time | Part Time

Graduates 367

Certificates 35

Diplomas 69

Associates 295

2022-23

2021-22

2020-21

2018-19

2017-18

2016-17

2015-16

2014-15

2013-14

2022-23

Fall 2021

2021-22

Fall 2020

2020-21

Fall 2019

2019-20

Fall 2018

2018-19

Fall 2017

%

2019-20

%

2022-23 GENERAL FUND REVENUE

BY SOURCE Tuition & Fees 16%

FINANCIAL DATA

Interest & Misc. Revenues 2%

2022-23 GENERAL FUND EXPENDITURES

BY PROGRAM CLASSIFICATION

State Appropriations 37%

Institutional Tuition Support 4%

Physical Plant 11%

Instructional 38%

Property Taxes 45% Institutional Support 11%

Student Services 10%

Academic Support 11%

YEAR-TO-DATE ACTUAL

ANNUAL BUDGET

% COLLECTED SPENT

State Appropriations

9,730,198

9,730,198

100.00%

Property Taxes

12,234,505

12,485,488

97.99%

Tuition and Fees

4,468,406

4,926,898

90.69%

596,223

425,098

140.26%

27,029,332

27,567,682

98.05%

Instructional

11,029,632

10,639,608

103.67%

Academic Support

2,989,513

3,342,285

89.45%

Student Services

2,516,904

2,643,109

95.23%

Institutional Support

8,149,712

8,556,497

95.25%

Physical Plant

3,079,993

3,255,408

94.61%

1,117,118

1,147,600

97.34%

28,882,872

29,584,507

97.63%

(1,853,540)

(2,016,825)

2022-23 ACTUAL BY FUND

REVENUES

Interest and Misc. Revenues Total Revenues EXPENDITURES

Institutional Tuition Waivers Total Expenditures NET INCREASE (DECREASE) IN FUND BALANCE

EAST CAMPUS BRICK BREAKING MPCC kicks-off East Campus construction with brick breaking Mid-Plains Community College officially kicked-off construction on its East Campus in McCook with a brick breaking ceremony July 19.

The project will allow the college to expand beyond its formerly landlocked borders and offer increased and enhanced training for students, businesses and industries.

The upper level of the building will consist of the Business and Community Education department, an open-concept flex space, a

250-person event space, a catering kitchen and general purpose and distance learning classrooms among other amenities.

The lower level will be dedicated primarily to health occupations, including nursing, emergency medical services, nurse aide and medication aide programs.

The goal is to open the East Campus in January of 2025.

The total cost of the project including renovation, equipment and furnishing is estimated at $11.3 million.

HEALTH & SCIENCE CENTER EXPANSION PROJECT COMPLETE Mid-Plains Community College cut the ribbon on its Health and Science Center (HASC) expansion project Aug. 16.

of the Health and Science Center is designed to meet that need. Ground broke on the project May 25, 2022.

As demand for more nurses and health care professionals increased throughout the college’s 18-county service area and beyond, so did the need for more space to train those professionals.

The first-floor addition consists of a large, dividable nursing classroom capable of seating 52 people, two group study rooms, a lobby area with seating, an EMS lab outfitted with an ambulance simulator, three nursing simulation rooms, a simulation control room and storage for both EMS and nursing programs.

The 11,279-square-foot expansion

Features on the second floor

HASC is home to the college’s nursing, medical laboratory technician, emergency medical services, paramedic, dental assisting, math, biology, physics and engineering programs. The original section of the building was constructed in 2012.

include a 52-person capacity dividable microbiology classroom, two conference rooms, two group study rooms, a lobby area with seating built into the walls, a flex room and an immersion room that will be used to train students in a variety of virtual reality simulated environments.

The cost of the project was about $4.7 million.

Funding was led by a $500,000 donation from Great Plains Health. Additional funding came from community, regional and state support.

McDONALDBELTON GYM RECEIVES NEW SCOREBOARDS

The old scoreboards in the McDonald-Belton Gymnasium were replaced with digital LED displays from ScoreVision during the spring semester. Each display is approximately 10.5-feet by 19.5feet.

The new models have exciting features that bring a professional arena experience to the NPCC Knights athletic programs. Those include the ability to automatically update the leaderboard throughout the game and present names and player photos alongside stats.

Player accolades are also possible with the new displays. With the tap of a button, an animation can burst across the video scoreboard.

Hype videos and other fan engagement content are now possible and can be used to excite the crowd and set the tone for the game-day atmosphere.

ScoreVision’s software also unlocks the ability to maximize fundraising opportunities. The scoreboard layouts are designed to incorporate sponsor messaging alongside scores, game information and other media content. It’s also easy to upload content into ScoreVision Cloud and generate reports for sponsors.

Ads sold for the scoreboards paid for half their cost. The rest came from the college’s capital funds.

STRATEGIC PLAN uring the 2022-23 academic year, Mid-Plains Community College held intense stakeholder engagement sessions to establish the 2023-26 institutional strategic plan. The process began in the fall by surveying employees regarding their vision for the institution.

This feedback from nearly 50 employees provided the basis for the resulting vision: For MPCC to be focused on student success, building partnerships and being responsive to our communities.

This new vision statement, alongside the institution’s mission of, “transforming lives through exceptional learning opportunities for individual student success,” drove the discussions at two dozen input sessions with over 270 participants representing businesses, community members, students and MPCC employees area wide.

Input from these sessions, along with student and employee surveys, demographic and economic trends and trends in higher education were considered in developing initial strategic objectives.

In August, a draft of the strategic objectives was shared with employees and the Board of Governors for feedback with a finalized strategic plan to be published during fall 2023. Themes identified from the input sessions ranged from innovative delivery methods to increased student engagement and from workforce skills to providing necessary mechanisms to increase student success.

A big thank you goes out to everyone who took the time to provide feedback on the vision and strategic direction for Mid-Plains Community College. Additionally, thank you to the staff who helped make all the logistics happen to have the College leadership present at the stakeholder meetings across the area.

NPCC ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT WILL LOOK TO ADD TWO ATHLETIC PROGRAMS

BY FALL OF 2024 orth Platte, Neb. – North Platte Community College athletic department will look to expand its intercollegiate athletic programs with the addition of men's and women's golf in the coming years.

The approval by the Board of Governors on Wednesday night will grow the athletic department from four varsity sports to six by the fall of 2024.

"As we gathered input for our next strategic enrollment plan, one of the most frequently noted items was the expansion of collegiate athletics," said President Ryan Purdy.

"Men's and women's golf was an obvious decision as we have several area schools that compete, and we have available housing capacity to accommodate those students."

In the late 1940s, the National Junior College Athletic Association hosted the first men's golf championship in Kansas City, Mo. The championship was then reclassified in 1968 as a national championship and moved to Roswell, N.M. Currently, the NJCAA has 73 teams competing in the

NJCAA DII classification.

The NJCAA added women's golf to the books in June 1976 as the first official championship took place in Temple, Texas.

The new Knights women's golf team could compete in the DI or DIII classification, but enough interest from other NJCAA institutions could possibly create the DII classification prior to the addition of the athletic program in 2024. This DII classification would align the women's golf program with the other women's programs within the athletic department.

"Adding men's and women's golf programs will enhance our athletic department," said Kevin O'Connor, the college's athletic director. "We have seen a significant increase in the popularity of golf at the high school level, and we want to continue to provide opportunities for students to pursue their passions."

The men's program intends to tee off in the fall of 2023, with the women's program to follow in 2024 once approval is granted by the NJCAA.

MPCC RECEIVES NACEP ACCREDITATION id-Plains Community College has become the first community college in Nebraska to have its early entry program accredited by the National Alliance of Concurrent Enrollment Partnerships (NACEP).

It is the second college in the state to achieve the status, which makes it easier for high school students to transfer credits in college-level courses to postsecondary institutions. MPCC’s accreditation is good through the 2027-28 academic year.

“MPCC has strived for years to provide quality dual credit opportunities to our high schools and their students,” said Jody Tomanek, vice president of Academic Affairs and North Platte Community College. “This accreditation recognizes the work that our faculty and staff have put in to ensure that high school students receive college credit with exceptional quality and that the courses we provide are rigorous and meet national standards.”

As the nation’s only accrediting body for concurrent enrollment programs, NACEP’s standards serve as the model for ensuring parity in faculty, course content, student outcomes and support.

Receiving accreditation means an institution has met the nation’s most rigorous standard in concurrent enrollment program development, management and evaluation across multiple, multifaceted program areas.

“NACEP accreditation ensures that students have a seamless transition to college by allowing them to experience college courses at their high schools,” said Kayla Thurman, director of Early Entry and Program Development at MPCC. “A national accreditation will also assist in improving transferability to colleges and universities. MPCC is excited to offer dozens of dual credit opportunities to area students.”

Altogether, there are 133 NACEP-accredited programs in 26 states. Mid-Plains was one of seven dual and concurrent enrollment programs to earn the recognition this year.

“Congratulations to all the institutions receiving NACEP accreditation,” said Mike Altomari, associate chair of the NACEP Accreditation Commission. “Your commitment to meeting these standards shows the value your institution has for providing high school students with rigorous coursework that will help ease their transition from high school to postsecondary.”

NACEP will recognize the newly accredited programs and their accomplishments at its 2023 national conference in St. Louis, Mo. Oct. 22-24.

More information about MPCC and its early entry program is available at: mpcc.edu/admissions/earlyentry-high-school-students.php.

BAUER NAMED MPCC DISTINGUISHED ALUM

r. Michael Bauer has been selected to receive the 2022 Distinguished Alumni Award from Mid-Plains Community College.

He was nominated for the recognition by MPCC cabinet members and was honored Sunday night during the Nebraska Community College Association’s annual meeting in Grand Island.

About Bauer Bauer is currently a surgeon in Sioux Falls, S.D. He specializes in general surgery and trauma cases and is experienced in robotics.

Bauer is originally from Culbertson.

He graduated from Culbertson High School in the spring of 1994, and that fall, enrolled at McCook Community College.

“I had heard good things about MCC from friends, but my biggest reason for going to McCook was to try to avoid taking out as many student loans,” Bauer said. “I wanted to find someplace affordable with a good quality education that would transfer to a larger school.”

Bauer was also already familiar with MCC – having taken EMT classes through the college as a senior in high school. He continued with the paramedic program while in college to complete requirements for a degree in chemistry.

“The instruction in all of my classes was great,” Bauer said. “We had fantastic instructors. Jim Hall, Stan and Jim Garretson as well as Roger Wilson were some of my favorites.”

At that time, Bauer wasn’t exactly sure what profession he wanted to pursue, but his plan was to get a chemistry degree. His thought was that maybe he could branch into something in the medical field or agrelated such as a fertilizer industry.

In the meantime, he immersed himself in the college experience – participating in both music and basketball at MCC. When not in the classroom or on the court, Bauer worked as an EMT at Community Hospital and the McCook Fire Department.

“That’s really what got me interested in the medical field in general,” Bauer said. “I didn’t know I was going to be a surgeon until the end of med school.”

Bauer earned an Associate of Science degree from MCC in 1996 then continued his education at the University of Nebraska Omaha, obtaining bachelor’s degrees in both chemistry and biotechnology.

“One of the best parts about MCC was that the classes were much smaller than in the university system,” Bauer said. “I really got to know my instructors and gained a lot of

confidence, so when I went to a bigger college, I felt able to take those higher-level classes. As soon as I started at UNO, I felt like I was prepared and right on par with where I needed to be with my academics.”

Bauer remained in Omaha for medical school training at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. He completed his residency in general surgery at Mount Carmel Medical Center, in Columbus, Ohio in 2009 then went to work for the Surgical Institute of South Dakota where he remains today.

“I feel very honored,” Bauer said of his selection for the Distinguished Alumni Award. “I always enjoyed my time at MCC and wouldn’t trade it for anything. I had a wonderful experience there and made many good memories and friendships that I still maintain today. With the cost of college these days, coupled with the fact that you can get a great education in McCook, I would encourage students to give MCC a strong consideration when making decisions about where to attend college.”

Bauer and his wife, Elizabeth, have five children ages six to 15. He is the son of Ron and Vicki Bauer, of Culbertson.

Transforming lives through exceptional learning opportunities for individual student success.

Mid-Plains Community College does not discriminate based upon any protected status.

Please see http://www.mpcc.edu/about/non-discrimination-policy.php