President Dr. Ron Slinger
A Message From The President:
Dear Colleagues,
Thank you so much for being a valued member of our MCC Pioneer Family. I also want to thank you for all that you do for our College, our Community, and most importantly, our Students.
We want to be the college of first choice for all of Eastern Montana and because of your hard work, we are making this happen. It is an honor to work with each and every one of you.
It is an exciting time to be a Pioneer. Over the past four years, our annualized student headcount has grown by 45%. As a result of this growth, this Fall we are anticipating a 15% increase in our FTE. Success like this does not happen by accident. It happens by living our Mission Statement which states:
Miles Community College prepares students for success and provides opportunities for lifelong learning through equitable access, quality programs, community outreach, and partnerships.
As we head into the second year of Vision 2028, we will continue to focus on our Five Commitments which are:
1) Student Success
2) Workforce Development & Lifelong Learning
3) Building Community Through Outreach & Partnerships
4) Institutional Excellence
5) Faculty & Staff Support
I look forward to working with each of you in fulfilling the promise of what these commitments mean to our greater community. Let us work together to make this year one of the best that the college has ever known. I am excited to get started.
Go Pioneers!!!
Dr. Ron Slinger President
MCC Board of Trustees
Chair
TaraAndrews
ViceChair
JennaJanshen
Secretary GarretMcFarland
DebbieMorford
RyanJones
JeffOkerman
JamieOgolin
Counseling Services
Vice President of Student Engagement & Auxiliary Services Richard DeShields
MCC continues to contract with One Health regarding counseling services. Students must complete an intake form to schedule the first meeting. This form only requires identification of contact data, insurance data, etc. and does not require the individual to share more about the meeting. The form can be picked up at Student Services. Student Services can schedule with the counselor three days a week from 7:00am to noon here on campus as included in their student fees (dates to be set based on new counselor schedule). If a student cannot attend one of these times, the student would need to meet with Hollie Selk, Jill Olson, Whitney Smith or Richard DeShields to gain a referral. See the Counseling page at milescc.edu/Counseling/Counseling.aspx.
Food Services
When having food on campus for events, you must first contact the dining director for services. The MCC Café’ has the first right of refusal in providing food on the MCC campus. It is important to plan ahead so that the dining staff can ensure food on hand. It is a good practice to allow up to 2 weeks.
The Director, Richard Cox can assist with various catering menu items. If the dining director cannot accommodate your request, it may be approved to have catered food services from other vendors.
Additionally, for groups or classes that meet during the scheduled meal hours, individuals may contact dining services to see if they can buy a to-go order and arrange for the pick up time that is within the dining staff hours but not during normal service hours. In many instances, dining can assist.
If you or a student has any special dietary needs, please reach out to the dining director to see if there are other options. The more time we have to plan to better serve individual needs, the more we may be able to assist.
Congratulations to our Dining Program as they were ranked number one across the country in our satisfaction survey. We have been working towards this goal and improving over the last few years. The dining crew has done an excellent job responding to student and customer needs!
Student Rights and Responsibilities:
Faculty and Staff are reminded to report student issues or suspected violations of the student conduct code, including academic code violations. These reports help the Behavior Intervention Team best support students and also hold students accountable. Examples of the types of reports vary but some examples include: reporting the death of a family member, a student’s academic performance has had a drastic change, hearing a rumor about a student that could impact their academic status, academic dishonesty/plagiarism, a report of a student’s health impacts affecting class attendance, etc.
In those instances where the faculty is going to manage the academic dishonesty in the classroom and don’t desire any further action from the Vice President’s Office, you can simply report it and indicate that you request no further action. If the V.P. sees a pattern of student behavior, he will contact you and indicate such pattern to ensure you would not like further action.
This documentation is necessary to help student engagement and student services staff respond to student needs that could affect enrollment and retention. In addition, should there be any grievances or complaints by students, it allows for there to be documentation that could assist in any appeals. You may a piece of information about a student that helps complete a puzzle that the behavior intervention team has been seeing. Finally, there are instances where we have federal or state requirements to hold students accountable and mandatory reporting is an expectation. This reporting format meets many of those expectations. While there is some accountability functions of this process, it is also a tool to best promote student success.
All student illness should be reported via this form so we can follow up with the student on accommodation needs and to better track any medical impacts in the campus community. We appreciate your support in this area.
To file a report, you can click on the links of the safety page at milescc.edu/AboutUs/CampusSafety/ click on the purple button entitled “Report a Student of Concern.”
Timely reports help us better respond. You may file anonymously; however, this does not allow any follow up and often will result in the inability to hold a student accountable.
Student Senate:
The following students have been elected to serve as Student Senate Officers
President: Walker Bennett
Vice President: Katie Pickering
Secretary: Hattie Bumgarner
Applications are available for students to pick up at the Student Services desk and will be due by September 6th for the remaining positions. We welcome a diverse student population that is truly representative of the campus.
Positions available include:
Treasurer, Sophomore Student Representatives (2), First Year Student Representatives (3), Non Traditional Student Representative, Parliamentarian, and Reporter
Student Travel:
When students are traveling on behalf of the college for a club or organization, it is important that we have documented travel information. Please include the following information: itinerary of trip, name of the student with contact information and emergency contact information, insurance provider information, primary doctor, any allergies or medical conditions. Consider completing a waiver of liability form. The advisor should have the original copy and provide an additional copy to the Vice President of Student Engagement. Should there be an emergency, this will allow MCC to know who was traveling in case the advisor becomes unable to assist due to helping other students or due to some
fundraiser, they must complete the Fundraising Request form located on the Secured Forms link of the Faculty/Staff Page This form will forward to the Vice President of Student Engagement and the Director of Institutional Advancement who will review the request. Individuals may then be asked to schedule a follow up meeting prior to approval so that all marketing and cash handling procedures can be discussed
Student Volunteer Events and Community Service Log
All students serving in a volunteer capacity should have their hours documented. This documented meets reporting requirements for accreditation reporting and also helps mitigate risk. When organizing a service activity and opportunity, please consider whether or not a student should complete an MCC Waiver of Liability and hold Harmless Agreement. You can request this form from the Vice President of Student Engagement.
Faculty, Staff, Coaches, and Club Advisors can document this time at the website listed below or they can have individuals submit their own volunteer form. This information will document hours of service for the faculty, staff, coach or advisor and can also serve as a volunteer transcript for the student. The Vice President of Student Engagement will produce reports for individuals periodically throughout the semester and will create a final report at the end of the year with all volunteer hours.
If an individual is completing for an entire group, it is important to list each student out and how much time each served. While it is preferred to log each student, the group can submit the team/organization name but in the amount of time served, please list the entire amount of time for the entire group (example: The Volleyball team volunteered for 2 hours at an event. If the entire team participated, they would list 30 hours ). This helps keep a total of hours served. This should be done for volunteer hour associated with all college events (including service-learning activities).
The form can be located at two locations on the MCC Website. One location is on the Faculty Staff Page under “SECURED ONLINE FORMS”. Another location that is easier for students to complete is on the student life page found on the front page and scroll down to the Clubs and Organizations section where you will find the “COMMUNITY SERVICE LOG” button. The form does allow for multiple student entry. (example: if the student activities group organized a car wash to help raise money for a local community service group, the advisor or president could fill out one log but list each student on that log or each individual student could log their own time.) Volunteer programs are branded as “MCC Cares”.
Faculty and Staff are encouraged to document their hours of volunteerism in the community so that we can continue telling our story and the work we do.
Finally, all hours logged for students, faculty, and staff are documented for the strategic plan and outcomes as defined by the Board of Trustees. We appreciate staying active in documenting hours.
Student Clubs and Organizations:
A student can form a club by contacting the Vice President of Student Engagement if the student can demonstrate how the group fits within the mission of the college and has enough students to support the club. There will be a club fair in September. The following are current clubs and organizations at MCC:
ASMCC, Phi Theta Kappa (PTK) Honor Society, Rodeo Club, Student Ambassadors, Volunteer MCC, Campus Ministry, Young Farmers and Ranchers, Student Nurses Association, Student Activity Board, the Multicultural and Diversity Club and the Table Top Gaming Club. If you are interested in volunteering to help a student serve as an advisor, please share with the Vice President of Student Engagement so he may reach out to you if a group wants to form.
We are seeking faculty and staff who would be willing to serve as advisors. We often have a desire to start a new club but don’t have an advisor which is a requirement for a club or organization to be formed. Student Senate has approved circumstances when an advisor
promote a Healthy Campus. Programs will include items such as smoking cessation, diabetes prevention, nutrition, physical exercise, alcohol and drug prevention, mental health awareness, and other Chronic Health concerns, etc
It is planned to have three Peer Educators. Currently, Brodie Hager and Jacob McIntyre is serving as two of the educators
Career Services:
Career Service programs will now be coordinated through the Vice President of Student Engagement and the Learning Center. If students need one-on-one assistance, please refer them to the Student Services Desk for assistance. The Learning Center also assists students with accessing resources online and can assist with resume writing and cover letters.
Welcome Wagon:
Welcome wagon events are scheduled from August 25th through August 28th, 2024. We invite faculty and staff to participate in all activities with students. A schedule will be sent out this week with activities. Specifically, we would like all faculty to attend the Welcome BBQ on Wednesday, August 28th at 5:00 pm on the lawn outside of the CENTRA. There will be a faculty vs. student Kahoot Trivia event prior to the dinner.
Just as graduation is an important time in a student’s life, so is their first days at college. Please help make this an important day. And why not bring your family to enjoy one of our movie nights or a shaved ice on the weekend.
On Wednesday, August 28th, we will provide educational sessions on Sexual Health, Diversity, and Campus Safety. Student-Athletes will have an athletics orientation in the afternoon. Also, individuals with special dietary needs will have an opportunity to meet with dining to talk about the diversity of meal options, as well as solicit feedback from students on the types of foods they desire to meet their individual dietary conditions. Finally, there will be a session for all international students to discuss requirements pertaining to them.
AthleticDirector
Jerry Olson
Athletics had a very successful year on the courts, fields, arena, as well as the classroom.
Baseball won the MON-Dak Conference with a 22-2 record. They finished the season 37-14 with 5 players making the All-Conference team and Lance Bratlien and Coleman Parry making the All-Region team. Coleman Parry was also named 2nd team All-American.
Softball finished runner-up in the Region and had 3 ladies make All-Conference.
MCC had 60 NJCAA All-Academic selections.
MCC had 80 All-Conference All-Academic selections.
Academic Rankings in the nation (NJCAA)
Women’s Basketball (1st) 3.76
Baseball (4th) 3.703
Softball (14th) 3.70
Men’s Basketball (19th) 3.2
Volleyball (20th) 3.66
*** This is out of all Divisions!!!!
The Men’s Basketball team also won a National Association of Basketball Coaches Academic Award.
Rodeo is in a different division and does not do Academic National Rankings.
Women’s Rodeo – 3.47
Men’s Rodeo – 3.48
Athletic Fundraising total for the 2023-2024 academic year was $397,550.02
PIONEERS
Vice President of Administrative Services & Human Resources Kylene Phipps
Policy and Notice of Nondiscrimination
MCC complies with federal civil rights laws and is committed to providing its programs and services without discrimination in accordance with the following laws and regulations: Titles IV, VI, and VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; 34 C.F.R. pt. 100; Title IX; 28 C.F.R. pt. 54 and 34 C.F.R. pt. 106; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act; 34 C.F.R. pt. 104; Age Discrimination Act of 1975; 34 C.F.R. pt. 110; and Titles I and II of the Americans with Disabilities Act; 28 C.F.R. pt. 35; Montana Human Rights Act and Governmental Code of Fair Practices, Title 49, Montana Code Annotated.
In addition, Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 and its implementing regulation at 34 C.F.R pt. 106.3 (a), provide that no person shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any academic, extracurricular, research, occupational training, or other education program or activity operated by MCC.
Reporting Violations of This Policy
All reports or any concerns about conduct pertaining to sexual harassment or discrimination that may violate Policy 600.13 and retaliation should be reported to the official responsible for receiving reports of discrimination referred to through this Policy as the “Responsible Official (“RO”).
MCC Responsible Official’s are:
Title IX Officer (President’s Office Suite)
Kylene Phipps TitleIX@milescc.edu 406-874-6292
Deputy Title IX Officers (Student Services Office)
Richard DeShields DeShieldsR@milescc.edu 406-874-6226
Jessica Lofland LoflandJ@milescc.edu 406-874-6480
Erin Niedge NiedgeE@milescc.edu 406-874-6211
To file a report online, please visit the Title IX webpage at milescc.edu/TitleIX/TitleIX.aspx and click on the blue button entitled "Report Harassment or Sexual Assault". Timely reports help us better respond. When made aware of possible discrimination, the College will take prompt action to end the sexual misconduct, prevent its recurrence, and remedy its effects. Please visit the MCC Board Policy Handbook at milescc.edu/AboutUs/Board/Policy
ADA Amendments Act of 2008
Miles Community College Policy Statement
The Montana Human Rights Act and the Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA) prohibit discrimination because of a physical or mental disability.
The College is committed to eliminating disability-based discrimination against persons with disabilities and making reasonable accommodation for any known disability that interferes with an applicant's ability to compete in a selection process, an employee's ability to perform the essential functions of a job, a student's ability to meet the essential requirements of an academic program, or a person's ability to benefit from a college service or participate in a college sponsored or hosted event.
In order to assure nondiscrimination on the basis of disability, the College will provide appropriate and reasonable accommodation for members of the public employees, and students with disabilities as defined by these laws.
All College administrators, faculty, staff and students have a responsibility to adhere to the philosophy equal access and opportunity which is the basis for this nondiscrimination commitment.
An individual may be required to provide relevant, written documentation in order to establish that he/she is a person with a disability and entitled to a reasonable accommodation under the law.
The College’s ADA coordinators are the Vice President of Administrative Services & HR and the Director of Student Success & Retention
Employee or Applicant
Any employee, or applicant with disabilities concerned about accessibility and/or accommodation issues should contact the following:
Vice President of Administrative Services and HR Office 218
Phone (406) 874-6292
HumanResources@milescc.edu
Students
Any student with disabilities concerned about accessibility and/or accommodation issues should contact the following:
Director of Student Success & Retention
The Learning Center Room 208
Phone (406) 874-6100 or (800) 541-9281
DSS@milescc.edu
Drug Free Workplace Notification
As part of our commitment to maintaining a safe and healthy work and learning environment, Miles Community College adheres to a drug-free workplace policy in accordance with federal regulations. We are dedicated to fostering a campus culture that promotes the well-being and success of all members of our community.
It is imperative that all employees and students understand and comply with the following guidelines:
Prohibition of Illegal Drug Use: The unlawful manufacture, distribution, dispensation, possession, or use of illegal drugs on Miles Community College premises or as part of any college-related activities is strictly prohibited.
Prescription Medication Compliance: While the appropriate use of prescription medications is permitted, employees and students are expected to adhere to prescribed dosages and usage instructions. Any misuse or abuse of prescription medications is prohibited.
Alcohol Consumption: The consumption of alcohol on campus premises is only permitted during authorized events and in compliance with college policies and state laws. Excessive or irresponsible alcohol consumption is strictly prohibited.
Compliance with Federal Regulations: Miles Community College complies with the DrugFree Workplace Act of 1988 and the Drug-Free Schools and Communities Act Amendments of 1989. Violations of these regulations may result in disciplinary action, up to and including termination of employment or expulsion from the college.
Support and Resources: We are committed to supporting individuals who may be struggling with substance abuse issues. Counseling services and resources for substance abuse prevention and treatment are available through the college's counseling services and employee assistance program.
By adhering to our drug-free workplace policy, we can create a safer, healthier, and more productive environment for everyone at Miles Community College. For more information please see Section 600 of the MCC Board Policy Handbook. Thank you for your cooperation and commitment to upholding these standards.
Employee Resources
Employee resources including benefit information, payroll documents, employee handbooks, forms, and policies are available digitally and in hard copy. For more information please visit the following link milescc.edu/HR/hr.aspx
Human Resources
If you have any questions or concerns regarding employment, benefits, payroll, employee services, policies, professional development, employee & labor relations, etc. please email HumanResources@milescc.edu or reach out to a member of your HR department.
Kylene Phipps, Vice President of Administrative Services & HR phippsk@milescc.edu, (406) 874-6292
Carrie Preller, HR Coordinator prellerc@milescc.edu, (406) 874-6197
Awards & Recognitions
Richard DeShields, Vice President of Student Engagement & Auxiliary Services
Pioneer Profiles: Celebrating Faculty and Staff
October:
Katrina Luther, Nursing Faculty
Richard DeShields, VP of Student Engagement & Auxiliary Services
November
Garth Sleight, Associate Dean of Academic Affairs & Faculty
Dirk Schmidt, IT Manager
December
Tyler Niedge, CDL Instructor/Faculty Athletic Representative
Jerry Olson, Athletic Director
January
Dani Hudson, Nursing Instructor
Sam Giordanengo, Associate Dean of Instruction & eLearning
February
John Pawlak, Behind the Wheel CDL Instructor
Andrea-Rose Black, Accounting Specialist
March
Nancy Swope, Information Technology Instructor
Jenna Bolstad, Women’s Basketball Coach
April
Mary Luhr, Medical Technologist Adjunct and Phlebotomy Lab Adjunct
BeKa Stein Phipps, Director of Marketing & Communications
Lure Award
Whitney Smith, Student Services Office Assistant
Elizabeth Patten, Director of Institutional Advancement
Kari Wade, Custodian
Kim Helmts, Nursing & Allied Health Programs Advisor
Blue & Silver
Anne Anderson, Education Instructor
Nancy Swope, Information Technology Instructor
Personnel Reference
To facilitate the handling of matters of concern to faculty and staff members, please refer to the appropriate persons or staff positions as indicated below:
Campus Service
Academic Standards & Curriculum
Athletic Center (Centra)
Bookstore (Pioneer Merc)
Buildings and Grounds
Business Office
Counseling Services
Drop/Add
Contact Information
Dr. Rita Kratky
Mike Turck
Michele Trimble
Ross Lawrence
Nancy Aaberge
Richard DeShields
Faculty Advisor
eLearning Sam Giordanengo
Enrollment Management Erin Niedge
Equal Employment Opportunity Officer
Kylene Phipps
Events Candy Laney
Faculty Athletic Rep (FAR) Tyler Niedge
Financial Aid Office
Food & Dining Services
Foundation/Grants
Human Resources
Institutional Research
Danielle Dinges
Richard Cox
Dolly Ferris
Kylene Phipps
Loren Lancaster
Learning Center Holly Selk
Library Jerusha Shipstead
Marketing BeKa Stein Phipps
Nursing Program
Lynette Svingen
Public Information Erin Niedge
Recruitment
Registration and Admissions
Kyleigh Heberle
Carla Cummins
Accessibility & Disability Services (Student) Holly Selk
Accessibility & Disability Services (Employees) Kylene Phipps
Residence Life
Student Engagement
Student Conduct
Title IX Office
Workforce Training
Community Outreach
Jessica Lofland
Richard DeShields
Richard DeShields
Kylene Phipps
Elizabeth Smith
Carolyn Kimball
Personnel References (Continued)
Teaching Discipline Instructor
Education Anne Anderson
Business, Accounting
Kristy Atwood
Equine Brett Badgett
Science/Bio-Fuels
English
Communications/Art
History/Humanities
Agriculture
Kristin Buck
Charles Denny
Donna Faber
Daniel Ferris
Kimberly Gibbs
Mathematics Michael Hardy
Nursing
Dani Hudson
Science Liz Lawrence
Nursing
Katrina Luther
Writing Molly Magestro
Auto Mechanics
CDL
Behind the Wheel CDL
Communications, Spanish
Information Technology
Mathematics, Health, Physical Education
Mathematics
Science
Dave McIntyre
Tyler Niedge
John Pawlak
Garth Sleight
Nancy Swope
Chase Tait
Stan Taylor
Daigo Yamamura
Nursing Vacant
Instructor Vacant
Human Resources
The HR department is committed to the recruitment, retention, and support of excellent faculty and staff as well as working in partnership with all employees to provide programs and services that create an equal opportunity work environment, supportive professional and personal development, quality services, and compliance. MCC is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to maintaining an environment of respect and acceptance, one that recognizes the inherent worth and dignity of every person who enters our doors. We believe that a rich diversity of people and the many points of view they bring to campus serve to enhance the quality of the educational experience at MCC. Together, our community strives to create and maintain working and learning environments that are inclusive, equitable, and welcoming.
The Human Resources department facilitated a number of searches throughout the year adding great expertise and experience to the MCC team. Hires included:
Belinda Forman joined the MCC Nursing Program fall 2023 as a Clinical Resource Registered Nurse (CRRN). Belinda is an alum of our MCC Nursing Program and most recently was a Registered Nurse (RN) at Prairie Community Hospital in Terry, Montana. This fall Belinda will continue as CRRN as well as coordinate clinicals for freshman nursing students.
Traci Glasscock joined the Learning Center as an Instructor in August 2023. In the summer of 2024, she transitioned into the role of Dual Enrollment Program Coordinator. In this capacity, Traci will lead the planning, development, implementation, and assessment of the program. Her primary duties include advising and supporting students, parents, high school and college counselors, and employees regarding dual enrollment and career pathway opportunities, as well as navigating policies and procedures.
Kari Wade and Don Morrow joined the facilities department. Kari rejoined the facilities team in August and Don joined the team in September as full-time custodians.
Richard Cox officially stepped into the role of Dining Services Director. Richard is responsible for the administration of all aspects of the food service operations. His journey with MCC began as Dining Services Assistant and recently became a chef after completing his culinary arts program through Auguste Escoffier School of Culinary Arts.
Ambia Pawlak joined the Café as Dining Services Assistant. Ambia is responsible for assisting the Dining Services Directors in all aspects of the food service operations. Duties of this position includes ensuring food is professionally prepared and served, providing exceptional customer service, and coordinating catering services. Ambia serves as the primary cook for lunch service and assisst with morning operations. Ambia brings a wealth of experience from various dining operations, customer serviceoriented roles and administrative position before relocating to Miles City.
Elizabeth Smith is now serving as the SBDC Regional Director/MCC Workforce Development Coordinator at Miles Community College. Elizabeth brings prior Economic Development experience from her tenure at EPEDC Economic Development Corporation in Terry, MT, where she excelled in grant writing and reporting. Additionally, she served as an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer with Prairie Economic Development Council. Holding a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Northern State University in Aberdeen, SD, she also possesses two master's degrees: a Master of Science in Education (E-Learning and Clinical Counseling) from Northern State University and a Master of Education (School Counseling) from Montana State University Billings. As the new SBDC Regional Director/MCC Workforce Development Coordinator, Elizabeth will be responsible for leading and managing the hosted SBDC Center and coordinating the College’s Workforce Development program including Workforce Solutions.
Mike Preller joined the facilities team as the Maintenance Technician. In this role, he is responsible for performing maintenance and repairs across all campus facilities, in addition to maintaining and servicing all MCC vehicles.
Woody Smith joined the facilities team as Facilities Technician, contributing to the overall efficiency and functionality of our campus facilities. This role encompasses a broader set of responsibilities, aligning with the evolving needs of our institution. Woody’s primary responsibility is maintaining the facilities at the AAC.
Lynette Svingen assumed the role of MCC Director of Nursing. Lynette brings a wealth of healthcare experience, with over 30 years in the field, currently serving as the Vice President of Performance Excellence at Frances Mahon Deaconess Hospital in Glasgow, MT. Her diverse nursing background includes roles as a traveling nurse with Badlands Medical Staffing/Medical Solutions, involvement in clinical research with City of Hope in Duarte, California, and leadership positions such as VP of Patient Services with Planned Parenthood in Los Angeles. Lynette will be on the MCC campus one day a week and work remotely for the remainder of the week. She holds both an ASN and BSN from Montana State University – Northern, a Master of Health Administration/Master of Business Administration from Pfeiffer University, and a Doctor of Nursing Practice/Family Nurse Practitioner from Western University of Health Sciences.
Susan Walla joined the nursing department as a CRRN in Glendive, MT. With over 40 years of diverse experience in clinical settings, including postpartum, labor & delivery, nursery, orthopedics, medical/surgical, psychiatry, and extended care, Susan brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to our organization. Having held leadership positions such as charge nurse, department manager, and director of nursing, Susan is a seasoned professional whose commitment to excellence aligns seamlessly with our mission.
Christina Poland joined the Café as the Dining Services Assistant. Christina brings valuable experience from her previous position at Eastern Montana Industries, where she served in providing vocational and rehabilitation services to individuals with disabilities across Eastern Montana. Her working hours will be from 7:00 am to 3:00 pm daily.
Jeremiah Hill rejoined the Café as our morning Dining Services Assistant. Jeremiah was formerly our evening line cook and most recently the lead cook at Gallagher’s. His working hours will be from 5:30 am to 1:30 pm.
Dolly Ferris accepted the position of Director of Institutional Advancement at MCC. With over 15 years of professional experience, including her recent role as the Financial Aid Specialist, Dolly brings a wealth of skills and expertise that will undoubtedly drive our institution forward. Her dedication to building connections and nurturing relationships will be invaluable, as will her exceptional interpersonal skills in fostering partnerships with donors, alumni, and key stakeholders. Moreover, her outstanding communication abilities and knack for engagement will play a pivotal role in executing successful fundraising campaigns and events, aligning perfectly with our institution's mission and vision.
Sadrac Blancint has recently become a valuable member of our facilities team, stepping into the role of an evening custodian beginning May 2nd. We're thrilled to have him on board and look forward to the positive contributions he will make to our campus environment
Kim Helmts has accepted the role of Learning Center Instructor after a thorough search process led by the Search Committee Kim’s professionalism, MCC experience, organizational skills, attention to detail, kindness, and compassion make her an ideal fit for the Learning Center. Kim will play a crucial role in providing educational support to out-of-school youth and adults in HiSET preparation, literacy, and ESL instruction.
Jill Olson has accepted the position of Nursing and Allied Health Programs Advisor. This transition comes as Kim Helmts takes on her exciting new role in the Learning Center. Recognizing the unique opportunity to leverage our internal strengths, the President felt it was the perfect time to appoint Jill to this critical position, which is traditionally challenging to recruit for. While this appointment deviates from our typical search process, Jill’s extensive experiences and dedication will ensure continuity of service for our students, faculty, and staff Her understanding of our programs and her proven commitment make her an ideal fit for this role.
Mark Graupe has been hired as our new Head Women’s Basketball Coach. Mark joins MCC after serving as the Assistant Women’s Basketball Coach at Rocky Mountain College in Billings during the 2021-22 season, where the team finished with an impressive 29-5 record and secured a spot in the NAIA National Tournament. Prior to that, he spent eight years coaching college basketball in North Dakota, starting as the Head Women’s Basketball Coach at Dickinson State University (2013-2017) and then at Minot State University (2017-2021). After graduating from the University of North Dakota, Coach Graupe began his career coaching high school basketball throughout North Dakota before being hired as the Head Men’s Basketball Coach at Lake Region State College. Following his departure from Lake Region, he spent time at Colorado State University as the Director of Men’s Basketball Operations at Dartmouth College as the Interim Head Men’s Basketball Coach Coach Graupe will be responsible for administering all phases of our NJCAA Division I women’s basketball program.
Billy Hubbell joined MCC as our new Financial Aid Specialist Billy holds a Bachelor’s Degree from MSU-Billings and brings over 10 years of regulatory and compliance experience from his time with Stockman and Opportunity Banks. Billy’s expertise includes procedure development and extensive customer service experience. We are excited to have him on our team and look forward to the valuable contributions he will make. Billy will serve as the primary point of contact for students, parents, and the public, handling daily processing of federal financial aid applications, document tracking, and student records management. The role includes providing administrative support to the Director of Financial Aid and managing the work-study program, as well as assisting with the awarding of all forms of institutional, state, and federal financial aid
Summer custodial team hired to prepare Pioneer Hall for the fall semester includes Troy Backes, Isabella Romero, and Austin Kountz.
AAC Student Event Staff/Custodians for FY2025 are Skyla Pierson and Bree Swanson. Responsibilities include monitoring the event calendar and executing the Facilities Use Agreement with renters for the AAC. These students will also be responsible for providing custodial support before and after events including wiping down bathrooms, sweeping/mopping the foyer area, cleaning trash from the bleacher area, and general pickup/removal of garbage and manure, including parking areas. Responsibilities also include ensuring the building is open to groups or individuals renting the space as well as ensuring the building is secured and locked after events. These students are responsible for routine and preventative maintenance and repair on all arenas, grounds, and some buildings.
Sick Leave Donation (Sick Leave Bank)
In accordance with Board Policy 600.11 Sick Leave Bank, an employee may, at the employee’s discretion, donate a yearly maximum of 40 hours of their accrued sick leave to another employee who is in need. An employee may receive a fiscal year maximum of 240 hours of donated sick leave credits. The sick leave recipient shall have exhausted all sick leave due to a personal illness or an illness in the immediate family. The donating employee must maintain a minimum balance of 40 hours of sick leave after donation. Donated leave shall be used in the order of date of receipt. Unused donated sick leave at the end of the fiscal year shall be credited back to the donors. The Vice President of Administrative Services and HR will maintain records of donations, use, and credits. The Vice President of Administrative Services and HR will review requests for donated sick leave. The maximum allowable leave for part-time employees shall be prorated according to FTE status.
Please contact Carrie Preller, HR Coordinator for more information and the Sick Leave Donation & Request Form.
Professional Development
MCC encourages institutional advancement through the professional development of its employees to enhance their effectiveness in fulfilling their roles, duties, and responsibilities. The College annually budgets funds for professional development and provides campus-wide opportunities for professional development. Faculty members are highly encouraged to engage in professional development, such as presenting at professional conferences and workshops. Employees and supervisors also have the opportunity to identify and discuss professional development opportunities and plans during the annual review process. Staff and faculty may request professional development funds from their immediate supervisor.
New Employee Orientation is held once a year for new hires to explain the mission, initiatives, culture, and expectations including campus safety. Upon the first day of employment, new hires meet with a representative from human resources to review key policies and administrative procedures. Supervisors review initial job assignments, position descriptions, and performance expectations with each new hire. Employees are also shown where to locate different types of information, such as the college website, campus resources, systems, internal shared drive, and SharePoint if applicable.
Annually, MCC provides a one-day orientation for new employees. Attendees spend time with and learn from the college President, Vice President of Academic Affairs, Vice President of Student Engagement & Auxiliary Service, Vice President of Administrative Services & HR, and Vice President of Enrollment Management & Educational Support Services.
Discussion topics include but are not limited to the following:
MCC Overview, History, Governance, Mission, Core Themes, & Culture Academic Affairs Overview Budget Overview
Enrollment Management, Campus Branding & Marketing, FERPA, Learning Center (Student Support Services) Policy Review including Title IX
Reporting Students of Concern & Mental Health Team Building Culture Competence
Thank Goodness It’s Friday (TGIF) Professional Development Days
TGIF is a summer professional development program to provide education and wellness opportunities for staff and faculty. MCC supports our mission of preparing students for success and lifelong learning through quality programs, community outreach, and partnerships by providing these opportunities for continuing education to our employees.
This year the college offered the following TGIF Sessions:
CPR Refresher Course
Working with Difficult Personalities
Establishing Boundaries and Accountability
Art with Donna Faber
Goal Setting
Pathway to Being Successful
Workshop by MUS Wellness Program Manager/Fitness Specialist Neal Andrews
The College looks forward to continuing professional development opportunities on campus, please contact the Human Resources office at humanresources@milescc.edu should you have any requests for professional development topics.
Feedback
Employee Satisfaction Survey 2024
Thank you to all the employees who participated in providing feedback through the annual Employee Satisfaction Survey. We appreciate you taking the time and effort to answer the questions. It is our goal to work as a team to understand the results and develop a plan of action. Based on the results that were shared during an all-employee meeting, we continue to establish initiatives that directly address our findings.
Initiatives include but are not limited to the following:
Campus-wide strategic planning to update campus commitments and goals
Continuation of Thank Goodness it’s Friday Professional Development Days based on campus-wide survey of desired topics
All Employee Meeting reformatting to make the meeting more meaningful to include 1) welcome, 2) review of the board agenda, 3) faculty, staff, and student spotlights, 4) assessment/training activities, 5) updates from around campus, and 6) celebrations and recognitions.
Shared governance and open communication
The following results are a few key indicators of employee engagement and satisfaction over the past ten years.
Facilities
MCC facilities strive to maintain a campus environment that is accessible, safe, secure, and sufficient in quantity and quality to provide healthy learning, living, and working environments that support the college’s mission, academic programs, and services.
Repair or Maintenance Requests
If you are in need of repairs or maintenance or have a work request please send a repair ticket to our facilities repair and maintenance service desk at help@mccrepair.on.spiceworks.com In the subject line please state a brief description of the issue (i.e. Request to move office furniture, heating or cooling issues, broken items, etc.). In the main body of the email please include a detailed description of the issue, including location. Maintenance/custodial personnel may follow-up with you for further information. You may also call Ross Lawrence, Facilities Manager at 406-874-6172 for assistance.
Your MCC Facilities Team
Ross Lawrence, Facilities Manager
Mike Preller, Maintenance Technician
Woody Smith, Facilities Manager
Don Morrow, Custodian
Kari Wade, Custodian
Sadrac Blancint, Custodian
Rick Ottoy, Part-Time Custodian
Information Technology
The IT department’s mission is to help the institution fulfill the college’s mission and strategic plan through access to consistent, reliable, innovative, and accessible technology.
Help Desk Requests
If you are in need of technology support please send a helpdesk ticket to our IT department at help@mccitticket.on.spiceworks.com. In the subject line please state a brief description of the issue and in the main body of the email please include a detailed description of the issue and contact information. IT staff will follow-up with you for further information.
Your MCC IT Team
Dirk Schmidt, IT Manager
Jay Wiebers, IT Specialist
Accreditation
Vice President of Academic Affairs Rita Kratky, Ph.D.
NWCCU - the Accreditation Agency for Miles Community College is Northwest Commission for Colleges and Universities (NWCCU):
The dates of the revised evaluation schedule are as follows:
Mid-Cycle Review Spring 2026
Recommendation 1: Spring 2022 Evaluation of Institutional Effectiveness
Recommendation 2: Spring 2022 Evaluation of Institutional Effectiveness
Recommendation 3: Spring 2022 Evaluation of Institutional Effectiveness
Year 6 – Standard 2 – Policies, Regulations, and Financial Review Spring 2029
Year 7 – Evaluation of Institutional Effectiveness Spring 2030
NWCCU Senior Vice President, Teresa Rivenes is the new Staff Liaison for Miles Community College effective in August 2024, as Dr. Ron Larson retires.
Professional/National Program Accreditation:
Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing (ACEN)
ACEN Accredited MCC with no stipulations through Fall 2026
Montana State Board of Nursing (SBON) fully approved MCC ASN/RN program and reports official quarterly reports on NCLEX rates in July, October, January, and April. The official NCLEX scores are reported directly to SBON. SBON communicates to MCC our official NCLEX pass rate (first time testing pass rate only) that is used by both SBON and ACEN for required NCLEX pass rate. The requirement of NCLEX pass rate for SBON is a pass rate within 10 points of the national average NCLEX pass rate, while the ACEN NCLEX pass rate requirement can be one or more of three options:
1. A pass rate of 80% or above of first-time-test-takers, 2. Combination of first-time-test-takers and second attempt, 3. Most recent three-year pass rates.
Currently, as of July 2024 quarterly report from NCLEX to SBON our MCC ASN program has a NCLEX pass rate:
The data above reflects the NCLEX tests taken by 12 of our 18 ASN graduates by June 30, 2024. The October 2024 SBON quarterly report will include any of our remaining 18 ASN graduates who have taken the NCLEX test between July and September 30, 2024. The final quarterly SBON with NCLEX rates will be in January 2024 and these are used by SBON and ACEN for our annual NCLEX pass rate.
ACEN will be looking at the following NCLEX record for MCC ASN program and adding our 2024 NCLEX results as follows:
Official NCLEX report in October 2024 – All MCC students are expected to have taken the NCLEX exam by this report.
Number of 1st time test takers 22
Curriculum Division Updates
General Education (GE): Division Chair, Dr. Mike Hardy
Spring 2025 will be Division election for GE Division Chair and begin service in fall 2025.
Stan Taylor taught a Teacher’s Institute course Wolf Mountain Battle on July 12 and 13 on campus, and at Wolf Mountain battlefield.
Charles Denny is a MUS Teacher’s Scholarship recipient and will be running his project fall 2024/spring 2025.
UISFL Grant - Daigo Yamamura is a representative on the Yellowstone Consortium for International Studies. As campus guide, Daigo will attend other campuses and will do a presentation here Fall 2024. Six $6000 abroad travel grants are available and MCC is guaranteed one of them.
Career
and Technical
Education (CTE):
Division Chair, Ms. Kim Gibbs
Spring 2025 will be Division election for CTE Division Chair and begin service in fall 2025.
Meat Processing pilot certificate program ended due to no enrollment and expiration of grant funds to support the costs of Range Meats curriculum services and Meat Processing Coordinator role. Meat Processing core courses are remaining in the catalog so continuing high school dual enrollment instruction can continue with high school instructors.
MCC was awarded the Perkins Grant for $97,405 and Perkins Reserve for $47,136. These grants help our CTE programs tremendously with equipment and instructional technical needs.
Kim Gibbs has been working with the CHS Foundation regarding scholarships and college club mini-grants. In August 2024 CHS Foundation notified MCC Foundation that for the 2024/2025 academic year we will receive $10,000.00 in funding in CHS student scholarships (eight, $1000.00 student scholarships) and ($2000.00) in minigrants for College Club awards for Young Farmers and Ranchers.
In July 2024 both Kim Gibbs and VP Kratky had an opportunity to meet with Ag Teachers from across the state and FFA leaders about our Ag and Business programs and opportunities to partner Working with the CDL program with Dual Enrollment expansion opportunities and finalizing third-party testing for our site.
HEO 102-Commercial Truck Driver B to A Transition is a 2 credit lab approved to assist students in gaining the knowledge and information needed to upgrade their Class B Commercial Drivers License to a Class A Commercial Driver’s License.
Director, Lynette Svingen
The Nurses Pinning ceremony took place on May 3rd, 2024 with a total of 18 nursing students participating.
Jordan Hagemeister, a member of the Class of 2024, was honored with the 2024 Outstanding Graduate Award within the Nursing Division. Currently, 25 nursing students are set to continue their academic journey into their sophomore year.
Professors Katrina Luther and Rosemary Malloy lead a weekly NCLEX boot camp from May 14th to June 18th to prepare students for their licensure exams. The Nursing Admissions Committee convened on June 6th to review applications and select candidates for the upcoming academic year. There are 24 new Freshmen Nursing students for Fall 2024 semester. The New Freshmen class will have a Nursing Program Orientation on August 6th.
Starting on June 11th, SOAR sessions will commence for incoming students registering for the fall 2024 semester. We anticipate a substantial cohort of prenursing students to join our program.
NRSG Director, Dr. Lynette Svingen began in January 2024 as MCC Nursing Director.
Nursing Faculty and CRRN positions are posted and remain open until filled. Nursing Program instructions are covered by both faculty members: Katrina Luther and Dani Hudson along with support by SIMs Coordinator/CRRN position held by Kim Jerke and Scheduling/CRRN Coordinator Belinda Forman, and adjunct nursing faculty covering courses and multiple CRRNs covering multiple clinical sites.
Estate of Evangeline M. LeVeque presentation in the amount of $557,703.27 to MCC on Aug. 7, 2024. These funds will be used to create two endowed scholarship funds in her name. The first endowed fund will support students in our Nursing Program. The second endowed fund will support students who are pursuing their Certified Nursing Assistant Certificate.
Associate Dean of Instruction and eLearning
Sam Giordanengo
Honorlock:
This year the college will be replacing the Digiexam proctoring service with the faculty-chosen Honorlock service. This new service will fully integrate with our current Canvas platform and because the software is primarily browser-based, most students will not have to download any software to access it outside of the Honorlock Chrome extension. Honorlock provides students with a secure and easy-to-use remote proctored testing solution. It is perfect for addressing academic integrity for exams in hybrid and online courses. Deployment is fast and easy for faculty.
Sam update:
Sam graduated from Leadership Montana with the class of 2024. The experience allowed Sam to spend time all over Montana and meet professionals from many private and public sector vocations. Leadership Montana offers participants a program that strengthens leadership skills while fostering personal growth and reflection. Sam was able to gain a deeper awareness of issues affecting Montana all while building personal connections with his classmates.
Sam also will finish his final year of coursework for his PhD program in organizational leadership this year and will start writing his dissertation in the Summer of 2025 with an expected graduation date in the Spring of 2026.
eLearning updates:
The Explorance Blue course evaluation system is giving faculty better data and easy-to-understand results from student contributions. The rollout of this new service in Fall 2023 has reduced the workload for many staff members at our college and promises to be a powerful tool for assessment in the future. Canvas has been updated in many of its components and tools to make them easier to use for faculty and students.
Grants: Perkins – $97,405
Perkins Federal funds to Montana for high school and higher education Career to Technical Education. This year’s 2024 funded the following MCC CTE projects:
CDL – Airbrake Display – $37,600
CDL – Dashcam - $2,500
Welding – 2 Miller Welding Setups - $11,500
Welding – Components - $6,365
Agriculture – AI (Artificial Insemination) Trailer and Panels - $5,000
Agriculture – AI (Artificial Insemination) Model Cow Uterus - $500
Equine – Halo Smart Round Corral - $17,900
Personnel Services – $16,404
Perkins Reserves – $47,136
Support for the Dual Enrollment Coordinator. In the 2023-24, academic year, MCC facilitated 367 concurrent enrollment students and 600 dual enrollment students. The Dual Enrollment Coordinator will visit regional high schools to make more connections with students, counselors, and staff that currently partner with MCC. There is a plan to visit Washington Middle School in Miles City in the 2024-2025 academic year to share the opportunity we have for students to earn college credit in high school, with a specific focus on firstgeneration college students. Afterward, the Dual Enrollment Coordinator will expand that to other 6-8th graders in our region.
NON-CREDIT DIVISION UP-DATES
Library Director/Coordinator of Institutional Effectiveness:
Jerusha Shipstead
Library Assistant: Mary Strouf
Jerusha’s duties as the Coordinator of Institutional Effectiveness, include:
Expertise and support to academic divisions on design, implementation, and analysis of student learning.
Development of relevant outcomes measures, tracking, implementing, and recommendations for continuous improvement
Develop institutional effectiveness resources, initiatives, and activities for staff, faculty, and administrators.
Communicate to ensure institutional planning, assessment, accreditation, and compliance operations are understood across campus.
Support building organizational culture of quality assurance activities in planning, evaluation, and continuous improvement.
Library Hours:
Monday-Thursday 7:30 am-4:30 pm & Friday 7:30 am-4:00 pm
Research/library chat is available every day 9 am-8:30 pm
Faculty Athletic Representative (FAR):
Tyler Niedge
Faculty Athletic Representative (FAR) – Tyler Niedge serves through Spring 2025. In Spring 2025 the application process will open to select a FAR beginning the fall 2025 for a threeyear term.
SBDC Director and Workforce Coordinator:
Elizabeth Smith
Elizabeth was hired in January 2024 on a part-time basis and began full-time in June 2024.
Elizabeth received her Association of Accredited Small Business Consultants (AASBC) certification on June 20, 2024.
Attended SEMDC quarterly meeting and provided a personal introduction to board members, on June 27, 2024.
Met with representatives from SBA, MMEC, and the MT DOC International Trade. Attended MCAEDC meeting and provided a personal introduction to board members on July 11, 2024.
Four Teachers Institute courses with registrants are running smoothly.
SBDC Stakeholder and Strategic Partner Engagement Plan Committee meeting on July 15, 2024.
Attended Energy Days in Colstrip on August 8, 2024.
Community Outreach Coordinator:
Carolyn Kimball
Kid’s Kollege
Kids Kollege held a “Rompin’ Rodeo” for children ages 5-12 on July 9, 2024, at the Ag Advancement Center Arena. The event ran Barrel Races, Breakaway Pole Races, a Bull Ring Toss, Steer Roping, Trick Roping, and Bucking Broncs Riding with the use of the Kid’s stick horses.
STEM CAMP:
Nancy Swope
In partnership with Cyber Montana, Miles Community College held a four-day CyberSTEM Camp on the MCC campus in June. The cost for participants was only $25. The camp ran from 9 am to 3 pm daily and included instruction, lunches, t-shirts, and free Chromebooks for student participants. The event was open to junior high and high school students. The camp was full with 18 participants. CyberMT is focusing on getting additional schools to participate, not necessarily more camps.
This educational camp tackled subjects such as cybersecurity, network/information defense, programming, artificial intelligence (AI), and graphic design by incorporating competitions, hands-on projects, games, and other learning resources. The students not only learned some great computer skills but made some great friendships, too. It is always great to have students on the MCC campus having great experiences. Perhaps some of these STEM Camp students will become future MCC Pioneers!
ACADEMIC AFFAIRS FOCUS FOR FALL/SPRING 2024-25
NWCCU – Academic Assessment Planning Planning 2024-2025 AY Calendar
Faculty Evaluations will run on a rotation cycle and occur in both the fall and spring 2024/2025 semesters.
Faculty Master Agreement 2023-2025 was approved by BOT in June 2023 and implemented. The negotiation cycle begins in Spring/Summer 2025.
Monthly Academic Minute Email from VPAA to campus to share highlights of the month on programs, accreditation, grants, academic standards, faculty spotlights, and upcoming academic dates or events.
Student Services
Vice President of Enrollment Management & Educational Support Service
Erin Niedge
Enrollment Services Division Highlights, Reminders, & New Things to Know
General Summer Enrollment Numbers/Updates
After a summer enrollment slide from 2020-2022, we built on the summer 2023 gains and had a great term, eclipsing our previous high from 2019—this was our highest enrolled summer term in recent memory!
Summer is the leading term into our annualized numbers (what we are funded on for the year) so this means we are in a good position heading into the rest of the academic year.
A majority of summer enrollment is resident students, which is also good. I believe the new summer academic calendar, with multiple parts of term, has benefitted us with new enrollments—as many of our summer students are high school students or visiting students from other campuses, the multiple start dates keeps us in line with what other colleges and universities are doing, with more accessible options available to students. Quottly/MUS Courseshare, with all partner campuses having multiple terms, fueled a lot of growth.
As with last summer and the multiple summer start dates, we continued to experience unanticipated/unintended challenges particularly for financial aid and the business office, largely around no-show reporting and the impact on student aid and bills from there. Later sections of this document will discuss expectations for handling no-shows so we don’t inadvertently harm students or saddle ourselves with bad debt.
General Enrollment Services Division Updates
Jenzabar
You’ll get sick of hearing the word, but the Enrollment Services division will largely be consumed by Jenzabar! As a reminder, the institution will no longer stay on Banner, and we are in the midst of a two-year implementation of Jenzabar, which will be our new ERP/Student Information System.
Our division is also switching to Jenzabar as our CRM—Customer Relationship Management—program, which is on a very accelerated implementation due to the closure of the company we are currently using for our CRM and online admissions application. The go-live for this is set for February.
I cannot stress this enough—this is a heavy lift!!! We have been told to plan for this to take up 10 to 15 hours PER WEEK of each involved individual’s time throughout implementation. Expect this to impact office availability and service at certain points throughout the next year and a half. As there will be times our entire staff needs to be in training, our office may close or have reduced hours if we do not have work study students available. Additionally, even if we are not in training sessions, there is significant “homework” and tasks to accomplish as we move towards implementation— this will take priority over some other less time-sensitive tasks in the Student Services Office.
Counselor, Kyleigh Heberle, who will start on August 29th. Though already familiar with a number of areas on campus through her time as a Student Services work study student and Pioneer Ambassador, Kyleigh will be reaching out to various offices, program leads, etc. to learn more about academic programs and campus services.
With the Admissions vacancy filled later than previously hoped, that means we will pulling other staff into travel and other critical recruitment tasks, which may have them out of office at less-than-ideal times. Again, your patience and understanding is very much appreciated.
·With new staff comes a training and transition period, and a chance to re-evaluate existing tasks and processes—thank you for your patience with us as we navigate that!
Dual Enrollment
Traci Glasscock is the Dual Enrollment Coordinator—reminder, this is a brand new role! With high school students from 50+ Montana high schools making up half of our total headcount, this position was a critical need on campus. Traci started in late spring and has already had a ton of interaction with our high school students and partners.
Please direct concerns or questions about high school students in your classes to Traci (not to Erin, Danielle, or Holly as in previous terms). She will be the lead “case manager” on all high school student issues, and will involve others on campus as needed.
The Opportunity Realized program and COLS 111, Career Development and Interpersonal Skills, continues to fuel significant headcount growth.
We have an earlier start date, so this is a new adventure! By the time you are reading this at professional development days/convocation, our application deadline for new first-time degree-seeking students has already passed (Thursday, August 22) and we have held our last SOAR session for the summer (Monday, August 26).
As in the past, any late applicants must be approved by Erin—new freshman are rarely approved, transfers may be considered. Non-degree applications from visiting students are typically processed through the late add deadline.
For those of you who advise students in online-only programs, there may be applicants still completing online SOAR who will be seeking advising yet this week.
As not all waitlisted students will be accommodated, it is preferred to find an alternate course or schedule suggestion if possible rather than waitlist a student. Carolyn frequently monitors waitlists in the days before classes begin, and you may want to visit with her before advising a student to waitlist themselves.
Quottly registration has already closed for fall, so students do not have that option at this point—it closes by the earliest-starting-campus’s drop deadline, which was Montana Tech—they’ve already begun classes. If you have an MCC student advisee registered to take a class through Quottly, the deadline to drop in Quottly is Sept. 3rd.
As usual, non-degree and Pioneer Express applications continue to roll in daily.
Advisors, please check your email for a list of your advisees from Spring 2024 who have not graduated and who have not yet registered for Fall 2024 classes. Check to be sure that someone you’ve advised isn’t on there, and maybe just forgot to register in Banner. Any details you have about non-returning students are appreciated as we work to improve retention outreach. In looking at preliminary retention numbers, it appears that we all did a great job in getting most of our anticipated returners to register before they left!
After classes begin, it’s imperative that we hear from you if anyone is a no-show in your class. We will send an email as we approach the initial drop date, and need all faculty to respond either with a list of no-show students (no attendance/no Canvas login, or a brief login and no action taken), or a quick “yes, everyone’s here!” This helps us make sure bills are accurate before fee payment day, and free up seats for waitlisted students if necessary.
International Student Regulations for eLearning
Don’t forget to check your international student advisees for excess eLearning classes! As a reminder, we are back to pre-pandemic policies regarding international students in eLearning/distance learning classes with the Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP—part of the US Department of Homeland Security)
International students may only be in ONE distance delivery class per semester (this includes L, H, V, and BV sections). Per the instructions sent over the past few semesters, here is a reminder of our process for handling those instances where an international student might encounter multiple distance sections:
International students needing to enroll in more than one eLearning course may do so using the following process as long as the second (or more) course is V, BV, B, or H. An international student may never take more than one L course per semester (an online science lecture and lab would count as two courses so is not allowed). As these classes (V, BV, B, & H) have a face-to-face component, we will require international students to attend face-to-face, and will create a non-eLearning section for them on an as-needed basis (please note that this means they also will not be charged the eLearning fee, as we expect them to attend in person, per federal law).
Step 1: The advisor and student identify all courses the student needs to take and assess if more than one distance section is needed (so long as the second+ courses are V, BV, V, or H sections). The advisor will review with the student that the student is required to attend face-to-face even though Zoom attendance could be available to other students registered for the course (H, BV, V).
Step 2: The advisor calls Erin Niedge or Carla Cummins to request the face-to-face CRN and provides the student’s M14#. (For those of you that were here when we used to run ITV sections, this will work like that – a linked 1/1H section, etc.). Erin or Carla will create the face-to-face coded CRN and enroll the student.
Step 3: Confirm on the student’s schedule that they are registered for all courses.
This may seem redundant, but we continue to encounter issues with international students in more than one distance course every term, and risk our ability to continue to admit and enroll these students. As I know some of us may advise international students infrequently, we want to make sure that we continue to monitor compliance with this.
Academic Calendar and Advising Updates
When speaking with students or advisees about dropping or withdrawing early in the term, please remember that the 50% refund deadline in the academic calendar is for complete withdrawals only and not just drops (so, students dropping all classes and leaving school entirely). Schedules, and bills, are locked in on the 6th instructional day, September 6, and dropped classes after this point will result in a ‘W’ grade and no refund. We have changed the terminology on the published academic calendar on the website (and at SOAR) to say “last day to drop for no record/no refund” to better clarify.
Fee payment day is Tuesday, September 10. Students must plan to make arrangements to pay in full or set up a deferred payment contract by this day.
Advising Day for spring is November 6. Please convey to your advisees the importance of being available and completing advising that day.
Graduation applications for Spring 2024 graduates are due one week after Advising Day, on November 13.
Please remember that the Add/Drop Form replaces all previous advising/registration forms used for overrides, such as those for pre-reqs, co-reqs, and conflicting courses. The VPAA’s signature is still required for those overrides to be processed. No signatures besides the students are required for the Hyflex conflict form.
Campus Email Address for Students
This summer at SOAR, we, along with Dirk and the IT department, have worked hard to make sure that all new students are familiar with Office365 and their MCC student email through Outlook. It’s our expectation that all official campus communication will go through the campus email address—all emails to student listservs (from the Registrar’s office or Financial Aid, for example) only go to the campus email address list –remind your students and advisees that they are missing important info if they are not checking their MCC account! Advisors can see the campus email when viewing student email addresses in Banner Self-Service. The Student Services Office will not accept requests for various actions (example – drop forms from distance students) from anything other than the official MCC student email address.
If a student expresses that they do not know their MCC email address or do not know/do not remember how to access it, there is a great resource in the footer of the website – at the bottom of the homepage, the last option under Quick Links is Student Accounts Guides & Help. It provides access instructions and password reset processes for all student accounts. New students also have access to all of the Office365 login information that Dirk created in the SOAR Canvas class.
We have a new staff member! Billy Hubbell started as our new Financial Aid Specialist on July 1, replacing Dolly Ferris in that position.
As students consider drops or withdrawals, please have them talk to the financial aid office prior to taking action.
When entering final grades for a term in Banner Self-Service, the last date of attendance is required for all ‘W’ and ‘F’ grades.
Continued FAFSA delays: As you likely saw all year in the news, the new 2024-2025 FAFSA roll out was a complete mess, and we continue to battle a few delays there. It does not look like 2025-2026 will be much better—The U.S. Department of Education announced Aug. 7 that the upcoming FAFSA form will be open to all students by Dec. 1 – about two months later than the typical release date. Danielle continues to monitor the situation for updates, and we will get a communication plan for new and continuing students as we know more.
We have had a very difficult time spending all of our work study allocation, and would like to see more student utilizing their work study award and hours! We have increased our student work study hourly wage to $13/hour this year to hopefully entice more to work on campus. If there’s a student position of some sort you’d like to see, or a work-study eligible student you’d like to have working for you, let us know. We risk having our work study allocation reduced in the future if we continue to under utilize it. Many work study jobs are very flexible, and students can work a few hours in between classes or practice, something not always possible with off-campus jobs.
Learning Center Updates
Reminder—Traci Glasscock is now the Dual Enrollment Coordinator! Kim Helmts was hired to replace Traci as our Learning Center Instructor. Kim started in the LC on August 15, so you’ll find her there and NOT in the Nursing Office!
As usual, we are always looking for tutors in a variety of subjects! We already have requests for tutoring for fall. If you know of advisees or students that would make great tutors, please send them our way—they do not need to qualify for work study to work as a peer tutor! We provide training for tutors if they are a little nervous.
Please remember to use the marketing request portal, on the menu on the Faculty and Staff page, to let us know if there is a story we need to share or an event BeKa needs to be at to document. Even if you just want to “grab BeKa real quick for a photo”, we can’t always guarantee that she’ll be available, so anything we can do to notify and schedule these even a little in advance will help make sure we can provide better coverage of events. Often, we don’t know something has happened or that something cool was done in your classroom or club until after the fact.
As a reminder, there is also a press release survey/template that we ask that you complete to help us gather all relevant information for us to write and submit press releases to the media.
We also encourage employees to use the portal for themselves (awards, recognition, speaking engagements, etc.), which is great content for Linkedin and Facebook.
Anything that promotes the college externally needs to be approved by the Marketing Department to say true to our branding (flyers, apparel, graphics, etc.) and can be submitted for approval through the portal. Logos and branding guidelines are still available at bit.ly/MCCLogos or on the H-drive under "Branding and Logos".
Marketing/WebandDigitalAccessibility
We continue to await the results of our compliance audit with the Office of Civil Rights for digital accessibility, which includes our website. Until the audit is complete and we know what kind of changes we may need to make to be compliant, significant website changes or additions (beyond simple text updates) may be delayed. Please use HelpTicket to request updates or changes to the website, and they will be vetted by the web committee to see what is possible while the audit and compliance updates are underway. Requests for online forms through something like access.gov should also be requested this way.
We know these delays may be frustrating, but it is necessary in order to make the best use of limited staff time and resources while managing the huge undertaking that OCR compliance will entail.
Digital accessibility also applies to social media. Existing pages must be compliant, and no new social media pages will be approved at this point, for this and other reasons.
Classified & Exempt Staff Holidays & Paid Days Off FY 2025
Thursday, July 4, 2024
Monday, September 2, 2024
Monday, November 11, 2024
Thursday, November 28, 2024
Friday, November 29, 2024
Tuesday, December 24, 2024
Wednesday, December 25, 2024
Thursday, December 26, 2024
Tuesday, December 31, 2024
Wednesday, January 1, 2025
Monday, January 20, 2025
Monday, February 17, 2025
Friday, March 7, 2025
Friday, April 18, 2025
Friday, May 16, 2025
Friday, May 23, 2025
Monday, May 26, 2025
Independence Day Holiday
Labor Day Holiday
Veteran’s Day Holiday
Thanksgiving Holiday
Exchanged for Columbus Day Actual Holiday October 14th
Christmas Holiday Day Off
Christmas Holiday Day Off
Christmas Holiday Day Off
New Year’s Holiday Paid Day Off
New Year’s Holiday
Martin Luther King Day Holiday
President’s Day Holiday
Spring Break Paid Day Off
Spring Day Paid Day Off
Western Heritage Day Paid Day Off
Memorial Day Paid Day Off
Memorial Day Holiday