Community Report (2019-2020)

PENNSYLVANIA HIGHLANDS COMMUNITY COLLEGE

COMMUNITY REPORT 2019-2020

TABLE OF CONTENTS 01

President’s Message

03

Board of Trustees

04

Year in Review

08

In The Community

14

Partnerships

16 Awards & Honors 22

College Foundation

24

Financials

25

Locations

MISSION STATEMENT

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College provides its students with affordable opportunities to gain the knowledge and skills they need to be successful in their work, in their day-to-day lives, and in their pursuit of life-long learning in a supportive, student-oriented environment.

VISION

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College will be a dominant higher education provider in west central Pennsylvania – a catalyst for regional renewal – positioning our graduates to be recognized as highly competent, exceptional members of the community and workforce.

CORE VALUES

Pennsylvania Highlands Community College strives to be a community of learners where every student, employee, and community member is respected and supported. The College is deeply committed to the following values: Student Success Quality and Accountability Integrity and Ethics Collaboration and Collegiality Responsiveness to Diverse and Changing Community Needs

MESSAGE FROM DR. STEVE NUNEZ As I near the end of my first year as President of Pennsylvania Highlands Community College, I already have a lot to reflect upon. My moving truck from Illinois pulled away from my new home in Windber at 12:00 midnight New Year’s Day, marking a new chapter for me and for the College. A few months later, COVID-19 spread through our communities.

Life, as we knew it, changed quickly and drastically. Some local businesses closed. Many of us were sequestered in our homes. And Penn Highlands moved to teaching classes fully online with most of our staff working from home -- all accomplished with short notice. It is not the way I imagined my first few months would be as President of this great institution.

You learn a lot about an organization, about a team, when under a crisis. I can tell you this, the work that was done to deal with COVID-19 was difficult, but we pulled together as one family, found new efficiencies, learned innovative technology, and became more adept at working and teaching remotely. Additionally, the Board of Trustees have been incredibly supportive to me and this College during this challenging time. I am proud of how we collectively handled this crisis and we are stronger because of it.

not have been easy, but our faculty, staff, and students worked together to solve novel problems to the best of their abilities.

I am proud and excited to be the fifth President of Pennsylvania Highlands Community College, where I am surrounded by professional staff, faculty, and College and Foundation Board members who are in the education business for the right reasons. We believe that education is one of the best ways to positively influence someone’s life – to raise their income earning potential and provide opportunities for personal or professional growth.

And while the world around us may have changed, Penn Highlands will continue to focus on its mission of supplying quality education to our communities at an affordable price.

I look forward to many more years of serving this community and this College.

Sincerely, Steve Nunez President

And let us not forget our students who had to make the transition to fully online learning with our faculty. It could

PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE

01

The 2019-2020 academic year presented significant challenges to the Pennsylvania Highlands community. The Board of Trustees is grateful to the faculty and staff who have not only persevered but who rose above those challenges to advance the College forward during its 25th Anniversary year.

While 2020 will always be remembered as “the year of COVID,” it cannot and should not overshadow the accomplishments of the College.

This year was marked by the hiring of many new faces at the College. In January, Dr. Steve Nunez was appointed the College’s fifth President. Dr. Nunez, a product of a community college himself, came with 24 years of experience in higher education having worked at a small, rural community college for his entire professional career. Additionally, we added two new members to Dr. Nunez’s leadership team. Kathy Morrell joined in September 2019 as the Executive Director of Institutional Advancement, with over 20 years in media marketing experience. Robert (Rob) Farinelli joined Penn Highlands in July 2020, just after the 2019-2020 academic year, as the new Vice President of Academic Affairs. Rob brings 30 years’ experience overseeing academic affairs at a variety of institutions. We look forward to their continued leadership at the College.

In addition to leadership team changes, the College welcomed three new members to the Board of Trustees. New Trustees include Marc McCall, Linda Thompson, and Mike Puruczky. The Board is pleased to have attracted three individuals who are committed to leading the College’s mission in providing quality, affordable higher education to Cambria, Blair, Huntingdon, and Somerset Counties. These additions, coupled with the continuous support from our county commissioners, is greatly appreciated.

Greg Winger, Board Chairperson

BOARD OF TRUSTEES Greg Winger (Chairperson)

Dr. Janet Grady

(At-Large 2019 / Vice Chairperson 2020)

We are also pleased with the growth and enthusiasm of the College’s Foundation and welcome John Polacek and Carol Tokar to the Board of Directors. While the majority of the 25th Anniversary and fundraising events were canceled this year due to COVID, the Foundation is well positioned to be stronger than ever in 2021.

Carl D. DeYulis

Finally, Penn Highlands would like to recognize our 2020 graduates and their families who have supported them in their journey. Over 350 students earned degrees or certificates which will allow them to transfer to universities, earn a bachelor’s degree, or enter the workforce. The quality teaching of the faculty and the tireless support of the College staff helped these students reach their goals.

John Augustine Edwin Bowser John H. Cavanaugh (2019) Tyson Cook Dr. Pat Farabaugh (2019) James Foreman James Foster Carissa Itle Westrick Jacqueline Kulback Steven J. McAneny (2019) Marc McCall Mike Puruczky Linda Thomson Sophie Sprankle (Student Trustee)

On behalf of the Board of Trustees, my thanks to the graduates, their families, and to the faculty and staff of Penn Highlands.

Sincerely, Greg Winger Board Chairperson

(Secretary / Treasurer 2020)

Dr. Kathleen O’Rourke (Secretary / Treasurer 2019)

Alan Cashaw

(Vice Chairperson 2019 / At-Large 2020)

BOARD OF TRUSTEES

03

2019 2020

THE YEAR THAT WAS

YEAR IN REVIEW

In 2019-2020, Penn Highlands Community College introduced two certificate programs: SUBSTANCE ABUSE & ADDICTION TECHNICIAN. This 18-credit program prepares graduates for a rewarding career in the varied field of addiction treatment. Students learn about the effects that substance abuse and chemical dependency have on society.

SUSTAINABLE HYDROPONIC AGRICULTURE & RURAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP. This 28-credit program covers traditional agribusiness and the emerging field of controlled environment agriculture. Graduates will learn skills that include the new medical marijuana production industry that has entered Pennsylvania.

growth in blair Our Blair Center has experienced very rapid growth in terms of credits sold over the past five years. From 2015 through 2019, we have seen a 77% increase in credits sold in the fall semester and 158% in the spring semester.

Blair offers a wide variety of in-person and online program options. For a full list and details, visit our website: www.pennhighlands.edu/blair.

04

YEAR IN REVIEW

virtual commencement As a way to ensure our 25th Graduating Class did not go unrecognized, Penn Highlands Community College streamed a virtual Commencement honoring the achievements and accomplishments of our graduates.

It was held on Friday, May 15, 2020. Penn Highlands celebrated with over 350 graduates, their families, and their friends in an online gathering that had never before been seen in the College’s history.

This unique celebration was hosted on our website, Facebook, and YouTube.

Laura Gaunt • •

• •

More ways that we are staying healthy, productive, and positive during this unprecedented time:

Faculty have gone above and beyond to help students with online classes by creating innovative Zoom and chat classroom teaching techniques.

Student Services, with Marketing & Communications, developed short informational and uplifting videos for students. These videos range from mental and physical wellness, to crafts, time management, and virtual studying ideas.

Admissions worked virtually to connect and meet with all new prospective students.

A virtual Awards Ceremony and Commencement Cermony were held.

YEAR IN REVIEW

05

PENNHIGHLANDS.EDU/CORONAVIRUS

Laura Gaunt, Instructor of Health Care Professions and Patient Care Technician Program Coordinator, donated isolation gowns, gloves, masks, and caps to the Conemaugh Nason Medical Center in Roaring Spring, PA (just south of Altoona). “With facilities closed, it only made sense to donate these items since students were not using them,” stated Gaunt. “We’re glad to help.”

COVID RESPONSE

In early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic reached our region. We were quick to react and aid the community. Penn Highlands strived to inform, donate, and connect with each other in unique ways.

Nestled in the Allegheny Highlands is our home.

Integrity and excellence, these values here are grown.

Education, our foundation, answering the call.

Service to communities, opportunity for all!

Fellow scholars, new found friends, we Black Bears roar and sing.

Gathered here in harmony and echoed from the peak – Penn Highlands, hail to thee!

Gary Boast, Assistant Vice President of Institutional Effectiveness

alma mater

As part of the College’s 25th Anniversary Celebration, Penn Highlands held a competition to determine the College’s new and improved alma mater. Written in the key of G with accompanying guitar chords, Pennsylvania Highlands Community College has an updated Alma Mater.

Gary Boast, along with his son Matthew (York, PA) and family friend David Burns (Philadelphia, PA), wanted to pen a piece that reflected the passion and focus of the students and staff.

“I originally compiled a list of words that were basically what I would experience in meetings or in reading about the Penn Highlands experience,” Boast said. “We arranged them into lyrics as a group, hoping that they would be an updated take on the original Alma Mater.”

The group spent one weekend laying out the first iteration of the piece, and they reworked it over a period of a few weeks before submitting a finalized version.

An Alma Mater serves as the anthem or official song of a school or university. They tend to be serious; however, Boast wanted the new piece to have a more modern musical score – one that can be played on a myriad of instruments.

“We were aiming for something that would reflect the pride that we have in Penn Highlands, and we were looking for something that could be easily remembered and catchy,” Boast said.

“Hopefully, it can become a part of the tradition at Penn Highlands. We are very happy that the students, faculty, and staff all voted for it.”

06

YEAR IN REVIEW

new hires

promotions Pam Buseck Administrative and Student Services Coordinator Amanda Farkus Assistant Director, Blair Center Brittany Lapczynski Student Services Coordinator Michaela Long Student Services Coordinator Yvette Madison Professor, Human Services

Dr. Steve Nunez President

Dr. Steve Nunez joined Penn Highlands Community College after serving as Vice President of Academics and Student Services at Sauk Valley Community College in Dixon, IL. During his 20+ career in higher education, Dr. Nunez has served as a faculty member and senior administrator.

Mary Ann McCurdy Professor, Mathematics

Kathleen Morrell Executive Director of Institutional Advancement

Dennis Miller Associate Professor, Criminal Justice

Kathleen Morrell joined Penn Highlands Community College after serving as Media Director for the Gatesman & Dave advertising agency in Pittsburgh, PA and The Barash Group, formerly in State College, PA.

Thomasa Pridgen Student Records Coordinator Sherri Slavick Associate Professor, Physical Sciences

In the past year, Penn Highlands completed a full migration to Jenzabar Cloud. Jenzabar Cloud Services help institutions better meet the needs of today’s student. Cloud models create more collaborative, interactive environments where critical data and resources are easily accessible, while keeping the infrastructure highly secure.

Jenzabar Cloud Services migrates systems to top-tier IBM Cloud commercial datacenters. These world-class network operation centers meet N+1 redundancy standards. They feature multiple uninterruptible power supplies and power distribution paths to provide a minimum uptime of 99.95%.

YEAR IN REVIEW

07

2019 2020

IN THE COMMUNITY

25 Years Strong...

On September 5th, 1994, Cambria County Area Community College held its first-ever classes. Twenty-five years later, now known as Pennsylvania Highlands Community College, the place is thriving.

To honor this historic day, a 25th Anniversary Picnic was held for the entire community! Penn Highlands celebrated 25 years of history throughout the past academic year, culminating with Commencement in May 2020 honoring the 25th Graduating Class.

We are proud to have served the region since 1994.

pennhighlands.edu/25years

08

IN THE COMMUNITY

We had over 250 employees, students, alumni, community members, and their families attend. We all had a blast.

IN THE COMMUNITY

09

FAMILY DAY

On September 21, 2019, Family Day was held and we welcomed everyone from the community to enjoy family-friendly activities at our Richland Campus. These activities included: interactive inflatables, games, temporary tattoos, build-a-bear, wax hands, a picnic lunch, and more!

community trick or treat 10

On October 28, 2019, we welcomed over 1,000 avengers, princesses, ninja turtles, and their families to enjoy a night of trick or treating, crafts, a puppet show, photos with Star Wars characters, and our Twisted Fairytales Haunted Hallway.

Everyone had a great time, and over the years our Community Trick or Treat event has grown into an annual tradition among many in the region.

IN THE COMMUNITY

hometown christmas parade and light up night

November 22, 2019 was a magical night in downtown Johnstown. Penn Highlands was thrilled to participate by providing thousands with bracelets to light up the night surrounding Central Park’s Christmas Tree.

Over 25 faculty, staff, and students participated in this amazing experience, and thanks to Discover Downtown Johnstown Partnership for allowing us to partner and celebrate our 25th Anniversary in a unique way!

IN THE COMMUNITY

11

cure violence You may see them walking the streets of Hornerstown or Moxham, talking to young people, and interrupting any potential violent activity. These individuals are the Cure Violence outreach interrupters.

Funded through a grant received by the City of Johnstown, with training facilitated by Penn Highlands Community College, these interrupters are poised to reduce the crime that is occurring in these neighborhoods.

The grassroots group, Hope 4 Johnstown, identified the Chicago-based Cure Violence as a model that could work in Johnstown to address crime and drug problems. This model addresses fighting crime in the same manner that doctors fight medical issues, by interrupting the behavior that contributes to the acts of violence and change the norms within a community.

Marcus McAllister, Cure Violence Global Trainer, was at Penn Highlands Community College Richland Campus in late 2019 training three interrupters and one outreach caseworker.

Yvette Madison, Professor of Human Services at Penn Highlands and Hope 4 Johnstown representative, stated that the primary goal is to change the outlook and perspective of the target neighborhoods.

“We want these communities to recognize there are alternatives to violence, and Cure Violence’s model is a tool to help,” Madison said. “The partnership between Penn Highlands, Cure Violence, and Hope 4 Johnstown is one that will help improve the culture for years to come.”

12

IN THE COMMUNITY

Penn Highlands Community College sponsored the 17th Annual Cambria County College Fair held in downtown Johnstown on September 10, 2019.

Penn Highlands assisted the Discover Downtown Johnstown Partnership by stuffing over 10,000 eggs for their Easter egg hunt in Central Park.

Numerous high schools from across the region took part. And, colleges and universities from all over the state of Pennsylvania were on-hand to meet with and assist guests regarding their educational and career needs.

Although the event was canceled due to COVID-19, the stuffed eggs will be used again at next year’s event.

cambria county college fair

IN THE COMMUNITY

13

2019 2020

PARTNERSHIPS

JWF EMPLOYEE LEADERSHIP TRAINING. This was part of the inaugural launch of our Central Park Center in downtown Johnstown, with 41 employees participating in this 10-week training session. A graduation ceremony was held at our Richland Campus for all participants, hosted by JWF leadership.

Corey Christman, Founder of Vethos, LLC

Bill Polacek, CEO of JWF Industries

SOUTHWEST PA CONTRACT TRACING TRAINING CONSORTIUM. Joined this consortium in June 2020, promoting online contact tracing training to Penn Highlands’ faculty and students as a remote internship opportunity for all majors.

CROYLE-NIELSEN, ARBUTUS PARK MANOR, & MATTERN HOUSE. Convened these companies representing senior care, mental health, and homecare to assess common employee skill/trait needs to be successful in all “direct support care” positions. Yvette Madison, Professor of Human Services, created a one semester certificate program to meet their needs.

LAUREL HIGHLANDS ALZHEIMERS’ FOUNDATION (LHAF). Collaborated with the Board of Directors and Penn Highlands’ staff to create a non-credit community education class for family caregivers of Alzheimers’ patients. A luncheon was hosted by the LHAF Board for 24 attendees after the first class was held.

JARI, ALTOONA-BLAIR COUNTY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, & CAREERLINK. Collaborated with our agency partners to provide a Zoom meeting overview of the latest WEDnetPA guidelines for newly eligible and returning companies.

52 companies attended.

LAUREL VIEW VILLAGE. Worked with leadership to assess interests of retired residents and offered a variety of personal enrichment classes on-site.

become a partner: PENNHIGHLANDS.EDU/workforce

14

PARTNERSHIPS

Laurel View Village (Aeriel View)

SCHOOL OF NURSING. Penn Highlands provides 16 credits of college-level coursework as part of the nursing program. Additionally, Penn Highlands provides the prerequisite coursework for Anatomy and Physiology 1 and 2 for nursing school candidates.

SCHOOL OF HISTOTECHNOLOGY. Penn Highlands offers the A.A.S. in Health Professions: Histotechnology, including 27 credits of general education taught on-campus. Following the first year of coursework, students apply to the School of Histotechnology to complete their clinical program courses at Conemaugh.

�

Radiologic technology graduate

SCHOOL OF RADIOLOGIC TECHNOLOGY. Penn Highlands offers the A.A.S. in Health Professions: Radiologic Technology, including 32 credits of general education taught oncampus. The additional 32 credits of clinical coursework is transferred in from the School of Radiologic Technology to comprise the 64 credit A.A.S. degree.

“

I was able to get a job as a radiologic technologist at a local hospital due to my education in the same month that I graduateD.

Leah Fox

MEMORIAL MEDICAL CENTER. 62 employees recently completed Microsoft and healthcarerelated training through our online ed2go platform. Conemaugh uses this system on a regular basis when WEDnetPA funds are available to them.

SCHOOL OF PARAMEDIC. Penn Highlands offers the A.A.S. in Health Professions: Paramedic. This is a completer program, meaning students complete the Paramedic program through Conemaugh. Upon completion, students may transfer the completed clinical program as a credit block of 30 credits.

Then students must complete an additional 30 credits of general education in order to obtain their degree.

PARTNERSHIPS

15

2019 2020

AWARDS & HONORS

EMMA GARRISON PRESENTS...

Emma Garrison, of Patton, PA, received a Certificate of Achievement for her paper “The Power of Aromatherapy.” She was able to present it during the 2019 Beacon Conference.

Emma’s paper dealt with aromatherapy and its overall power, addressing the severity of antibiotic overuse and advocates the utilization of essential oils to reach an equivalent result. The paper explains that inexpensive therapeutic-grade oils, containing a variety of medicinal purposes, lack any and all potential health risks, allowing for the permanent replacement of many over-the-counter medicinal drugs.

Emma plans to pursue her bachelor’s degree in Early Childhood Education from the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown after Penn Highlands.

Emma Garrison

Congratulations to Hailey Giuffre (Johnstown), Alexandra Lambrinos (Johnstown), Bret Sarlouis (Johnstown), and Richard Tavalsky (Ebensburg) for being chosen to represent Pennsylvania Highlands Community College in the regional round of the America250 Direct Effect Innovation Challenge (DEIC).

The America250 DEIC is an event where student teams from Pennsylvania colleges and universities compete to design and launch the integrated marketing campaign strategy for the America250PA initiative.

16

AWARDS & HONORS

(L to R) Maddelyn Hoover Isabella Nagy Kaitlyn Saucedo

(L to R) Garrett Smith Cody Sral Erika Wilkie

The Board of Trustees Academic Scholarship recipients receive a full-tuition scholarship to attend Pennsylvania Highlands Community College to complete an associate degree.

This scholarship is awarded to high school seniors in the region that demonstrate excellence in academics and extracurricular activities. Eligible students must achieve a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 in their high school career, participate in various activities, and demonstrate leadership throughout their community.

Scholarship recipients include: • • • • • • • • •

Nicolas Bradley of Hastings, PA (Cambria Heights High School) Brooke Elliott of Windber, PA (Windber Area High School) Lily Grace of Stoystown, PA (North Star High School) Maddelyn Hoover of Patton, PA (Cambria Heights High School) Isabella Nagy of Portage, PA (Portage Area High School) Kaitlyn Saucedo of Windber, PA (Forest Hills Senior High School) Garrett Smith of Vintondale, PA (Blacklick Valley High School) Cody Sral of Ebensburg, PA (Central Cambria High School) Erika Wilkie of Hollidaysburg, PA (Hollidaysburg Area Senior High School)

board of trustees academic scholarship

(L to R) Nicolas Bradley Brooke Elliott Lilly Grace

AWARDS & HONORS

17

Black Bear Athletics academic team honors NJCAA ALL-ACADEMIC FIRST TEAM (4.0 GPA) Brooke Elliott, Women’s Volleyball Isabella Nagy, Women’s Volleyball Alayna “Rosie” Plaza, Women’s Volleyball Christopher Weld, Men’s Bowling NJCAA ALL-ACADEMIC SECOND TEAM (3.80-3.99 GPA) Caitlyn Guercio, Women’s Bowling Katie Swank, Women’s Volleyball Angela Weber, Women’s Bowling NJCAA ALL- ACADEMIC THIRD TEAM (3.6-3.79 GPA) Maria Engleka, Women’s Volleyball Joseph Guercio, Men’s Bowling Evan Orr, Men’s Bowling

njcaa player of the week Matthew Forbes was named the NJCAA Division III National Player of the Week (January 6th – 12th). During his play that week, he averaged 29.5 points, 11.5 rebounds, 4.5 steals, and 4 assists. Forbes shot 71% from three-point range and 62.8% from the field.

18

AWARDS & HONORS

Matthew Forbes

REGION XX ACADEMIC TEAM (3.5-4.0 GPA) Brooke Elliott, Women’s Volleyball Maria Engleka, Women’s Volleyball Kendra Fox, Women’s Volleyball Caitlyn Guercio, Women’s Bowling Joseph Guercio, Men’s Bowling Isabella Nagy, Women’s Volleyball Evan Orr, Men’s Bowling Alayna “Rosie” Plaza, Women’s Volleyball Katie Swank, Women’s Volleyball Angela Weber, Women’s Bowling Christopher Weld, Men’s Bowling

WPCC ACADEMIC TEAM MEMBERS (3.0-4.0 GPA) Ethan Barkley, Men’s Basketball Theodore Betcher, Men’s Bowling Jorge Castro, Men’s Basketball Mary Constantino, Women’s Volleyball Justin Eckenrod, Men’s Bowling Brooke Elliott, Women’s Volleyball Maria Engleka, Women’s Volleyball Matthew Forbes, Men’s Basketball Kendra Fox, Women’s Volleyball Caitlyn Guercio, Women’s Bowling Joseph Guercio, Men’s Bowling Allison Gustkey, Women’s Bowling Isabella Nagy, Women’s Volleyball Evan Orr, Men’s Bowling Alayna “Rosie” Plaza, Women’s Volleyball Todd Rastall, Men’s Bowling Katie Swank, Women’s Volleyball Angela Weber, Women’s Bowling Christopher Weld, Men’s Bowling Kayla Yoder, Women’s Bowling

CHAMPION ERICA KOVALIK

Erica Kovalik won the NJCAA Region XX Division III Cross Country Individual Championship with a time of 23:07.9.

She is the first individual Region XX champion in Pennsylvania Highlands Community College Black Bear history.

Athletic Hall of Fame Inducts First Class On January 24, 2020, as a part of our 25th Anniversary celebration, Penn Highlands inducted its first class into the College’s newly created Athletic Hall of Fame.

Congratulations to our first five inductees: Jack Loya, Coach (posthumously) 1998-2001, 2010-2015 Melissa Spaugy, Women’s Basketball 1998-2001 Phillip Rimmer, Men’s Basketball 1999-2000 Kelsey Poborski Lee, Women’s Volleyball 2010 Delonte Fennell, Men’s Basketball (posthumously) 2013-2015

AWARDS & HONORS

19

Marketing & Communications Team Honored with one national and four regional awards from the national council for marketing and public relations The Marketing & Communications Team was awarded four Medallion Awards and one Paragon Award during the 2019-2020 year from the National Council for Marketing and Public Relations (NCMPR).

The team took home awards in the following medallion categories: Website (gold), Video Shorts (silver), Television/Video Advertisement (silver), and Social Media or Online Marketing Campaign (bronze).

The Penn Highlands Community College website was recognized for its creative design and strong navigation. The College was also commended for their recent branding campaign, titled “Discover You”, in each of the other award categories.

The National Council for Marketing and Public Relations (NCMPR) awarded Penn Highlands Community College a silver Paragon Award in the Logo Wear category, for the design of the College’s “Black Bear Country” sweatshirt.

Since 2015, Marketing & Communications has earned two national awards and sixteen regional awards.

20

AWARDS & HONORS

(L to R)

SEAN MCCOOL

Creative Services & Marketing Specialist

RAYMOND WEIBLE, JR.

Director of Marketing & Communications

ANDREW PODOLAK

Marketing & Communications Specialist

top students EMILY KRISKO NAMED COCA-COLA ACADEMIC TEAM GOLD SCHOLAR Congratulations to Emily Krisko, of Portage, for being named a 2020 Coca-Cola Academic Team Gold Scholar. She will receive a $1,500 scholarship. Emily Krisko graduated Cum Laude in December 2019 with an Associate of Arts in Liberal Arts & Sciences.

She is continuing her education at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, where she plans to earn a bachelor’s degree in Speech Language Pathology and Audiology.

ADRIANE HAUTZ RECIPIENT OF DISTINGUISHED GRADUATE AWARD Each year, Penn Highlands Community College honors a student for his or her contributions to the college and the community, while maintaining a high level of academic performance.

This year’s Distinguished Graduate Award went to Adriane Hautz, who graduated with a degree in Psychology. Adriane served as a tutor, President of both the Undergraduate Alliance and X-Files Club, and Vice President of Student Senate. She was also a member of the Community Involvement Committee, Phi Theta Kappa, and Sigma Alpha Pi.

FACULTY MEMBERS EARN TENURE

Faculty members are granted tenure for, over time, demonstrating a commitment to excellence in teaching, advising, professional development, and service to Penn Highlands and the community. Their work with students is exemplary and serves as an inspiration to students and colleagues alike.

DR. MATTHEW SISAK

MS. MICHELLE MYERS

MS. ROBIN HUGHES

Associate Professor, Biological Sciences

Assistant Professor, Biological Sciences

Assistant Professor, Mathematics

AWARDS & HONORS

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college foundation The Webster’s Dictionary definition of the word foundation is as follows: to support a structure or home. Without a strong foundation the structure of anything that you try to build will never be sound. Likewise, the Foundation at Penn Highlands Community College is paramount to this institution’s future development and growth.

A strong Penn Highlands Foundation not only supports student and faculty dreams by granting scholarships and funding educational programs, it also serves as the base of financial stability for this very institution and its surrounding community.

The 2019-2020 academic year was a difficult one. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we had to cancel two of our larger fundraisers, Puttapalooza and the 25th Anniversary Gala. Additionally, the battered economy lessened company and individual donations. Instead of dwelling on the negative, we used this time as an opportunity to re-align the Foundation’s core strategy and objectives to ensure a bigger and better 2020-2021 fundraising year.

To date, we have re-instituted the committees within the board governance structure to allow for a more clear and strategic approach to our fundraising events and financial planning entities. Additionally, we have been hard at work developing a new approach to our employee giving campaign while exploring new ways to communicate with our alumni and our local businesses within the community.

We at the Penn Highlands Community College Foundation are looking forward to this new fiscal year with renewed hope so that we can continue with our important mission: to build assets through fundraising activities, grants, and community partnerships throughout the region.

Happy Giving!

Kathleen Morrell Executive Director of Institutional Advancement

TO DONATE: PENNHIGHLANDS.EDU/DONATE facebook page: facebook.com/PennHighlandsFoundation

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Kathleen Morrell

BOARD OF DIRECTORS David Mordan (President) Jeffrey Stopko (Vice President) Roberta Ream (Treasurer) John Dubnansky (Secretary) Ellis Griffith John Kubinsky Tim Leventry John Polacek Ed Porada Sally Sargent (2019) Edward Silvetti (2019) Carol Tokar Jeffrey Wood

THANK YOU. 10th ANNUAL CORKS & KEGS A HUGE SUCCESS Held on October 3, 2019, Corks & Kegs raised over $8,000 for the Foundation. The proceeds support student scholarships, develop innovative approaches to instruction, purchase training tools and equipment, and improve campus facilities.

Guests enjoyed the music of Jazz In Your Face, beer selections by Southside Brew-Thru, wine samplings from B&L Wine Cellars, and a variety of hors d’oeuvres.

On behalf of the College Foundation, we would like to thank the following large donors that continue to support our mission by sponsoring our annual fundraising events or contributing to our annual campaign. We couldn’t do any of this without you and we are eternally grateful!

• • • • • • • • • • •

AmeriServ Financial John & Christine Baker Shuck Somerset Trust Company First National Bank of Pennsylvania Wessel & Company Trish Corle Slovenian Savings & Loan Association Kongsberg Protech Systems USA UPMC Steve & Cindy McAneny Jeffrey Wood

the foundation is all around.

The College Foundation was everywhere in 2019-2020 as it assisted with various 25th Anniversary events throughout.

At Light Up Night, the Foundation covered the costs of 2,000 bracelets to help “light up the night” in Central Park, and brought smiling faces to many residents of our region.

4% 2%

9%

16% 45%

dollars allocated 40%

29%

dollars raised 4%

The Foundation loved being a part of these 25th Anniversary events:

6%

29%

16%

• • • • •

Anniversary Picnic (page 8) Family Day (page 9) Community Trick or Treat (page 10) Light Up Night (page 11) Athletic Hall of Fame (page 19)

visit our website for event updates.

Institution Funds ($36,000) scholarships ($32,000) 25th anniversary events ($7,160) professional development ($3,000) eitc students ($1,760)

annual campaign ($18,538) scholarship donations ($18,203) employee giving ($10,000) grants ($10,000) fundraisers ($4,018) eitc donations ($2,200)

PENNHIGHLANDS.edu/foundation

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financials revenue

4%

14.3%

57%

(in thousands)

27.8%

Student Tuition & Fees - net ($7,798)

8.8% 4.9% 0.6% 0.5% 0.4%

4%

State Appropriations ($3,799) County Appropriations ($1,205)

7.5%

Government Grants ($669)

46.7%

expenses

Other Non-Operating Revenues ($87) Other Income ($71) Government Grants - Capital ($54)

19.9%

(in thousands)

0%

2% 1.4%

Private Gifts ($2)

Salaries & wages ($6,313) Employee Benefits ($2,694) Leases & Depreciation ($1,933) Supplies & Equipment repairs ($1,014) Professional & purchased services ($547) Other operating expenses ($544) advertising ($272) utilities ($191)

credit hours by site

19,665

10,492

Richland Campus / Other 3,090

Online

2,754

Blair Center Ebensburg Center

1,629 592

Somerset Center Huntingdon Center

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FINANCIALS

locations RICHLAND CAMPUS 101 Community College Way, Johnstown, PA 15904 814.262.6400 admissions@pennhighlands.edu

BLAIR CENTER 5580 Goods Lane (Logan Valley Mall), Altoona, PA 16602 814.201.2700 blair@pennhighlands.edu

CENTRAL PARK CENTER 425 Main Street, 1st Floor, Johnstown, PA 15901 814.254.4888 centralpark@pennhighlands.edu

EBENSBURG CENTER 881 Hills Plaza Drive, Suite 450, Ebensburg, PA 15931 814.471.0010 ebensburg@pennhighlands.edu

HUNTINGDON CENTER 6311 Margy Drive, Huntingdon, PA 16652 814.643.6200 huntingdon@pennhighlands.edu

SOMERSET CENTER 6024 Glades Pike, Suite 210, Somerset, PA 15501 814.443.2500 somerset@pennhighlands.edu

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