2022 PCC Quality Highlights

Highlights

– Pueblo Community College 2022 Quality Highlights

Meet our Team

Dr. Cory Butts Director of Institutional Research

Dr. Patty Erjavec President

Amanda Corum Executive Director Pueblo Corporate College

Bryan Crawford Director of Computer Services

Lisa Stiner Shared Governance Chair

Dr. K. Kevin Aten Interim Executive Dean PCC Southwest

Robert Gonzales Vice President of Administration & Finance

Erin Hergert Tafoya Director of Marketing and Communications

Rich Keilholtz Faculty Council Chair

Dr. Young Kim Dean of Arts and Sciences

Dr. Rajashree Pandit Dean of Medical and Behavioral Health

Dr. Quincy Rose-Sewell Vice President of Academic Services

Dr. Andrew Miller Dean of Health Professions and Public Safety

Dana W. Moss Vice President of Human Resources

Dr. Heather Speed Vice President of Student Services

Jennifer Sherman Dean of Business and Advanced Technology

Pueblo Community College 2022 Quality Highlights

Pueblo Community College 2022 Quality Highlights

A note from the President

Many argue that higher education in America is in crisis: Costs are too high; learning is too little; and the payoff to students and society is increasingly problematic.

It’s true that a new education landscape is emerging. Under pressure from lawmakers, parents, and students to respond to new economic realities, colleges are changing how they operate and how they teach. I believe that Pueblo Community College can, and will, survive in and benefit from this changing educational landscape. We remain focused on the diversity of our students and faculty, adult learners, mental health awareness, artificial intelligence for learning, online learning, closing the skills gap, and so much more.

As you peruse this issue of PCC Quality Highlights, you will easily recognize that the PCC focus is on a dynamic path forward – one that includes information and innovation. Some examples of our innovate efforts include competency-based learning, video streaming/flipped classroom/eLearning trends, open curriculum, digital textbooks and open educational resources. This annual publication is our way of promoting to you, our taxpayers and governing authorities, PCC’s efforts to further the broader interests of society. We take very seriously the delivery of our role and mission. We value our business and industry, K-12, and higher education partners and remain committed to collaborating in every way possible to ensure that all individuals have an equitable, accessible, and affordable path forward to a higher education – whatever that may look like for each unique student. I invite you to contact me for a personal tour of any of our campuses or sites to learn more and see firsthand the daily transformation of lives taking place here at PCC.

With warm regards,

Patty

Erjavec, Ph.D. President, Pueblo Community College

Pueblo Community College is a member of and accredited by The Higher Learning Commission, 230 South LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500, Chicago, IL 60604. Website: www.hlcommission.org. Phone: 800.621.7440. In addition, several programs hold approval or accreditation from national and state level associations and agencies.

Mission

Pueblo Community College will create an inclusive culture dedicated to continuous improvement, shared governance and a shared devotion to student learning and support.

Hunger Free Campus designation – The Colorado Department of Higher Education named PCC a Hunger Free Campus in December 2021. The designation applies to all PCC campuses and recognizes the school’s efforts to combat food insecurity among its students. PCC is one of eight schools in Colorado to receive this designation.

Food insecurity affects more than 45 percent of college students in the United States, according to a 2018 Hope Center #RealCollege survey.

To receive the CDHE designation, schools must implement six focused initiatives – two each in the focus areas of awareness, access and integration – and four core programs: Run a campus food pantry; provide SNAP enrollment help; hold one awareness event each year; and collect data and report on student food insecurity.

Pueblo Community College 2022 Quality

State Fair parade and tribute – The 2022 Colorado State Fair parade once again was broadcast and livestreamed by PCC’s Center for New Media. This was the first parade production without Scott Richards, head of the CNM, who passed away in June. In honor of Scott, who was responsible for innumerable community productions over the past two decades, he was named marshal emeritus for the parade and his family – wife Meg, children and grandchildren – rode in front of PCC’s float.

The PCC float, designed and built by students and staff, won second place in the civic/community category for its interpretation of the parade theme, Colorado … It’s our Nature.

PCC Welcomes Einstein Bros. – Einstein Bros. Bagels opened in the PCC Student Center on the Pueblo campus to serve students, employees and the Pueblo community. A grand opening and ribbon cutting took place on March 17 to welcome the company. Thanks to its convenient Harrison Street location, members of the community have easy access to the store.

New child care resource helps parents – Children First and Illuminate Colorado hosted two mobile child care open houses on April 14 (Pueblo campus) and 20 (Fremont campus). The mobile classroom – a renovated RV – will visit places in southern Colorado where parents are addressing issues like mental health concerns, substance use disorders or employment challenges so they can access the services they need without worrying about arranging for child care.

Career and Education Day – In conjunction with Colorado Youth Awareness Week, PCC hosted Career and Education Day on July 26 for 53 teens and young adults. They learned about PCC’s Machining Technology, Industrial Technology Maintenance and Automotive Technology programs, enjoyed a complimentary lunch and five students won $500 scholarships.

Integrity

Pueblo Community College ensures faculty, staff, and students adhere to fair and ethical behavior in the pursuit of academic freedom, intellectual inquiry, and operational excellence.

Governor visits campus – Gov. Jared Polis visited the Pueblo campus Jan. 19 to meet with President Patty Erjavec and then-State Sen. Leroy Garcia, who represented Pueblo and was a faculty member of PCC’s EMS program.

PCC maintains a close relationship with its state legislators and each year provides, with the Colorado Community College System, a college fact sheet to keep the legislature updated with the most recent college data.

PCC selected for Second Chance Pell – PCC will participate in the Second Chance Pell – Pell for Incarcerated Students Experiment under the U.S. Department of Education’s Experimental Sites Initiative. The initiative was created to “support reentry, empower formerly incarcerated persons, enhance public safety, and strengthen our communities and our economy,” according to a Department of Education press release. PCC is one of 73 institutions selected nationwide during this round of the project.

Pueblo Community College 2022 Quality

Teaching and Learning: Quality, Resources, Support

Pueblo Community College will implement bold initiatives that expand state-of-the-art teaching and learning resources, supporting equitable avenues for exceptional educational experiences to meet workforce needs.

2022 Commencement Ceremonies - More than 2,000 students earned a degree or certificate from PCC during the 2021-22 academic year. Pueblo and Fremont graduates were recognized in a May 12 ceremony and Mancos/Cortez, Durango and Bayfield graduates were honored May 14.

This year’s graduates included 179 concurrent enrollment students and 810 inmates from federal and state correctional facilities.

Twenty-four students earned a bachelor’s degree – two in advanced paramedic practice, eight in dental hygiene, six in radiologic technology, two in respiratory therapy and six in nursing.

History professor publishes book –

PCC history professor Brad Bowers published “Bound by Steel & Stone,” a history of the shortline ColoradoKansas Railway that ran through part of what is now Pueblo West. Bowers, who has been teaching at PCC since 2011, conducted research over a 20-year period. He learned about the railroad itself and the local entrepreneurs, economics and politics of that era.

Partnership success story – PCC’s Corporate College collaborated with Rocky Mountain Eye Center to create a successful eye care pre-apprenticeship program. Dr. Donald Schlomer of RMEC took part in a testimonial video to explain how PCC can create customized partner solutions to help any business prosper.

Workforce training boost – PCC’s Corporate College received $378,000 from the city of Pueblo’s American Rescue Plan Act funds for four workforce development programs:

• Creation of an Energy Smart Academy and Soft Skills Academy through PCC’s Place for Enrichment and Academic Knowledge (PEAK) – Energy Smart will address the need for post-secondary education in weatherization and building energy performance; Soft Skills will address the need for critical thinking, problem solving, teambuilding, leadership and professionalism training.

• Noncredit, fast-track STEM training offered at no cost to participants in areas including construction, electrical, manufacturing, and health care.

• Funds to purchase an industrial painting simulator so PCC can provide customized training and skills assessment for existing industrial painters and fast-track training programs to prepare them for employment as an industrial painter.

• Funds to create an industrial sewing program to serve individuals impacted by COVID-19.

PCC joins Intel’s AI for Workforce program – PCC became the first college in Colorado to offer Intel’s AI for Workforce program. Intel will provide PCC with more than 225 hours of content to develop AI certificates, enhance existing courses or launch AI associate degree programs. The company also provides training and implementation guidance.

Elementary school partnership –

At the request of Baca Elementary School teacher Patricia Mancilla, PCC’s Business & Advanced Technology division adopted Mancilla’s fourth-grade class for the 2021-22 and 2022-23 school years. Representatives of BAT and some health programs visit the class each month to talk about careers in their respective fields.

Distinguished Scholars – The 2022 President’s Distinguished Scholars at PCC were Blake Boone (Pueblo and Fremont campuses) and Jon Landtiser (Southwest campus).

Blake is a nursing major who transferred to Colorado State University Pueblo to complete his bachelor’s degree.

Jon, a philosophy major, transferred to the University of ColoradoDenver to complete his bachelor’s and begin pursuing a law degree.

The President’s Distinguished Scholar award goes to a full-time student who met or exceeded the requirements of graduating with a 3.5 GPA or better, completed their degree program in less than 3.25 years, and is transferring to a fouryear school upon completion.

Medical assisting apprenticeship approved – PCC received final approval from the Colorado Department of Labor to begin its registered apprenticeship in medical assisting. The program is available at PCC’s Pueblo and Southwest campuses. (The Pueblo program includes students from the Fremont campus.) The program received money from the Colorado Healthcare Experiential Pathways to Success grant to assist with startup.

Parkview Medical Center, the Pueblo Community Health Center and Centura are current partners. The program incorporates face-to-face, online and lab sessions and takes 23 weeks to finish. At that point, students/apprentices will continue to work with the employer until they have completed 2,000 hours on the job. Students are paid during all apprenticeship hours and receive a medical assisting certificate upon completion.

Pueblo

HIT program approved by HIMSS – PCC’s Health Information Technology program, led by Marianne Horvath, is now an approved educational partner of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society. This means PCC is authorized to offer HIMSSapproved education programs to prepare students for careers in HIT and health care. PCC’s acceptance letter from HIMSS said, in part, “We especially like the thought and detail you put into the learning objectives for the courses and the surveys for student feedback about the course and instructors. It is also clear that you strive to involve a variety of industry professionals in the development of your course content.”

Positioning

Pueblo for

Job Growth While Filling the Current Skills Gap

Positioning Pueblo – As part of PCC’s role in helping business and industry fill the skills gap, the college created Positioning Pueblo, a brochure that highlights and explains some of its program offerings. Local businesses and economic development organizations utilize the publication in their efforts to train or retrain employees and bring companies to PCC’s service area.

EDL partnership for micro-pathways – PCC was selected as a pilot school for a new partnership between the Colorado Community College System and the Education Design Lab to develop five micro-pathways in energy and healthcare.

Micro-pathway programs combine two or more stackable credentials in high-growth, high-paying fields that can be completed in a year or less. The Foundation for Colorado Community Colleges received a $262,500 grant from the EDL to build the program and advise colleges on best practices. The EDL will also provide an additional $1 million in technical support to CCCS.

Grow with Google – PCC conducted a series of workshops for the Grow with Google HispanicServing Institution Career Readiness Program. The workshops are designed to equip students with fundamental digital and professional skills for career success.

The Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities awarded PCC a micro-grant of $25,000 to fund program operation and training costs.

Graphic design class helps local business – Jayson Peters, a part-time instructor in web design and content management systems at PCC, found a new way to engage students in his fall 2021 Web Design I class: They helped popular local bookstore Books by the Bridge modernize its website. The project enabled Peters to teach basic concepts while applying them to a real-world project.

Welding club members take state honors

– Four students in PCC’s SkillsUSA Welding Club took top honors at the SkillsUSA state leadership conference in April and qualified for the national competition. The threemember fabrication team of David Niemet, Fabian Llaguno and Alan Aparizio-Apodaca and individual competitor Marco RodriguezSena won gold medals at the competition held in Colorado Springs. In addition, student Jake Mayes took home a bronze medal.

Teaching and Learning:Evaluation, Improvement

Pueblo Community College creates a culture of innovation and support to ensure students will acquire the knowledge, skills, and experience necessary for advanced education, successful careers, and personal growth.

Nursing faculty member on national board – Claudia EstradaHickman, a member of PCC’s Nursing faculty, was elected to serve on the board of commissioners for the Accreditation Commission for Education in Nursing. Estrada-Hickman joined the associate degree nursing program in 2021. She has been a registered nurse since 1985 and held nursing and management positions with numerous acute care organizations. EstradaHickman has been an active volunteer with the ACEN since 2013.

Safety and leadership training – PCC is working with government services company Amentum to offer a customized safety and leadership certificate program (four classes, 12 credits) to add to the skill set of the company’s employees. Participants receive an academic certificate upon completion. Twenty students enrolled in the first cohort. Amentum sponsored the program cost for all participating employees.

National Cyber League rankings – PCC was ranked 28th nationwide out of approximately 600 competing schools in the August Cyber Power Rankings from Cyber Skyline and the National Cyber League. In the NCL, students put their knowledge to work performing real-world cybersecurity tasks including identifying hackers from forensic data, pen testing and auditing vulnerable websites and recovering from ransomware attacks.

PCC’s

took part in the

Hills

EV Expo in Pueblo in August. Department Chair James Cordova and President Erjavec spoke with Pueblo Mayor Nick Gradisar, Greater Pueblo Chamber of Commerce President Duane Nava, Black Hills Colorado Vice President Kelli Ashcraft, Christian Williss from the Colorado Energy Office and other leaders about PCC’s new electric vehicle program. Starting in fall 2023, automotive graduates will be able to add electric vehicle certification to their list of credentials. The program already has seven vehicles for students to work on – four electric and three hybrids.

PCC student creates winning design – Graphic design student Elena Ornelas put her skills to use to win $1,000 in a local poster design contest. Elena created the poster for the second annual Pueblo Classic Bike Race.

Pueblo Mayor Nick Gradisar and Karen Foglesong, executive director of the Pueblo Arts Alliance (and former PCC instructor), recognized Elena’s achievement at a press conference.

Community

Electric vehicle showcase – The leaders of

Automotive Service Technology program

Black

Energy

Community

US Solar donates – US Solar donated $10,000 to the PCC Foundation to benefit the school’s renewable energy learning lab. PCC launched a solar program in 2021 and plans to expand the renewable energy program into fields such as electric vehicle technician.

The donation is part of USS Giveback, US Solar’s first community solar gardens with Black Hills Energy. The Community Solar program allows multiple people, families and businesses to participate in one large project, called a community solar garden. US Solar is developing 14 such gardens in Colorado.

Renewable energy industry certification – PCC has been accredited by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners as a photovoltaic associate training provider. The designation will enable students in PCC’s photovoltaic panel installation program to earn a core industry credential before leaving the college. PCC is in the process of expanding and diversifying its renewable energy curriculum to meet the growing demand in Pueblo County.

Institutional Effectiveness, Resources and Planning

PCC’s leadership facilitates a transparent environment to evaluate operational effectiveness and stewardship in providing the framework for continuous improvement.

Brad Bowers Maria de la Cruz Brandi Halvorson

Employees of the Year – PCC formally recognized its outstanding 2021 employees of the year at the Spring Kickoff and Employee Appreciation Breakfast in early 2022. The recipients were Brad Bowers, history instructor (faculty); Maria de la Cruz, academic excellence administrator for the Business and Advanced Technology division (administrative/ professional/technical); Brandi Halvorson, health professions instructor, Simulation Center technician and Human Anatomy Learning Center assistant (part-time instructor); and Jake Renner, Pueblo campus police officer (classified).

Jake Renner Pueblo

New strategic plan – Individuals from multiple college departments, working with the President’s Cabinet, President’s Advisory Council, GOLD Panel, and other stakeholders, completed Destination 2027, PCC’s new five-year strategic plan, in late 2021. It aligns with the direction set forth by the Colorado Community College System, Colorado Department of Higher Education, Higher Learning Commission, and PCC’s internal diversity, equity and inclusion framework.

Funding boosts noncredit training, business classes – PCC’s Pueblo Corporate College and Southern Colorado Small Business Development Center each were awarded $10,000 from the Colorado Housing and Finance Authority Direct Effect program. Pueblo Corporate College is using the funds for noncredit training program scholarships. The SBDC is using its money for class development and scholarships for an e-commerce series and its Female Founders series.

Community newsletter debuts – In order to provide our communities regular updates about the college, PCC introduced an email newsletter late in 2021 to highlight students, employees and campus news. Those interested in receiving it can subscribe through PCC’s newsroom page or by filling out a subscription form.

New city economic dashboard – The City of Pueblo recently created a detailed economic dashboard to provide information to the community and those involved in the area’s economic development. PCC was one of the collaborators on the project, providing data to make sure the city is offering the most comprehensive economic picture available.

Grants benefit multiple projects – PCC received a $4.9 million Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act Recovery Assistance grant from the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development Administration to expand its healthcare training programs at St. MaryCorwin Hospital.

The grant provides funding to complete the Nursing and Allied Health Teaching and Learning Center (TLC) at St. Mary-Corwin. PCC is renovating two floors of the hospital’s vacant East Tower with a planned opening in late fall 2022. The project will allow PCC to add 225 students to its health care programs.

PCC received another $11 million in grants in the final months of 2021 to help with other projects. Programs such as STEM, medical assisting, computer information systems, Children First and the Return to Earn scholarship are benefitting from funds awarded at the federal, state and local levels.

Our Vision:

• Pueblo Community College is the choice for personal and community success.

Our Mission:

• Pueblo Community College transforms lives of students, enriches communities, and strengthens regional economies. We empower individual achievement by providing inclusive, personalized support and innovative educational opportunities.

Our Values:

• Achievement: We engage a diverse student body and support all individuals in attaining high-quality learning outcomes to meet the demands of a global economy.

• Excellence: We foster continuous quality improvement and innovation by responding to the needs of the communities we serve.

• Integrity: We advance our mission ethically and equitably, through a culture of shared governance that demands accountability and excellence.

• Respect: We foster an open and inclusive environment that welcomes diverse backgrounds and opinions, recognizes individual talents, encourages personal and professional growth, and celebrates accomplishments.

• Inclusive Teaching & Learning: We value the exchange of knowledge and encourage lifelong learning for students, faculty and staff.

• Leadership & Teamwork: We create collaborative opportunities to advance the communities we serve through innovative actions, strategic partnerships, and informed planning.

Our Guiding Principles:

• Innovation: Encourage divergent thinking and intentional execution to drive continuous improvement.

• Access: Create educational opportunities for everyone.

• Valuing People: Cultivate growth opportunities so individuals can meet their full potential.

• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Sustain a community respectful of cultures, backgrounds, and ideas.

• Safety: Commit to the safety and well-being of others.

• Quality: Add value and relevance through environmental scanning.