Watch a video about this 14-year employee who was named Staff Employee of the Month for March for her work as an HR specialist.
March 17, 2011
Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Graduation tomorrow for more than 500
Non-traditional students overcome various obstacles to complete degrees
When 510 students receive their diplomas this winter quarter, several non-traditional students with unique personal stories will be among them. They are each striving for a better future as they balance school, work and family.
It’s been a long journey for Amy Nelson, 37. The eighth-grade dropout ended up homeless in 1997. At that point, she gave up her children to her parents so she could get back on her feet. While working a steady job in 2006 she enrolled at Columbus State in accounting. “I wanted to provide stability for my children,” she says.
Frustrated after a couple of years, Amy considered dropping out. “However, I went to talk to my advisor. He gave me a career survey and it led me to construction management. After graduation I plan to earn a bachelor’s degree. I will succeed by perseverance.”
Arwyn Hopkins was working in construction when the recession hit. That’s when he decided to leave his seasonal job that paid $28 an hour. Hopkins says, “I decided to take a chance on myself and went to work at a gas station for $9.50 an hour in order to have a steady work schedule to plan my classes around.” While he will receive his paralegal studies degree this week, he’s already found a position as an assistant law librarian. “The job has completely changed my family’s life. I went from struggling to make ends meet every winter to a steady, well-paying career.”
Kelly Liddy, 40, first enrolled at Columbus State more than 20 years ago. When her life filled up with work and a family she was never able to finish – until now. Liddy says, “When my youngest child started school and I went back to finish college I was surprised to find I only had eight classes left to get my associate degree. And since they were all available online, finishing at Columbus State became an option.” She’ll graduate with a degree in business management. Her next goal is to begin work on an MBA in finance. “Not only is this an accomplishment for me,” she says, “I have sent a message to my children on the value of education throughout life.”
Brian Shoemaker also wants to send a message to his children as he receives a much-anticipated degree in business management. Shoemaker, 37, first came to Columbus State in 1998. He returned when his son headed off to the University of Cincinnati just over a year ago. “Even though I am happy where I am working I wanted to demonstrate to my son that I can work full-time and go to school full-time to earn my degree,” says Shoemaker. “I want to be a good role model.”
Lora Baker has been a secretary for 27 years, with the past nine at a local middle school. “After working with middle school kids, I decided that I wanted to be a bigger positive influence in this important time of a teen’s life,” says Baker, 45. “After graduating from Columbus State I will enroll at Ohio University to finish my teaching degree with plans to teach math.”
Senator Niehaus
Ohio Senate President Thomas E. Niehaus will provide the commencement address. Senator Niehaus has represented the 14th Senate District of Ohio, including Adams, Brown, Clermont, Scioto and a portion of Lawrence County since 2005. In January of 2011, his colleagues unanimously elected him to serve as the President of the Ohio Senate for the 129th General Assembly.
Prior to being elected to the Ohio House of Representatives in 2001, he made his career in the newspaper business. Tom spent 10 years with Harte Hanks Communications, and 15 years with Community Press, a network of 27 community newspapers serving the Greater Cincinnati area.
Graduation begins at 10:00 a.m., Friday, March 18, at Veterans Memorial, 300 W. Broad St.. The event is free and open to the public.
Visit a gallery of photos, video from Inauguration Week at Columbus State
Some of the highlights from hundreds of photographs taken at various Inaugural Week activities are included in this gallery of photos, as well as a video created by Mark Van Horn, Institutional Advancement:
From Monday’s Inauguration Service Project, through the Saturday Open House at the Harrison’s home, each special event honored Columbus State tradition and created new excitement for the future!
Photo Gallery:
Dr. Harrison
reads with a student at Eastgate Elementary at Monday's Inauguration
Read-In.
Mary Galentine reads about
a mouse who went to college for children at Hamilton Elementary
School.
Dr. Harrison and wife Tracy read with 2nd graders at Eastgate Elementary. 
Tracy Harrison
greets some of the volunteers from the Read-In at the Appreciation Luncheon
March 9.
Senior
Student Ambassador Korie Jenkins chats with Dr. Harrison at the
Appreciation Luncheon.
At
the Delaware Campus Community Breakfast March 8, the President took
time to pose with some scholarship students who attended.
Dr.
Harrison chats with community members who attended the Delaware
Campus Community Breakfast.
Mayor
Michael Coleman gave Greetings from the City at the Inauguration
Ceremony March 11.
Dr.
E. Gordon Gee, President of The Ohio State University, offered
greetings from the Higher Education Community. 
Dr. Harrison watches
approvingly as his son Mark performs a solo in the jazz classic "Body
and Soul" accompanied by the Columbus State Jazz Ensemble.
Dr. Harrison receives the Columbus State
Presidential Medallion from Board Chair Poe Timmons, and is officially installed as the fifth president.
Tracy Harrison
introduced her husband before the Inaugural Address.
President
Harrison gives his Inaugural Address.
The Lincoln Theatre
provided a beautiful backdrop for the Inaugur- ation Ceremony.
Thomas Lloyd directs the Columbus State Concert Band.
Master
of Ceremonies Poe Timmons, Chair of the Board of Trustees,
introduces the next speaker.
Korie Jenkins,
a Student Ambassador and Student Representative to the Board of
Trustees, was selected to give Greetings from the Student Body.
As the Recessional begins, President Harrison waves to audience.
The President with son Mark and
his mother, Phyllis Harrison.
At
the close of the ceremony, Terry Rockwell and daughter Rachel, who
are both members of Chorus Columbus State, sang the Alma Mater. 
At
the Inaugural Reception for the Community, Tim Malloy shares a laugh with Dr. Harrison
in the receiving line.
The
ice sculpture at the Inaugural Reception was done by the Columbus
State ice carving team from Hospitality Management.
After
the formality was over on Friday, the Harrisons opened their home to
all employees of the college and their guests on Saturday.
They even made sure to keep the Big Ten Basketball Tournament on in
the background! 
Guests
at the Harrison's open house chat with the president.
Attention Faculty: "Blackboard Help Center" to assist faculty during the first week of spring quarter
During the first week of spring quarter, the Instructional Technologies and Distance Learning department will offer a "Blackboard Help Center”—a walk-in open lab to help you with any Blackboard 9.1 issues. This is open for faculty and staff only, not for students.
The lab will be open:
Columbus Campus - CT 106
Monday-Friday, March 28-31, 8 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Friday, April 1, 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Delaware Campus - MO 245
Tuesday, March 29, 4-8 p.m.
Wednesday, March 30, Noon – 4 p.m.
Thursday, March 31, 8 a.m. - Noon
You may also contact the open lab via web conferencing for real-time help at a distance.
Blackboard Help Center times for the second and third week of the quarter are listed at: http://cscc.edu/CSCCtraining/Calendar.asp?nMonth=4&nYear=2011
As always, you are encouraged to take Blackboard 9.1 training prior to spring quarter to prevent confusion during the first week of the quarter. Find the online classes or dates and times for classroom training at: http://teaching.cscc.edu/bb9/training.asp
Dental Hygiene alumni set record
70 people set a record for largest group of masked dental hygienists to support Break Cancer as an early celebration of Oral, Head and Neck Cancer Awareness Month and National Young Adult Cancer Awareness Week.
The project was a combined effort between the Dental Hygiene Alumni Network of Columbus State Community College and Joan's Fund (The Joan Bisesi Fund for Head and Neck Oncology Research) during the Dental Hygiene Fundraiser on Oral Cancer, lead by Columbus State's own Jeanette Ferguson, Ph.D. All dollars raised went to the Connie Grossman Dental Hygiene Fund at the CSCC Development Foundation.
Video link: http://urdb.org/world-record/group-masked-dental-hygienists-support-break-cancer.
Weekly Security Tip:
Refrain from sending personally identifiable information and (auto) forwarding emails
All employees should refrain from sending personally identifiable information via email (CSCC’s GroupWise email application, your personal web based email client).
Personally identifiable information consists of an individual’s last name along with the first name or first initial, in combination with (but not limited to) any one or more of the following data elements: social security number; driver’s license number; state identification card number; financial account number; or credit or debit card number.
While we understand the business need to forward CSCC email messages externally from time to time, it is your responsibility to ensure your forwarded emails (via a GroupWise rule or manually) do not contain personally identifiable information. Emails forwarded from your CSCC email account to an external account (Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail for example) are not secure and may be compromised and possibly lead to identity theft.
If you have any questions, please call Rob Clifford at extension 3686.
Employee training offered in CPR and AED
Adult CPR and AED (Automated External Defibrillator) will be offered on Tuesday, March 21, from 8:30 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. in 375 N. Grant (EMT Building). The instructor is Norman Jones. Please register on the Employee Training Registration site under Health & Safety training. Contact Kristi Robbins at ext. 3860 or email krobbin1@cscc.edu for more information.