Update From the President
by Dr. Shanna L. Jackson
Nashville State it is time to say goodbye to 2020 and welcome in a brand new year! 2020 has been a year filled with constant change. Several of us experienced personal loss, hardships and struggles. However, at the end of the day, we still have much for which to be thankful. Our ability to move forward in the face of adversity is what makes us Nashville State Strong! We reached a new level in how we serve our students and work together. I believe our future is very bright.
Below are a few updates from the Office of the President:
Celebrating the Good!
As I mentioned in the November Voice edition, I am committed to being more intentional about celebrating the good. Please use this form to recognize an individual (faculty, staff, or student), department, program, or group that has had a significant accomplishment or made a difference. Today, I would like to celebrate our own faculty and staff who completed a degree during the pandemic.
Please join me in congratulating the following:
- Keely Apple – M.A. Accounting, Tennessee Tech University, Summer 2020
- Lisa Fletcher – B.S. Organization Leadership and Communication, MTSU Fall 2020
- Dr. Richard Garvin – Ph.D., Clinical Counseling, Trevecca Nazarene University. Summer 2020
- Sonja Humphries – M.S. Information Sciences, University of TN,
- Deanna Jackson – B.S. Human Resource Management, Western Governors University, Spring 2020
- Drew Kovac – B.B.A. Music Business, Belmont University, Spring 2020
- Misti Meeks – B.A. Management and Leadership, Trevecca Nazarene University, Fall 2020
Vice President for Business and Finance Search
Mary Cross is retiring after 11 years with Nashville State. We will convene a search committee in January for our next Vice President. Please join me in wishing Vice President Cross well as she begins a new chapter in February.
Spring Enrollment
Spring enrollment in underway. We are currently down 15.5% in headcount and 16% in FTE compared to this time last year. Great work is occurring on all campuses to register continuing and new students and we are trending in a good direction to close the gap. However, I must recognize the faculty and staff of our Clarksville Campus. They have enrolled more students to date (671) that they had last Spring (654) and are closing in on FTE. Always remember, every day and every student matters. Each one of us can make a positive difference.
I think we are all looking forward to saying goodbye to 2020. In the last days of 2020, please take a few moments to reflect on the good. We did Move Forward in 2020 and we will continue going Back to Basics in 2021, putting our students in the center of all we do.
Happy Holidays to each of you and your families! I look forward to seeing you in 2021.
The Pandemic and Flipgrid
by Jessica Rabb, Ph.D., Professor of Biology
Due to the pandemic, we taught BIOL-1110 General Biology I online this fall. In addition to new online labs, I asked the instructors to require a video discussion board called Flipgrid. The last video discussion prompt asked students to say goodbye to the class in a one-minute video. Thank you to the instructors that gave this a try:
- Tocarra Cecil
- Christa Davidson
- Laura Inglis
- Cynthia Jackson
- Eric Limbird
- Danielle Richardson.
And thank you to the students that gave this a try. I found the students to be proud and grateful for their academic accomplishments this semester. I have transcribed some of their responses below.
- I hate that everything is virtual now, but I had a good time having discussions with everyone.
- Ya’ll have made an isolated learning experience feel not so alone.
- Congratulations on surviving online learning during a pandemic. Thanks for making the most out of the situation.
- One thought I still have is that even though this was a weird semester, it was a pretty great semester. It was a little different, but I felt motivated, and I kind of liked doing classes from the comfort of my bed.
- I was surprised that I was able to actually learn in an online class. I didn’t think I would be able to.
- I was surprised that I actually did really well in this class. I thought I would struggle with it just because it was online and it’s a complicated class anyway, but I did it.
- I thought this semester was very weird. However, I was able to adjust quickly after I learned how to use D2L.
- I was surprised by how amazing the teachers have been on this journey with us, we are all learning and adapting to this current lifestyle, and they have been so supportive and understanding and willing to help.
- I enjoyed this class so much, I not only got to learn from my teachers, but I also got to listen to others’ opinions on certain subjects and understand how they thought about some things. This was an amazing experience, even if it was all online.
- We all worked hard, and we all achieved great things here. We may not have met, fully, properly introduced ourselves, but we’re all wonderful people, and hopefully we all do great things in life.
- I’m really going to miss working with you through this.
- I wish the best to you all, stay encouraged and motivated in this time, you’ve got this.
- One parting thought for my beautiful class, is keep working towards your goals and your dreams, and we can do it.
Dr. Sarah Roberts and Charles Clark Selected for Fellowship
by Tom Hayden, Associate Vice President, Office of Communications and Marketing
Dr. Sarah Roberts, Interim Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, and Mr. Charles Clark, Associate Vice President for Institutional Planning and Research, have been selected for the inaugural fellowship of the Strategic Data Project for Post-secondary Career and Technical Education (SDP-CTE) at the Center for Education Policy Research at Harvard University.
In its first year, the program is partnering with eight post-secondary institutions, that serve CTE students, across seven states to build the capacity of existing analytic staff through a year-long training program. The fellows will receive extensive training in measurement and analysis, leadership and change management, and education policy.
With Nashville State having the most diverse student body of any community college in Tennessee, Dr. Roberts and Mr. Clark will be exploring how to increase awareness and practical ways to ensure equity in everything the College does, specifically in regards of student success. The equity gaps in student success measures (persistence, retention, and graduation) are well documented.
Knowing a one-size-fits-all approach does not work, as an institution we must understand how and why some students succeed and others fail. Closing the equity gaps in student success requires a data and analytics approach that is equity informed.
Through this fellowship, Dr. Roberts and Mr. Clark will be leading an effort to develop distinct at-risk models to identify which factors significantly contribute to a student’s risk of not succeeding on their pathway, which will allow us to develop and prioritize opportunities for targeted interventions and supports, possibly at the individual level, that are grounded in equitable practices.
The Teaching Center
by Amy S. Bryant, Associate Professor, Speech Communication, Teaching Center Fellow
As 2020 ends, we want to say thank you for the support and engagement with The Teaching Center this academic year. During this first semester of the culturally responsive teaching (CRTP) practices certificate from The Teaching Center,
- 170 faculty have earned at least one hour toward the certificate.
- 93 faculty have earned 5 hours or more toward the certificate.
- 40 faculty have earned 9 hours or more toward the certificate.
- 3 faculty have completed the PD requirement for the certificate.
- 101 faculty have attended a TILT workshop.
This semester, The Teaching Center has offered 38 professional development workshops and sessions. Through these events, we have reached 879 faculty with professional development sessions. (This number does include duplicate faculty members who have attended multiple sessions.) For comparison in fall 2019, The Teaching Center offered 35 workshops with 192 attendees. Thank you for your commitment to faculty growth by engaging in professional development.
As we look forward to and start planning for 2021, commit to attending professional development sessions with The Teaching Center. The early January professional development sessions are posted on our website at http://ww2.nscc.edu/theteachingcenter/spring- inservice-2021/. You can also access many past professional development sessions at The Teaching Center Professional Development Library at http://ww2.nscc.edu/theteachingcenter/resources/nscc- resources/professional-development-libra/.
If you are willing to share your expertise by leading a session, please go to https://forms.gle/ NF2suACBjEkthgHQ7 to submit a proposal anytime throughout the year. The success of The Teaching Center is greatly enhanced by your involvement and willingness to share your knowledge with others. The Teaching Center appreciates each of you and your commitment to student success.
NSCC Foundation Update
by Lauren Bell Executive Director for Foundation, Public Affairs, Creative Services
Help pave the way for future NSCC grads
Still looking for that perfect present this holiday season?
Purchase an engraved brick for everyone on your list! Help us memorialize 5 decades of excellence by creating an everlasting imprint on our original campus. All brick orders received before June 1st will be part of an unveiling event in early Fall 2021 on the quad at the West Nashville campus. You can place your commemorative brick order completely online! Just head to nsccf.org/donate/engraved-brick-campaign to place your order now.
There are two simple steps to complete your order:
- Payment can be made through the Foundation website here.
- Fill out the form on the next page that loads, indicating what you would like your brick to say.
Brick sales will help support student success at our 8 campuses in Middle Tennessee. If you have any questions, please email lindsay.hager@nscc.edu! We appreciate your support!
Foundation launches new FINISH LINE Scholarship
The NSCC Foundation is proud to announce the launch of a new resource for students. Starting this spring, the Finish Line scholarship is available to students in their final semester of classes who are on track to complete a degree or certificate at Nashville State.
This scholarship will assist students with tuition and fees for completion of their program in their final semester. The scholarship is made possible by the NSCCF Board of Trustees and other generous donations to the Foundation.
How it works:
Recommendations for Finish Line aid come from NSCC Faculty and Staff who are familiar with the student’s situation. Recommenders must complete the Finish Line application located here (scroll to bottom of page) and verify that:
- Student has a minimum 2.0 GPA
- Student is 75% or more towards completion of a degree or certificate (via Degreeworks)
- Student is enrolled in courses required for completion
Recommenders must also confirm with NSCC Financial Aid that receipt of the scholarship will not adversely impact other aid student is receiving. Award amounts will not exceed $1,500 per student and will be based on amount student owes.
Textbook Assistance
Did you know the Foundation helped over 270 students this fall through the Textbook Assistance Program? The application for Spring 2021 textbook assistance opens on January 4th. Assistance is provided on a first-come, first- serve, semester-to-semester basis. Due to funding restrictions, there are limits to the support we can provide each semester.
Have questions? Contact NSCC’s Student Resource Manager, April Robinson at april.robinson@nscc.edu. Interested in supporting this critical resource for students? Click here to donate.
Campus Cupboard Food Assistance
Like so many of our College processes, COVID changed the way that we serve students through the Campus Cupboard. In November, we launched a new online ordering system – and in that time, we’ve already distributed over 4,000 food and personal care items to students in need! We are so, so grateful for our #NSCCfamily’s support. Every dollar and every item that you’ve donated helped make life a little more bearable for students who are really struggling right now. Thank you!
No surprise – our wonderful students are also pitching in to care for one another! Social Work student Abby Farrington Goff has been organizing collection drives within her network and dropping off donations throughout the semester.
And Korina Stanley, Psychology student and NSCC SGA Vice President, will be working with Foundation Staff to build a team of student volunteers to help pack orders at the West Nashville Campus starting in January.
Speaking of Korina, we wanted to also share a quick feel good moment with you. Earlier this semester, Korina utilized the Cupboard at a time when she and her family needed a little extra support. Now that things have leveled out for them, Korina wanted to, in her words, “make sure that this resource is available to other students who are having a hard time.” She and her family are pictured here, dropping off their donation at the West Nashville Campus. It warms our hearts to see students paying it forward!
For more information on how to donate or volunteer, contact Michelle Joyner at michelle.joyner@nscc.edu. The Foundation’s 2020 Annual Report is up at nsccf.org – check it out here.
Wishing all of you a healthy and happy holiday season!
Lauren, Lindsay and Michelle
Faculty Senate Update
By Derek Smith, Ph.D., Professor of Mathematics, Faculty Senate Chair
At the November Faculty Senate meeting, our ATD coaches, David Hartleb and Rene Garcia, spoke about the difference between equality and equity, and its impact on advising. There was good discussion on how our advising efforts have been impacted by our mostly virtual environment. Rene will offer a session on January 7 that explores strategies to strengthen advising relationships with our students.
Scott McRoberts chaired the ad hoc committee that created Zoom guidelines for faculty and students, with attention paid to equity concerns in a virtual setting. The Zoom Etiquette Guidance document was presented and approved by Faculty Senate. It was shared with faculty via email on November 22.
A pre-term hours proposal was also presented and approved by Faculty Senate at the November meeting. The proposal reduced the number of hours that faculty list on their door schedule from 60 to 48. It also indicated that scheduled advising should not exceed 10 hours and that faculty could serve advising hours on other campuses to provide support for extended campuses. The proposal was presented to the Academic Affairs Leadership Team, who provided a counter-proposal. Senate did not have an opportunity to formally vote on the counter-proposal, so this will be taken up in the spring.
Finally, Faculty Senate approved the Faculty Emeritus Nomination form for Lynn Lozier. This honor duly recognizes the tremendous impact that Lynn had on her students and colleagues during her distinguished tenure at Nashville State.
Maintenance and Operations Department Report
by Christopher Saunders, CFM, Executive Director of Operations & Facilities
The Maintenance and Operations Department is ending 2020 as we outlined in our KPI (Key Performance Indicators) for 3 – 4th qtrs. 2020:
- PPE Oversight and distribution for the NSCC campuses
- Address the technical issues on all campuses, contracts review and support
- Construction oversight for the major projects
- Be more responsive by documenting and timely completion of all work orders
We have worked diligently towards these goals, not always being popular, but trying to be fair and responsible for our NSCC Family.
Best of the season to all.
The NSCC Voice
Founded 2017
Staff
- Cliff Rockstead, Managing Editor
- David Gerth, Assistant Managing Editor
- Robin Jones, Production Editor
- Harlan Pease, Feature Editor
- Mary Elisabeth Wilson-Patton, Copy Editor
December Contributors
Lauren Bell, Amy S. Bryant, Tom Hayden, Dr. Shanna L. Jackson, Jessica Rabb, Christopher Saunders, Derek Smith, NSCC Voice Staff
Wishing you and your family a safe and very happy holiday season!
NSCC Voice Staff