The HCC Foundation took home top honors for its “Mission Possible Membership Campaign” at the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) District IV Regional Conference held April 12-15 at the Hilton Americas-Houston. The campaign, which promoted membership in the HCC Alumni Association utilizing a variety of social media, received a Gold Award in the category of Best Practices in Alumni Relations. The CASE District IV Accolades Awards Program recognizes the outstanding efforts of advancement professionals throughout District IV. The 2014 competition was highly competitive with nearly 1,300 submissions. 

Click here to read the Houston Chronicles coverage of the Passion for Fashion luncheon!

The Houston Community College Foundation and the Houston Texans have teamed up to provide scholarships to Houston area veterans. On Tuesday, March 25, 2014, the veterans who received scholarships were honored at Reliant Stadium.

Houston Texans Pro Bowl Center Chris Myers serves as the spokesman for the new Scholarships for Service program which will award up to 50 HCC scholarships to local veterans.

HCC's programs for veterans help them start a new chapter with education and skills training. 

See more photos from the event

The theme of Field of Opportunity with greens and purples and trees scattered around the Hilton Americas Ballroom greeted the over 600 guests attending Houston Community College Foundation’s Opportunity Ball on Saturday, February 22.  Proceeds from the event will launch local students on the path to a successful future by providing them scholarships to HCC.

Skanska USAserved as lead underwriter of the event, which gala Chairmen Mary and Will Williams, said raised nearly $600,000—a record total for the gala. Ms. Williams serves on the Houston Community College Foundation Board. Auction highlights included a donation from the Houston Texans, The Houston Rockets and BMW West, part of the Momentum family for a 2 year lease on a new BMW — all making for a lively night.

Sarah and Doug Foshee, past honorees, presented HCC’s Crystal Eagle award to Janice and Bob McNair, owner of the Houston Texans, accepted by McNair Foundation Executive Director Joanie Haley. Ms. Haley spoke about the McNairs’ passion for helping young people succeed and the opportunities that community colleges offer local students to improve their career potential and the lives of their families as well as the importance today of continuing education to be a part of the future workforce.

Attendees included many of the HCC trustees, HCC Foundation Board President Bob Bellomy, and Houston Community College Acting Chancellor Renee Byas. Lt. Governor David Dewhurst and his wife Patricia joined in the festivities as well.

HCC is one of the largest community colleges in the United States, providing an affordable education to more than 72,000 students each semester. HCC is also ranked number one in the state for placing students in jobs when they graduate, offering associate degrees, certificates, academic preparation, workforce training and lifelong learning opportunities that prepare individuals in our diverse community to complete in an increasingly technological and international society. The college’s six locations offer core academic courses that transfer to any public university in Texas. It also allows local students to obtain job training in a wide array of fields, including nursing, culinary arts, fashion design, criminal justice, automotive technology, and cosmetology.

Carme Williams, CFRE, is the new executive director of the Houston Community College Foundation. Williams, a native of North Carolina, has more than 15 years experience in leadership, management and fundraising in the nonprofit arena, as well as several years of management experience from the corporate and banking industries.

For the past eight years, she worked in the Resource Development Office at Rice University, where her efforts contributed to securing funds for the $1 Billion Centennial Capital Campaign. As a Development Director, Central Development and the School of Humanities, she developed priorities, strategies, internal and external marketing material for the launching of the campaign and led all fundraising activities in the School of Humanities. She also created and implemented a comprehensive strategy targeting diverse alumni and friends to engage with the university through participation and financial support to the campaign.  

Prior to joining the Resource Development team at Rice University, she worked with Church World Service (CWS), an inter-faith international humanitarian non-government organization consisting of 36 mainstream denominations in over 80 countries. While at CWS, she held the positions of Major Gift Officer and Planned Giving Associate, and traveled with constituents overseas to view projects. She was credited with raising millions of dollars to help with education and advocacy, emergency response, health care, HIV/AIDS, hunger relief, refugees, and water preservation from individual donors, foundations and corporations through grants, major gifts, planned gifts, pledges, and sponsorships.

Williams has utilized and enhanced her talents by serving on the board and committees of local agencies. Currently, she is the President-Elect for the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Greater Houston Chapter. Previously, she served as the Vice President for Professional Advancement and Vice President of Diversity and Community Outreach, and chaired the AFP 2013 Ask the Experts Conference, which provided fundraising education to over 350 fundraisers in the City of Houston. While living in Fort Worth, Texas, she served on the executive committee of the AFP Fort Worth Chapter, was a board member for the Tarrant County AIDS Interfaith Network, and demonstrated leadership with the Eastside YMCA during their annual Capital Campaign through individual and corporation solicitation.

Williams holds a B.A. degree in business management with a minor in finance from North Carolina State University in Raleigh, North Carolina and a Certified Fundraising Executive Certificate.

Houston Community College will host the third annual HCC Hispanic Scholarship Committee (HSC) Luncheon Tuesday, October 8 at the Hilton Americas in downtown Houston, 1600 Lamar Street. HSC’s mission is to raise scholarship funds for Hispanic students who want to attend HCC.

The HSC will honor Irma G. Galvan, owner of Irma’s Restaurant, and Richard J. Campo, Chairman of the Board and CEO of Camden Property Trust, with the Hispanic Scholarship Council Leadership Award.

Galvan was born in Brownsville, Texas and moved to Houston at the age of five. After the loss of her husband, Galvan opened a small sandwich shop in downtown Houston to support her four children. After she switched to serving Mexican food, Irma’s restaurant grew with the help of Houston’s major designers, decorators and real estate agents promoting her business. Irma’s Mexican Restaurant has become one of the most popular Tex-Mex stops in Houston and has been featured in many magazines and won multiple awards. Though Galvan never had the opportunity to receive her degree, she strongly supports today’s children and their quest for education.

Campo graduated from Oregon State University in 1976 and immediately began his real estate career. He has spent 30 years building Camden’s predecessor companies and providing job opportunities for exceptional skilled workers in construction, technology, management, training and marketing. Campo currently serves on the Board of Directors of several organizations that focus on the economic development, business outlook and future growth of Houston. He also currently the chairman of the 2017 Super Bowl Bid Committee and was a past Board Member of the Harris County Houston Sports Authority which developed and financed the three major sports venues in Houston.

To promote Texas’ “Closing the Gaps” initiative to increase student participation rates and achievements, HCC and the Board of Trustees have made tables available for purchase by sponsors interested in supporting our students. For a full list of sponsorship opportunities and benefits, please visit www.hccs.edu/hsc2013.

HCC Oil and Gas Drilling Training Center at HCC Northeast[/caption]Houston Community College has embarked on a visionary project with the oil and gas drilling industry to change the way drilling rig crews are recruited, trained and developed. This is in response to industry’s call for new ways to meet “the big crew change.” The industry is faced with the need to not only fill the vacant positions of retiring personnel, but to also staff up and train crews for approximately 140 new offshore drilling rigs under construction.

“The drilling industry is faced with the challenge to bring 24,000 new hires on board within the next few years,” says Diamond Offshore Drilling CEO and President, Larry Dickerson. “Diamond Offshore and other drilling contractors have worked with HCC education experts over the past year to create a program that produces better trained candidates for the drilling industry of the future.

HCC Oil and Gas Drilling Training Center at HCC Northeast

Houston Community College has committed resources to establish the HCC Global Oil and Gas Drilling Training Center. HCC educators have been working with drilling contractor company representatives on an advisory committee to set the vision and parameters of a program to achieve a better solution for the big crew change: trained, technically educated, safety skilled and promotable new hires.
The vision is to create a realistic drilling environment for new hire induction, orientation and training. The goal is to provide drilling contractors with a premier source for retainable, promotable and safety-conscious entry-level rig crew members.

HCC is starting construction of a HCC Global Oil and Gas Drilling Training Center that includes a rig safety and skills laboratory on their Northeast Campus. This skills laboratory will be known as “RIG-ONE” and will replicate the essential components of the rig work environment for new hires (Offshore Roustabouts/Onshore Roughnecks). A two-week, hands-on program will provide trainees with experience in working around cranes, forklifts and air tuggers to acquire skills in safe pipe and cargo handling. Other skill areas include material handling, tank cleaning, confined space entry, routine maintenance and hand tool skills. Basic first aid, firefighting, station bills and muster, lock-out/tag-out and other safety procedures such as Helicopter Underwater Evacuation Training and Safe Driving are integrated into this real world experience. The training curriculum is aligned with the International Association of Drilling Contractors Knowledge, Skills and Abilities (KSA) profiles.

The entire project will be more than just the usual training of new hires. It will be an experience! Trainees will confront, daily, real-life situations requiring aptitude, knowledge and skills. The HCC Northeast Campus will be home site for the “RIG-ONE Experience.”
According to Dr. Lee Hunt, President Emeritus of the International Association of Drilling Contractors and Strategic Advisor of RIG-One, elements of the program include courses accredited by IADC.

“The RIG-One Experience is a visionary collaboration of industry experts and college educators to induct new employees into the world of drilling who are retainable, promotable and safety conscious,” said Renee Byas, HCC Acting Chancellor. “We are excited about the industry being able to offer thousands of new jobs to people right here in Houston, Texas – the Energy Capital of the World.”

The groundbreaking for the HCC Global Oil and Gas Drilling Training Center and its RIG-One Safety and Skills Laboratory is scheduled for Fall 2013. Initial training classes are also expected to begin in the Spring 2014 semester. High school seniors, returning veterans and other workforce personnel will be offered the opportunity to train, get hired and go to work in a challenging, exciting, and well paid industry. Future expansion of the Global Oil and Gas Drilling Center will include advanced training in specialty skills areas such as electronics, mechanics and hydraulics or other drilling positions such as Floorhand, Assistant Driller and Driller. A two-year drilling associate degree is also being discussed.

For additional information please see www.hccs.edu/drillcenter.

To address a shortage of highly trained workers, Houston Community College and JPMorgan Chase will expand their efforts to supply skilled-workforce graduates for the Greater Houston Area. HCC has received a grant of $75,000 from JPMorgan Chase Foundation in support of workforce education enhancement. The check was presented to the Board of Trustees at the August 15 meeting.

The grant will be used to elevate current manufacturing workforce curriculums so they are in alignment with credentialed skills relevant to employers. Adding to the traditional education curriculum, the industry certifications provide not only an additional credential to the student, but also serve as an independent assessment which validates a student’s skills and knowledge acquired during training at HCC. Workforce education will be enhanced across multiple sites and departments involved in manufacturing and trades program delivery at HCC through the addition of relevant industry certifications. Considering the growing demand for trained and skilled workforce with industry-recognized credentials, JPMorgan Chase and HCC are committed to helping Houston create new jobs and build better lives for its residents.

“Chase is pleased to support HCC in expanding its talent pipeline to serve our energy and manufacturing industries. As a result of this grant, HCC graduates will have the industry-certified skills they need to successfully secure high-wage, high-demand jobs. It’s a win for HCC’s aspiring and hard-working students, a win for local companies, and a win for Houston’s economy,” said Gina Luna, Chairman, Houston Region and CEO, Middle Market Commercial Banking, Houston Region with JPMorgan Chase. Luna also serves as co-chair of the Greater Houston Partnership’s Regional Workforce Task Force that has been formed to address local worker shortages.

This is the largest single grant HCC has received from JPMorgan Chase and is the hopeful new beginning of a long and mutually beneficial public and private partnership to advance workforce efforts. JPMorgan Chase is dedicated to helping individuals access the knowledge, skills and experiences needed to compete in a global economy on the continuum from middle and high school to higher education and a career. This coincides with HCC’s mission to extend its services to younger students to reinforce the benefits of a two-year degree. Through affordable education and generous grants and donations, HCC continues to serve an increasing number of students who possess the drive and ability to learn the skills needed for high-demand jobs.

“We are grateful for the support of JPMorgan Chase to advance our educational outreach on behalf of workforce development and to provide a trained and skilled workforce with industry-recognized credentials,” said Renee Byas, Acting Chancellor, Houston Community College.

Houston Community College (HCC) and the Manufacturing Skills Standards Council (MSCC) have teamed up to ensure the relevancy of HCC’s programs for students and local industry. Wednesday, July 24, Mr. Leo Reddy, CEO of MSSC and HCC Acting Chancellor, Renee Byas formalized the partnership at a signing ceremony. The agreement includes program and curriculum development and expansion of National Association of Manufacturing endorsed certifications offered by HCC and will emphasize job preparedness training and the use of “skill standards”.

Several elected officials and industry leaders attended the ceremony to offer their support for the initiative.

Texas State Representative Jim Murphy, District 133, spoke of recent legislative action designed to increase job opportunities and the appropriate training required for Texas’ burgeoning manufacturing industry.

“The legislature is really paying attention. We passed maybe five different workforce bills this past session,” said Murphy. “This is the number one issue for employers in Texas. They want to have fair regulations and that’s absolutely important, but what keeps them up at night and what they talk to us about is the ability to fill the jobs.”

Joe. W. Arnold, the Manager of Government Affairs for the BASF Corporation, spoke in his capacity as the Chairman of the Workforce Committee for the Texas Association of Manufacturers, stating, “Manufacturers across this state and manufacturers across this nation are clamoring for people that are educated and trained in something that is relevant to them.”

Arnold remarked that the partnership between HCC and MSSC is important for manufacturers, because it means that the college will be providing manufacturers with the opportunity not only to sustain their operations, but to grow their operations. He added, “And the stronger manufacturing is in this state, the better off each and every one of us are.”

Prior to signing the agreement, Reddy commented on the change in philosophy for both industry and education institutions. “Maybe, if we make the purpose of education to be the preparation of all individuals, every citizen, for productive employment. This has to be based on the much closer relationship between the employer and the community and education, but I think this is what we’re seeing here,” said Reddy.

The Greater Houston Partnership lists Houston as the number one manufacturing city in the country. Houston has the jobs, but local industry needs a well-trained, skilled workforce. As a leader in workforce training, HCC is meeting Houston-area employer needs, emphasizing job preparedness training and the use of “skill standards” for students, and through this partnership will expand its National Association of Manufacturing endorsed certifications by adding the level one Certified Production Technology Certificate.

HCC has been developing an enhanced workforce instruction model for the past 18 months with a focus on the high demand for skilled employees in Manufacturing. Students will have the opportunity to quickly learn the skills and knowledge for a certificate or degree in their target industry. HCC currently offers two MSSC certifications in Logistics, and the new partnership will include the MSSC Certified Production Technician as part of the AAS in Manufacturing. Currently, HCC offers American Welding Society (AWS), NCCER, and Workkeys: Career Readiness Certificates.

The signature event took place Wednesday, July 24 at the Houston Community College Administration Building, 3100 Main.

HCC Foundation staff members accept a check in the amount of $778.00 from Robert Hoover, General Manager Training Lead, Potbelly Sandwich Shops on behalf of the store’s newest location in Midtown Houston. The HCC Foundation was opening partner for the recently opened sandwich shop, located near the HCC District Administration Building and HCC Central College.

“We typically use the day before opening as an opportunity to introduce Potbelly to the neighborhood. At this event, we allow people to try Potbelly for a minimum donation. All donations are given to our opening partner,” says Hoover. “It is a great opportunity to help a worthy organization.”

Dr. Kelly J. Zúñiga

Dr. Kelly J. Zúñiga has announced her resignationas executive director of the HCC Foundation, effective June 28. Dr. Zúñiga has been named executive director of the Holocaust Museum Houston.  She was selected from a field of more than 150 candidates to head one of the leading Holocaust institutions in the world, with more than 1.7 million visitors since its opening in 1996.

Dr. Zúñiga has served as executive director of the HCC Foundation since 2006 and during her tenure, she has significantly increased the fundraising success of the Foundation—raising $12.1 million this past fiscal year and securing the HCC Foundation’s prestigious rank among the top one percent of community college foundations in the nation. Additionally, she has elevated the Foundation’s profile in the community through numerous outreach activities and fundraising events including the annual Passion for Fashion Luncheon and biennial Opportunity Ball—both of which have garnered important support for HCC and its students. Dr. Zúñiga has also secured the Foundation’s presence on a national level through prestigious grants received from national funders as well as her service as a trustee on the board of the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE).

Principal among her many successes at the HCC Foundation is the launch of the Opportunity 14 Endowed Scholarship and $30 million campaign to ensure access to a college education in perpetuity for future generations of Houstonians. This scholarship has already provided a brighter future to more than 1,200 HCC students and the numbers continue to increase. While at the Foundation, Dr. Zúñiga has hired a comprehensive fundraising team, launched the HCC Alumni Association and accompanying alumni magazine and has overseen the development of a far-reaching strategic plan for the Foundation.

Dr. Zúñiga’s accomplishments have earned her recognition in the Houston community; earlier this year, she was named one of “Houston’s Most Influential Women of 2012” by Houston Woman magazine.

“We are deeply grateful to Kelly for her leadership and commitment to the organization,” says HCC Foundation Board President Bob Bellomy. “Her passion for education and advancing support for others are qualities which will carry her far in her new role.”

HCC Acting Chancellor Renee Byas concurred. “Kelly has done a wonderful job in leading the HCC Foundation. She has been extremely instrumental in increasing the awareness and profile of the HCC Foundation in the community and on the national level,” says Byas.

Affordable Colleges Online included HCC in its top 100 list of most affordable large community colleges in the country. Since the cost of post-secondary education has increased 498% since 1986, it is important that HCC was highlighted as a college that offers affordable, high-quality education.

Current enrollment for HCC is 69,815 with $2,160 as its average yearly cost of tuition for a full time student.

http://sites.hccs.edu/mediaroom/2013/04/hcc-ranked-in-the-top-100-of-the-most-affordable-large-community-colleges-list/

After three months of tireless work, the HCC Newspring Business Plan Competition contestants saw the first fruits of their labor as winners were announced at HCC’s Spring Branch Campus April 26. Twenty-five teams worked with advisers to craft their business models and plans for expansion. Ultimately, five teams were selected as finalists, winning cash prizes to turn their dreams into realities.

In addition to being a community effort with 60 volunteer business professionals through Newspring, the competition also received generous support from University of Phoenix, Wallis State Bank, Amegy Bank, David Regenbaum, Constant Contact, Richard Tyler International, Inc., Houston West Chamber of Commerce, Small Business Today Magazine and the HCC Foundation. 

The Assistance League of Houston awards scholarships to eight students of HCC's VAST Academy through the HCC Foundation.  VAST Academy provides post-secondary transition programs and comprehensive support services which lead to meaningful credentials, employment and independence for differently-abled individuals. Opportunities include vocational certificates, pre-college and freshman success “bridge” courses, career readiness credentials, internships and employment assistance offered through an inclusive, relevant and affordable avenue.

The University of Houston System (UHS) and Houston Community College Northwest (HCC) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to expand higher education opportunities in the Katy/West Houston area. 

Through a partnership that includes using existing facilities at UHS at Cinco Ranch and HCC-Katy, the MOU will result in an increase of academic programs offered by UHS and HCC-Northwest in West Houston. Many of the undergraduate programs currently offered at UHS at Cinco Ranch will be co-located to the HCC-Katy Campus. The partnership will allow students greater access to more instructional support and services, such as academic advising, while developing more seamless pathways for degree completion. HCC will also offer more non-credit professional development programs at HCC-Katy, such as EMT, cosmetology, horticulture and other professional certifications. 

"This innovative four-year partnership for our Katy community is an exciting step towards more fully serving the higher education needs for a 21st century workforce. I am thrilled to offer this to our community," said Dr. Zachary Hodges, president HCC Northwest. 

The collaboration allows for UHS at Cinco Ranch to expand its professional and graduate-level programs and transition into a UHS graduate/professional education center. A primary focus will be energy and energy-related fields. Beginning in fall 2013, graduate courses in subsea engineering will be offered at UHS at Cinco Ranch. The University of Houston central campus is currently the only university in the nation that offers this degree program. 

"In addition to the subsea program, we are evaluating adding more engineering, geosciences and energy-related professional certificate programs to UHS at Cinco Ranch in the future," said Marshall Schott, associate vice chancellor for planning and administration at UHS. "With its proximity to Houston's Energy Corridor and the growing demand for more professional-level programs in that area, our goal is to transform UHS at Cinco Ranch into a premier professional and graduate education center."

The MOU provides a framework for a long-term partnership between UHS and HCC in the service region.

Link to Release: http://www.uh.edu/news-events/stories/2013/march/02282013HCCMOU

After six-plus historic years of accomplishment at HCC and more than 30 years in academia at esteemed educational institutions across the country, Dr. Mary Spangler has made the decision to retire from academia and her current role as Chancellor of Houston Community College.

Dr. Mary S. Spangler at HCC’s 2012 Commencement Ceremony

“We are fortunate to have been so positively impacted by her visionary leadership and record of accomplishment,” shared Bruce Austin, HCC Chairman of the Board of Trustees. “Dr. Spangler’s career has been marked by one success after another. And, her HCC years have been marked by record growth in enrollment, student accomplishment, college expansion, and philanthropic support. Under her leadership, the college has increased its reach locally, as well as across the state, nation and globe. While she has chosen to leave her role, her tenure will undoubtedly remain one of the most important and brightest spots in our 41 year history.”

Among her many accomplishments while Chancellor at HCC, Spangler was responsible for the rebranding of the institution, the dramatic positive change in public perception, the passage of an important bond initiative as well as two historic annexation elections to expand HCC’s influence in the community.

“It has been a professional and personal privilege to lead HCC during this important time in its and our history,” said Dr. Mary Spangler. “We have created an institution that is unrivaled when it comes to opportunity, relevance and being essential. I have truly loved this institution, the city, our students and most of all, the 4,000 professional men and women who comprise our faculty and staff. While I will deeply miss all those inside and outside the college with whom I have had the privilege to work, I could not be more excited about all that is ahead for me in my retirement.”

Because her decision to leave is so recent, the Board, beginning with its April board meeting, will begin to discuss the process to identify a world-class educational leader to assume the role of Chancellor of one of the largest and most respected community colleges in the country. The timing and process will be defined and clearly articulated to the public to ensure a professional and transparent search process. Renee Byas, HCC’s General Counsel, who has served as Acting Chancellor since January, 2013, will continue running the day-to-day operations of the institution until further notice.

In a statement to faculty and staff, Austin continued, “While her visionary, yet gentle leadership style will be missed, we, too, look forward with great optimism for all that is ahead for the college. The college is positioned for many great things in the near and distant future. The college, the community and the educational field will long remember her accomplishments and record of leadership.”

http://sites.hccs.edu/mediaroom/2013/03/esteemed-nationally-recognized-chancellor-announces-retirement

New life for San Jacinto High - Houston Chronicle

(By Flori Meeks)

http://www.chron.com/default/article/New-life-for-San-Jacinto-High-4334230.php

The Houston Community College Foundation recently awarded $9,000 in scholarships to help nine students further their aspirations of an engineering career and complete their Associate of Science in Engineering Science (ASES) degree.

The students will be among the first cohort to earn their ASES at HCC and continue on to their four-year engineering degree through HCC's partnership with The University of Texas at Tyler. The new program will be offered at The University of Texas at Tyler Houston Engineering Center located on the HCC campus in Alief. Students will be able to obtain an Engineering degree in the normal four-year time period from UT Tyler, while saving nearly 50 percent on their tuition costs. While beneficial for the student, the program is also designed to support the engineering field and  businesses which need to fill highly skilled job opportunities.

HCC scholarship recipient Lorenzo Rodriquez is an example of the important gap the program is filling for local students who seek a future in engineering and might not otherwise have access to a four-year degree. Lorenzo served in the US Navy as an Electronics Technician from 1999 - 2002 and is completing his ASES degree while working as an Electronics Technician for Weatherford Drilling Services.  Lorenzo received some college credits while in the military and now seeks to advance his education through his studies at HCC and continue into UT Tyler's engineering program at the Alief campus.

"The partnership will allow me to earn my bachelor's degree close to home with the benefit of small class sizes and affordable tuition," said Rodriguez. "There is definitely a lot of support from my professors and the community because they want me to do well. This scholarship will help me continue with my studies."  

The HCC Foundation provided the funding for the initial nine students who each received a $1,000 scholarship for tuition, books and other college fees for the spring 2013 semester. The Foundation is working to raise funds from corporate and individual donors to offer additional scholarship opportunities for students interested in the program.

"HCC seeks to respond to future workforce requirements while also serving the needs of its students to provide an affordable and clear pathway towards an engineering degree," said HCC Foundation Executive Director, Dr. Kelly Zúñiga. "This endeavor impacts our city and we want to partner with others that believe in contributing to the success of what makes Houston work."

To learn more about supporting HCC's partnership with UT Tyler, visit www.hccsfoundation.org or contact 713.718.8486.

Of all the events on the spring social calendar, none is as glamorous as the Passion for Fashion luncheon held in the soaring grand foyer of the Wortham Theater Center. The annual event benefits Houston Community College's award-winning fashion and interior design education programs and is a must-attend for stylemakers and fashion devotees.

From sketch pad to retail floor, the fashion industry runs on passion, hard work and creativity. The high-wattage luncheon on Feb. 28 celebrates all that and more, with special guest Terron Schaefer.

As the executive vice president and chief creative officer of Saks Fifth Avenue and a mentor on NBC's "Fashion Star," Schaefer has worked for decades in the fashion industry, associated with retail's most prestigious companies such as Bloomingdale's, Harrods and Macy's.

Rather than just give a speech, Schaefer will be interviewed by CultureMap's editor-in-chief and fashion writer Clifford Pugh, for an insightful look into Schaefer's career and the fashion scene.

Since the Passion for Fashion luncheon launched on 2009, some of the design industries brightest have appeared at the event, including Cesar Galindo, Dana Buchman, Badgley Mischka and Andrew Gn.

Ask any designer familiar with Houston and they will all rave about the city's well-dressed women who know color is key, and you are never ready to walk out the door unless accessorized.

Past Passion for Fashion events honored Becca Cason Thrash and Diane Lokey Farb with the HCC Design Society Fashion Icons honor, as women who exemplify Houston style at its best.

The 2013 HCC Design Society Fashion Icon honoree Sheridan Williams is plugged into Houston's philanthropic scene as well, but she also shares an innate sense of fashion as a Donna Karan ambassador.

Education is at the heart of the Passion for Fashion luncheon, providing scholarship money for fashion and interior design students as well as a chance for HCC students to really delve deep into the world of fashion. The school's award-winning program gets students an up close educational experience with designer via master classes and lectures presented by the fashion guest.

The Passion for Fashion fundraiser is hosted by chairmen Liz Glanville and Paula Fyhr, along with co-chairmen Kelli Cohen Fein and Mary Ann McKeithan.

For information to attend the luncheon, call 713.718.8595 or email PassionforFashion@hccsfoundation.org. To reserve your ticket online, visit hccsfoundation.org/pff2013.

http://houston.culturemap.com/newsdetail/02-13-13-annual-fundraiser-shows-why-caring-never-goes-out-of-style/

Houston fashionistas have been front and center at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week with Diane Lokey-Farb the headliner garnering primo front row seating at Naeem Khan where she head-huddled with Ken Downing, Neiman Marcus fashion director, and gaining front row positioning at Dennis Basso. Tonight, she just might grab another coveted A-list post at the Oscar de la Renta Show.

Her dance card has been remarkably full with invitations also to Ralph Rucci, Zac Posen and Carolina Herrera.
H-Town's charming young designer Amir Taghi was sighted at Monique Lhuillier and Carmen Marc Valvo. Donna Karan Ambassador Sheridan Williams and Karen Mayell attended the Donna Karan presentation where they were fawned over by the very-attentive Curtis Farnham, client services manager.

Cindy Garza Farmer and Clint Farmer and their daughters —Alex, 9, and Kate, 6 — caught the Project Runway show, viewing it from the American Express skybox. The girls are huge Project Runway fans so the Farmers bought the AmEx package that was offered to cardmembers for the cushy viewing spot. The Farmers also saw the Carmen Marc Valvo show, after which the designer paid a visit to the skybox.

Neal Hamil was spotted making the rounds. He has a number of models slated to be on the catwalks. Tootsies Fady Armanious has been on the job in NYC as well.

Eva Longoria to accept Texas honors

Joining the coterie of Texas artists to be honored at the Texas Medal of Arts Awards festivities in Austin in March is actress Eva Longoria, a native of Corpus Christi. She will be honored at an evening gala along with nine other recipients that include artist James Surls and Houston Ballet.

Marita Fairbanks and Kelli Blanton chair the awards events, sponsored by the Texas Cultural Trust. Details on the March 4 and March 5 activities are available here.

Stars in the night

That would be Rushmore headliner Jason Schwartzman at the new Alamo Drafthouse Cinema — Vintage Park in northwest Houston where Wes Anderson's Rushmore was screened to a sellout audience of close to 200. The Monday evening screening was the launch of this week's grand opening activities at the new theater.

Joining Schwartzman in the spotlight that included a 20-minute Q&A with the actor were emcee Eric Vespe of Ain't It Cool News, Alamo Drafthouse Cinema founder Tim League and Neil Michaelsen, CEO of Triple Tap Ventures which owns and operates the Houston area cinemas.

Alfred Cervantes of the Houston Film Commission and Joshua Starnes of the Houston Film Critics Society presented Schwartzman a city proclamation declaring it Rushmore Day in Houston.

Stylistas in the house

Honoree Sheridan Williams won't be the only fashion icon in the spotlight for the Feb. 28 "Passion for Fashion" luncheon at Wortham Theater Center. Count in the mix Hunter Dixon designing co-founder Hunter Bell, who joins NBC's Fashion Star for season two that launches March 8.

You might recall that Fashion Star personality Terron Schaefer, Saks Fifth Avenue's executive VP and chief creative officer, headlines the luncheon, where he will be interviewed by CultureMap editor in chief Clifford Pugh.
All of that has chairs Paula Fyhr and Liz Glanville doing a happy dance as that means more interest in the luncheon that raises funds for Houston Community College's Fashion and Interior Design programs.

A Texas-style welcome

Dr. Robert Robbins, who took over leadership of the Texas Medical Center in November, received a warm "howdy" in the River Oaks home of Steve and Linda Webster when friends of Nora's Home gathered to meet the TMC president and CEO.

The welcome was led by Dr. A. Osama Gaber, director of transplantation at The Methodist J.C. Walter Jr. Transplant Center. He and wife Dr. Lillian Gaber envisioned Nora's Home as an affordable temporary residence for pre- and post-transplant patients in the Texas Medical Center. The free-standing facility near the Texas Medical Center is expected to open later this year.

Joining in the cocktail reception were Pinto Ranch's Susan and Walter Pye, who presented Robbins with a cowboy hat, and Pat and Ben Bono, Dr. O.H. "Bud" Frazier, Liz Ghrist, Carl Josehart, Patricia Starck, Linda and Jerry Strickland and Susan Coulter.

http://houston.culturemap.com/newsdetail/02-12-13-houstonians-take-over-fashion-week-eva-longoria-gets-texas-honors-and-irushmorei-is-relived/
 

The Midtown Redevelopment Authority envisions a day when every home and business in its community is no more than a five-minute walk from a park or green space.

That goal is among objectives outlined in the recently completed Midtown Parks and Open Space Master Plan, which analyzes existing parks and identifies underserved areas in the neighborhood.

The authority is preparing to act on the plan's recommended improvements for Baldwin, Glover and Midtown parks. These projects are expected to begin this spring.

"Parks play a pivotal role in improving quality of life," said Steven Spears, principal with the Austin office of Design Workshop, the urban planning firm that created Midtown's park plan.

"A park is a place to socialize," Spears said. "It's a place to walk your dog, to gather with friends, to listen to music."

In 2012, the district was designated an official State of Texas Cultural Arts and Entertainment District, which qualifies it to apply for certain state and national grants.

Parks can tie in with the new designation by providing a place where the arts - displays, classes, performances - can be brought to the public realm, Spears said.

Also important, he said, is that neighborhoods with park space are more likely to see redevelopment. Just being near a park can increase a home's value.

There also are environmental benefits of providing a site for trees and natural habitat.

Green space absorbs rainwater runoff, reducing the risk of local flooding, Spears said.

The new plan also calls for establishing park programming.

"Each park's programming will be relevant to the area it serves," he said.

Park improvements and developments were planned with the programming goal in mind.

Plans for Midtown Park, at Bagby and Gray, call for adding food kiosks, a stage for performances and improved lawn space.

The Houston Midtown Redevelopment District has allocated $1.35 million in capital improvement funds for the project.

Baldwin Park, 1701 Elgin, is slated to receive safer and more functional jogging trails, Spears said.

Plans also call for improved lighting, the addition of fitness equipment, infrastructure for movies in the park, additional plantings and furniture.

The redevelopment authority has budgeted $500,000 for this work.

Glover Park, three blocks to the west at 3118 Elgin, is a small park at about 20,000 square feet, Spears said.

Planned improvements include the addition of a dog run and a deck for performances and gatherings. Also planned are interpretive historical images illustrating the history of Midtown.

This project is budgeted at $300,000.

Also in the area are a community garden and a small green-space area with public access.

Houston Community College is improving the grounds of its Central Campus at Caroline Street and Holman, Spears said.

A plan is in place now for a six-acre "Superblock" development Midtown that would include a park and a high-end apartment complex.

The three-acre park would be on the northern end of the development, which will be bordered by Main, McGowen, Travis and Anita.

"The ball already is in motion," Spears said. "That's one of the strengths of this plan."

Where Midtown needs additional parks, Spears said, is along the Main Street corridor in the center of the neighborhood and also in the northeast section.

"Fifty percent of the district does not have park access within a five-minute walk," Spears said.

The authority probably will start park development in the center area first, he added.

Earlier this year, the Midtown parks plan was recognized for receiving an honorable mention in the Houston-Galveston Area Council's 2012 parks and Natural Areas Award competition.

"In an urban setting such as Midtown with high land values and limited open space, planning efforts such as the Parks and Open Space Master Plan are critical to ensure that parks investments are strategic so that current and future residents will be able to enjoy a superior quality of life," said Jeff Taebel, director of community and environmental planning at H-GAC.

"While specific to Midtown, we think this plan also provides some great ideas for other management districts or cities interested in doing similar projects for their communities," Taebel said.

http://www.chron.com/heights/news/article/Midtown-parks-projects-could-begin-in-spring-4272237.php

Now in its sixth year, the 2013 annual HCC Newspring Business Plan Competition celebrates the spirit of entrepreneurism and competition in our community. 

Contestants come from all over the city come to HCC Northwest to hone their business plans with the help of trained mentors throughout the 2-month period.  Only five teams will advance to the final round, where they will present their plans in front of a panel of judges.  From there, three prize winner and two honorable mention winners will be selected and announced at an awards event.

This year’s competition begins January 21^st and culminates at the Final Awards Reception on April 29^th.  This unique competition represents an impressive variety of contestants with equally diverse ideas and experiences.

Wallis State Bank is the official Third Prize Sponsor for this year’s competition.  For other sponsorship opportunities, please contact Julie Falcon at julie.falcon@hccs.edu.

The HCC Black History Committee (BHC) held a kickoff fundraiser for the 2013 Black History Scholarship Gala at the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston in November.

More than 75 guests - including HCC trustees and administrators - enjoyed guided tours of art of internationally renown African-American artist Henry O. Tanner. The evening concluded with a special video about the 2013 HCC Black History Scholarship Gala, which takes place 6 p.m., February 23, 2013, at the Hilton Americas - Houston.

Watch the video now: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8gbNMpsQnI

The Verizon Foundation has generously awarded HCC Coleman College for Health Sciences a $10,000 grant to fund the Child Advocacy Studies Training (CAST) program. The check was presented to Mary Ann Perez, former HCC Board of Trustees Chair, at the HCC Board Meeting, December 13, 2012.  

HCC Coleman College will become the second community college in the country and the first one in the state of Texas to offer the CAST curriculum. The objective of CAST is to educate professionals about identifying signs of abuse and developing their understanding of the factors that lead to it, as well as appropriate interventions and responses and how to work with survivors. CAST prepares students to work more effectively within various systems and institutions that respond to these incidents.  

The year-long project includes creating a short hybrid continuing-education course designed to introduce the CAST concepts to existing healthcare providers. The initiative also includes creating a three-college-credit course that can be taken as an elective by healthcare, criminal justice, education or students from other programs, offering the credit course as part of a Marketable Skills Award within the existing HCC Human Services Degree and obtaining national program accreditation from the NCPTC when it is available later in 2013-2014.  

Kirk White, the Director at the Center for Healthcare Professionals, and Rich Rosing, a faculty member of the Human Services Technology Program, have been leading the CAST initiative. The Verizon grant will be used to fund curriculum development, adjunct faculty, community outreach and student scholarships for the program.  

Tyrone Rice, Director of Business Sales for the Houston Gulf Coast Region, represented Verizon at the board meeting. Dr. Betty Young, Kirk White and Rich Rosing joined in the formal check presentation. 

“Verizon is proud to support Houston Community College with their work to promote child safety and prevent child abuse,” said Rice. “This program is a blueprint to educate social workers, law enforcement officers, healthcare professionals, educators and others who come into contact with maltreated children. The vast reach of this program should make a significant difference in making the Houston community safer for all children.” 

HCC Coleman has more than 25 community partners that will participate in this training and will join over 18 other institutions of higher education across the country offering the Child Advocacy Studies Training courses.

(left to right): Dr. Kelly J. Zúñiga, Executive Director, HCC Foundation; Douglas W. Glenn, Vertical Account Manager, Education, South Area HQ, Verizon Wireless; Mary Ann Perez, former HCC Board of Trustees Chair; Kirk White, Director, Center for Healthcare Professionals; Dr. Betty Young, President, Coleman College; Rich Rosing, HCC Coleman College, Human Services Technology Department, Faculty; Tyrone Rice, Director of Business Sales, Houston Gulf Coast Region, Verizon Wireless; and Tammy Cowen, National Account Manager, State & Local Government, Verizon Wireless.

The Houston Community College Foundation received a $10,000 gift from Houston Housing Resource to establish the Carmen V. Orta Memorial Scholarship Endowment. The endowment provides tuition assistance to students enrolled at HCC who live in public and supported housing. The check was presented to Mary Ann Perez, former HCC Board of Trustees Chair, at the HCC Board Meeting, December 13, 2012. 

In addition to tuition, the funds will assist with other fees and books for students. Recipients of this award will be determined by the HCC Foundation Scholarship Committee and must have an interest in pursuing a career in a workforce profession such as business or allied health sciences.

The family of Carmen Villareal Orta, the founder of the Houston Housing Resource, and HHA representatives, presented the check to Perez and the HCC Foundation. Orta was committed to community involvement and improving the lives of Houstonians through education, business development and affordable housing. She served on the Housing Housing Authority Board of Commissioners from 2000 to 2003 and on non-profit boards throughout Houston, advocating for Houstonians who were eligible for public and subsidized housing.

“Through this partnership with HCC, we are ensuring that Carmen Orta’s legacy will continue to impact those Houstonians who seek to improve their lives, create a new reality, and ensure their future career success.  Carmen always gave a hand up to those who worked to improve their situations, and this scholarship continues that tradition.  We are proud to create this scholarship, and we look forward to expanding this partnership in the years to come,” said Amy Goldstein, Executive Director of Houston Housing Resource. 

Also in attendance from the Houston Housing Resource were Stephan Fairfield, Treasurer; Claudia Nwaugo, Communications Officer; and Al Calloway Chairman and emeritus member of the HCC Foundation Board who helped make this gift possible.

(left to right) Dr. Art Tyler, HCC Deputy Chancellor; Roy Orta; Ramiro Orta; Mary Ann Perez, former HCC Board of Trustees Chairman; Steven Orta; David Bustillos; Amy Goldstein, HHR Executive Director; and Stephan Fairfield, HHR Treasurer.

“One of the best fashion schools in the country is right here in Houston,” announced Deborah Duncan, host of KHOU-TV’s “Great Day Houston” during HCC Fashion segment that aired Friday, January 25.

“Students at Houston Community College are getting the education they need to lead the fashion world. Take a first look at some of the designs students have created on the runway and a special event coming to HCC,” quipped Duncan as she introduced the award-winning work of HCC fashion students Teresa Rangel and Jose Reyes.

Rangel and Reyes showed pieces on live models from their Collections class – the capstone course for HCC fashion design students prior to graduation. HCC Design Faculty Alex Chapman joined Suzette Brimmer, Division Chair, HCC Lifestyle Arts & Design Careers to comment on the fabulous fashions and the HCC program that makes it all possible.

The segment also promoted the college’s upcoming Passion for Fashion Luncheon on Thursday, February 28 at the Wortham Theater, Grand Foyer. Special guest this year is Terron Schaefer, EVP and Chief Creative Officer, Saks Fifth Avenue and featured on NBC’s reality competition series, “Fashion Star.”

Proceeds from the annual luncheon benefit HCC’s Fashion and Interior Design Programs. The fashion savvy event is a sell-out every spring. Reserve your seat now at www.hccsfoundation.org/pff2013!

View Great Day Houston HCC Fashion clip at http://www.khou.com/great-day/videos/gdh_1-25-13_seg2-188397541.html .

Houston Community College Northeast was awarded the 2012 College Innovator Award at the Center for Working Families in Community Colleges annual conference in San Bruno, CA. HCC Northeast job placement coordinator Dora Campa, and academic advisor David Jones, were present to accept the award on the College’s behalf. Samantha Sherman of Wesley Community center was also present to receive the award.

The College was acknowledged for its partnership with Wesley Community Center to offer Financial Opportunity Center (FOC) services to HCC Northeast students. Wesley Community Center’s website describes the FOC as “a career and personal financial service center that focuses on the financial bottom line for the lower income individuals. The focus involves changing people's financial behavior in a way that encourages them to make a long term commitment to increasing income, decreasing expenses and debt, and acquiring assets.”

The FOC has been a positive addition to the College. Students are able to access a number of services in one convenient place including SNAP, Medicaid, CHIP and the Harris County Hospital District Gold Card. The College also offers a variety of extracurricular activities, clubs and organizations designed to help students accomplish their academic goals.

The Office of Student Activities coordinates programs and activities that promote student-oriented learning, develop personal, cultural, social, intellectual and leadership skills of students, and provide students with the necessary skills and experience to assume leadership roles in a dynamically changing world. FOC services are available at the Northline Campus.For more information call 713.718.8300 or visit northeast.hccs.edu.

Terrence Howard, critically acclaimed Broadway and screen actor who starred in such movies as The Best Man, Crash, Idlewild, Red Tails, Iron Man, Ray, and Hustle & Flow, will be the keynote speaker at Houston Community College’s Black History Scholarship Gala Saturday, February 23, 6 p.m., at the Hilton Americas - Houston. 

The HCC Black History Scholarship Gala is one of Houston’s premier Black History Month events. Past keynote speakers included former Miss America Vanessa Williams, CNN journalist Soledad O’Brien, activist and lecturer Dr. Cornel West, actor James Earl Jones and filmmaker Spike Lee.

The gala raises funds to support scholarships for African-American or students of African heritage at HCC. Last year, 11 HCC students each received a $1,000 scholarship to help cover the cost of tuition and books.

HCC’s Black History Committee is pleased that Houston will hear from Howard, who has been nominated several times for his work by the Screen Actors Guild and NAACP. The Chicago native is also an avid participant in national charities such as Clothes Off My Back, Save the Music, and Stand Up to Cancer.

An event for the signing of the official Memorandum of Understanding was held November 14 during the week of Diwali, which is the festival of lights celebrated in India and Hinduism. Featured guests included the Consul General of India, Parvathaneni Harish, FIS chairman, Krishna Vavilala, HCC Trustee Neeta Sane, HCC-Northwest President Dr. Zachary Hodges, and representatives from HCC, University of Houston, Houston Public Library, Indo-American Charity Foundation, and Sister Cities of Houston.

The Houston Indo-American Oral History project is an initiative of the Foundation for India Studies, which engages members of the Indo-American community living in Houston to record their life stories and experiences. Interviewees are from the first generation of Indian immigrants that have lived in Houston for more than 25 years.

Although Indo-Americans are only 1.5 percent of Houston’s population, they have made significant contributions to Houston’s economy and quality of life through professional, scientific, technical, religious, artistic and political involvement.
“The Indo-American community has made a real home in the city of Houston and the oral history project captures the truthful proud moments of Indian pioneers for future generations, historians, researchers, anthropologists and many others,” said FIS chairman, Krishna Vavilala.

As part of the Foundation for India Studies, Houston Indo-American Oral History Project, HCC students are video recording the stories from Houston’s first generation of Indian immigrants. Under the direction of Ty Welborn, department chair for Audio Recording, HCC serves as an advisor to FIS on video recording technology and ensures that recorded interviews meet appropriate standards of quality. Student interns video record the interviews in the studios on the Spring Branch campus. The interviews are then digitally archived in Houston Public Library’s servers and made accessible to the public via the internet.

“We are honored that the Foundation for India Studies chose our filmmaking team to document the histories of Houston’s Indo-American population. There’s a reality in this project that can’t be duplicated with a class project because this provides our students with a real client and experience,” said HCC Video Technology professor, Richard Boyd.

HCC Northwest Audio Recording & Filmmaking Department is one of the few community college filmmaking programs in Texas. This program offers an Associate of Applied Science degree and workforce certificates in screenwriting, editing and production. Graduates of the program have moved into every aspect of the film and video industry.

For more information about HCC’s Audio Recording & Filmmaking department contact Ty Welborn at  ty.welborn@hccs.edu .

Liz Glanville graciously opened her fabulous store, Deville Fine Jewelry on November 28 to host the Kick Off party for the upcoming Passion for Fashion luncheon.  The chilly weather brought out the most fashionable winter ensembles of the over 80 guests.  Remarks were made to the well-heeled crowd by Luncheon Chairmen Liz Glanville and Paula Fyhr.  They recognized Houston Community College Chancellor Dr. Mary Spangler and updated everyone on the February 28, 2013 luncheon.  The featured guest will be Terron Schaefer, currently on NBC’s “Fashion Star,” and Senior Vice President of Creative & Marketing for Saks Fifth Avenue.  Terron will be interviewed by Clifford Pugh and be flying in directly from Milan from the fashion shows, to discuss the current view of style along with a fashion presentation from Saks.  Special thanks went to Designer Sponsor Saks and Houston store general manager Terry Zmyslo for their support.

(Photo by Monica Kressman)

The luncheon proceeds benefit the Fashion and Interior Design programs at Houston Community College.   Introduced and congratulated was the upcoming recipient of the 2013 HCC Design Society Fashion Icon Award Sheridan Williams.  Honorary Chairmen Rosemarie Johnson and Melissa Mithoff applauded along with co-chairman Mary Ann McKeithan (fellow co-chair Kelli Cohen Fein sent her congrats). Also expressing excitement for the evening’s turn-out were Dr. Bill Harmon, President of HCC Central—home to HCC’s fashion programs, Kay King, founder of the HCC Fashion Program and Suzette Brimmer, Division Chair, HCC Lifestyle Arts & Design Careers. 

Click here to read CultureMap coverage and view photos from the event.

To learn more about the Passion for Fashion 2013 Luncheon and reserve your seat, visit hccsfoundation.org/pff2013.

Elaine Turner is proud to announce an exciting new partnership between her eponymous business and Houston Community College.  

Over the past few years, the successful designer’s donations of Italian hardware and materials have been instrumental in adding a Handbag Class to the fashion program curriculum. In early November, Elaine Turner donated her time to a special workshop for students of the HCC Fashion Program. The workshop included a presentation addressing what it takes to create a successful fashion line along with a Q&A allowing students to personally ask the designer questions.

“I am thrilled to partner with Houston Community College. I have always enjoyed working with the HCC Fashion Program and am excited to speak to the students and see their creativity in action.  Students are always such a source of inspiration,” said Turner.

This new partnership also gives HCC fashion students an opportunity to flex their design muscles with a holiday competition. Students will design and create a handbag that will be judged by members of the Houston media. Three designs will be announced as winners at the Elaine Turner Holiday Party benefiting Houston Community College on Thursday, December 6.  The winning design will be on display at Elaine Turner’s flagship store throughout the month of December.

HCC alumni and friends are invited to celebrate the student winners of the HCC Elaine Turner Handbag Competition at A Merry Pink Holiday Party on Thursday, December 6th. The reception will be held from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. at Elaine Turner’s Rice Village Boutique, 2439 University Boulevard. A portion of the evening’s proceeds will benefit HCC’s award-winning Fashion Program. RSVP to ET2@ElaineTurner.com or call 713.255.0052.

Houston Community College Northwest President, Dr. Zachary Hodges, was a presenter at the 10th Annual Conference of the National Association for Community College Entrepreneurship (NACCE), held in Chicago, IL, October 7-10.

The three-day conference, which marked NACCE’s 10th year as a major force in entrepreneurship education, drew 500 community college administrators and faculty from across the nation and around the world. Over 50 learning sessions and workshops were held to share information on the work being done at community colleges across the country to support the entrepreneurial aspirations of the people they serve.

Dr. Hodges presented a speech entitled Harnessing the Talent of the 21st Century at the opening luncheon. As a first-time presenter, he focused on how HCC’s Center for Entrepreneurship program is empowering economic and small business growth in Houston.

“I was honored to be asked to speak about all HCC is doing to support entrepreneurship and job creation. This national audience is making an impact on higher education and I was proud to be a part of it, said Dr. Hodges.”

Sandra Louvier, HCC Center for Entrepreneurship Director, also conducted a session on the steps needed to create an entrepreneurial culture at a community college.  

For more information about the Center, visit www.hccbizconnect.org to learn more about how HCC’s mission fosters economic growth through business and community development.

“Student preparation to pursue careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), must begin early,” says Dr. Margaret Ford Fisher, President of the Houston Community College – Northeast.   With that guiding principle, the Northeast College team greeted students from the four Northeast College campus sites and from the northeast-sector public schools and welcomed them to the opening ceremony of its fall 2012 STEM Exposition that was held at the college’s ultra-modern and “leading edge” Northeast Campus for 21st Century careers.

HCC-NE STEM Career Day October 2012 from HCC Northeast on Vimeo.

Over 600 students spent a day on campus in a wide range of enriching activities that included participating in STEM career orientation sessions, exploring exhibits from the Houston Museum of Natural Science, engaging in lab-based experiments, interacting with industry leaders and corporate partners about high-end/technical exhibits that were available on-site for students to experience, and observing the many science fair projects that were developed by students from the public schools who are enrolled in dual credit courses as well as learning about STEM-related exhibits that were completed by workforce students who are enrolled at the college.   Students toured the college campus and participated in interactive sessions that involved the environmental sciences, wind and solar energy, chemical engineering, process technology, flight simulation sessions, and many others. 

For details, please check below:
http://northeast.hccs.edu/northeast/hcc-northeast-hosts-its-annual-stem-expo-for-college-high-school-and-middle-school-students

Houston Community College and the University of Texas at Tyler have created a partnership through the development of an innovative, four-year Engineering Degree program on the HCC campus in Alief. The new program will allow students to obtain an Engineering degree in the normal four-year time period from UT Tyler, without any dislocation from the HCC Alief-Hayes Campus, while saving nearly 50% in their tuition costs. While beneficial for the student, the program is also designed to support the engineering field and the businesses which need to fill highly skilled job opportunities.

To see the details of this program, please check below:
http://northwest.hccs.edu/northwest/academic-programs/associate-of-science-in-engineering-sciences

On November 7, 2012, the HCC Foundation hosted the 2012 Scholarship Luncheon honoring the 2012-2013 scholarship recipients as well as the donors whose generosity made their scholarships possible. Recipients took the opportunity to personally thank the benefactors who helped to make their HCC education possible. Charles Bellomy, HCC Foundation Board President, and Dr. Kelly J. Zuniga, HCC Foundation Executive Director, welcomed guests before introducing Chancellor Dr. Mary S. Spangler. Mark Christensen , HCC Foundation Board of Director member, addressed the audience as the keynote speaker for the 2012 Scholarship Luncheon before introducing Wendi Hay, a David and Jean Wiley Foundation Scholarship Recipient. Wendi's inspirational story earned her a standing ovation.

Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis visited Houston Community College Southeast, 6815 Rustic, on October 25. HCC was one of the stops on Solis’ tour to colleges and universities across the nation to discuss education and workforce issues.

Solis spoke to HCC students about the economy, education and training. She addressed the need for more students to study science, technology, engineering and mathematics, or STEM, to prepare for careers in those fields.

“They absolutely are essential careers, and we need to have more young people and people who are currently looking for work to get enrolled in programs available at the community colleges to obtain those certificates and credentials in STEM areas,” Solis said.

The Secretary of Labor also called for continued integration between junior high and high school students and community colleges and training programs.

“What an exciting time to have the junior highs involved with the community colleges and industry and every part of the educational institutions linking up and creating a chain of opportunity to talk about investments of education in STEM,” Solis said.

The audience asked questions about job creation, funding for international opportunities to prepare students as global citizens, and what roles small business owners and entrepreneurship play in the economy.

Baldomero Garza, LULAC National Vice-President for the Southwest noted that the League of United Latin American Citizens (LULAC) worked to bring Solis to Houston Community College because of the educational opportunities HCC brings to the community and citywide.

Guests included HCC Chancellor Dr. Mary S. Spangler, HCC Board Chair Mary Ann Perez, District III, HCC Trustees Bruce Austin, District II, Carroll Robinson, District IV, and Eva Laredo, District VIII, and HCC Southeast President Dr. Irene Porcarello.

High school students were also in attendance from the East Early College High School located on HCC Southeast’s Felix Fraga Campus.

“It was thoughtful and inspiring for me. I’m looking forward to all the programs that she mentioned. I see her as a role model, and I want to be there one day,” said Liani Salmeida, an 11th grade student at the East Early College High School hoping to study in the medical field.

Solis is the first Hispanic woman to serve as a regular U.S. cabinet secretary and the first Hispanic Secretary of Labor. She was confirmed February 24, 2009.

http://sites.hccs.edu/mediaroom/2012/10/u-s-secretary-of-labor-talks-with-students-at-hcc-southeast/

How does one succeed in the field of communications? Students from the HCC Intro to Mass Communications 1307 class learned just that during the latest Taking the Classroom to the Field lesson hosted by Reliant Stadium, home of the Houston Texans. Six HCC students attended a lecture and toured the radio facilities used on game days. Marc Vandermeer, Director of Radio Broadcasting for the Texans, conducted the class for this Taking the Classroom to the Field session. HCC is the official education partner of the Houston Texans and the NFL team has provided access to their facilities and personnel as part of the curriculum for classes.

This partnership provides an opportunity for students to receive mentoring from Texans employees who are experts in the areas that HCC students are studying. So far, students in Culinary Arts and now Communications have had this experience.

Vandermeer addressed the students before the tour to share his background and advice on how to succeed in communications. With a class so diverse in majors and career interests, Vandermeer was able to provide solid information about getting yourself noticed by employers. Having graduated with a degree in Mass Communications with a focus in advertising, Vandermeer did not predict that he would one day be working for the NFL, in Houston no less, a city he was once unfamiliar with.

For the whole story, please read:
http://sites.hccs.edu/mediaroom/2012/10/houston-texans-director-of-radio-broadcasting-shares-secrets-for-success/

A proud group of 14 students were recognized as graduates of the inaugural class for HCC’s Building & Contracting Leadership Certificate Program at a ceremony held at the HCC District Administration building on Monday, October 29.  The evening marked the capstone of a year-long course on leadership in the construction industry. 

“I am confident we are all better equipped to go forward and grow our businesses,” said Rebecca Manzel, who spoke on behalf of her classmates at the ceremony.

A little over a year ago, through the vision of program sponsors and HCC officials, a program concept was born: the development of a Building and Contracting Leadership Certificate program at HCC.  The program, which is part of HCC’s School of Continuing Education, provides a 12-month pathway for independent contractors to expand and improve their contracting skills and to gain practical business expertise in order to grow their own enterprise.  

Dr. Madeline Burillo, Associate Vice Chancellor, HCC Workforce Instruction and Division of Extended Learning, presided over the ceremony and recognized the efforts of program sponsors who made the evening possible.  Through their generous underwriting of tuition and material costs, students selected for the first class were able to pursue their studies without the worry of how to pay for their education.

“Their vision for what this program could mean to HCC and to Houston as well as their generous support of our students has been instrumental. Tonight’s graduation ceremony is a wonderful opportunity to experience the fruit of their efforts,” Burillo said.

Representatives from the program’s two lead sponsors Clark Construction Group, LLC and Bartlett Cocke General Contractors, LLC spoke on the importance of the program to the Houston economy. Jason J. Brooks, Senior Project Manager with Clark Construction Group, LLC and Mark Christensen, Commercial Division Manager, East Texas Region, with Bartlett Cocke General Contractors, LLC and an HCC Foundation Board Member, also praised the assembled graduates for their persistence.

Additional assistance was provided by: Access Data Supply, Inc.; Beard Integrated Systems, Inc.; Omega Engineers, Inc.; PCJ Consultants; and Reytec Construction Resources, Inc.

Houston-area students will now be able to obtain a Bachelor of Engineering degree from University of Texas at Tyler and Houston Community College. In an innovative partnership, students will be able to earn their Associate of Science degree in engineering with a set degree plan qualifying them for transfer to the UT Tyler Bachelor of Science in Electrical and Mechanical Engineering program. Starting in the spring 2013 semester, students will have the convenience of attending classes for their associate degree and the bachelor’s degree at the newly established UT Tyler Houston Center for Engineering located at HCC’s Alief Campus, 2811 Hayes Road in Houston, Texas. In addition to the convenience of having the opportunity to continue their education locally, this program partnership will save students nearly 50 percent in tuition costs.

For the whole story, please read:
http://sites.hccs.edu/mediaroom/2012/10/hcc-ut-tyler-sign-agreement/

Houston students participate at the fourth annual Chancellor’s Symposium on Engineering.

How do you build a space colony on Mars? That’s what more than 1,200 middle and high school students from the greater Houston area learned when they attended the fourth annual Chancellor’s Symposium on Engineering co-sponsored by Houston Community College and KBR.

The symposium, conducted at Space Center Houston, was designed to give aspiring engineers hands-on experiences designed to show them the roles of mechanical, electrical, civil, chemical and technical engineers that are needed to build a habitable space colony on Mars.

This science symposium was an ideal, business-specific event for KBR to sponsor, said Alan Ping, designer/FCC vessel mechanical.

“Space Center Houston was an awesome environment for young students to learn about engineering,” he said. “One hands-on task involved designing and constructing a habitat for living on the Martian surface. Some students added air locks and even ‘supply ports’ to their creations.

NASA-Johnson Space Center engineers, along with university engineering faculty and engineering mentors from KBR, worked with students throughout the day as they participated in their colony build.

Joe Churchman, vessel mechanical engineer, volunteered for the event. He said that he was inspired to watch the students experiment with the hands-on exhibits set out by NASA engineers.

“The people at NASA really did a good job exposing these students to principles of physics,” Churchman said. “I was also surprised at the tenacity that the kids had in designing their very own remote-controlled rover in one activity, Exploring Mars: SVO Rover activity highlighting electrical and mechanical engineering.”

Churchman volunteers as a mentor to Booker T. Washington High School students, and this activity was his first time to work with middle school students.

“I have gotten used to interacting with high school kids designing their robot, but these middle school kids approached the task with a lot less inhibitions and more team work right out of the gate,” he said. “It demonstrates how important it is to expose younger kids to science very early on to keep them from forming false inhibitions that would keep them from entering high technological fields such as engineering.”

Students, parents and counselors also participated in informational sessions about career and educational pathways toward associate and undergraduate degrees in engineering and engineering technology from local and regional universities. Martin Humphreys, KBR vice president engineering, participated in a panel discussion on his career experience as an engineer.

More than 300 community leaders and public officials attended the fifth annual Houston Community College State of the College Address Friday, Oct. 19 at the Junior League of Houston. HCC’s chancellor, Dr. Mary S. Spangler, discussed the impact HCC is having on the citizens of the Greater Houston Area, the city, and its economy. The focus of the address departed from the statistical and, instead, captured HCC’s energy and focus that are essential to training the workforce of today and tomorrow.

HCC Foundation President Bob Bellomy spoke on the importance of private support and the efforts of the HCC Foundation in raising scholarship support for HCC students—including a record $12.1 million raised in FY 2011/2012. HCC graduate and scholarship recipient Brittaney Wilmore ’11 offered a heartfelt testimonial on the difference her scholarships made in achieving her educational goals.

“My experiences at HCC have helped shape me, and that’s all because this is an institution that says ‘yes’ to its students,” says Wilmore, a broadcast journalism major at the University of Houston who is pursuing her bachelor’s degree after receiving her Associate of Arts in communications from HCC. “Because an organization like the HCC Foundation exists, I left Houston Community College debt free – as in no loans taken out; everything down to my books and school supplies was completely covered.”

Wilmore’s passion for HCC and what the college has made possible in her life sent a powerful message to the gathered crowd of business and community leaders. “I have done more here at Houston Community College than I could have ever imagined I would do at a university,” she says.

To read more on the event and view photos and an interview with Dr. Spangler, visit http://sites.hccs.edu/mediaroom/2012/10/hcc-state-of-the-college-address-outlines-plans-for-the-future/

2012 Golden Eagle Society (GES) members were feted at a dinner held in their honor on Monday, October 15 at Reliant Stadium’s Verizon West Club. Guests enjoyed behind-the-scene tours of the facility, including an up-close view of the playing field during the reception hour.

HCC Trustees Carroll Robinson, District IV, and Richard Schechter, District V, extended their appreciation to the guests on behalf of HCC Chancellor Dr. Mary S. Spangler as well as the HCC Board of Trustees. HCC Foundation Executive Director Dr. Kelly J. Zúñiga offered praise for the 194 members of the 2012 Golden Eagle Society—a record high—and their committed support of the college.

To close the evening, GES members raised their glasses for a celebratory toast led by HCC Foundation President Bob Bellomy in recognition of the banner year of giving on behalf of the Foundation.

The Golden Eagle Society was established in 2009 to recognize excellence in giving at Houston Community College. The Society recognizes supporters of HCC and its campuses, departments, and special programs who have generously contributed $2,000 or more in a fiscal year. Gifts designated to operations, scholarship or endowment funds, or capital projects are included, as well as in-kind donations and pledges. All donors who have contributed or pledged $2,000 or more between September 1, 2011 and August 31, 2012 are considered 2012 Golden Eagle Society Members.

To learn more about the HCC Golden Eagle Society, visit www.hccsfoundation.org and click on ‘Ways to Give’.

Houston Community College held the second annual HCC Hispanic Scholarship Committee Luncheon Wednesday, October 17 at the Hilton Americas in downtown Houston. Founded by HCC Trustees Eva Loredo, District VIII, and Mary Ann Perez, District III, HSC’s mission is to raise scholarship funds for Hispanic students who want to attend HCC.

Honored at the luncheon with the Hispanic Scholarship Council Leadership Award was Dr. Dorothy F. Caram. Dr. Caram has devoted her life to education, service and promoting diversity. As a high school student, she became the City of Houston’s first female swimming pool lifeguard, opening up that summer job to many young women.

As a resident of Houston, Dr. Caram is proud of her heritage – four generations of Texans on her paternal side and first generation Mexican on her maternal side. She taught in public elementary and high schools, earned her Ed.D. from the University of Houston and became an administrator at UH, retiring in 1995 as assistant to the president and director of the Office of Affirmative Action. Dr. Caram is an emeritus member of the Houston Community College Foundation Board of Directors.

Dr. Dorothy F. Caram surrounded by Houston Community College students.

L to R: Mary Ann Flores, HCC Trustee, District III; Erik Barajas, KTRK-TV 13 anchor, served as master of ceremonies and Eva Loredo, HCC Trustee, District VIII.

To view a video tribute from the event and more photos, visit http://sites.hccs.edu/mediaroom/2012/10/hcc-hispanic-scholarship-committee-luncheon-raises-scholarship-funds-for-students-2/

Big congratulations to HCC Central's interior design students: Rima Nasr, June Cuming, Jessica Pearsall and Virginia Villalobos!

They received nearly all of the student-design awards at the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) Texas Gulf Coast Chapter’s 2012 Design Awards gala.

HCC’s interior design students took top honors in seven out of eight possible categories at the Oct. 13 gala, the most ever for the college, and one of the strongest showings by any college interior design program at an ASID event.

“We are thrilled by having the ASID award so many of our students,” says Shasta Swift, Program Coordinator of Interior Design, HCC Central. “When you come to HCC, you get what four-year college interior design programs offer. And when you leave, you have skills the industry requires and expects.”

HCC students competed against and surpassed interior design students from The Art Institute, Stephen F. Austin State University, Sam Houston State University, Lone Star College and San Jacinto College.

HCC students’ technical abilities, quality of renderings, presentations and knowledge of materials set them far apart from their peers, Swift says.

ASID’s Texas Gulf Coast Chapter annually celebrates outstanding design in such categories as commercial design, residential design, healthcare and remodeling. For each professional category, there is also a student category.

Student winners (from left to right) Rima Nasr, June Cuming, Jessica Pearsall and Virginia Villalobos.

Albert Cisneros is the first to admit his life was on the wrong track.

For almost a decade after graduating from Deer Park High School, Cisneros worked an assortment of low-paying jobs and lived a carefree life. But as the years passed, he began to worry about not saving any money and what to do with the rest of his life. Then one day a flyer landed on the doorstep of his security job that grabbed his attention.

It was an invitation to a Capital IDEA meeting that changed his life.

For the whole story, please read:
http://houston.culturemap.com/newsdetail/10-15-12-helping-degree-seekers-to-succeed-nonprofits-offer-financial-assistance-to-hcc-students/

How did Felipe Riccio become one of the youngest sous chefs at Reef, one of the city's finest restaurants? How did 56-year-old Enrique Chavez, who was unemployed for six months, find a computer-related job paying $18 an hour? What helped 48-year-old James Williams get a full-time welding job paying overtime and full benefits after being unemployed for almost a year?

The answer: Houston Community College, where Riccio, Chavez and Williams are among some 75,000 students recently learning or improving their skills and studying everything from culinary arts to computer science and welding.

For the  whole story, please read:
http://houston.culturemap.com/newsdetail/10-15-12-13-14-from-culinary-arts-to-computer-science-houston-community-college-offers-classes-that-get-houstonians-working/

Houston Community College Spring Branch will hold a seminar on starting and running your own business from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 13 at 1010 W. Sam Houston Parkway N., Houston.

Registration will take place from 8:30-8:45 a.m. on the day of the event or online. Registration costs $35 online and $40 at the door and includes lunch and coffee.

The seminar is designed for prospective entrepreneurs and those already in business and will include information, tips and techniques to start a business and improve an ongoing enterprise.

Those leading the seminar are men and women professionals, each with more than 20 years of business experience. The presenters aim to provide skills and insights on running a successful business.

Topics include personal factors, the art of management, business opportunities, marketing, business organization, insurance, how to start or grow a business, sources and uses of funds, cash management, record keeping, business plans and a question-and-answer session.

For more information, email raj@scorehouston.org.

http://www.ultimatememorial.com/stories/420384-business-houston-community-college-spring-branch-to-hold-business-seminar

Houston Community College Northwest recently launched Ask HCC and Financial Aid TV, two services that will provide students with information 24/7 regarding the campus and financial aid.

According to its website, Ask HCC is an interactive online question-and-answer service that provides students and staff with information about the campus in a quick and easy manner.

Financial Aid TV is a web-based financial aid self-service that offers resources and information about commonly asked financial aid questions. The service features more than 60 videos that cover a variety of topics such as financial literary and financial counseling.

For more information about Ask HCC, visit hcc.intelliresponse.com.

For more information about Financial Aid TV, visit hccs.financialaidtv.com.

http://www.ultimatekaty.com/stories/420261-schools-houston-community-college-northwest-launches-new-campus-financial-aid-resources

The Greater Houston Partnership’s Board of Directors approved a resolution Thursday, Sept. 20 supporting the bond package proposed by Houston Community College. Houston voters will have their say on the proposal in November.

“The vote is the culmination of thorough reviews and thoughtful discussions by our Board and Executive Committee,” said GHP Board Chairman Tony Chase. “We carefully reviewed the HCC bond proposal, including how the money would be spent. Then, we weighed the total impact on the region. If the voters approve HCC’s bond request, they will allow Houston to advance in key areas, including education and quality of life.

”Among the plans included in HCC’s bond package are upgrades to campus technologies and addressing capacity and space needs throughout the college’s campuses.

Former GHP Chairman, Larry Kellner, who currently heads up GHP's Education Committee said, "An educated workforce is key to the short and long-term economic growth of our region and state. Education is a top priority for GHP and, if the voters support HCC’s bond, it will allow HCC's facilities to grow as its mission grows."

“The passage of this important resolution is a continued testament to the leadership GHP provides the region,” said newly-appointed GHP President & CEO Bob Harvey. “During deliberation, GHP’s leadership was acutely focused on the merits of HCC’s proposal and theimpact on the region.

”For more information on the HCC resolution passed by GHP’s Board of Directors or an interview with Bob Harvey, President and CEO, GHP or Tony Chase, Chairman, GHP’s Board of Directors, please contact Erik Noriega, (713) 844-3663 or Heather Browne, 713-844-3642.

On Saturday, hundreds of middle school and high school students gathered for the Chancellor's Symposium on Engineering at Space Center Houston. Students took part in a number of unique learning and educational activities throughout the day to colonize Mars using varying disciplines on engineering. Students and parents also met with HCC representatives and faculty and staff from regional universities, as well as professionals from engineering societies. 

Dr.  Kelly J. Zúñiga, Executive Director of the HCC Foundation, served on an information panel for parents and teachers to learn about the pathways to higher education and careers in engineering. The HCC Foundation worked with KBR as the lead sponsor of the symposium and other partnering supporters including: the Apache Corporation, Baker Hughes Foundation, CenterPoint Energy, Schlumberger and the Society of Petroleum Engineers.

To read more on the event and view photos, visithttp://sites.hccs.edu/mediaroom/2012/09/chancellors-symposium-2012-welcomes-more-than-1000-middle-high-school-students/

In a typical year, 3,400 students take courses at HCC Northeast’s Public Safety Institute (PSI), the premier training institute for our region’s firefighters, police officers, federal agents, emergency medical technicians, and other first responders. Each of those professions offers opportunities for lifelong careers in service to the Houston community. More than that, the demand for highly trained workers in the public safety fields translates to steady salaries and benefits that can support our students and the families that often depend upon them.

HCC is committed to providing these men and women with the best education available, and in today’s economy, that means giving them access to the latest in technology and necessary training equipment. In addition, nearly 2,400 active Texas Peace Officers receive state-mandated training yearly at the PSI.

Training for these students is enhanced through support received from the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. In 2011, the HCC Foundation received an outstanding leadership gift from Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in the amount of $100,000 to provide the latest instructional equipment for the Public Safety Institute’s new Simulation Lab at HCC Northeast College. This gift builds on previous support received from the Rodeo to advance educational opportunities for students at the PSI.

In September, officials from the Rodeo, including President and CEO Skip Wagner, several Vice Presidents, and Dwight Boykins, a member of the Rodeo’s Education Committee, gathered for a tour and demonstration of the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo HCC Northeast Public Safety Institute Simulation Lab made possible through the Rodeo’s generosity. Officials also had the opportunity to visit with students whose lives have been impacted through their giving.

“This lab is essential as we prepare the next generation of first responders for the Greater Houston region,” says PSI Director Johnny Sessums. “We are grateful for the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo’s generous support of our students.”

Houston Community College’s fourth annual Chancellor’s Symposium will be a hands-on and informational event September 29. This year’s symposium, focusing on engineering, is co-sponsored by KBR and will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the NASA-Johnson Space Center and Space Center Houston.

The symposium will host 1,200 middle and high school students from six school districts served by HCC who are interested in the engineering field. HCC and university student volunteers, from regional universities, will serve as mentors and ambassadors during educational hands-on sessions.

“This year’s symposium examines the roles of mechanical, electrical, civil and chemical engineers, technologists and technicians as they examine the infrastructure to support life and establish a colony on the Martian surface,” said Dr. Mary S. Spangler, HCC Chancellor.

Participating middle and high school students will take part in a number of unique learning and educational activities throughout the day. More than 400 parents, teachers and counselors will participate in informational sessions about career and educational pathways toward associate and undergraduate degrees in engineering and engineering technology. Both students and parents will have an opportunity to meet with HCC representatives and faculty and staff from regional universities, as well as professional engineering societies.

Houston Community College offers a wide selection of academic and technical education programs in engineering. Students attending HCC get a firm foundation and the practical experience that prepare them for upper division study at four-year institutions or for immediate employment.

Aspiring engineers, technologists and technicians require the best hands-on education from trained professionals. NASA-Johnson Space Center engineers, along with university engineering faculty, and members of the corporate engineering community will provide professional guidance on career and educational pathways leading to careers in engineering and related areas. The Chancellor’s Symposium on Engineering will reach beyond the college classroom to the broader community including parents, teachers and counselors.

In addition to the lead sponsor, KBR, other industry sponsors supporting the symposium include: the Apache Corporation, Baker Hughes Foundation, CenterPoint Energy, Schlumberger and the Society of Petroleum Engineers.

Houston Community College’s partnerships with independent school districts, regional universities, and professional societies and businesses have helped significantly in the coordination of this exciting event. Mr. Bart M. Sheinberg, Interim Director of the Office of Resource and Economic Development, will serve as the symposium chair.

For more information about the Chancellor’s Symposium on Engineering go to http://sites.hccs.edu/symposium2012/

Sept. 19 marked the exciting launch of a new initiative, HCC-ASPIRE, Asian Scholarship Program Inspiring Results & Excellence. The organization’s mission is to honor educational pursuits and scholastic achievements of Asian students and faculty of Houston Community College and to support activities that highlight Asian culture.

The HCC-ASPIRE kick-off event was a very successful gathering of more than 80 attendees including several community leaders, corporate executives, sponsors and elected officials. Houston Community College Trustee Neeta Sane, President of HCC-ASPIRE, welcomed the attendees and unveiled the mission and goals of the initiative.

Other speakers who emphasized the importance of HCC-ASPIRE were HCC Chancellor Dr. Mary Spangler, Alief ISD Trustee Nghi Ho, APAHA Board Member Munir Ibrahim and Cynthia Cisneros of KTRK-TV. 

One of the key sponsors of the organization, Dr. Marjaneh Azad, shared her experiences as an immigrant from Iran who attended HCC and how her HCC education led to her very successful career as a dentist. Her desire to give back to HCC was demonstrated by her $10,000 contribution to HCC-ASPIRE. Thanks to the support of many additional sponsors, HCC-ASPIRE has already received over $40,000 in pledges and contributions.

More than 14 percent of HCC’s student population, of over 75,000 students, is of Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) origin. As of 2012, HCC is eligible to be listed as one of the AAPI-serving institutions as defined by the U.S. Department of Education.

To help meet the rising needs of HCC’s Asian students and faculty, HCC Trustee Neeta Sane, along with HCC Deputy Chancellor Dr. Art Tyler and Associate Vice-Chancellor Dr. Parvin Bagherpour, has founded HCC­­­­-ASPIRE which is a support organization of the HCC Foundation.

HCC-ASPIRE will provide scholarships and financial awards to Asian students and faculty of Houston Community College. Proceeds raised from the Inaugural Scholarship Breakfast to be held on May 9, 2013 at Hotel Za Za will support this effort.

To sponsor this HCC-ASPIRE event or to receive more information, visit http://www.hccs.edu/aspire or call 713.718.8488.  You may also email aspire@hccsfoundation.org.

Outside a Houston Community College building, the sounds of languages from across the globe mix and mingle and float through the air. Inside, in a second-floor classroom, an attendance sheet lists the national origins of students from more than a dozen countries, including Guinea, Senegal, Angola, Vietnam, Burundi, El Salvador, Taiwan and Japan.

Ofelia Olivar, 30, graduated from law school in her native Mexico, but wants to improve her English so she can study philosophy or engineering here. Melchor Ondo, 19, came from Equatorial Guinea, where earning a degree from a U.S. college opens doors to a better life. Yewon Nam, 21, who is from South Korea, is working toward her dream of a career in hotel management.

They are among the 6,250 international students from 147 countries enrolled at HCC, which has more international students than any other community college in the country. It ranks sixth among all postsecondary institutions, above both the University of Texas-Austin and Texas A&M University, according to the Institute of International Education.

Across the country, more international students are opting to begin their U.S. studies at community colleges, which are more affordable than four-year universities, said Allan Goodman, the IIE's president and CEO.

"We're going to see more and more international students start at community college," said Goodman. "The English language is difficult to acquire. They often need acculturation and teachers who will help them. They are more likely to find that at a community college."

In addition, many community colleges, including HCC, allow students to transfer credit for core courses to four-year universities, said Goldman.

Friends and family

At HCC, the stream of international students comes primarily from word of mouth, said Parvin Bagherpour, associate vice chancellor for International Student Services. In fact, until Bagherpour took a recruiting trip to China this year, the school had not done any formal outreach to foreign students.

About 20 percent to 25 percent of the students find out about HCC from the school's website; others are drawn here because of HCC's presence in Vietnam and Qatar and Houston's reputation as an international city. But most are drawn by family and friends who have attended HCC.

Ondo, for example, decided to come to HCC at the urging of a cousin enrolled at the school. Nam initially left her home in Seoul to study at the University of St. Thomas, but transferred to HCC because of the lower tuition. International students pay out-of-state tuition - $2,263.50 for 15 credit hours.

The sizable presence of international students brings benefits and challenges, said Bagherpour.

Among the benefits: a major boost to the area economy from student spending.

$1.4 billion in Texas

According to an Institute of International Education report, international students pumped $21 billion into the U.S. economy and about $1.4 billion into the Texas economy in 2010-2011.

"I bet international students contribute more in revenue and employment to Houston than your baseball team," said Goldman.

In addition, international students provide an injection of global culture to the campus, said Bagherpour.

"They bring a great diversity to our college without students traveling overseas to gain that experience. It's great exposure," Bagherpour said. "As diversity is promoted, as multiculturalism is promoted, as a global perspective is promoted, it helps us understand the world better."

However, just coming to a new country can be a shock for many of the students, so they all must attend a daylong orientation that offers lessons on cultural diversity and the American educational system. The orientation also includes substantial information about immigration policy and procedures.

International students enter the U.S. on student visas, which require them to maintain a course load of at least 12 credit hours.

"One of our big challenges is to make sure they remain compliant on their student visa," said Bagherpour.

English proficiency

Language is another hurdle for many students.

Since English proficiency is required for graduation, all international students take a placement test in the language. If they don't pass, they are placed in English classes. Olivar, Ondo and Nam, for example, are enrolled in an intensive English program, in which students learn reading, writing, grammar and conversation.

For Olivar, the classes are more than a chance to master English. They are a chance to expand her world view.

"The limits of your language are the limits of your world," Olivar said, quoting philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein. "If you can understand someone's language, you can understand their life."

monica.rhor@chron.com

http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/HCC-becomes-an-international-hub-3875648.php

Houston Community College will hold the first in a series of Skills Summits to focus on the workforce and skills needs for high demand, growth industries in the Houston area and how HCC’s curriculum can continue to be enhanced to meet the needs of the emerging labor force. The kickoff event convenes at Brady’s Landing Friday, September 28.

The Manufacturing Skills Summit will be the first in the series of summits to bring together industry leaders and educators to address the need for skilled and credentialed workers, the future of the manufacturing industry and the best way to partner with industry to train the next generation of manufacturing workers. Discussions will also explore solutions and successes of the manufacturing industry as a pathway to jobs.

For detail, please click the link below:
http://sites.hccs.edu/mediaroom/2012/09/hcc-to-host-manufacturing-skills-summit-on-sept-28/

Hello and Welcome Back HCC Students, Faculty and Staff,

The 2011-2012 school year was a year of challenges we faced together with determination, hard work and ingenuity. Houston Community College has demonstrated that we are the most relevant community college in the country, the opportunity institution for every student we serve. We are truly essential to our community’s success as the largest institution of higher learning in the Greater Houston Area, educating 75,000 students a semester. HCC is ranked #1for awarding the most associate degrees of any college or university in the state of Texas. More than 5,000 students completed their associate degrees or certificates of completion, and almost 1,000 students earned their General Education Development (GED) certificate this past year.

To continue reading, please click the link below:
http://sites.hccs.edu/mediaroom/2012/09/welcome-from-the-chancellor-2/

Members of the HCC Foundation Board of Directors gathered for a “Welcome Back” reception at the home of fellow Foundation Board Member Nancy Manderson on September 4, 2012 to celebrate the start of a new academic year. HCC Foundation President Bob Bellomy spoke on recent successes of the Foundation, including the record $12.1 million raised in FY 2011/2012 – the highest amount ever raised in the history of the Foundation. The funds will provide valuable support for student scholarships as well as select HCC programs and faculty initiatives.

Among the distinguished guests were HCC Board of Trustees Chair Mary Ann Perez and a number of HCC officials, including Chancellor Dr. Mary Spangler, several of the HCC College presidents and HCC Foundation Executive Director Dr. Kelly J. Zúñiga. HCC Foundation student scholarship recipients and student ambassadors were also present to share their success stories. “Our students are the reason we are all here. We are so proud of their accomplishments,” said Bellomy.

The Houston Community College Foundation and the Houston Texans are celebrating after joining forces to launch the HCC Field of Opportunity Program. A kickoff event was held Tuesday, September 11 at the Boys & Girls Clubs’ Driver Park YET Center. This new, historic and innovative program builds on HCC’s Opportunity 14 scholarships already administered by the Houston Community College Foundation. It will also provide a minimum of $50,000 in scholarships annually to members of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Houston through a partnership with the Houston Texans.

In this program, each time the Texans score 14 points, an Opportunity 14 scholarship will be awarded. In addition, when the Texans hold an opponent below 14 points, an Opportunity 14 scholarship will also be awarded. The scholarships will be presented in both wins and losses – recognizing that with education there is always a winner. The Texans have gotten the program off to a strong start with a 30-10 win over the Miami Dolphins Sunday, meaning two scholarships will be awarded.

At Tuesday’s event, Houston Texans cornerback Johnathan Joseph served as the official spokesperson for the HCC Field of Opportunity Program and spoke at the event along with HCC Board Chair Mary Ann Perez, HCC Chancellor Mary Spangler, Texans President Jamey Rootes and HCC Foundation Board President Bob Bellomy. Members of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Houston were also part of the event to learn about the opportunities and scholarships.

“Through this partnership, Houston Community College, supported by the Houston Texans, will not only increase awareness of the education gap and opportunities that exist to close it, but also demonstrate definitive action with the potential of giving college scholarships to qualified Boys & Girls Club members at the conclusion of every Houston Texans regular and post season game,” said Dr. Mary Spangler, HCC Chancellor.

Houston Community College is the official education partner of the Houston Texans. Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Houston’s mission is to inspire and enable all youth, especially those who need us most, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens. The scholarships provided by the HCC Foundation and the Texans will help significantly in fulfilling that mission.

For more information about the HCC Field of Opportunity Program, contact Lesa Spivey at 713.718.5438 or lesa.spivey@hccs.edu

To donate to HCC Opportunity 14 scholarships visit opportunity14.org

More about Boys & Girls Clubs of Greater Houston

The 10-county Greater Houston economic region has a problem that just about every other economic region in this country would love to have: a growth rate that is challenging our education system to meet the demand for skilled workers in areas ranging from medicine to biotechnology, nanotechnology and, of course, all things energy-related.

Speaking to Chronicle editors and reporters on Tuesday, Stephen Klineberg, director of Rice University's Kinder Institute for Urban Research, and author of the annual Houston Area Survey, identified a critical need for the region to both attract and develop "knowledge workers." He rightly cited a continuing emphasis on improving quality of life in areas ranging from enhancing green space to expanding mass transit and calling wider attention to our vibrant arts scene. Amen.

But as Klineberg emphasized to the Chronicle gathering, the key to unlocking a prosperous future for Houston will be improving and expanding our education system at every level. The traditional "blue-collar path" to job security is a thing of the past. Along with Jobs, jobs, jobs! the battle cry for the 21st century must be Skills, skills, skills!

No better place to start than with the Houston Community College System, which has proved itself as a reliable and effective engine for skilled job creation. Community colleges are frequently described as the PT boats of education - nimble and responsive to the demands of the employment marketplace. And so it is with HCC, which has visionary plans for meeting the demands for skilled workers in the critical energy, medicine and engineering areas. These include creation of campuses dedicated to training in the medical and energy fields and an engineering partnership with the University of Texas at Tyler that will allow students to earn B.S. degrees in electrical, mechanical and civil engineering from UT Tyler.

http://www.chron.com/opinion/editorials/article/HCC-bond-deserves-voter-support-3832019.php

Houston Community College will hold the first in a series of Skills Summits to focus on the workforce and skills needs for high demand, growth industries in the Houston area and how HCC’s curriculum can continue to be enhanced to meet the needs of the emerging labor force. The kickoff event convenes at Brady’s Landing Friday, Sept. 28.

The Manufacturing Skills Summit will be the first in the series of summits to bring together industry leaders and educators to address the need for skilled and credentialed workers, the future of the manufacturing industry and the best way to partner with industry to train the next generation of manufacturing workers. Discussions will also explore solutions and successes of the manufacturing industry as a pathway to jobs.

http://www.yourhoustonnews.com/humble/living/houston-community-college-hosts-manufacturing-skills-summit/article_8ed583d5-77fc-5deb-ad0d-428fee1e7563.html

Houston Community College’s Minority Male Initiative Advisory Committee hosted a reception at Reliant Stadium August 22 to kick off the 2012 MMI Annual Fall Golf Classic.

The tournament will be held Monday, October 8 at Quail Valley Golf Course, 2880 La Quinta Drive, Missouri City, Texas. HCC began its Minority Male Initiative to counter the on-going crisis throughout America of a diminishing presence of young Black and Hispanic males on the campuses of higher learning, in corporate America and in entrepreneurial endeavors.

For more details on the golf tournament, visit www.hccs.edu/golf

For more information on Houston Community College’s Minority Male Initiative contact John Gilmore, III, MMI Program Manager at john.gilmoreiii@hccs.edu or call 713.718.5061.

Anyone who is 18 years of age, has graduated from high school, or has obtained a GED may enroll in Houston Community College (HCC). However, courses that award college credit toward a certificate or degree have prerequisites for reading, writing, and math skills.

How well students score on the COMPASS exam will determine whether they may take college credit courses or whether they’ll need to take one or more developmental courses.

To take a credit course, students need to present acceptable prior test scores that indicate their skill levels. Without such scores, or if these scores are low, students will have to take the COMPASS exams at HCC prior to enrollment. How well students score on the COMPASS exam will determine whether they may enroll in college credit courses or whether they’ll need to take one or more developmental courses to improve their skills.

So — it’s worth students’ time, energy, and money to PREP for the COMPASS prior to taking it.

During summer 2012, HCC offered assistance via PREP tutorial sessions at various college campuses where students will worked with both instructors and computers to prepare for the COMPASS exams. The PREP computer labs were available for students free at HCC-Southwest College during Summer One and at HCC-Northwest, Northeast, Southeast, and Central Colleges during Summer Two.

Students intending to enroll in the Fall semester can PREP for free at the following website: http://www.hccs.edu/prepprogram.

Additionally, the HCC Library website offers students many prep resources, including engaging activities, videos, and more. Students can access videos from the Gates-funded Khan Academy or sample videos from HCC professor Douglas Bump to strengthen their math skills. There are also links for access to practice exams.

Marge Lapham, HCC Northwest, helps students PREP for college.

http://sites.hccs.edu/educationmatters/2012/05/hcc-helps-students-prep-for-college/

The Houston Endowment has awarded HCC a grant of $1.175 million from 2012-2015 to foster Partnerships Achieving Student Success (PASS) with Houston and Spring Branch Independent School Districts.  The grant, managed by Dr. Byron McClenney of the University of Texas-Austin, includes several Gulf Coast colleges and school districts working in collaboration with Houston A+ Challenge to increase students’ college “readiness” (the ability to read, write, and compute at college level).

The Gulf Coast PASS initiative is a result of strategies first begun by HCC under Achieving the Dream (ATD) in 2004 to assist students of color and low income achieve greater academic success.  As an ATD Leader College, HCC has leveraged a series of grants from various funding agencies (Lumina, Gates, MDC, Carnegie, etc.) to explore and document the success of such techniques as freshman success courses, learning communities, enhanced tutoring, and bridge programs to enable students to achieve higher rates of persistence and success.

The Gulf Coast PASS grant will build upon the Houston Pathways Initiative which created “faculty vertical teams” (high school and college faculty working together). These teams align curriculum and strengthen teaching techniques to prepare students for college while they are still in high school, ensuring that they graduate “college ready” and not fall into one or multiple semesters of developmental education upon reaching college entrance.

http://sites.hccs.edu/educationmatters/2012/05/hcc-awarded-1-175-million-for-gulf-coast-pass-grant/

HCC has implemented a comprehensive Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) that is focused on transforming the nature of science instruction. The QEP, entitled HCC INSPIRE (INnovative Science Program Initiatives to Reform Education), is led by QEP Director, Dr. Tineke Berends, under the supervision of SACS Director, Judy Cantwell.

HCC will create a science-focused freshman success course to attract more students to high-demand and high-wage majors in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields

HCC INSPIRE intends to increase student learning and engagement by incorporating teamwork, problem-solving, and active and collaborative learning activities into freshman level Biology, Physics, and Chemistry courses.  It also seeks to increase student opportunities for out-of-class learning activities through science clubs located at each HCC campus.  Additionally, HCC will create a science-focused freshman success course to attract more students to high-demand and high-wage majors in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields.

The first two sessions of faculty training, titled Camp INSPIRE, were held in January and May for approximately 150 science faculty and several instructional leaders.  Associate Dean Judy Hayman, long-time professor of education, led a demonstration of active and collaborative learning activities, modeling learner-centered instruction and encouraging faculty brainstorming for course redesign.

Through additional Camp INSPIRE sessions, online learning modules will be developed that demonstrate various types of activities or learning objects that will be integrated into science curriculum.  Science faculty who are interested in helping build these modules should contact Dr. Berends.  Development of the modules will be supported by instructional designers from HCC’s Department of Teaching and Learning Resources.

 
Dr. Tineke Berends will direct HCC's Quality Enhancement Plan (QEP) over the next five years.

http://sites.hccs.edu/educationmatters/2012/05/hcc-inspire-launches-faculty-training-for-sacs-qep/

The Houston Independent School District (HISD) is contracting with HCC to create “Houston Innovative Learning Zones (HILZ)” in six targeted high schools.  HILZ will offer students the opportunity to prepare for college and then take tech-prep and dual credit courses leading to industry and college certifications and Associate in Applied Science (AAS) degrees in six high-demand, high-wage fields.  The costs of the program will be funded by the HISD and grant programs and entail no costs to student participants.

HILZ represents the culmination of several successful years of partnerships between HISD and HCC, during which dual credit enrollments have grown to over 7000 students a semester, opening doors to higher education and better lives for thousands of students who may not have otherwise pursued a college degree.  Whereas most dual credit courses offered in the past have been “academic transfer” courses, the HILZ program seeks to offer students access to immediate job entry in needed occupations.  Students will then have knowledge and skills to earn a good income and possibly finance further education as they choose.

The six participating secondary schools and AAS programs are: Booker T. Washington High School, Manufacturing Technology; Furr High School, Engineering Technology; J.D Long High School, Pharmacy Technology; Kashmere High School, Process Technology; Scarborough High School, Computer Networking and Administration Technology; and Sterling High School, Global Logistics Management Technology.  HILZ began in June 2012.

http://sites.hccs.edu/educationmatters/2012/05/hcc-and-hisd-partner-to-offer-innovative-workforce-career-pathways/

If checking out new gadgets, cool tech, all day gaming, and crowds of cosplayer sounds like a great way to spend a weekend, then the newest spot on the map for you is Houston's Comicpalooza, one of the fastest growing new comic cons in the country.

Texas' International Comic Con is leveling up! Comicpalooza has announced a dramatic increase in their technology & video gaming exhibits and programming. Comicpalooza’s total exhibit and event space is increasing from the 380,000 square feet available in 2012 to over 500,000 square feet for 2013. The technology exhibit space allocation will at least quintuple while video gaming is likely to triple or quadruple. Programming will also expand, largely through partnerships with organizations like TimeGate Studios (Greater Houston’s largest video game developer), Houston Community College, the Art Institute, and others. “We’re incorporating a wide range of programming, from introductory seminars on graphics and design all the way to discussions about tomorrow’s innovations,” explains John Simons, founder and chairman of Comicpalooza.

Comicpalooza’s tech offerings for 2012 included an exhibit area anchored by Best Buy, industry panels and workshops that featured participation from TimeGate Studios, Houston Community College, an assortment of smaller video game companies, and cash prize video game tournaments that attracted top level pro gamers. “The response was very positive,” says Simons, “Houston is a huge market that needs and wants a first rate consumer technology showcase, and we are moving quickly to realize that goal as part of Comicpalooza.”

One of the primary driving factors that paves the way for such expansion is Comicpalooza’s high growth curve. After only three years as a convention, their 2012 event posted over 10,600 total attendance with an 88.5% increase in paid registration over 2011, which was up from a 55% growth rate the previous year. Attendance for 2013 is expected to top 20,000. The speedy growth is attracting high-profile partners in technology and education and has led to ambitious expansion plans. “Our goal is to bring the right combination of technology and video games together to create an exceptional consumer and industry tech show experience for Texas. We’re just getting started,” concludes Simons, “2013 is going to be all fireworks for us!”

http://www.prweb.com/releases/prweb2012/8/prweb9815959.htm

The American Association of Community Colleges, Babson College and Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses honored faculty and team members of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses during the annual training and professional development dinner on July 30th in Cleveland.

Certificates were signed by Walter Bumphus, president/CEO, AACC and Patricia Greene, National Academic Director, Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses, and professor at Babson College. In addition, each recipient received a letter of appreciation from Dina Powell, President of the Goldman Sachs Foundation. 

http://www.babson.edu/News-Events/babson-news/Pages/120816goldmansachsawardsfaculty.aspx

A new agreement between the University of Houston-Victoria and Houston Community College will make it easier for students to earn an associate degree on their way to obtaining a bachelor's degree.

Starting this fall, HCC students who transfer to UHV can complete their associate degree by taking UHV courses. The same classes also will count toward earning a UHV bachelor's degree.

This marks the first reverse articulation agreement signed by UHV with a community college partner.

"This agreement not only strengthens the partnership between the University of Houston-Victoria and Houston Community College, but it also allows students to finish their associate degree either before or after transferring to UHV," President Phil Castille said. "At the end of the day, both institutions want to make it easier for students to attend college and earn degrees. With classes in Greater Houston, Victoria and online, the pathway from HCC to UHV will be a seamless transition to allow students to earn an associate degree and bachelor's degree."

HCC Northwest President Zachary Hodges said he appreciates the partnership with UHV.

"These types of partnerships are the future of higher education, and I am glad we are leading rather than following," Hodges said. "Reverse articulation, sending classes back to allow students to finish their associate degree, is one more tool that will produce more graduates for the Houston area."

With more than 55,000 students, HCC is the fourth largest community college system in the United States. HCC offers two-year academic degrees, workforce certifications, continuing education classes, adult education classes and high school dual credit courses.

UHV offers more than 60 bachelor's and master's degree programs and concentrations in the arts and sciences, business administration, education and human development, and nursing fields.

UHV will offer 11 classes for the first time this fall at the HCC Katy campus. The junior- and senior-level classes, along with one graduate class, will take place one afternoon or evening a week at HCC Northwest, 1550 Foxlake Drive, close to the Interstate 10 and Fry Road intersection. The courses are open to any UHV student, including HCC students who have been accepted into UHV.

http://www.victoriaadvocate.com/news/2012/aug/18/ca_uhv_partnership_081912_185407/?features&education

In September 2010, however, when Qatar partnered with Houston Community College and opened the Community College of Qatar, the country’s first such college.  On May 15, less than two years after CCQ opened, 11 students became the country’s inaugural community college graduates. The partnership had a rocky beginning, but leaders of both CCQ and HCC hope the graduation ceremony is the first of many.

The idea to start a community college had been discussed in Qatar since the mid-2000s, said Ibrahim Saleh Alnaimi, acting president of CCQ There has been an increased focus on higher-education standards, and some Qataris found it difficult to get into universities. “Many students had practically no chance to be admitted to Qatar University or, for that matter, Education City,” said Alnaimi, referring to a Doha campus that has branches of elite foreign universities.

But the country had no experience with community colleges. “They had hats, but no cattle, as we say in Texas,” said Mary Spangler, chancellor of HCC, one of the largest community colleges in the United States. After a request for proposals yielded eight options, HCC was chosen as the partner for creating the institution.

http://www.ccweek.com/news/templates/template.aspx?articleid=3190&zoneid=3

Houston Community College Foundation staff will be hosting a multi-track workshop for community college professionals on September 25, 2012.  HCC Foundation will present on topics related to alumni relations, advancement services, and social media at the conference sponsored by the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) District IV.

“We are delighted to have the opportunity to share our best practices and staff expertise related to alumni programming and fundraising on behalf of community colleges with our fellow advancement professionals at two-year institutions,” said Dr. Kelly J. Zúñiga, HCC Foundation Executive Director and a member of the national CASE Board of Trustees.

The one-day conference to be held at the HCC District Offices will also feature keynote speaker Lisa Skari, EdD, Vice President of Institutional Advancement for Highline Community College in Des Moines, Washington.

From the Houston Chronicle:

Houston Community College is looking for small-business owners to apply for its Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program.

The deadline for the next session – which starts on Oct. 3 – is July 30. Accepted applicants attend at no cost.

The program launched at Houston Community College in 2011 and is funded by the Goldman Sachs Foundation. Goldman Sachs also has committed $20 million in lending capital to Houston-area small businesses.

In addition to classes at HCC, entrepreneurs receive help from the Greater Houston Partnership to access lending and technical assistance on applying for financing from the University of Houston Small Business Development Center Network.

So far, 130 small- business owners have graduated through the program, which lasts about 2½ months.

Abe Gonzalez, a co-owner of RPC Global, a computer recycling and IT asset disposal company, is one of the graduates.

“I’m proud to say that I can have a conversation with my accountant over a cup of coffee. Understating cash flow and inventory turnover has made a significant impact in the business,” Gonzalez said. “Due to the changes we made, we are now more efficient, have become more effective – which has translated into higher profits.”
Complete text of article

The Arab American Educational Foundation presented a gift of $10,000 to the Houston Community College Foundation in May 2012, establishing the  Arab-American Educational Foundation, Inc. Opportunity 14 Scholarship Endowment. The HCC Foundation Board of Directors approved a matching gift, bringing the total scholarship amount to $20,000.

“We are deeply appreciative of the Arab-American Educational Foundation’s generosity in support of the Opportunity 14 scholarship. Their gift will provide access to higher education for many of our students who might not otherwise have the opportunity to attend college,” said Dr. Kelly J. Zúñiga, Executive Director, HCC Foundation.

The HCC Foundation is engaged in a $30 million endowment campaign to fund the Opportunity 14 scholarship in perpetuity for future generations of Houstonians. Opportunity 14 is helping young people achieve their college ambitions at HCC by providing financial assistance for tuition, fees and books for every student who qualifies.

The Opportunity 14 Scholarship is available to qualified students who live in the HCC service area and who enroll in 9.0 hours or more at HCC within one year of either graduating high school or earning a GED prior to their 20^th birthday. Opportunity 14 is a need-based scholarship for entering HCC first-year students who qualify for some federal or state financial aid, but not enough to cover the costs of their tuition, fees, and textbooks. To be considered for a scholarship, the student simply has to complete two tasks: apply for financial aid and sign up for a minimum of nine semester credit hours at HCC.

If a student meets Opportunity 14’s eligibility requirements, the scholarship funds will automatically be transferred to his or her student account. The scholarship will provide up to $6,000 over a period of 3 years, with a maximum of $1,500 per fall and spring semester and $1,000 per summer semester. In most cases, the combination of financial aid and Opportunity 14 scholarship funds will cover all costs of tuition, fees, and textbooks. To learn more, visit opportunity14.org or call the HCC Foundation office at 713.718.8595.

Community College Week issued its Top 100 Associate Degree Producers list, an annual analysis of the top associate degree-awarding institutions in the nation, and Houston Community College is number one in Texas. Coming in at number eight on the list, HCC ranked the highest locally and second-highest in the United States for two-year institutions.

The report examined associate degrees and certificates conferred during the 2010-2011 academic year by two-year and four-year institutions. HCC awarded 3,606 associate degrees for the year, up from 3,285 associate degrees awarded the previous year.

According to the Community College Week report, associate degrees awarded across the nation increased a record 11.1 percent between the 2009-2010 school year and the 2010-2011 year.

In May, Diverse: Issues In Higher Education singled out the Top 100 Degree Producers by rankings for students of color. This year, HCC made the Top 10 list in four categories.

Across all disciplines, HCC is eighth in conferring associate degrees to Asian-Americans, ninth in associate degrees awarded to African Americans and 10th in conferring associate degrees to Hispanics. Overall, HCC ranks eighth in awarding associate degrees to minority students.

The Asian Chamber of Commerce Foundation and the HCC Foundation awarded scholarships to three HCC students during a luncheon held June 14, 2012. The students awarded the scholarships have a common desire to help people by pursuing health sciences degrees at HCC. The HCC Foundation Scholarship recipients are Mr. Ky Nguyen, Ms. Bich Tram-Vu and Mr. Alan Lim.

To view pictures of the event, visit the HCC Flickr page.

The HCC Foundation will begin sending announcements of scholarship awards to students in mid-June. Please check your mail and your email for notifications.

THe Spring 2012 double issue of SOAR is now available in print. In this issue, we take a look at our many workforce programs at HCC, spotlight an alumnus who is running her own beauty enterprise, and celebrate last year's successes in our 2011 HCC Foundation Annual Report.

To obtain a copy, please call 713-718-8595 or email foundation@hccsfoundation.org.

The HCC Foundation website will be down for maintenance on Monday, April 9, 2012 from 7:00 a.m. until 12:00 p.m.  Access to the scholarship application and donation forms will not be available during this time.  Thank you for your patience. If you require immediate assistance, please call our main line at 713.718.8595.

"Proud to be an Eagle" is the theme of the 2012 Faculty & Staff Campaign. Make a donation to a fund that you are passionate about and Barnes and Noble will match your gift for a second year! Barnes and Noble will match all donations, dollar for dollar, up to $100,000!

All employees who make a donation of $10 or more will be entered into a drawing for various prizes. Prizes will be drawn during in April and announced in the April HCC Foundation Faculty & Staff e-Newsletter.

All donors to the campaign will receive a keychain while supplies last.

And don’t forget –you can choose the specific scholarship fund you want your donation to go to. Donations can be made to any fund at the HCC Foundation that supports student scholarships and faculty programs to improve learning at HCC. 

Download your copy of the 2012 Faculty and Staff Campaign brochure by clicking here. Please print and complete the donation form and return to the HCC Foundation via interoffice mail (MC 1148). If you have any questions about the campaign, please contact Sophia Corey at 713-718-8488 or by email at sophia.corey@hccs.edu.

The whimsical theme of Dr. Seuss theme “Oh the Places We’ll Go!” greeted the record 750 guests attending Houston Community College’s Opportunity Ball on a balmy Friday, January 6. Proceeds from the event will launch local students on the path to a successful future by providing them scholarships to HCC.

AT&T served as lead underwriter of the event, which gala co-chairs Shawn Taylor and Penny Butler, Houston Community College Foundation board members said raised a record $560,000. Held at the Hilton Americas Hotel, Swift and Company decorated the ballroom with swirling colors and characters to match the evening’s Dr. Seuss theme. The lights, centerpieces and feathered creations created a memorable atmosphere for guests to applaud the efforts of HCC in the New Year.

Former Mayor Bill White and his wife Andrea, past honorees, presented HCC’s Crystal Eagle award to Sarah and Doug Foshee. Foshee, CEO, Chairman and President of El Paso Corporation, spoke about his special passion for the work of community colleges and the real opportunities they offer local students to improve their career potential and the lives of their families and the importance today of continuing education to be a part of the future workforce.

Dr. Mary Spangler, Houston Community College Chancellor, made remarks, thanking the guests and emphasizing the impact HCC has on our city. Attendees included many of the HCC trustees, HCC Board Chair Richard Schechter, District V and newly elected Board Member Carroll G. Robinson, District IV. Houston Mayor Annise Parker joined the festivities as well.

HCC is one of the largest community colleges in the United States, providing an affordable education to more than 80,000 students each semester. HCC is also ranked number one in the state for placing students in jobs when they graduate, offering associate degrees, certificates, academic preparation, workforce training and lifelong learning opportunities that prepare individuals in our diverse community to complete in an increasingly technological and international society. The college’s six locations offer core academic courses that transfer to any public university in Texas. It also allows local students to obtain job training in a wide array of fields, including nursing, culinary arts, fashion design, criminal justice, automotive technology, and cosmetology.

The 2012 - 2013 HCC Foundation Scholarship Application cycle will open at 8:00 a.m. on January 22, 2012 and be available until 2:00 p.m. on May 4th.  No late submissions will be accepted. 

Please visit the Scholarship section of our website for detailed information.

The John P. McGovern Foundation Announces $5 Million Gift to HCC

The largest single donation in Houston Community College’s 40-year history will fund Opportunity 14 Endowed Scholarships for Houstonians. 

HCC extends its deepest appreciation to the John P. McGovern Foundation for this landmark gift and for bringing our students’ dreams of higher education within reach. We thank you and salute your vision for education, HCC, and Houston. 

For more about HCC's Foundation, go to http://www.hccsfoundation.org/ 

CHRONICLE COVERAGE: The donation was the subject of an op-ed in Sunday's Houston Chronicle:

Gifts help transform HCC into a force for change

By GINGER RENFROE BLANTON 

Houston Community College is being transformed in front of our very eyes. Over the course of the past four-plus years, our community has seen the college grow from an enrollment of 50,000 to almost 80,000 students per semester. We have seen the college redefine how students learn and teachers teach.  Complete text of the article

Help us honor a Houston fashion legend! Kay King, former Regional Director of The Fashion Group International of Houston, Inc., fashion designer, educator, and mentor extraordinaire, has retired her post as the Division Chair, Lifestyle Arts & Design Careers for Houston Community College - Central (HCC) after three decades with the institution.

Kay’s incredible accomplishments span more than fifty years in the fashion industry and include numerous awards and recognitions for her craft, as well as invitations for speaking engagements around the globe. It is Kay’s wonderful spirit that has inspired and challenged hundreds of students to reach their full potential. The original curriculum for HCC’s award-winning fashion program was written by Kay and has produced countless ‘star status’ students with success stories of their own, including Project Runway winner Chloe Dao. Kay’s students can also be found working in Houston’s major cultural arts venues, including the Houston Ballet, Houston Grand Opera and the Alley Theatre to name a few. Kay is a visionary, an international fashion icon, and a true Houston treasure.

We hope you will join us in celebration of one of our City’s most well-known fashion trailblazers at Fashionably Fabulous ... The Incredible Career of Kay King. The exclusive cocktail reception will be held Thursday, October 20, 2011 from 6:00 p.m.-9:00 p.m. at the Decorative Center Houston, 5120 Woodway Drive, the venue underwriter of this event. This spectacular evening will feature a unique fashion retrospective, cocktails, and hors d’oeuvres. Plus, many fabulous fashionable surprises! This event will raise funds for Career Day scholarships, on behalf of The Fashion Group International of Houston, Inc. and the Kay King Scholarship, for Houston Community College students who wish to pursue careers in the fashion, interior design, and beauty industries.

Sponsorship opportunities are available for $2,000, $1,000 and $500. Individual tickets are $100 (students, $50). To reserve your ticket online, visit kayking.fgihouston.org

For more information or to pay by phone, contact Josephine Firat at 832.305.6344 or by email at josephine@fgihouston.org.

It’s official! After receiving more than 2,000 votes for the top five HCC Eagle Mascot Names, HCC Chancellor Dr. Mary Spangler announced the winning name at the HCC Pep Rally held yesterday at West Loop Campus. And the winner is ... Swoop! Swoop, symbolic of the HCC logo, is representative of a student’s upward and forward journey through HCC, and the limitless opportunity that an HCC education provides to our students and our community. Eight individuals submitted the winning SWOOP name – from those entries, HCC Design Faculty Member Ken Simmons’ name was selected at the event to receive a new iPad. Congratulations Professor Simmons! Go Eagles!

The HCC Foundation hosted a reception on Wednesday, September 7, 2011 to thank its Board of Directors and HCC Board of Trustee members for their efforts to advance the mission of Houston Community College. The event also was an opportunity to celebrate the recent fund-raising success of the HCC Foundation and the support received from its board members. The Foundation raised a record  $5.8 million in 2010-2011, the highest amount ever raised since the Foundation’s founding in 1976. The event was held at the home of Foundation Board President Ginger Renfroe Blanton and her husband, Jack.

Harriet and Joe Foster are providing educational support through the Houston Community College/University of St. Thomas Foster Scholars Program. The gift, in excess of $260,000, will provide full-tuition scholarships for five HCC students who transfer to the University of St. Thomas to complete their undergraduate degree in the nursing program within two years.

Because of the cost of higher education, obtaining additional support for low-income students is critical. Funding constraints, time limitations and lack of resources are all potential barriers to a transfer student’s participation and completion. Low-income students who must work during their academic careers are less likely to complete their studies. Many face not only financial challenges, but also those posed by families who do not understand the impact of education on an individual’s life-time earnings. The HCC/UST Foster Scholars Program will provide for five HCC students who are majoring in nursing to transfer to the University of St. Thomas while giving them the support they need to devote their energies and time to their education.

UST and HCC have enjoyed several successful collaborations, including the 2008 – 2010 College Cost Reduction and Access Act (CCRAA) grant funded by the U.S. Department of Education. This grant provided funding for the renovation of HCC Central Campus STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) labs as well as funding for students from both institutions to work on collaborative undergraduate research programs. Both institutions receive funding from the National Science Foundation for STEM scholarships, and a partnership has been created to recruit those scholarship recipients from HCC for the UST program in order to provide a seamless transition to baccalaureate-level studies. The HCC/UST Scholars Program will enhance future collaborations between the two institutions.

The University of St. Thomas is in the final stages of reopening its School of Nursing to address the growing shortage of nurses across the nation. The university will offer a bachelor’s of science in nursing and enroll the first class of students by 2012. The scholarships provided by the Fosters will enable HCC students to pursue their educational goals and help Texas meet the critical demand for nurses.

Harriet and Joe Foster have a long history of making thoughtful contributions to education in Houston. The Fosters actively support the community college model and have provided scholarship opportunities for students who attend Houston Community College. Harriet Foster has been a member of the HCC Foundation Board since 2001. The scholarships funded by Harriet and Joe Foster will provide a lasting impact on the recipients’ lives and their future careers.

The Asian Chamber of Commerce and the HCC Foundation awarded scholarships to six HCC students during a luncheon held June 9, 2011. The students awarded the scholarships have a common desire to help people by pursuing health sciences and engineering-related degrees at HCC. The HCC Foundation Scholarship recipients are Minh Ngo, Ky Nguyen, Ngoc Nguyen, Jennifer Phan, Van Pham and Kyung-Ah Woo.

Ky Nguyen is working towards his associate’s degree in nursing at HCC’s Coleman College for Health Sciences with a 3.7 GPA. He plans to earn a bachelor of science in Nursing. His educational goals also include a master’s degree in nursing after working in a medical-surgical unit. Mr. Nguyen’s three sisters also attend college.

Ms. Ngoc Nguyen is a nursing student at HCC Northwest. Her academic achievements include a 3.6 GPA. Her parents sent her to live with her grandparents, here in the United States, to continue her education. Ms. Nguyen hopes to be accepted into HCC Coleman’s Nursing program. She wants to use her education to help people, to help them feel better and to make them smile. Those smiles, the smiles of those she can help, give Ms. Nguyen a deep sense of fulfillment and contentment. Jennifer Phan, a freshman at Southwest College studying nursing, has a 3.9 GPA. Ambitious and a hard worker, she held a number of leadership roles at her high school, including the National Honor Society, Key Club, Asian Club and Student Council. She plans to attend HCC for the next two years before transferring to university to continue her education in Pediatric Nursing.

Majoring in Pre Health Science at HCC Southwest, Van Pham has a 3.9 GPA. Her career goal is to become a pharmacist. She is taking Pre-Pharmacy classes and currently works as a pharmacy technician. Ms. Pham wants to continue her education so that she may help patients with the full capacity of a trained pharmacist.

Kyung-Ah Woo is currently working towards a Solar Energy Technology Photovoltaic Certification at HCC Northeast’s Energy Institute. She has a 3.8 GPA. Since establishing her own company part-time in 2007, Ms. Woo now works full-time designing, coordinating, drawing and managing constructions for clients. She plans to use her certification at HCC to become involved in international projects. The scholarships will help each of these students focus their energies on their studies while aiding them and their families in their pursuit of higher education. The keynote speaker was Dr. Parvin Bagherpour, the Director of Houston Community College’s Office of International Student Services.

The Asian Chamber of Commerce Scholarship Foundation also presented scholarships to ten area high school students.

More than 120 friends and supporters of Houston Community College gathered on Monday evening, October 25 for the Chancellor’s dinner honoring the 2010 members of the Golden Eagle Society, a giving society established by HCC in 2009 to recognizes its foremost benefactors. The event was held at Hugo’s restaurant where guests enjoyed authentic regional cuisine prepared by Executive Chef and HCC Culinary Arts alumnus Hugo Ortega. “Your generosity makes possible so much of what we accomplish for our students,” said HCC Chancellor Dr. Mary S. Spangler in acknowledging the Golden Eagle Society members and their generous support of HCC. HCC Foundation Student Ambassadors and scholarship recipients were also in attendance to thank guests for helping them achieve their educational goals. The Golden Eagle Society was established in 2009 to recognize excellence in giving at Houston Community College, and recognizes supporters of HCC and its campuses, departments and special programs who have generously contributed $2,000 or more in a fiscal year. To learn more or view a complete listing of the 2010 Golden Eagle Society members, visit www.hccsfoundation.org  and click on ‘Giving to HCC’.

Houston Community College Trustee Dr. Michael P. Williams received the Association of Community College Trustees (ACCT) 2010 Western Regional Trustee Leadership Award at the ACCT Annual Community College Leadership Congress October 20.

Williams’ commitment to HCC’s students and his advocacy for programs for underserved students were instrumental in the association’s choice. “This is such an honor,” Williams said. “The education of our young people is crucial to our future. Today’s youth will play an important role in shaping our city for future generations and now, more than ever, our community is looking to us for job training, flexible learning alternatives and cost-effective solutions to today’s economic challenges.”

Williams is the Founding Pastor of Joy Tabernacle in Houston, which in 1999 became the first African American church to relocate to the heart of Houston’s inner city. He has also served as Senior Pastor for Antioch Missionary Baptist Church in Houston and East End Baptist Tabernacle Church in Bridgeport, Connecticut. He has preached in 37 of the 50 states, three continents and in the Middle East and founded HOPE for Houston, Inc., a non-profit agency committed to serving at-risk young people and their families.

In 1999, Williams was elected to the Board of Trustees for Houston Community College, the largest educational institution in the Gulf Coast region. He has served the institution’s board in numerous capacities, including board chair on two occasions, including the 2010 calendar year. Williams’ knowledge, leadership and ideas support HCC’s vision to become the most relevant community college in the nation.

His honors include receiving the 2010 Westminster Lifetime Alumni Achievement Award, induction into the Martin Luther King, Jr., Collegiam of Preachers at Morehouse College and The “Big 15”—Houston’s Top African American Pastors, the Keeping the Dream Alive Award from the Martin Luther King, Jr. Parade Foundation, Who’s Who in Black Houston and Who’s Who Among Black Americans. Williams is the author of numerous articles in professional and popular periodicals as well as the author of three books.

The Houston Community College held its third annual State of the College Address at the Junior League of Houston, 1811 Briar Oaks Lane at 8:00 a.m., Friday, October 8.

Houston Mayor Annise Parker opened the program with a few remarks about the importance of HCC to the city’s future. She said, “Our region’s future success depends on an educational system that meets the needs of our growing and diverse community. HCC’s bold vision to provide the educational needs of our region will enable us to meet the challenges of the changing global marketplace.” 

Dr. Mary S. Spangler, HCC Chancellor, then addressed the audience composed of elected officials, community leaders, business and industry partners, local media and HCC faculty and staff. She spoke about the impact HCC is having on the citizens of the Greater Houston area, the city and its economy. Dr. Spangler outlined the goals and successes HCC accomplished in the past year. She talked about HCC’s record enrollment that saw a thirty percent increase in the last two years. 

Dr. Spangler explained the innovative and creative new programs, teaching methodologies and funding strategies the college is implementing to meet the challenges of a growing student body. The highly skilled students educated and trained by HCC are impacting job creation in the region. That, in turn, creates a significant boon to the economy of the Greater Houston Area. HCC students benefit from improved lifestyles and increased earnings. Taxpayers benefit from a larger economy and lower social costs. The community as a whole benefits from increased investment opportunities, higher business revenues and the economic contribution of HCC’s students and alumni.

While recognizing the progress and accomplishments of the college, Dr. Spangler assured the audience that HCC is looking to the future: “We are operating at the leading edge of change to move beyond relevance. To be a twenty-first century community college, we must now be innovative, enterprising and collaborative if we are to maintain our reputation as one of our nation’s leading community colleges. It’s time to set the bar higher again!”

Tuesday, October 5, Pandora's Box will take a look into the film, Out in the Silence, the announcement of filmmaker Joe Wilson’s wedding to another man which ignites a firestorm of controversy in his small Pennsylvania hometown.

Wednesday, October 6, Poet and UH faculty member Martha Serpas reads from and discusses her work, which is influenced by a deep religious sensibility and the author's Cajun heritage.

Houston Community College has gone mobile and students are reaping the benefits. You can now download the MobileHCC app right to your iPhone or iPod Touch for free.

The application gives you access to HCC courses, instructors and staff through the up-to-date directory and course search applications.

You can also get the latest news, events, photos and videos from HCC.

MobileHCC features include:

Directory – Call or email any HCC personnel campus wide. You can also add them to your phone’s address book

Courses – Search for HCC programs that are available for enrollment; search for classes and bookmark them (The classes can be Semester Credit Hour, Continuing Education, Non-Credit (NCR), or Adult High School (AHS).)

Events – Find and track all HCC activities, from concerts and art exhibits, to lectures and recreation

News – Get the latest news from HCC campuses

Images – Search your institution’s photos and save the images to your iPhone or iPod Touch

Videos – View the latest HCCTV videos and other video content

Maps – Find your exact location and search for a building and its address

Team photos: Purchase photos online at http://hccs.eventpictures.com

Two hundred golfers took part in HCC's Annual Fall Golf Classic on Sept. 24 at Wildcat Golf Club.

This year’s tournament proceeds will go to Houston Community College’s Minority Male Initiative (MMI) Summer Bridge Academy that helps provide real life, practical, hands-on learning experiences for minority males in grades 7 through 12, with many students earning up to five semester hours of college credit and scholarships.

video platform video management video solutions video player

The 2010 HCC Annual Golf Classic on Friday, Sept. 24, 2010, will benefit the HCC Minority Male Initiative Program and Pro-Vision All Male HISD Charter School. For more information , please contact John E. Gilmore at 713-718-5061 or john.gilmoreiii@hccs.edu

2010 Sponsors

• Coleman College for Health Sciences
• Central College
• Northeast College
• Southeast College
• Southwest College

• African-American News & Issues
• The Greensheet
• YaffeDeutser
• Rice Financial Products Company
• Horizon Group International
• Acclaim Energy Advisors
• Morganti Texas, Inc

Houston Community College is bringing together industry leaders, elected officials and emerging business executives from Alief to discuss the workforce needs in the area. On Wednesday, Sept. 15., HCC Trustee Neeta Sane, District VII, hosted the Workforce Summit at the Kim Son Restaurant, 10603 Bellaire Blvd.  

In today’s economy, access to post-secondary education and training is essential for individual career success. Estimates indicate that 80 percent of today’s new jobs require education or training beyond high school and that those jobs represent the fastest growing and highest paying segments, such as the emerging technological fields, of the new economy. HCC is committed to serving businesses through innovative education and training solutions.

“We are committed to meeting your business needs through education and training,” said HCC Trustee Neeta Sane.

Houston Community College is committed to serving businesses through innovative education and training solutions. The Workforce Summit is an opportunity to work with stakeholders in the community to collaborate on ways to build a stronger regional economy.

The Texas Workforce Commission awarded Houston Community College $310,233 for a Skills Development Fund Grant. HCC partnered with Goodman Manufacturing to receive the grant, which will provide customized job training to workforce students.

Dear HCC Family,

Each year, the new academic year symbolizes new beginnings, and this year is no different. I am delighted to “Welcome” each of you--students, faculty, staff and administrators--back from what I hope was a wonderful summer and a successful year. Now let’s embark together upon a busy and exciting 2010-2011 academic year.

We can expect more great things to be accomplished this year, and I want to share some of them with you. More importantly, please join me in moving HCC into the brightest year in our history. As we continue to embrace our mission of being the most relevant community college in the country, essential to our community’s success, we must not forget our core mission of “serving students.” Our mission, “students first,” will continue to be our primary focus as we soar to the next level.

First, “thank you” to new and returning students for choosing HCC as the gateway to your future. During the 2009-2010 year, we reached a record-break enrollment of more than 72,000 students. This Fall 2010 we will exceed that number. Knowing about activities and initiatives at HCC designed to open doors, offer opportunities and smooth the pathways while you are at HCC will ensure that your time with us is used most effectively. Take some time to learn about these resources.

Second, I want to empower each of you in your respective role to provide input to ensure HCC continues to produce graduates who become contributing citizens, advance to the next level in local colleges and universities, or venture into a more global arena as we expand our partnerships with other countries. Faculty, staff and administrators, your contributions to HCC are important as you dedicate your time, creativity, and talents to our students and communities.

Third, there are many outstanding initiatives that will be forthcoming in 2010-2011 to share. I invite you to visit our website at: www.hccs.edu and learn more about where we are going and how these initiatives will affect your success at HCC. Now let’s review a few highlights for the coming year.

In the area of Student Services and under the leadership of Dr. Diana Pino the following highlights are significant:
• Textbook Rentals: Starting this fall, students will be able to rent many of their required textbooks from the HCC Bookstore. Barnes and Noble, the operators of the Bookstore, predict that a new textbook costing $100 will rent for approximately $47. Later this fall, a new Request for Proposals (RFP) for bookstore services will require an HCC bookstore operator to provide multiple options for students to constrain textbook prices, including downloading or leasing of digital textbooks.

• Statway: We are one of 19 community colleges across the nation that is participating in a major grant project entitled Statway. Funded by major donors and coordinated by the Carnegie Foundation, Statway will involve the creation, testing, and implementation of a new math pathway for students leading to college level Statistics rather than College Algebra. The pathway is aimed at students who intend to major in the liberal arts, social sciences, business, and various career programs. The goal is to double the proportion of developmental math students prepared in one year to succeed in further academic study or occupational pursuits.

• Campus Living: In partnership with the University of Houston, all HCC students can enjoy campus living at the UH Moody Towers residential facility starting fall 2010. This is a great opportunity for our students to have the best of both worlds: the experience of dormitory living while studying at a community college. Applications are now being accepted for up to 80 HCC students.

• Student Records Automation: Degree Audit - By September, all academic plans (AA, AS, AAT), all AAS plans, and all Certificate plans for programs that have no AAS plans will be automated. This will allow counselors and students to view an electronic degree audit rather than relying on a paper copy. This year, there will be a focus on catching up on our transcript evaluation of transfer work to ensure accuracy of the degree audits.

In the area of Instruction and under the leadership of Dr. Charles Cook:
• CurricUNET: After a year of development, we will introduce CurricUNET to all faculty this fall. CurricUNET is a web-based repository of all HCC curricula, containing syllabi and student learning outcomes for all HCC courses and programs. Once fully operational, users will also have access to other member colleges’ curriculum (including Miami-Dade, the City Colleges of Chicago, San Diego City College, and others). The development of CurricUNET has coincided with instructional preparation for reaffirmation of HCC accreditation by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools and new state legislation requiring all college instructors to post their syllabi and resumes on-line.

• Real Time Faculty Withdrawal of Students: This process gives faculty the ability to withdraw their students online from their faculty centers, offices and homes. In the current process, faculty must complete an online application that is emailed to their respective campuses where campus personnel then drop the students by hand. The new process will eliminate the “middleman” by processing the withdrawal in real time and provide efficient customer support services to our faculty, staff and students.

Diversity Initiatives:
• We serve a uniquely diverse student body representing cultures, ethnicities and belief systems from across the globe. To continue to address the variety of differences brought to our campuses by students, faculty and staff, HCC must continue to take an active role in preparing students for a global workplace by encouraging the development of global competency skills in its students and employees. On April, 9 2010, I charged the members of the new HCC Council for Diversity and Inclusion with the responsibility of making recommendations that will foster a systematic “positive culture” of understanding, respect and acceptance of others unique differences. The standing council will advise my office regarding issues of diversity, equal opportunity and inclusion and facilitate programs and services that meet the changing needs of individuals in a diverse community. I encourage each of you to participate in this important initiative in whatever way possible and beneficial to the institution.

International Initiatives:
• HCC continues to value the importance of our international students and partnerships with other countries. As we enter the 2010 academic year, I am pleased to share with you the addition of another significant partnership where our expertise in international education has been recognized and sought. We will begin classes in Qatar this fall and will have over 40 employees from HCC participate in the opening of this institution. As we progress through this partnership, HCC students and faculty will have opportunities to broaden their international relationships through various media including teaching or studying abroad. Join me in congratulating those employees who are among the first to work on this initiative.

Professional Development Opportunities:
• In August we launched the HCC Chair Excellence Institute made possible by a Chancellor’s Innovation Grant to offer a vehicle for professional development to instructional chairs. An Executive-Level Speaker Series will be introduced this year for administrators as the Leadership Excellence Institute goes on a one-year hiatus. And a 6-module supervisor refresher training series kicks off this fall.

Going Green:
• As a signatory of the American College and University Presidents' Climate Commitment (ACUPCC), HCC will expand our existing recycling efforts this fall by formally implementing Phase 1 of a system- wide recycling program. This effort presents an opportunity for HCC to meet its commitment of promoting a sustainable future and positions us to be good stewards of the environment as members of the PCC and the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education. Please join me in being more environmentally conscious at HCC by recycling.

In the area of Information Technology and under the leadership of Mr. William Carter, we continue to make strides in improving processes and applications. Two significant initiatives for the coming include:
• mobileHCC: mobileHCC is an application that is available on the Apple AppStore for mobile devices. The App provides all faculty, staff and students access to HCC course schedules, employee directories, maps, new, events, images and videos. Phase II of mobileHCC will provide real time data to facilitate registration, attendance taking, and grading via the iPhone, Blackberry, iPad, iTouch or other mobile device.

• SmarterMeasure: This is a third party software that will serve as a pre requisite to Distance Ed Developmental Ed Students. DE students enrolling in DE developmental classes will be redirected to SmarterMeasure where they will take the assessment instrument. Scores will be loaded into PeopleSoft and used for advisement purposes. ADSA will develop the redirect, use single sign on technology to create students’ profiles in SmarterMeasure and create an import process to load the scores. Once scores are in PS, students will be able to complete enrollment in the appropriate development classes.

Human Resources new mandate:
• Implementation of Texas Senate Bill 9 requirements to fingerprint HCC employees.
The new law requires that HCC perform an expanded criminal history check that will now include fingerprinting of all new and current employees. The legislation was enacted to ensure the safety of all children, teachers and staff in Texas public schools. Since employees are present on public school campuses and public school students attend class on HCC campuses, this legislation applies to us. During the coming months, we will be implementing a fingerprinting examination process in accordance with Senate Bill 9.

HCC Foundation:
• The HCC Foundation continues to make strides, via the HCC Alumni Association, in its outreach to the College’s 77,000-plus alumni and to build the Association into an organization that can support the College and the Foundation’s fundraising efforts.

• The HCC Foundation is moving forward in its campaign to fund the Opportunity 14 Scholarship Endowment—raising in excess of $2.7 million to date—so that the scholarship will be available to young Houstonians for generations to come. The Opportunity 14 scholarship has enjoyed a promising first two years, allowing hundreds of low-income students from across the city to enroll at HCC and begin their college education.

HCC Police Department:
• Parking Passes will now be required of everyone parking on HCC facilities. Parking passes can be down loaded on- line for faculty, students and staff this year. Visit our website or call for more information.

• Faculty, staff and students are encouraged to program HCC-Police dispatch into your cell phone for escorts, emergencies or suspicious activity. The number is: 713-718-8888.

• Encourage faculty, students and staff to update their information in people-soft and authorize emergency notifications from the college so you can keep up to date in the event of emergencies, dangerous weather, or school closings.

These are only a few of the many highlights, significant projects and initiatives that will play an important role setting the tone for the beginning of the 2010-2011 academic year. Please visit our website at: www.hccs.edu for additional highlights and information that may be of interest to you as a student, faculty, staff or administrator. Beginning in September and throughout the year, I will be visiting each of the colleges as I do each quarter and look forward to an opportunity to visit with you.

Finally, I am full of optimism about HCC’s future and the direction we are going. There is a place for each of you to make significant contributions and achieve success. As I enter my 4th year as chancellor of this great institution, I join the Board of Trustees, faculty, staff and administrators in making a commitment to “students first” in all we do. Your success is key in determining the success of our city, state and nation. Thank you for your commitment to the college. Welcome back and have a very successful 2010-2011 year.

Sincerely,
Mary S. Spangler, Ed. D.
Chancellor
Houston Community College

Additional Significant Highlights 2010-2011:
• Learning Communities Tracking: ADSA is providing a means of identifying both classes and students to facilitate the tracking by OIR of students enrolled in Learning Community classes.

• Self Service Student Planner: The self service planner provides students with a tool to plan their courses for an individual term, multiple terms, or for the entire stay at HCC. After students add courses to their planner, they can proceed directly from planning to enrollment. The process allows students to plan, save and modify their course schedules ahead of registering and provides another online tool to make HCC’s services more effective.

• On-line Withdrawal System - As of July 26th, students will be able to withdraw from one or more classes online. While it is still encouraged for students receive advisement from instructional and counseling faculty prior to withdrawing, students will no longer be required to “see” someone before they will be allowed to drop.

Students will be invited to click on several links to learn more of the implications of dropping on the 6 drop rule (http://imc02.hccs.edu/gcac/drop.htm), on veterans, on financial aid, and on international students.

Students will be required to acknowledge the implications of withdrawing from a class. This will provide better self-service for students! Phase two of this development involves a process by which faculty, who wish to enforce an absenteeism policy through withdrawing a student for excessive absences, will experience a much easier withdrawal process.

• Financial Aid: Financial Aid has made great strides already in serving our 2010-2011 FA applicants. The financial aid processing turn-around time has improved from approximately 6 weeks to 3 weeks. These improvements have resulted from increased automation and improved document assignment and tracking. As of July 30th, 13,797 students have been awarded as compared to 6,852 this time last year. Staff is ensuring greater consistency in the customer service experience at the campus level by working in a proactive team-based structure. Financial aid is recognized as both a recruitment and retention tool. As such, financial resources have been set aside to continue to enhance processes and services. It is projected that with these resources, the turnaround processing time for the aid year 2011 will reduce to 7-10 days.

• As a follow up to the on-line withdrawal system students will be provided information related to the implications and possible consequences of dropping their courses. The following will occur when a student selects the “drop” option during an enrollment request:

Students will be required to select a drop reason in order to complete the withdrawal request (the drop reason will cue whether the dropped course will count toward the 6 drop rule or not).

• Chair Excellence Institute: On August 6, 2010, Dr. Walter Gmelch, Dean and Professor from the School of Education, University of San Francisco, delivered the keynote address to launch the opening event for the HCC Chair Excellence Institute (CEI), a program designed to offer HCC instructional chairs a vehicle for professional development. The CEI, led by Dr. David Diehl, Director of the HCC Center for Teaching and Learning
Excellence, and an Executive Council of outstanding HCC faculty and chairs, was made possible by a Chancellor’s Innovation Grant.

• Develop and Implement Executive-level Speaker Series. The purpose of this program is to provide leadership development opportunities for HCC administrators.

• Mandatory Supervisor Refresher Training Series. Six Learning modules (fall, spring and Summer 2010-11 and 2011-12 fiscal years) are being developed and will be conducted for all supervisors. The goal of the training is to equip managers with the necessary knowledge and skills to enable them to consistently and confidently act in accordance with HCC policies, procedures and practices, such that the rights of individuals and HCC are protected. Three modules will be conducted in 2010-2011 and three modules will be conducted in 2011-2012.

• HCC Foundation continuation: In particular, the HCC Alumni Association is planning to launch a magazine this fall, in coordination with the HCC Communications Department, to celebrate HCC achievements and highlight donor recognition. The semiannual magazine will feature a print and online component with distribution to HCC alumni as well as community leaders, corporate decision makers and supporters and friends of the College.

• Finally, beginning the month of September and throughout the first semester, I will be visiting each of the colleges and would love to have an opportunity to visit with you. Notices around your college will be place notifying you of the date, time and location of my visit will be coming soon.

Northwest college sponsors "Beyond Accessibility: Universal Design for Learning" presented by Pan American University. "Enhancing Quality Instructions for Students with Disabilities" at North West college will be Friday, October 15 from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the Eagle Room at the Spring Branch Campus.

This interactive and informative conference is open to faculty and staff interested in developing and utilizing a model for inclusive instructions and services. TLE credit is being offered as a special workshop. LPC credit   will be offered by the ADA Counsel. Pan American university offers certificate of direct contact hours for faculty.

Program to provide resource for Houston's medically underserved women

The Houston Affiliate of Susan G. Komen for the Cure has awarded a $123,230.13 grant to the Houston Community College Foundation to establish a Breast Health Patient Navigator Program at HCC’s Coleman College for Health Sciences, located in the Texas Medical Center. This program, the first of its kind in Texas, will prepare students and put them to work in their communities as healthcare leaders and advocates on behalf of medically underserved women in need of breast health education, screening, and follow-up care.

Front Row (L to R) HCC Trustees Yolanda Navarro Flores and Mary Ann Perez, you, HCC Trustees Eva Loredo and Neeta Sane (Vice Chair), HCC Coleman College for Health Sciences Dean, Dr. Michael Edwards
Back Row (L to R) HCC Trustees Richard M. Schechter and Dr. Michael P. Williams (Chair), HCC Chancellor Dr. Mary S. Spangler, HCC Trustee Bruce A. Austin, and HCC Foundation Executive Director Dr. Kelly J. Zúñiga

"We are grateful for the support of the Komen Houston Affiliate to help build this innovative program, which serves as a model for other philanthropic and educational partnerships. This program will directly improve access to breast health services for medically underserved women in the region,” said Dr. Mary S. Spangler, HCC Chancellor. “We are convinced of the need for this program as it provides an educational and professional pipeline for key, on-the-ground healthcare leaders and advocates.”

The HCC Foundation enjoyed another record-breaking year of fundraising success. Learn about the generous people who donated to the Foundation and the students who benefited from their gifts by reading the 2008 – 2009 HCC Foundation Annual Report. Click here to read.

The Texas Education Agency recently confirmed that the HCC Adult Education Program will receive more than $850,000 in performance-based-funding for its achievements during the 2008-2009 reporting year. HCC is fiscal agent for the largest Adult Education Program in Texas.

The HCC Foundation extends its deepest sympathy to the family and friends of Mr. William (Bill) M. Coats, Jr. He passed away on Sunday, May 23.

Bill was a tireless advocate on behalf of Houston Community College and the mission of the HCC Foundation and lived out that belief through years of leadership. He was instrumental in the formation of the HCC Foundation, helping to draft the articles of incorporation as founding attorney. He served two terms as president of the Foundation’s Board of Directors. His tireless work, generosity, and kindness gave hundreds of people help when they needed it most and contributed to personal achievement in the face of seemingly impossible obstacles.

Under Bill’s leadership, the Opportunity 14 Scholarship was devised and came to fruition as a reality for Houston students — placing HCC and the Foundation in the community spotlight for its work to make Houston, and Houstonians, thrive.

“Bill was one of the nicest men I ever met, handling everything so smoothly in his quiet way. He was a great leader for HCC, and we will miss him very much,” says HCC Foundation Board President Ginger Renfroe Blanton.

In Houston, Bill became a founding partner in the Coats Rose Law Firm. His determination to help make the city the vibrant, beautiful, and forward-thinking place he envisioned led him to be one of the founders of Citizens for Good Schools. He was a long-time board member of Inprint Inc. He also was a tireless fighter against urban blight and a driving force behind Trees for Houston. In addition, he helped found and worked for Friends of Hermann Park (now Hermann Park Conservancy) as a lawyer, an advocate, and a board member.

To learn more about Bill’s remarkable legacy, read http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/houstonchronicle/obituary.aspx?n=william-mitten-coats&pid=143102715

The 6^th Annual Wine & Food Week, one of the top 10 wine and epicurean events in the U.S., brings together renowned chefs to showcase their culinary expertise partnered with more than 500 wines at 40 sensational events. HCC’s Culinary Arts Program has been named one of the beneficiaries of this year’s festivities.

Show your support by purchasing tickets for Sips, Suds & Sliders, an exploration of specialty beers, Texas wines and a gourmet slider competition, on June 18, 5:30 p.m.-8:30 p.m. at the CITYCENTRE Life Time Athletic, 815 Town & Country Lane ($20) or The Wine Rendezvous Grand Tasting & Texas Monthly Chef Showcase on Saturday, June 19, 7:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m. at the Woodlands Waterway Marriott, 1601 Lake Robbins Drive ($98). Chefs representing more than 50 restaurants from throughout Texas and beyond will fly into showcase their culinary talents and compete for Wine & Food Week’s Waterford Crystal Chef of Chefs Award and a $5,000+ prize package at the Saturday event. The evening will culminate with the “Just Desserts” competition at which HCC’s award-winning Pastry Chef Eddy VanDamme will be a guest judge. HCC Culinary Arts students, directed by HCC’s Chef Christy Sykes, will be showcasing their talents as well. All proceeds from the live auction held during Saturday’s Grand Tasting will benefit HCC’s Culinary Arts Program.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit www.wineandfoodweek.com . Be sure to enter coupon code “2010HCC” – HCC will receive 25% of proceeds from all tickets sold with this code.

Witness our students’ finest hour as they celebrate graduation. Faculty and staff are welcomed to attend the 2010 HCC Commencement Ceremony this Saturday, May 15 at Reliant Stadium.

The ceremony begins at 10:00 a.m. Parking at Reliant Stadium is $8 per vehicle and you can enter through Gate 9 at Kirby and Westridge.

During the next two weeks, the Chancellor and the Office of International Initiatives will be hosting six distinguished visitors from China. The members of this delegation are presidents or vice-presidents of vocational and technical colleges throughout China and their translator. The VELT (Vocational Education Leadership Training) delegation will be visiting the administration building, college presidents at all colleges from April 26 until May 7. We would like to encourage all faculty, staff and students to welcome them to the campuses and show them our Texas hospitality.

The VELT visitor program  is funded by the government of People's Republic of China and under the direction of the American Association of Community Colleges.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the 2010 HCC Faculty and Staff Campaign.  Your outstanding generosity helped to raise a record-breaking $58,000! Your contributions will provide the gift of education to HCC students and fellow faculty and staff members.

The HCC Foundation would like to extend a special thank you to Patti Wooldridge of Southwest College and George Kollie, Donna Westmoreland, and Cameron Cox of Coleman College for all of their hard work, which was vital to the success of this campaign. Their volunteerism and dedication was essential in bringing the opportunity of education to every student we serve.

The Participation Champion Trophy Goes To. . .

The HCC Foundation is pleased to announce that the campus with the highest participation in the 2010 HCC Faculty and Staff campaign, for the third year in a row, is Coleman College for Health Sciences. Southwest College is our second place winner and had the highest contribution total increase among all HCC campuses, raising 53% more than last year for the campaign. HCC District claimed third place with its strong participation rate that rose 4% this year!

We are also proud to report that HCC’s Senior Executive Team had 100% participation for the second consecutive year.

Thank you for believing in what we do. We could not have achieved these campaign milestones without the support of so many in the HCC community.

HCC Opportunity Ball 2010 Creates Perfect New Year for Houston Students

Over 600 guests braved the city's sub-freezing weather to bundle up and attend Houston Community College's Opportunity Ball held on Friday, January 8 at the InterContinental Houston. Proceeds from the biennial event will launch local students on the path to a successful future by providing them scholarships to HCC. The gala raised in excess of $520,000, an amount that will go a remarkably long way at HCC.

Houston Chronicle president and publisher Jack Sweeney, a past honoree, presented HCC's Crystal Eagle award to former Houston mayor Bill and his wife, Andrea. White spoke about his special passion for the work of community colleges and the real opportunities they offer local students to improve their career potential and the lives of their families.

Texas Children's Hospital CEO Mark Wallace and Precision Task Group CEO Massey Villarreal, an HCC Foundation board member, chaired the black-tie affair. "Together the efforts of these two outstanding leaders will allow the HCC Foundation to offer hundreds of additional scholarships that will help local youth go to college," said HCC Chancellor Dr. Spangler.

ARAMARK and Sun Microsystems and Psitechnology were the evening's lead underwriters and ARAMARK President of Education Dennis Maple spoke at the event.

Community leaders, HCC Administration and members of the HCC Foundation Board and the HCC Board were present at the event. The three newly elected trustees of the HCC Board, Eva Loredo (District VIII), Sandie Meyers (District VI) and Mary Ann Perez (District III), were also present.

Five Southwest College scholarship recipients, serving as HCC Foundation student ambassadors, helped greet guests and assist with the evening's events: Brittany Cardenas, Digital Communication; Chidinma Ike, Mathematics; Yonghui Wang, Teacher Education; Brittaney Wilmore, Communication; and Lei Yang, Engineering.

Richard W. Yee, M.D., clinical professor at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston and medical director of the Refractive and Cornea Division at the Cizik Eye Clinic located in the Memorial Hermann Medical Plaza building at 6400 Fannin, 18th floor, offers laser vision correction at a 40 percent discount for all HCC students and employees. The discounted price per eye is $1,500.  The screening process is free and financing is available.

A donation of $50 per eye for every discounted LASEK procedure will be made to the HCC Foundation's Opportunity 14 Scholarship.

For more information, please see the discount flyer or call 832-289-2020 or e-mail emily.paisley@memorialhermann.org.

This year the Assistance League of Houston (AL,H) made a generous gift of $10,000 to establish the first-ever V.A.S.T. Scholarship Fund at the HCC Foundation. Since 1990, HCC’s Vocational Advancement & Social Skills Training (VAST) program has been providing personalized training so that students with special needs can fulfill their personal, educational and professional potential. AL,H honored this year’s scholarship recipients and their families at a luncheon on April 27, 2009 and made formal presentation of their contribution at the regular meeting of the HCC Board of Trustees on May 28, 2009. “We are proud to extend our scholarship program to include the students in HCC’s VAST program,” says AL,H Scholarship Committee Chair Marina Kraft Pita. This award is just one of AL,H’s many philanthropic programs that have benefitted Houston for the past 41 years. Special thanks to Ms. Pita, past AL,H presidents Deborah Kearns and Cindy Heminger, current president Mary Roediger, and VAST scholarship liaison Lynn Schoenberger for their support of this program.

Since it began work in 2008, the British American Foundation of Texas (BAFTX) has awarded scholarships to many deserving students. This year, five HCC students received support of BAFTX at the beginning of a three year pledge of support for highly qualified students studying science, technology or international business. The students and their parents joined the BAFTX Board and fellow recipients from the University of St. Thomas, University of Houston, and from various Houston middle and high schools at a lovely dinner at the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, Houston Branch on May 20, 2009. HM Consul General Paul Lynch gave the keynote address and is shown here with Mr. John Carrig, President and COO of Conoco Phillips who presented the HCC students their awards. Mr. Carrig applauded HCC’s work in the community and shared that he began his educational journey as a community college graduate in Trenton, New Jersey. BAFTX President, Susan Howard and Executive Director Carole Serjeant approached HCC with interest in supporting our students, and we are very grateful for their generosity and for the impact they are making in the lives of so many young Houstonians.

The HCC Foundation took home top honors with two first place finishes announced earlier this week at the annual Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE)’s District IV Conference held in Oklahoma City. The first Grand Award was in the category of Specialty Advertising Projects for HCC’s Opportunity 14 Scholarship Campaign; the second Grand Award was in the category of Outstanding Advancement Services Initiatives for the HCC Foundation Scholarship Program. HCC was selected from a competitive pool of entries representing the District’s six regional members: Arkansas, Louisiana, Mexico, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas. The competition included submissions both private and public four-year institutions; HCC was the only community college to receive a Grand Award in the district competition. Staff members present to accept the awards were Dr. Kelly J. Zúñiga, executive director, HCC Foundation; Katy Butterwick; Sophia Corey; Cydney Peters; Sylvia Romero and Lauren Stroman.

The HCC Foundation's online scholarship application for the 2009/2010 academic year will be available at www.hccsfoundation.org from 8:00 a.m. January 22, 2009 until 2:00 p.m. May 4, 2009. By completing one scholarship application, an HCC student can apply for all of the many different scholarships offered through the HCC Foundation to help pay for their tuition, fees, and books.

The Foundation awarded more than 414 scholarships totaling $265,000 in financial aid for the 2008/2009 academic year. We look forward to another successful scholarship cycle this year!

Download the 2009-2010 HCC Foundation Scholarship Information Flyer or the 2009-2010 HCC Foundation Scholarship Information Poster.

For more information, contact Sophia Corey at 713.718.8488 or sophia.corey@hccs.edu

On November 11, 2008, the HCC Foundation hosted the 2008 Scholarship Luncheon honoring the 2008-2009 scholarship recipients as well as the donors whose generosity made their scholarships possible. Recipients took the opportunity to personally thank the benefactors who helped to make their HCC education possible. Ginger Renfroe Blanton, HCC Foundation Board President, welcomed guests before introducing Chancellor Dr. Mary S. Spangler. Harriet Foster, HCC Foundation Board of Director member and donor, addressed the audience as the keynote speaker for the 2008 Scholarship Luncheon before introducing Brittany Cardenas, a Dr. Bruce Leslie Scholarship Recipient. Brittany is the first in her family to attend college and is completing her second year of studies at HCC, where she is pursing her associate’s in applied science degree in graphic design.

The HCC Foundation hosted a reception on Saturday, October 11, 2008 to thank its Board of Directors and HCC Board of Trustee members for their efforts to advance the mission of Houston Community College. The event also was an opportunity to celebrate the recent fund-raising success of the HCC Foundation and the support received from its board members. The Foundation raised $3,242,055 million in 2007-2008, triple the amount raised during the previous fiscal year. The event was held at the home of Foundation Board President Ginger Renfroe Blanton and her husband, Jack.

HCC Scholarship Program Provides Access to College for Houston-Area Students

Houston Community College announced a bold new scholarship program entitled Opportunity 14 at a press conference held Tuesday, August 12 at Houston Independent School District’s Lee High School. HISD Superintendent Abe Saavedra and Texas State Representative Dr. Alma Allen joined community and educational leaders at the event, which marked a milestone in educational access for all Houstonians.

The Houston Community College Foundation has established Opportunity 14 to send the message to Houstonians that we must change our expectations about the minimum amount of education required for our children. Every child in this city must obtain at least 14 years of education: 12 plus two years of college. The Opportunity 14 Scholarship will help young people meet these higher expectations by providing financial assistance for tuition, fees and books to HCC for every student who qualifies. 

“Opportunity 14 is an excellent example of what can be accomplished when a community comes together and commits to solving a problem. Opportunity 14 Scholarships are not paid for with tax revenues—they are completely funded by the generosity of private donors and foundations that have recognized a need and decided to do something about it. Out of their commitment to this city and its people, they have made Opportunity 14 a reality. I would like to thank them personally, and on behalf of the HCC Foundation and Houston Community College,” says Dr. Mary S. Spangler, HCC chancellor.

Flagship supporters for Opportunity 14 include the following donors for the 2008-2009 school year: The Cullen Foundation, Kinder Foundation, Albert and Margaret Alkek Foundation, Harriet & Joe Foster Foundation, Scurlock Foundation, Greater Texas Foundation, The Hoglund Foundation, Strake Foundation and Ray C. Fish Foundation. Together, these gifts amount to more than $1 million in scholarship funding for Houston’s low-income students.

The program aims to boost Houston’s economic development potential by helping to provide a skilled work force with the higher earning potential conferred by a two-year college degree. People who earn a two-year degree from a community college make, on average, $577,000 more during their careers than people with only a high school diploma, as cited in a May 2008 study on “The Economic Contribution of Houston Community College.” The report notes that graduates contribute millions of dollars more to our tax base, and as a result of their two years of higher education, save Texans millions of dollars in health care costs and costs associated with welfare, unemployment and crime. Their contribution to the area’s overall level of higher education helps to keep Houston an attractive prospect for companies seeking to relocate.

On a more sobering note, Texas’ “Closing the Gaps” initiative estimates that if Texas’ college participation rates remain low, the state’s poverty rate will increase, and the average Texas income will decline by $3,000 by the year 2030.

As tuition and fees continue to soar at four-year universities, Houston Community College remains one of the best higher educational values in the city. Tuition is about 75 percent less than that at public universities. 

Students can complete an associate degree in two years and transfer to any Texas public university. Or they can enroll in one of HCC’s many exemplary workforce programs to receive hands-on career training in fields such as automotive mechanics, computer science, cosmetology, culinary arts and nursing.

"Opportunity 14 not only offers students financial assistance, it demonstrates to parents that finances should not become obstacles to their dreams and goals of creating a better future for their children. I strongly encourage parents to join their children as they apply for college, and apply for Opportunity 14 and make HCC the first two years of their four-year degree. Opportunity 14 scholarships offer assistance not only for tuition, and fees, but also books. This tremendous opportunity should not be overlooked," says HCC Board Chair Yolanda Navarro Flores.

Students attending HCC full-time may be eligible to receive up to $3,000 per year from Opportunity 14—a maximum of $1,500 per long semester and $1,000 for summer classes. This is enough to pay for most students’ full-time HCC tuition, fees, and books. The amount of scholarship awarded will vary according to the amount of federal and state grants received. Opportunity 14 has a maximum payout of $6,000 over three years per qualified student.

To be eligible for Opportunity 14 support, students must live in HCC’s service area. This includes all HISD students and students from the Alief, Fort Bend, Katy, North Forest, and Spring Branch Independent School Districts and the Stafford Municipal School District. Students also must have graduated from high school within one year of enrollment at HCC or have earned their GED within the past year and be under the age of 20. 

Included among HCC’s first Opportunity 14 scholarship recipients is Marina Reid, 18, a Stratford High School graduate who will be attending classes close to home at the HCC Northwest campus in Katy this fall. Reid, who is planning to pursue a career in criminal justice, says the support she received from Opportunity 14 has made a big difference in her ability to attend college. “I was thrilled to learn that I received this scholarship. Opportunity 14 will help me to achieve my career goals and ambitions.”

As many as 1,500 students may qualify in the 2008-2009 school year; ultimately, the program aims to assist as many as 6,000 students on an annual basis. To help achieve this goal, the HCC Foundation has launched an aggressive $30 million endowment campaign.

“The promise of two years of higher education for Houston’s young people must continue for generations to come. The HCC Foundation is committed to securing annual support of this scholarship program and to establishing and funding an endowment that will provide Opportunity 14 scholarships in perpetuity,” says Dr. Kelly J. Zúñiga, Executive Director of the HCC Foundation.

To learn more, including information regarding eligibility requirements, visit www.opportunity14.org.

View our Opportunity 14 student video from the HCC Foundatin's YouTube Channel.

Read about the HCC Foundation's Opportunity 14 Scholarship in the July 14 edition of the Houston Chronicle. The story, "HCC Program Makes College Free," highlights the Foundation's efforts to ensure that all Houston-area students have the chance to go to college and prepare themselves for a successful future.

Learn more about Opportunity 14 at www.opportunity14.org.

Welcome Luncheon Offers Tips on Success in College

A group of motivated Houston-area high school seniors were special guests at a Houston Community College orientation luncheon, hosted on June 18 by the HCC Foundation. Eight students each received a $1,000 scholarship to attend HCC in 2008-2009, presented on behalf of the Junior Achievement of Southeast Texas, Inc. and the HCC Foundation. The welcome event was held at HCC’s newly renovated Alief campus, where many of the recipients will enroll this fall.

The scholarship, established by a gift from the Junior Achievement of Southeast Texas, Inc. and matching funds from the HCC Foundation, is helping to promote educational success for Houston’s high school students. The students were selected for their academic abilities and commitment to learning.

“We’re very excited to have this opportunity to partner with Houston Community College,” said Jennifer Anderson, Senior Vice President of Junior Achievement of Southeast Texas, Inc., an organization dedicated to educating and inspiring young people to be successful in the global economy. Anderson told students, “We want to see you finish school and help you reach your goals.”

The event featured information on important HCC student support services, including representatives from academic counseling and financial aid. Sandra Nemeth, a counselor at HCC, advised the group: “We want to help you understand your choices in education. Houston Community College has a lot of great opportunities.”

Dr. Cheryl Peters, Academic Dean for HCC’s Honors College, encouraged students to learn more about her program that fosters closer student-faculty relationships and promotes greater intellectual risk-taking in the classroom. “We’re trying to take a small group of students and give them an extra boost up,” she said.

Trevor Kenny, 19, a native Houstonian, is one of eight recipients of the first-time scholarship. “This scholarship means everything to me. My parents made it clear at a young age that I needed an education to get places in life,” said Kenny, who graduated a semester early from Bush High School in the Fort Bend School District to get a jump on his studies at HCC’s Alief campus. Kenny says, however, he didn’t realize how much college cost until he got there As a result, he has had to work several jobs to pay for his coursework. Now, thanks to his scholarship, Kenny can focus on his academics. “Receiving this scholarship has taken some of the weight of the world off my shoulders. It has put me a step closer to my future,” said Kenny, who plans to eventually transfer to a four-year institution to pursue a degree in business administration.

Following the luncheon, students toured the impressive new Alief campus at 2811 Hayes Rd. and its state-of-the-art teaching and classroom spaces.

Dr. Kelly Zúñiga, executive director of the HCC Foundation that administers this and many other scholarships for HCC students, says the support provided by Junior Achievement is helping to fuel the ambitions of high school students seeking an affordable education. “We are delighted by the strong base of support our students enjoy from community leaders, such as Junior Achievement, who are strengthening Houston’s future workforce through educational opportunity.”

A two-year grant from Bank of America will provide professional mentors for six teachers and childcare workers in the Houston area and fund educational workshops for registered childcare home operators through Houston Community College Central's Child Development Department. The $50,000 grant, $25,000 a year for two years, establishes "The Bank of America Initiative for the Education and Care of Young Children."

By focusing on the care of our youngest Houstonians, HCC Central and Bank of America demonstrate their commitment to strengthening the community. HCC is thrilled by this new partnership. "We thank Bank of America for showing itself to be a true community partner with a deep commitment to education," said Dr. William W. Harmon, President of HCC Central. "This gift amplifies HCC's work and enables us to be of greater service to those who set the stage for our children's future success."

Bank of America's grant will allow HCC Central's Child Development Department professionals to reach out into the community and give pre-school teachers and caregivers the knowledge, practical experience and encouragement they need to build strong, healthy learning environments. The program will concentrate its efforts in neighborhoods where the majority of residents are of low-income and particularly in need of educational intervention.

Bank of America's Mr. Rick Jaramillo, Senior Vice President and Market Development Executive, and Ms. Cecilia Hernandez, Senior Vice President and Houston Central CRE Sales Manager and member of the HCC Foundation Board of Directors, presented the check at the May 22 meeting of the HCC Board of Trustees. The grant will extend over the 2008/2009 and 2009/2010 academic years. "At Bank of America," said Jaramillo, "we believe that success in education begins at a very early age. Helping the adults who care for and teach young Houstonians in some of our most underserved communities will have a powerful effect on those communities for generations to come.” Cecelia Hernandez added, “This is exactly the kind of impact we want to make in the community, and we look forward to seeing our grant come to life in the coming years.”

The Asian Chamber of Commerce honored five HCC Foundation Asian Chamber of Commerce scholarship recipients at their monthly luncheon on June 11. The five students were recognized for their hard work, determination, and ambition to pursue degrees at the university level after completing their studies at HCC. “These students exemplify strength of mind,” said Dr. Mary Spangler, Chancellor of Houston Community College. “Their commitment to their studies will enable them to become better citizens and serve our community in the future.” Many of the students are first generation citizens, as well as first generation college students; some still have families back in their home countries. Many do not perceive college as an option but as a privilege and an honor. They are grateful for the opportunities provided to them by the Houston Community College Foundation and the Asian Chamber of Commerce.

On May 15, the Houston Community College Foundation Board of Directors held their annual board meeting at HCC’s new Alief Campus. New members were welcomed and outgoing officers were recognized for their dedication and service to the HCC Foundation. The meeting concluded with a tour of the Alief Campus’s sophisticated teaching stations, high-tech science labs, and state-of-the-art classrooms.

Thank you to everyone who participated in the 2008 Faculty & Staff Campaign. Your generosity will provide the gift of education to HCC students and fellow faculty and staff members. This year’s campaign raised more than $32,000 for scholarships and faculty & staff development. 

The top three Colleges for participation of full-time staff were:

1. Coleman 54%
2. Southwest 28%
3. Northeast 20%

The campus with the highest participation was Coleman with the Alief Campus and Northeast Campus in second and third place.

A special thank you to all of the team leaders who made this year a success.

The HCC Foundation is proud to welcome four new members to our board of directors:

• Michael Dee, chairman of the Greater Houston Partnership’s Education Committee
  
• Mark Eckhart, regional manager for Barnes & Noble Collegiate Bookstore
  
• Suewan Johnson, senior counsel for The Bank of New York
  
• Massey Villarreal, president and CEO of Precision Task Group

Special thanks to these and all HCC Foundation board members for helping to ensure that Houston students get a chance at a higher education.

The HCC Foundation has launched it second annual HCC Faculty & Staff Campaign, which will raise money for student scholarships and faculty professional development. This year’s theme is “Making a Difference.”

HCC employees showed their remarkable dedication to our students by giving more than $40,000 in last year’s first-ever HCC Faculty & Staff Campaign.

Contributors can choose which fund they wish to give to, and they can also choose a preferred giving method:

• Make regular payroll deductions or a one-time donation using the printed 2008 Faculty & Staff Campaign form. Forms will be sent to all faculty and staff members through interoffice mail and will be available through campus Team Leaders. Forms can also be downloaded on the Foundation website at www.hccsfoundation.org.
• Give online now on the Faculty & Staff Campaign Donation Form

The campaign will run through March 31. Special events will be held at campus locations throughout the month. Grab a doughnut and find out how you can make an even bigger difference in HCC students’ lives. For more information, please E-mail facultyandstaff@hccsfoundation.org

The recent Passport to the Future Gala raised more than $400,000 for scholarships to HCC. Seven hundred fifty people attended the event, which was held on January 17 at downtown’s Hilton – Americas Hotel. The 2006 recipient of HCC’s Crystal Eagle Award, former mayor Bob Lanier, presented the award to another citizen who’s passionate about education, Houston Chronicle publisher and president Jack Sweeney. Many HCC trustees, elected officials, and community leaders joined these honorees and HCC chancellor Dr. Mary Spangler to enjoy a good meal and good music—and to help local students go to school.

To view photos of the event, please visit our Gala Slideshow.

The Metropolitan Transit Authority of Harris County (METRO) has donated $500,000 to HCC's Public Safety Institute training facility. The facility consists of dedicated classrooms, a 10,000 square foot burn building, a 10,000 square foot training tower, a 25,000 square foot firing range, and an Emergency Vehicle Operation Track.

This partnership has allowed HCC's Public Safety Institute to become the training venue  for METRO. The $500,000 donation will cover the tuition, fees, books, supplies, and equipment for employees trained at this facility.

On November 7, 2007, the HCC Foundation hosted the 2007 Scholarship Luncheon honoring the 2007-2008 scholarship recipients as well as the donors whose generosity made their scholarships possible.  Recipients were able to personally thank the individuals who provided the funds they received to assist them in pursuing and completing their education at HCC. Donors enjoyed the chance to see the impact of their generosity first-hand.  Chancellor Dr. Mary S. Spangler addressed the luncheon guests as the keynote speaker before introducing Nancy Berkey, a George Foundation and Aramark HCC Colleges Scholarship Recipient. Nancy is completing her associate degree in nursing at Coleman College for Health Sciences.

On November 5, 2007, the HCC Foundation hosted a luncheon for the 2007 College Connection scholarship recipients as well as the donors whose generosity made their scholarships possible.  Bill Coats, President of the HCC Foundation, welcomed the scholarship recipents and donors before introducing the keynote speaker, HCC Vice-Chancellor Dr. Charles Cook.  Guests also heard from College Connection scholarship recipient Tafashilia McCoy, who gave a lively talk about her personal experiences and the importance of a scholarship to her and her fellow students. 

Passport to the Future: HCC 2008 Gala will raise scholarship funds for local students seeking a chance at a higher education. We will also honor a leading Houstonian who has made important contributions to HCC and our community: Mr. Jack Sweeney, publisher and president of the Houston Chronicle. The evening will be a black-tie affair featuring a reception, award presentation, dinner, and dancing.

For additional information, please visit the Passport to the Future page.