The Communicator - 07/13/09

Arts Festival Oklahoma Set for Labor Day Weekend
Mark your calendar and save the dates, Sept. 5 - 7 marks the annual Arts Festival Oklahoma (AFO). Located on the north side of campus, take part in this year’s festival and view and purchase original artwork and hand-made crafts, listen to live performances, and sample a diverse selection of foods.

Produced and hosted by OCCC, AFO partners include the Central Arts Association, the South Oklahoma City Chamber of Commerce and Women of the South.

Watch for more information on featured artists and on-stage performers coming soon.

Small Business Development Seminar Series
Has the thought of starting your own business been an intriguing one? For anyone thinking of entering this arena, mark your calendars as Bob Edwards with Retail Management Concepts sets out to answer important questions during the Small Business Development Seminar Series to be held at the OCCC John Massey Center, 11919 S. I-44 Service Rd., this July and August.

Hosted by Corporate Learning at OCCC, the seminar series will begin Tuesday July 21 with Understanding Why Businesses Succeed or Fail. Continuing on July 28 and August 4, 11 and 18, the following topics will be featured:

Finding your company’s niche
Discovering the value of product integrity and commitment to service and relationships
Motivating employees to buy into your company’s culture
Lowering your marketing cost while increasing your effectiveness with social media marketing

Each seminar session will begin at 10:45 a.m. and will end at 12 p.m. The cost to attend the entire seminar series is $39 which includes materials.

For more information or enrollment, call Corporate Learning at 682-7562 or visit the website at www.occc.edu/corporatelearning.

Do You Tweet?
Oklahoma City Community College has a Twitter account and would like to follow departments on campus that also have accounts. Email us at pr@occc.edu to let us know your Twitter account information and follow us at http://twitter.com/otriplec.

Lean Six Sigma E-learning Offered at OCCC
In partnership with The Quality Group, Inc., Oklahoma City Community College is providing a hybrid learning options course that combines live classroom lectures with interactive web-based studies to deliver a thorough Lean Six Sigma Green Belt education.

Classes will be held Sept. 8 and 9; Nov. 3 and 4, and Nov. 6 and 7 from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.  Orientation for these classes will be held August 6 from 6 to 9 p.m. Both orientation and classes will be held at the OCCC John Massey Center, 11919 S. I-44 Service Rd.

Lean Six Sigma at many organizations simply means a measure of quality that strives for near perfection via lean operation. Lean Six Sigma is a disciplined, data-driven approach and methodology for eliminating defects (driving towards six standard deviations between the mean and the nearest specification limit) in any process — from manufacturing to transactional and from product to service.

A business management strategy, originally developed by Motorola, Six Sigma seeks to identify and remove the causes of defects and errors in manufacturing and business processes. It uses a set of quality management methods, including statistical methods, and creates a special infrastructure of people within the organization (”Black Belts” etc.) who are experts in these methods. Each Six Sigma project carried out within an organization follows a defined sequence of steps and has quantified financial targets (cost reduction or profit increase).

To enroll, please contact Corporate Learning at OCCC at (405) 682-7562, or by email at jclaybon@occc.edu.  For more information, visit www.occc.edu/corporatelearning.

WOW! Sessions
OCCC Web Time Entry
Course Number: LGIS-1016-008
Date: Monday, July 13
Times: 1:00 PM-2:00 PM
Location: Library - 407A
Presenter: Staff

OCCC Web Time Entry
Course Number: LGIS-1016-009
Date: Wednesday, July 15
Times: 2:00 PM-3:00 PM
Location: Library - 407A
Presenter: Staff

OCCC Web Time Entry
Course Number: LGIS-1016-010
Date: Thursday, July 16
Times: 10:00 AM-11:00 AM
Location: Library - 407A
Presenter: Staff

OCCC to Receive Energy Efficiency Award
Education leaders at Oklahoma City Community College (OCCC) recently completed infrastructure upgrades that have significantly decreased energy use and improved the school’s learning environment while making the school more environmentally responsible.

In recognition of these upgrades and OCCC’s commitment to energy efficiency, the school will be receiving the Trane Energy Efficiency Leader in Education Award on Friday, July 17 at 10:30 a.m. in the OCCC College Union.

In 1995, the school undertook an extensive expansion to upgrade aging infrastructure and to increase total square footage by 30 percent. The school also needed to address rapidly growing enrollment which today is nearly 22,000 students.

Between September 2003 and September 2008 alone, the new high efficiency infrastructure systems chosen by the administrators have decreased the school’s energy use per square foot by nearly 35 percent.
“We’ve been very pleased with the energy savings on the infrastructure improvements,” said Dr. Paul Sechrist, president, OCCC. “Additionally, as one of the nation’s largest community colleges, we believe it’s important that, in addition to teaching young people about environmental responsibility in our classrooms, we demonstrate it with our actions.”

Trane, a business of Ingersoll Rand, improves the performance of homes and buildings around the world. Trane solutions optimize indoor environments with a broad portfolio of energy-efficient heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems, building and contracting services, parts support and advanced controls for homes and commercial buildings. For more information, visit www.trane.com.

Happy Birthday
Markus Smith - 7/14
Paul Sechrist - 7/15
Barbara King - 7/16
Margy Davis - 7/17
Toni Rose - 7/17
Valerie Havrilla - 7/17
Ginelle Gordon - 7/18
James Jackson - 7/18
Gray Frederickson - 7/21
Kristi Ross - 7/22
Virginia Hovda - 7/22
B.J. Higgins - 7/23
Lawanda Lavarnway - 7/23
Roxy Butler - 7/23
Chris Thornton - 7/25
Dawn Ladiski - 7/25
Sharon Coffman - 7/26
Kristi Hendricks - 7/27
Myra Decker - 7/28

Get to Know…

Lemuel Bardeguez

Position:
Director of Cultural Programs
Department:
 Community Development
How long have you worked at OCCC:
 Since April
Previous Jobs:
 Community Arts Director, Oklahoma Arts Council
Family Members:
 Lucas - 4
Community Involvement:
 Music & photography
Favorite Saying/Quote:
“Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex. It takes a touch of genius - and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction.” — Albert Einstein

The Communicator - 06/29/09

Helping Adults Reach Education Potential
Overwhelming - yes. Worthwhile - absolutely. When adults choose to return to college, the experience can be scary. However, the achievement is exceptionally valuable, especially during trying economic times.

With a continued rise in unemployment figures and the economic recession impacting retirement accounts, Oklahoma City Community College is offering helpful tips to adult learners seeking a college degree. Adults throughout the community are encouraged to attend Career Fest 2009, set for Saturday, July 11 from 12 to 4 p.m. in the OCCC College Union.

Career Fest is specifically designed for prospective adult students interested in learning about new career options, class choices, job placement upon graduation, financial aid advice and more.

In his mid-50s, Ken Busch found himself requiring a complete career change due to life circumstances and the economy we live in today. In property management and the heating and air business for nearly 30 years, Busch says that back in high school, he didn’t think he needed a college degree for a skill he could do with his hands. “I didn’t count on aging and injury and not being able to do the job,” Busch said. “Now I know that you can only crawl around on your hands and knees, up and down in attics for so long. Life circumstances have been the main things that have caused me to go to college at age 50.”

Salary, competition, the economy and the issue of social security also add to the issue. “Property management and the heating and air business is a disposable market, companies typically look at how to pay a less demanding salary to the workers in the field, regardless of their skill set,” he said.

This fall, Busch will be taking 15 credit hours, a full schedule at OCCC. “I’m a little apprehensive to enter the classroom where the students might be thinking, ‘wonder why the instructor is sitting out here with us?’”

His new career field will be computer science and database administration. “It’s not just a career that sounds good, but it’s also one I know I can use when I graduate. I know I’ll be employed with this profession,” he said.

“I’m anxious, yes, but I’m also a bit confident and looking forward to it. In my teens, I had lousy study habits and very little insight. Now, I know I’m going into a career with a direct payoff.”

Participants of Career Fest can get GED information, update professional resumes, learn more about financial aid and the recruitment and admissions process, and discover careers that “look good on a resume.” Detailed information about certificate programs, short term courses and the types of careers available upon graduation from OCCC will also be on hand.

For more information about Career Fest 2009, please call ext. 7580.

Let’s See How Far We’ve Come

OCCC circa 1972

Arts at a Discount
July 10 is the last day to purchase discounted season tickets to OCCC’s 2009-2010 Cultural Arts Series.
This year’s lineup has more variety than ever!

Silent film classics with their original scores played by a 12-piece ragtime orchestra.

Traditional songs, dazzling dances, and live music; Russian culture at its finest.

Billy McGuigan and the Rave On Band bring Buddy Holly’s persona and music to life.

Smooth, upbeat 4-part harmonies backed by their own unbeatable accompaniment.

An evening of extraordinary guitar and Latin dance by two of Oklahoma’s favorite artists.

This sizzling group plays the hot jazz of Django Reinhardt and Stéphane Grapelli.

Experience Russian pianist Valery Kuleshov playing the classics of the Grand Masters.

This vocal/instrumental trio plays the beautiful music of the Celtic tradition.

Season tickets will not be sold after September 22. To buy tickets or for more information, please call ext. 7576.

Web Time Entry Coming Soon

Through the collaboration of the Departments of Finance, Information and Instructional Technology Services and Human Resources, a new process has been developed that is being implemented later this summer.

Beginning August 9, all part-time non-exempt employees will be entering and submitting work hours electronically via MineOnline. They will also go to a bi-weekly pay schedule.

“This electronic method will reduce the time spent processing the hourly payroll by 2-3 days per month,” said Penny Hampton, OCCC Director of Professional Development. “It eliminates the potential for errors in deciphering handwritten information. It will ensure accuracy of time reported and eliminate the need for recalculation. Lost time cards will no longer be an issue. Supervisors will approve time cards online allowing them to be electronically processed by the payroll staff.”

Hampton says the bi-weekly pay schedule is designed help student employees who depend on that salary to help them with tuition and other school costs.

The specific employees who will be using this new process are part-time regular employees, temporary employees, and student employees, both FWSP and STEP.

Information sessions are being scheduled through the month of July so that all interested employees may attend to learn first-hand about the exciting and innovative new process.

WOW! Sessions

Teaching in Angel - Basics
Course Number: TEC-1054-008
Date: Tuesday, June 30
Times: 1:30 PM-3:00 PM
Location: Main Building - 2G1A
Presenter: Smith, Monique E

Happy Birthday

Grant Draper - 6/29
Sara Mathew - 6/30
Jenna Howard - 7/1
Rick Cowan - 7/1
Katie Treadwell - 7/2
Trisha Whitehurst - 7/2
Randy Hopkins - 7/4
Felix Aquino - 7/5
Meghan Morgan - 7/5
Monique Smith - 7/5
Ray Dockrey - 7/6
Brandee Morgan - 7/7
Janelle Hanson - 7/7
Janis Armstrong - 7/8
John Mullins - 7/8
Micheal McKaughan - 7/8
Debbie Dutton - 7/9
Jennifer Halpin - 7/9
David Anderson - 7/10
Paul Roudebush - 7/12

Get to Know…

Susan Bernard

Position
Adult Education Teacher/Mentor

Department
Adult Learning Center

How long have you worked at OCCC
6 months

Previous Jobs
Mid-Del ALC

Family Members
Rex
Julie - 29, Jamie - 26, Jenny - 24, Tracy - 22, Terri - 18, Michael - 16

Pets
Katie and Reagan, German shepherds

Community Involvement
CrossPointe Church, Norman

Favorite Saying/Quote
“Excellence is not a skill, it’s an attitude.”