The Communicator - 10/26/09
Posted on October 26, 2009
Filed under Communicator
In this issue, you’ll read:
Tuition Taking a Toll…
Cultural Arts Series Shines Spotlight on Russian Folk Music…
Annual Halloween Carnival set for Oct. 30…
Active Kids - Saturday Edition Underway…
Colleague User Interface 4.0 Demonstrations…
OCCC Wellness Program Receives Donation…
This Week’s Training Sessions…
Get to Know…
Tuition Taking a Toll
According to the College Board, many college institutions across the U.S. are facing their most challenging economic climate in generations. Because state appropriations to public colleges declined nearly $4 billion in 2008-2009 from the previous year, numerous schools have apologetically increased tuition. On average, the climb was an estimated 6.5 percent at four-year public colleges.
Holding steady, OCCC, among many other Oklahoma colleges and universities, has not raised tuition. Other states that have “held the line” and froze tuition include Maryland and Missouri, while reports show that students in states such as California, Florida and New York have seen double-digit tuition increases.
“OCCC believes everyone deserves an equal opportunity for a college education,” Dr. Sechrist said. “During these tough economic times, it is increasingly difficult for students to afford a solid education. The last thing we want is to weaken their opportunities for a college degree.”
The news reported by the College Board isn’t all bad. The estimated net price - what the average student actually pays after financial aid is taken into account - is still much lower than the list price, at about $1,620 at public four-year colleges. Even though figures are up slightly from last year, they are still lower than five years ago.
Worst hit colleges and universities are in California, whose giant public university and community college systems educate about one in eight full-time college students in the U.S. Facing unprecedented state funding cuts, public colleges there have boosted fees, raised class sizes and furloughed faculty, but still can’t balance their books.
The College Board report also offers a glimpse of what has become a significant expansion of the federal government’s role in helping students pay for college.
In 2008-09, 65 percent of the $180 billion spent on student aid came via the federal government in the form of grants, loans and work-study programs, up from 58 percent the year before. Overall, the report estimated, federal grant aid rose almost 11 percent last year. That trend will probably continue because the maximum Pell Grant rose by more than $600 this year to $5,350.
Cultural Arts Series Shines Spotlight on Russian Folk Music
The Cultural Arts Series spotlight is shining on the Massenkoff Russian Folk Festival. The feature presentation is set for this Tuesday, Oct. 27 in the Bruce Owen Theater at 7 p.m.
A part of this year’s Cultural Tour de Force theme, the Massenkoff Russian Folk Festival is one of Russia’s most celebrated dance and music groups. Led by award-winning singer, Nikolai Massenkoff, the ensemble of musicians and dancers will bring the heart of Russian culture to life on stage. Internationally acclaimed, this is Russian culture at its finest.
Save the date of Nov. 10 as Rave On! Buddy Holly Revue graces the OCCC stage. Also, Dec. 1 has been set aside for the unique vocal harmonies and unbeatable accompaniments of The Four Freshman.
Season tickets are still available. For more information on season tickets or individual performance tickets, call the Cultural Programs office at 7576, or visit www.occc.edu/cas.
Special thanks to the following for support of the 2009-2010 Cultural Art Series: Oklahoma Arts Council, Mid-America Arts Alliance, National Endowment for the Arts, Classical Radio KCSC 90.1, Kirkpatrick Family Fun and the Ad Astra Foundation.
Annual Halloween Carnival set for Oct. 30
Ghosts and goblins and ghouls - oh my! Be safe this Halloween and bring your children and friends to the annual OCCC Halloween Carnival, Friday, Oct. 30 from 6 to 8 p.m.
A student life tradition on campus, the carnical will feature booths and games sponsored by various student clubs and organizations. The event is for children in grades kindergarten through fifth. Children must be accompanied by an adult, and the cost is $1 per child.
The carnival will be located in the general dining area in the College Union. Costumes are highly encouraged, so dress up your little goblin and join in on the Halloween fun.
For more information or to volunteer, please call ext. 7523.
Active Kids - Saturday Edition Underway
Designed with kids in mind, the Active Kids - Saturday Edition in the OCCC Recreation and Fitness department is a great way for kids to stay fit and have fun during the winter months. Set for each Saturday through Nov. 21, the recreational classes are intended for children ages three to ten. Take a look at the classes below and sign your child up today.
Tiny Tot Tumbling
Have a child with energy to burn? This class is the perfect choice. Students will learn age appropriate tumbling skills, beginning with somersaults and moving on to walkovers and handsprings. Boys and girls, ages three to five are welcome. Class time is from 10:15 to 11:15 a.m. Class fee is $45.
Fit Kids
This class incorporates an understanding of what being “fit” really means. Heart rate, walking for fitness and strength training are all included in this class filled with variety. Guys and gals, ages six to ten will enjoy this class from 9 to 10 a.m. Class fee is $40.
Yoga/Pilates
This class focuses on stretching and lengthening muscles. Kids often are so active that they tend to skip the warm up and cool down parts of fitness, which can lead to injuries later in life. This is also a great class for the child who isn’t as athletic as some, but enjoys being fit. The age group for this class is six to ten, and the class time is set for 11 to 11:45 a.m. Class fee is $30.
For more information on Active Kids - Saturday Edition, please contact the OCCC Recreation and Fitness department (405) 682-7860, or link to http://www.occc.edu/RF/ActiveKidsFitness.html.
Colleague User Interface 4.0 Demonstrations
Come see and learn how User Interface 4.0 (UI 4.0) transforms the Colleague (Datatel) user experience on Friday, Oct. 30 from 1:30 to 2:30 in the Regents Boardroom. With UI 4.0’s powerful interface, you have new ways to work and streamline your processes. The new interface incorporates Microsoft Silverlight technology, and brings a new level of functionality to Colleague - context. By having a person in context, you can easily move from one form to another to complete tasks.
A few of the enhancements provided by this UI release are the ability to:
• see staff and student pictures from within Colleague’s new person context card
• work with several people across forms easily
• save forms, as well as people, as “Favorites”
• forget all those mnemonics and just remember what the form does - search on a keyword or description of what the form does
• search on multiple fields, across Colleague applications
• use Yahoo’s mapping tools to see geographic trends
OCCC Wellness Program Receives Donation
Benefitting the entire college community, improved signage will soon be visible to all who utilize the indoor walking trails on camps. Thanks to Wal Mart community grants, the OCCC Wellness Taskforce, led by Lisa Vaughan, Rhonda Simpson and Roxy Butler, recently received a $1,000 grant for use in the program.
“The walking trail is frequently used by faculty, staff, students and community members, and better trail indicators will greatly benefit each of us exercising,” said Lisa Vaughan. “We’re thankful to Wal Mart for the donation and the benefits this will allow our fitness members.” she added.
This Week’s Training Sessions
Take advantage of professional development opportunities provided through the college’s training programs.
Web Time Entry (supervisor)
Course Number: LGIS-1016-061
Date: Monday, October 26
Times: 10:00 AM-11:00 AM
Location: LB - 101
Presenter: Allen, Johnny
Benefits of Healthy Eating
Course Number: ENHS-1038-002
Date: Monday, October 26
Times: 12:00 PM-1:00 PM
Location: CU - CU1
Presenter: Vaughan, Lisa
How to Connect Students to Counseling
Course Number: CSMG 1011
Date: Thursday, October 29
Location: Science Engineering and Math Center - 2E2
Presenter: Jenna Howard
Using Visual LISP
Course Number: TEC-1051-002
Date: Friday, October 30
Times: 2:00 PM-4:00 PM
Location: LB - 201
Presenter: Helton, John
GET TO KNOW…
Michael Burchfield
Position:
Marketing and PR Assistant
Department:
Marketing and PR
How long have you worked for OCCC:
4 weeks
Previous Jobs:
Norman Regional Health
Family:
Spouse: Lisa; Children: Mariah - 14, Jason - 12, April - 10, Kirabeth - 8
Pets:
Winnidog and Titto - Mutt
Hobbies:
Spending time with family, fishing and hunting
Famous Favorite Saying/Quote:
“It’s all good”
Happy Birthday
Gail Malmstrom - 10/26
Kim White - 10/26
Marion O Dell - 10/26
Jorge Lopez - 10/27
Paul Buckelew - 10/27
Peggy Jordan - 10/27
Cathy Bowman - 10/28
Morgan Felty - 10/28
Anna Webb - 10/29
Francine West - 10/29
Morgan Jones - 10/29
Jaquie Sherrard - 10/30
Robert Mahoney - 10/30
Charlie Neatherlin - 10/31
Jackie Maxwell - 11/1
Nora York - 11/1
Gary Phillips - 11/2
Alexandra Sitzman - 11/3
Jennifer Cochrane - 11/3
Lauren McElroy-Walls - 11/3
