Germanna Community College News Blog

Fred Rankin to be honored as GCC Educational Foundation's Distinguished Person of the Year on Feb. 10

2012-02-01T13:35:00.000-08:00

The Germanna Community College Educational Foundation will award its 2012 Distinguished Person of the Year award to Mr. Fred M. Rankin III, President and Chief Executive Officer of Mary Washington Healthcare, at 6 p.m. on Feb. 10 at the Fredericksburg Country Club.

"Fred Rankin is a difference-maker," GCC President David A. Sam said. "He's made a difference in our community and he and Mary Washington Healthcare have made a difference for Germanna's 15,000 students. I don't think he knows how much of a positive impact he's had on our college and our area."

In 1992, Mr. Rankin was named president of Mary Washington Hospital. In 1995, he was promoted to and continues in his current position with Mary Washington Healthcare. Under Mr. Rankin's leadership, Mary Washington Healthcare has been Germanna's biggest corporate benefactor, investing $1.4 million in the college.

"Mr Rankin and Mary Washington Healthcare have been critical partners in developing Germanna's highly-respected nursing program and helping us double the program's size," said Michael Catell, director of GCC's Educational Foundation and Alumni Relations,

The event will begin with a 6 p.m. reception, followed by dinner and the award presentation.

Go to www.germanna.edu or call 540/834-8988 for reservations or to inquire about sponsorship opportunities.

Germanna Educational Foundation Distinguished Person Of The Year BanquetDate: Friday, Feb 10th, 2012

Time: 6 p.m.
Location: Fredericksburg Country Club

Cost: $75 Per Person

Share in a very special evening to honor this year's recipient Fred M. Rankin III. President and Chief Executive Officer, Mary Washington Healthcare.

The reception will be followed by dinner and award presentation.

Your financial aid questions answered on "Super Saturday," Feb. 4

2012-01-25T07:55:00.000-08:00

GCC will help with your FAFSA and other financial aid questions on Super Saturday, Feb. 4. See flyer.

Michael Farris, Germanna's Financial Aid Coordinator, answers questions in a MoneyTalks Fredericksburg.com chat.

The unsinkable Melissa Eadie sets example for all of us

2012-01-20T08:41:00.000-08:00

GCC students Kelly Ackert (left) and Melissa Eadie (second from right)and faculty member Davyda Hammond visit with Del. Ed Scott (second from left)

Nothing is going to stop Melissa Eadie—or even slow her down.
She lost a leg to cancer just before Germanna’s Fall semester began.
Without hesitation, she forged ahead, taking a full slate of classes as a GCC work study and doing quite well, thank you.
That comes as no surprise to those who know her. She’s a ballet dancer and has vowed to dance again.
Last week she joined a group of Germanna students visiting members of the state legislature.
She blogs about it here.

From high school football hero to war hero to college football hero?

2012-01-15T14:23:00.000-08:00

Great story by Adam Himmelsbach in Sunday's Free Lance-Star on GCC student Daniel Rodriguez.

Rodriguez, a Stafford resident, is attending Germanna on the GI Bill.

A camera crew from Dan Rather Reports is set to visit the Germanna Stafford Center early this week for a story on Rodriguez, who starred in football at Brooke Point High School and planned to go to college before his father died of a heart attack just prior to graduation. he enlisted in the Army and was decorated for valor in Afghanistan. While studying at Germanna he's been working out, hoping to fulfull his dream of playing college football. Now Virginia Tech and U.Va are interested.

Area economy on the rebound in 2012, with Germanna's help in making the workforce competitive

2012-01-02T19:59:00.000-08:00

Germanna President David A. Sam writes about what 2012 may hold in store for the area's business climate in Business Insider.

Grit of Germanna's Fall 2011 grads called "legendary"

2011-12-20T12:19:00.000-08:00

Germanna Student Government President Carla Marie Craft addresses crowd of 1,000 at 2011 Fall Commencement
In wake of quake, Virginia Community College Chancellor Glenn DuBois calls grit of Germanna 2011 Fall Commencement graduates "legendary"

Go to Germanna home page to register for classes for the spring.

Shootings at Virginia Tech and in Caroline County

2011-12-09T13:04:00.000-08:00

Our heartfelt sympathy goes out to the students, faculty, staff of Virginia Tech and to the families of the victims. Colleges should be places of enlightenment, free of fear. We must not develop a siege mentality and we cannot turn campuses into fortresses. They must remain places where members of our communities are able to come and go freely in order to benefit from all we have to offer.

Germanna has always been a safe place to learn and work. Nonetheless, the college continually takes steps to make our security tighter, smarter and better able to respond to any problem nimbly and effectively, and we will continue to do so. We will review the actions taken at Tech and learn from their responses.

We also send our deepest our concerns and care to the state trooper wounded in Caroline yesterday. Both incidents show that law enforcement personnel daily put themselves at risk to protect and serve all of us.

--Germanna Community College President David A. Sam

"Germanna is a tremendous asset" to national security

2011-12-01T17:14:00.000-08:00

Times may be tough, but the Department of Homeland Security is hiring, a crowd of 160 was told today at a Germanna Center for Workforce & Community Education Intelligence & Homeland Security Summit at Fredericksburg Square.
DHS has a $50 billion budget for 500 programs, said summit panel moderator Robert Zitz. Zitz is a Fredericksburg native who is a former Deputy Under Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security.
He said USAjobs.org, the official federal government jobs site, lists 500 pages of DHS job openings, 79 of those pages in Virginia, Washington and Maryland. "They are hiring, but it's important you have the skills," he said. Often, career-switchers can make themselves more marketable to DHS by simply picking up a certification or taking a class. He said Germanna offers many courses that can quickly make an applicant attractive to agencies.
Germanna's Center for Workforce & Community Education is looking at broadening offerings that will help area people get DHS and intelligence community jobs.
GCC President David A. Sam said the college is continually trying to match curriculum with existing job openings. "We know that because of the 'skills gap,' millions of jobs are going unfilled because people lack the training to do them," Sam said.
Zitz thanked Sam, saying "Germanna is a tremendous asset" to national security because of the training it already offers because it allows adults asking "How can I take my life skills and what I've learned in the past and package them in a way that helps" DHS to do so quickly.
"Many people still don't know what DHS is," said panelist Scott Weber, a homeland security analyst who appears frequently on CNBC, Fox News, CNN and BBC Television and is former senior counsel to the Secretary at the Department of Homeland Security. The answer is whatever it takes to keep Americans safe, he said. "Secretary Chertoff used to answer that question by saying DHS is doing its job "Every day something bad doesn't happen."
"At DHS, there are so many job opportunities in so many fields," said panelist Cedric J. Sims, a senior executive who has overseen $6.8 billion in IT investments across DHS and has also been a leader with the Secret Service. "Come to government service," he urged the crowd.
The summit provided an overview of what various agencies do, how they do it, and offered advice on how to pursue jobs at those agencies.
"You really can change the world," said Al League, a former leader in the geospatial intelligence community, member of the Senior Executive Service for Defense Intelligence and winner of the Service to America Medal for National Security and International Affairs. "You can influence people--help senior leaders and decision-makers do the right thing."
GCC's next Intelligence & Homeland Security Summit will be held May 1 at the college's Daniel Center in Culpeper.

"It's never too late," says Germanna Community College student who overcame her fears to return to school after 27 years

2011-11-20T09:27:00.000-08:00

Sherry Loehr spent 14 years as a substitute teacher in Spotsylvania County, “and I loved every minute of it.”
But to get where she wanted to go in teaching, she needed a teaching certification, and she didn’t have one.
She put off going to college for years, thinking she was too old--that she wouldn’t be able to do it.
Now she has an evangelical zeal about people beyond the “traditional” students’ age going back to school, even if they fear that they’ll be too rusty to pick up where they left off.

“I want to tell everyone they can do it,” Loehr said.

“Even if they don’t test well in the math or English, Germanna will help you.”
After having been out of school for 27 years, Loehr needed some tuning up on math. “I was afraid I was going to fail the [placement] test. For an older student like me, that was really scary. But you don’t fail, you just take developmental classes. I needed a little refresher. I don’t feel I would have passed calculus and statistics if I hadn’t had that background.”
Once she jumped into the pool, she said, the water was warm. All her fears faded away and she loved it.
“If there’s anything I got from this whole experience, it’s that it’s never too late,” she said.
Germanna President David A. Sam likes to say that America’s reached a point at which lifetime learning is a necessity--that everyone is going to have to change jobs a number of times. That we will have to reinvent themselves. And that we all need to take classes to stay current in whatever our field is right now.
“I thought I was too old to go back to school and that if I did, once I finished school, I would be too old to get a job,” Loehr said. “Now I know I’m going to get a job--and I have at least 20 years to work.”
She earned her associate’s degree at GCC and transferred to the University of Mary Washington, where she’s decided she wants a career in historic preservation.
“Germanna really prepared me so well,” she said. “Everybody was saying it was going to be so much harder at UMW, but it’s not.”
She has four children, all of whom attended Germanna.
Her daughter Sarah Loehr entered GCC’s nursing program, then transferred to VCU to earn a financing degree and now is studying law.
Her son Paul Loehr started at Longwood. “He joined a fraternity and things sort of went downhill. It wasn’t a good situation. My husband and I said, ‘You need to come home. He did and things went reaally well.” After getting back on course at Germanna, he transferred to VCU, where he was a business major and earned a degree in accounting.
Her son Adam dropped out of high school, got his GED with Germanna’s help, then entered Germanna’s Automotive Program. “Adam has a wonderful job working as an automotive specialist in downtown Fredericksburg, “ she said. 
“Last year my baby, Matthew, my youngest child, was going to J. Sergeant Reynolds. He was unhappy. He came back home and went to Germanna, and I thought it was pretty funny that we took four classes together.” Matthew was 18 and his mother was 46.
But no one’s laughing at this older, “non-traditional” student.
“My kids are so proud of me,” she said. “They really admire that I’m able to do this.”

“I want to tell everyone they can do it. It’s never too late.”
Once you take that leap, she said, you can succeed.
“Germanna’s changed my life.”

She said she’s also glad she started at Germanna because: “I saved so much money. If I’d spent those first two years at a four-year school, I would have accumulated a lot of debt.”
She said GCC saved her family a great deal of money in the education of her four children, too.
“I was one of those parents who bought into the idea of prestige. ‘My kid’s got to go to UVa; my child needs to go to this big school.’ It was peer pressure.’
She said her oldest daughter Sarah initially wanted to stay home and go to Germanna, but she pressured her to go elsewhere. Then Sarah ended up at GCC anyway, until she was ready to leave home. Now she’s at the Charlotte School of Law.
“Parents need to think about how much savings they’d have if they sent their children here for two years,” she said. “They’ll still get bachelor’s degrees that say ‘Mary Washington’ or the name of whatever four-year school they transfer to.”

Stafford EDA named Germanna's 2012 Philanthropist of the Year

2011-11-19T18:05:00.000-08:00

Don Newlin, chairman of the Stafford County Economic Development Authority, accepts Germanna's 2012 Philantrhopist of the Year Award on behalf of the EDA.

The Germanna Community College Educational Foundation named the Stafford Economic Development Authority its 2012 Philanthropist of the Year at its Annual Dinner Friday night, Nov. 18, 2011 at the Fredericksburg Country Club.

On May 5, 2011, The Stafford EDA awarded Germanna a matching challenge grant of up to $1 million to be used toward the establishment of a permanent campus in the county. Officials said the intent is to support workforce development and economic development in the county.

When the challenge is met, the Stafford EDA will have donated $1.375 million to Germanna since 2009, when GCC opened its Stafford County Center at Aquia Park. In the first year the Stafford Center was open, it attracted 1,000 students, and in its second, 1,200. Enrollment has already outgrown the facility. The Stafford EDA has also donated $75,000 toward the construction of a new GCC Automotive Program facility in the county, which is expected to be completed in the spring of 2012.

“Germanna has been gratified and honored by the ongoing investments by Stafford County's EDA,” GCC President David A. Sam said. “We are pleased in turn that our Educational Foundation can recognize and celebrate that investment and partnership by naming them the 2012 Philanthropist of the Year.”

“Germanna is an important partner in our vision that was established in our Economic Development 10-Point Plan to build a business-friendly environment and an educated workforce,” said Chairman of the Stafford Board of Supervisors Mark Dudenhefer. “The Economic Development Authority has worked hand-in-hand with the Board of Supervisors in moving this vision forward, and we are thrilled that they are being honored for their efforts.”

Don Newlin, the Chairman of the Economic Development Authority, added, “The EDA has worked hard to enhance the higher education offerings in Stafford, and Germanna offers a diverse selection of courses to help college students and working professionals advance their careers,” he said. “We look forward to our continued work with Germanna to ensure their long-term success in Stafford.”

Germanna hopes to break ground on the Stafford Campus soon, but it must first meet the $2.5 million local funding requirement for the state to fund the rest of the cost for the facility's land and development. The Stafford EDA challenge was a major step. Plans are for the facility to be built in North Stafford, but no site has been selected.

"On behalf of the Educational Foundation, it is an honor to recognize Stafford County's Economic Development Authority for its leadership and investment in Germanna,” said Michael A. Catell, Director of the GCC Educational Foundation. “The Foundation's mission is to promote and support the growth, progress, and well-being of the College, and we look forward to a continuing partnership with the EDA in carrying out that mission."

Amy Peery, a GCC Educational Foundation Scholarship recipient who is a nursing student at Germanna and a single mother of three, told the crowd at the dinner: “Germanna Community College has changed not only my life, it has changed my family’s life and these scholarships are helping to change our future. Please, always remember that you are providing so much more than just financial assistance. My most sincere thanks are extended to you all, for the possibilities you create.”
She said she had “little hope” before entering Germanna,” and that the college and had “truly rekindled my faith in life.“

GCC currently has a Fredericksburg Area Campus in Spotsylvania, a Locust Grove Campus, centers in Stafford and Culpeper. It has long-range plans for a center in Caroline County. Construction on a third academic building at the Fredericksburg Campus is expected to be completed by March 2012.

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Hawraa Alabalal: Because of GCC, her American dream within reach

2011-11-13T16:42:00.000-08:00

VIDEO

"For me, it was a dream coming to America," says Germanna Community College student Hawraa Alabalali, whose mother married an American soldier before they immigrated to the U.S. from Iraq in 2008. She says GCC counselors and faculty are helping her toward her goal of becoming a dentist, and that the college's affordability makes paying for graduate school later feasible. "It felt good to be part of a community," she said about coming to Germanna. Making friends was easier, she said, than it had been in high school.

We should honor veterans by giving them jobs and providing them with job training

2011-11-11T13:46:00.000-08:00

By David A. Sam
Germanna Community College President

When I was young, I vividly remember my mother making a point to buy a poppy for each of us to wear on our clothing for “Remembrance Day,” as she still called November 11. We know it as Veterans’ Day, but she was born November 30, 1918, just nineteen days after the guns fell silent to end the War to End all Wars, and that is what the day was called when she was a child. She always reminded me of 11-11-11 because the Armistice took effect on November 11 at 11 am.

Today is another 11-11-11. And, unhappily, many wars have followed.

Today, at both Germanna Community College campuses, students, faculty, staff and community members read from the roll of those who have died in the current conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Today we also pause to thank our veterans and remember those not here to be thanked. It is the least we can do.

We can also:

- hire a veteran
- retrain a veteran
- assist a veteran in trouble
- pray for those who are serving and have served
or just feel a deep gratitude in our hearts for those who have answered the call and stood their ground so we can live without having to defend ourselves.

The poppies we wore memorialized the poppy fields in Flanders where many Americans lie instead of having come home. Around the cemetery, many battles were fought in the Ypres region. Heavy fighting over the years of the war cost about a million casualties. The battles were memorialized in a famous poem by a veteran of that war:

The poppies we were memorialized the poppy fields in Flanders where many Americans lie instead of having come home. Around the cemetery, many battles were fought in the Ypres region. Heavy fighting over the years of the war cost about a million casualties. The battles were memorialized in a famous poem by a veteran of that war:
In Flanders Fields
By: Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae, MD (1872-1918) Canadian Army

In Flanders Fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Veterans Department web site

GCC's Nov. 18 Educational Foundation Annual Dinner to be a celebration

2011-11-08T15:02:00.001-08:00

Philanthropist Doris Buffett shares a laugh at the reception prior to a recent GCC Educational Foundation Annual Dinner. Buffett, a GCC supporter, is Warren's sister.

You are cordially invited to attend the Germanna Community College Educational Foundation’s Annual Dinner on Friday, Nov. 18, 2011 at the Fredericksburg Country Club.

This is not a fundraiser. Instead, it is a time when we celebrate philanthropy at Germanna, and show our appreciation to those who provide scholarship funds for our students and invest in faculty and staff professional development through programs like the Jane Ingalls Nurse Educator Fellowship and the President’s Leadership Academy. Foundation benefactors have also provided funding for the President’s Recognition of Excellence awards.

One highlight of the evening will be the moving testimonials from three Germanna students who have received scholarships.

The cost, including the reception and dinner, is $50 per person.

By Mail:

Please make your check payable to Germanna Community College Educational Foundation (or GCCEF) and mail to:

Germanna Community College

Educational Foundation

2130 Germanna Highway

Locust Grove, Virginia 22508

By Phone/Credit Card:

Please call 540-423-9060 and a member of our staff would be happy to assist

Please join us as we celebrate philanthropy, the positive impact of the mission of GCC, and the vital role Germanna plays in the lives of those we serve.

Best regards,

Mike

Michael A. Catell

Director of Foundation & Alumni Relations

Germanna Community College Foundation

2130 Germanna Highway

Locust Grove, VA 22508

540.423.9074

mcatell@germanna.edu

Germanna Center for Workforce & Community Education hosts Intelligence and Homeland Security Summit

2011-11-04T15:36:00.000-07:00

The Germanna Community College Center for Workforce & Community Education will host an Intelligence and Homeland Security Summit from 9 a.m. to noon on Dec. 1 at Fredericksburg Square.
The conference will feature a panel discussion and breakout sessions by recently retired senior executives from the Central Intelligence Agency, National Security Agency, Secret Service, National Reconnaissance Office, National Geospatial Intelligence Agency and Defense Intelligence Agency.
Learn about opportunities in homeland security and the intel community -- and how to pursue jobs effectively. Take advantage of the opportunity to network.
Seats are $20 and they are limited. Call 540/891-3012. GCC students with student ID will be admitted free, but must make reservations.
Fredericksburg Square is located at 525 Caroline St.

Community invited to participate in GCC reading the names of the 6,200-plus casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan

2011-11-03T15:51:00.000-07:00

To volunteer to be a reader, please call Kathryn A. Denner at 540/423-9123 or email her at kdenner@germanna.edu.

Members of the community are encouraged to join Germanna students, faculty and staff in a nationwide grass-roots effort to honor American service men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq and Afghanistan during the past decade.
On Veterans Day, Friday, Nov. 11, campus and community volunteers at more than 170 college and universities across the nation will spend eight hours reading the names of the 6,200-plus casualties of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, now called Operation New Dawn.
The reading of the names will take nearly eight hours to complete as readers announce the names in chronological order.
Each GCC campus (both at Locust Grove and Fredericksburg) participating in Remembrance Day National Roll Call will organize its own full day of reading of names. At the two Germanna campuses, the readings will begin at 8:45 a.m.

PHILANTHROPIST ROSE BENTE’ LEE OSTAPENKO HONORED FOR GIFT THAT HELPED BUILD GERMANNA COMMUNITY COLLEGE DANIEL CENTER

2011-11-03T14:56:00.000-07:00

Philanthropist Rose Bente’ Lee Ostapenko is met by current Germanna Community College President David A. Sam (right) and former GCC President Frank Turnage today upon arrival for a visit to the Daniel Technology Center in Culpeper.

Germanna Community College honored philanthropist Rose Bente’ Lee Ostapenko Thursday by inducting her into the “President’s Circle” for cumulative, lifetime giving. She has donated over $1 million to the college, and was one of the benefactors who made construction of the Joseph R. Daniel Technology Center possible through her donation of land, along with Kaye and Marie Andrus, Nicholas and Flora Tomasetti, and Philip and Susan DeSiato.
Current Germanna President David A. Sam, former GCC President Frank Turnage, Daniel Center Director Russell James, GCC Educational Foundation member Connie Kincheloe and Foundation Director Michael A. Catell gave her a tour of the facility, built in 2006.
The 39,000 square foot facility is designed primarily for workforce development instruction and technology training. A wide variety of credit classes are also offered.
“Your generosity made this possible,” Dr. Sam said in thanking Mrs. Ostapenko, an Arlington resident. “The college would not have been able to grow and help all these people without you.” He told her GCC, which has been one of the fastest-growing schools in the country in recent years, will serve 15,000 students, all of them local, during this academic year.
Her 2000 autobiography is entitled “Rose Bente’ Lee: An American Dream.” It tells the story of her immigration to the U.S. from Germany in 1939 and how, over time, she built one of Washington, D.C.’s most successful businesses, The House of Fine Fabrics.
In the book, she recalls, “One of my earliest memories is a desire to help the poor, sick and elderly.”
She is the first of a series of donors who are to receive GCC President’s Circle recognition.

Germanna students, faculty, staff, public to spend eight hours reading names of Iraq and Afghanistan casualities in Veterans' Day ceremony

2011-11-01T19:51:00.000-07:00

Germanna Community College has joined a nationwide grass-roots effort to honor American service men and women who paid the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq and Afghanistan during the past decade.
On Veterans Day, Friday, Nov. 11, campus and community volunteers at more than 170 college and universities across the nation will spend eight hours reading the names of the 6,200-plus casualties of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, now called Operation New Dawn.
Each GCC campus (both at Locust Grove and Fredericksburg) participating in Remembrance Day National Roll Call will organize its own full day of reading of names. At the two Germanna campuses, the readings will begin at 8:45 a.m.
Lt. Col. (Ret) Brett Morris, the National Roll Call coordinator, said, “We wanted to rally campus communities across the nation to send a powerful message to the troops currently serving that their peers have not forgotten their sacrifices, or those of the fallen.”
The reading of the names will take nearly eight hours to complete as readers announce the names in chronological order.
For information about the Germanna roll call, and to volunteer to be a reader, Kathryn A. Denner at 540/423-9123.

GERMANNA’S MITTURA CHOSEN AS ONE OF 20 NURSING PROFESSORS ACROSS AMERICA TO HELP GUIDE DEVELOPMENT OF ‘VIRTUAL HOSPITAL’ APPROACH IN NATION'S COLLEGES

2011-10-17T08:17:00.000-07:00

A human simulator in Germanna's Virtual Hospital. The high-tech devices mimic symptoms and human reaction to treatment--or lack of proper treatment allowing nursing students to learn and gain confidence in a risk-free environment.

Germanna Community College Prof. Karen Mittura, RN, is one of 20 nurse educators selected from across the nation for a year-long Leadership Development Program for Simulation Educators. The National League for Nursing faculty development initiative is designed for those assuming leadership roles in the field of using human simulators in nursing education.

Those selected from institutions around the U.S, will study for a year under Dr. Pamela Jeffries, associate dean for academic affairs at Johns Hopkins University School of Nursing. She nationally known for her research and work in developing simulations and online teaching and learning.

The concept of a "Virtual Hospital" was a result of a collaborative effort by Prof. Mittura and GCC’s Dr. Patti Lisk, who have been trailblazers in the field. It was their vision to use of high fidelity simulation in the nursing program at Germanna. Working on the original grant for the purchase of high fidelity simulators, Prof. Mittura teamed with Dr. Lisk to create realistic experiences in a lab setting for the nursing students.

A group of educators and healthcare leaders from the Netherlands toured Germanna's Virtual Hospital last week.

Prof. Mittura works to combine simulation scenarios that fit various types of patients to ensure student exposure to situations they will encounter in real-life hospital settings. Prof. Mittura received the Technology in Education award with Dr. Lisk for their 2007 presentation “The Virtual Hospital: A New World of Independent Thinking, Leading and Learning.”

National League for Nursing program participants recently began their experience with two days in Orlando prior to the NLN's 2011 Education Summit. The group will participate in leadership development webinars, exchange ideas and best practices in simulation in private forums, review existing research, visit simulation centers around the country to evaluate resources and operations, consult with companies on technological innovations and attend conferences.

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Earn a Business Administration degree on weekends at Germanna

2011-10-13T10:26:00.000-07:00

Deirdre Blake of WFLS reports on Germanna Community College's new Accelerated Business Administration Program.
The program will make it possible to get an Accelerated Business Administration associate's degree on weekends over the course of the Spring semester.

Registration starts in November and classes begin in January.

Please go to the the GCC Web site or call 540/891-3000 for more information.

Germanna student realizes dream of becoming a registered nurse; sets goal for 4-year-old daughter

2011-10-07T08:26:00.000-07:00

Mary Washington Hospital registered nurse Tiffany Henderson, above, credits Germanna with getting her where she wanted to go, career-wise.

Fredericksburg resident Tiffany Henderson, 26, had more than her own career in mind when she entered the Registered Nursing Program at Germanna Community College.
She wanted to be a good role model for her 4-year-old daughter, Aleah.
Henderson completed the RN program at Germanna in May, passed her state board exam, and is now a critical care nurse at Mary Washington Hospital.
She was in the Licensed Practical Nursing program at GCC she became pregnant with her daughter and left college. When her daughter was a couple of months old, she returned, entering the RN program.
For the past six years, she had worked as a registrar in the Mary Washington Hospital emergency room, watching others perform the job she longed to do herself.
“I definitely wanted to finish before Aleah started school—to focus on her studies and not my own.
“She asks me: ‘Mommy, are you going to work to make people feel better? Are you going to take people’s temperature?’ “
Henderson said she’d like Aleah to become a nurse, too.
“I wanted to set an example for her,” Henderson said, “to do something that will help her take care of herself in the future. She saw me go through the process. Children follow your example.”
Henderson said the GCC Nursing program: “gave me what I needed to reach my goal of becoming a registered nurse. I was ready when I took the state board exam. There were no surprises in the questions because of the way Germanna prepared us. I feel like I got what I paid for. I’m satisfied.”
She is one of nine critical care nurses at Mary Washington Hospital, all from the same class at Germanna.
GCC Assistant Professor of Nursing Debbie VanNortwick taught Tiffany in both clinical and classroom settings. “She consistently sought to understand the whole picture in order to develop critical thinking skills,” VanNortwick said. “In clinicals [live hospital settings], she was always kind to the patients and her coworkers. She demonstrated the ability to be a strong member of the health care team. She will be an asset to any organization.”
Dean of Nursing Mary Gilkey said: “Accounts like Tiffany’s are typical, especially in today's economy where many moms, dads, sons and daughters of all ages are working very hard to find a means to support their families.”
She said Germanna Nursing, and other programs, including GCC Workforce and career and technical studies: “are challenged to meet the ever-growing workforce needs of our region. It’s our hope that if families have not looked to Germanna to prepare them to fill job openings in growing fields that they take a second look and see just how we can be a means to affordably provide an education for career and lifetime educational choices.”

AT A TIME WHEN SUICIDE RISK IS HIGH, GCC OFFERS 12-HOUR MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID COURSE THAT CAN SAVE LIVES

2011-10-05T14:13:00.000-07:00

This year Mental Health Awareness Week (Oct. 2-8) has arrived at a time in which many Americans find themselves in crises.
According to a recent study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, suicide rates in the U.S. rise during recessions and fall during economic booms. Recognizing emotional depression and reacting appropriately can save lives.
Meanwhile, suicide rates among military personnel and veterans returning from Afghanistan and Iraq are alarmingly high. Many are being attributed to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Recognizing PTSD and getting the individual help could save his or her life.
So the time seems right for Germanna Community College to offer Mental Health First Aid, a 12-hour course over two Saturdays—Oct. 22 and 29—designed to train people to assist those developing a mental health problem or crisis. Successful completion prepares those who take the course to respond to individuals experiencing suicidal thoughts, panic attacks and addiction relapse, among other problems.
Learning objectives include:
• A working knowledge of the potential risk factors and warning signs for a range of mental health problems.
• How to deal with depression, anxiety, trauma, psychiatric disorders, eating disorders, substance abuse disorders and self-injury such as cutting.
• A five-step action plan encompassing the skills, resources and knowledge to assess the situation, implement interventions and help the person in crisis connect with appropriate professional care.
• A working knowledge of the appropriate professional, peer, social and self-help resources available to help someone with a mental health problem treat and manage the problem and recover.
Upon successful completion of the course, participants receive Mental Health First Aid USA certification. Registration deadline is Oct. 13.
The course runs from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Oct. 22 and Oct. 29 at the Red Cross facility at 4836 Southpoint Parkway near the Cracker Barrel in Massaponax. It costs $169. To register, please contact GCC’s Center for Workforce & Community Education at 540/891-3012.

Germanna employees share stories of heroism during quake, Part 1

2011-09-28T14:48:00.000-07:00

Germanna Community College employees were asked to tell stories of heroism they witnessed during and after the Aug. 23 earthquake.

Here is Part 1 of 3:

Chris Anderson - immediately after the earthquake many students who were feeling so frightened and uncertain were impressed and reassured by his presence and purposeful leadership. Many thought he was "the president" or "the dean" because of the way he turned the chaos into calm and the way everyone gravitated towards him and looked to him for decisions and direction. He was truly impressive and inspiring.

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Garland Fenwick and Chris Cooper helped evacuate buildings at LGC, kept personnel calm, re-entered the Slaughter Building to help assure structural stability for students to return and gather personal belongings, and helped communicate with FAC regarding their status. Garland contacted Clark Nexsen via use of an analog line since VOIP and cell phones were not yet working to secure their services for a structural review of all facilities. Later, Garland and Chris walked through every building at FAC, LGC, and Culpeper with personnel from Clark Nexsen to assess structural damage. They returned home around 1:30 am.

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Dean Brock & Bill Fiege for comming prepared the next day with a plan

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IT staff for the continious efforts in moving to get people in place in a short turn around meeting the deadlines.
B&G staff in working with the logisitcs for Power, Furniture and other moves of equipment.
Security for the coordination of the site visits putting safety first.
Rick Brehm for the effort to lease a new facility
This list really includes all Germanna as we all worked to make the logistics happen.

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This is hard, as there were so many.

Chris Anderson who took command at the moment of the Quake; Carol Baetz to took on the task of directing traffic; Mark Haines who entered the building and helped carry out a disabled student; Whoever it was who thought to pull the fire alarm; Garland Fenwick for getting a structural engineer to inspect the building that evening so we got the news as early as possible.
Since I am new to the faculty, there are many names I don't know. The emails updating the situation certainly helped, especially since I had not met with my class before the quake.
Cathy Ryschon helped keep order at the Fredericksburg Campus during and after the quake. She also showed compassion for the folks that were emotionally impacted by the events of that day.
Security guard Cathy put everyone else's safety before hers!
Daniel Buhrman walked around the parking lot unitl he got a signal on his phone so that I could call a family member. He then offered to drive anyone home if they needed it without even questioning where we lived.
Stephanie Wilkins, Testing Services Fredericksburg Campus. I was taking a placement test when the earthquake hit. There was another lady in the testing center who got on the floor. Stephanie stood calmly informed everyone in the room that it was an earthquake. She then directed me and six other students to exit the room and go to the front door and exit the building. The entire time she was calm while her co-worker left the room before any of us students. She truly mantain great composer doing this dangerous ordeal.

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Ann Alizio - got everyone out of and away from the building.

Carol Batez - got everyone out of and away from the building.

Whoever pulled the fire alarm at the Dickinson building to get people moving out.

Deans Brock and Fiege for arranging rides for people who didnt' have their car keys.
Carol Baetz

She successfully calmed an agitated student (who was angrily screaming at her), showing good judgment and poise throughout the situation.

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The response to the earthquake overall was handled adequately; however, there were departments that were put on the back burner. GED had to cancel testing in September because adequate space was not located in a timely manner. Moreover, at this time no office space has been identified for them. They have only been able to establish tentative test dates at this point.

Middle College to date is still not in operation and no space has been identified to relocate it. No attempt for temporary space at the campus for classes was made. I think a greater, more urgent effort could be made to find a location for this service to the community could have been made rather than putting Middle College on the back burner. This sends a message to Middle College students that the college does not value them as much as the general Germanna populations. I find this unacceptable.

Everyone has pulled together nicely making whatever changes that are needed. Even the students have pulled together to make this work.

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Sincere thanks to the ACC/Testing Ctr folks who gave the Student Services Depts time in the computer lab to assist students!!
Once again, B & G has been wonderful. Garland Fenwick even gave up very expensive plane tickets and a long planned vacation so he could stay and help. IT was also very helpful in getting all the computers, etc. moved.
Aubrey Collier, Jesus Sorto, James Haynes, Forrest Donald, Chris Cooper, Ron Williams assisted in securing the facility, cleaning the facility, relocating faculty and staff personal items. Setting up new classrooms, workstations, offices.

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Chris Cooper. Isolated the FAC 1 utilities so FAC 2 could still have operable utilities.

Tina Parker, Aubrey Collier, James Haynes. Video tapped and took still photos of every room in the FAC 1 building so the college could have a record of the event.

Tom Stanley, Jeff Yowell and Ralph White respectively got LGC and DTC cleaned up and items that were misplaced back in order so the facilities could reopen.
When I look at again all who helped from Dr. Sam, Dr. Wesley, Dr. Woolford, Mr. Brehm their leadership set the tone again from is everyone okay to when are we going to get back on track.....this defined the way we all experienced the event one with courage, fortitude and determination to restore normalcy.......Great work to all the displaced folks, for they had to redefine themselves by not where they were located but by what they had to offer......so cool....Many processes that work on the "back burner in planning were jetted to the forefront out of necessity not a bad recoup....at all. Much learned and much we have yet to learn.

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Bill Fiege, Dr. Sam, all the other Deans and security
Marcy Pride has been a calm strength as usual in her position of Library Coordinator. Her steadiness and reassurance has enabled the library staff to continue to provide the best service possible to our college "community" under the circumstances. That assurance we have, due to Marcy, enables us to model that for our patrons so they can feel assured as well--behavior is contagious!
Grounds crew (LGC) Amazing people, who stayed on top of things. Tom Stanley did a great job of looking out for the employees as well as the students.
Those individuals involved with keeping us informed about post-earthquake plans did a good job. We were not kept in the dark.
Faculty members Patricia Parker and Lisa Murphy were absolutely amazing. Not only did they pack up their own offices, but they carefully packed up the records of the part-time instructors in boxes. Lisa Murphy helped the tutoring staff clean all of the tables in the Adjunct Office, and she came in on a Sunday to vacuum thick dust off of the floor!

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Dr. Bill Fiege and Dr. Deborah Brock worked long, long, hours to create a new class schedule for the Fredericksburg campus, and they did it with humor and good grace. They patiently answered faculty, staff, and student questions from early morning until late at night, before and after classes started post-earthquake. I was in awe of their amazing leadership.

Garland, James, Jose, Forest, and Aubrey were wonderful, and I can't thank them enough for all of their help. They worked from morning until dusk hauling around furniture, and I never heard them utter one complaint. They tried their best to help absolutely everyone.

Julie Mersiowsky immediately responded to the urgent need to provide Blackboard training for students and faculty, and over the course of three days, she Muneeb, and Forest worked 12 hour days to accommodate day and evening schedules.
Patricia Parker worked about 25 hours a day helping prepare the College for online learning while coping with over 50 faculty in her department, some of whom reacted to the stress by becoming rather demanding. She even kept in touch and kept working during and after the hurricane, when her house lost power for a couple of days.

Mike Kuchinski taught Wimba classes all day for two days. Jay Nyzowyj assisted him. Despite a lack of time to prepare, they did an outstanding job and kept a sense of humor, which helped lower everyone's stress levels.

Bill Fiege and Deb Brock worked round the clock, assisted by Caroline Murray (and I think Lisa Smith and Carol Baetz, although I'm less sure about that) to get us all reorganized. They were unfailingly calm and courteous, although they must have been exhausted. They treated every person and every question as if they were all important. They must have been tempted to tell us to leave them alone, but they overcame that to manage the people as well as the schedule. Their leadership helped us have confidence that this would all work.

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Faculty who had lived in ther offices for years calmly boxed up tons of stuff and hauled it out, bought home-office furniture, and got back to work.

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David Sam had prepared for the quake by being the kind of leader we can believe in, so when the crisis came, we knew it would be handled competently, and we were ready to accept and implement the plan. (I know you won't publish this one, but it is true.)
When the class schedules needed to be rearranged after the earthquake, I had some doubts about being able to teach Beginning German in one three-hour stretch late at night. As I spoke with Dean Brock about this, she was very kind and supportive. She encouraged me to use whatever methods I thought best and to focus mainly on the goals of the course. “Be creative and extend the breaks if necessary,” she said. I was grateful for her trust in my work. And to my surprise, the students were wide awake and smiling as we ended our session late last night. I had kept Dean Brock's words in mind as I planned my lesson, which included optimal use of the superb audio-visual system available in Room 134. There was no need for extended breaks.

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Though Carol Baetz was extremely busy after the earthquake, she listened patiently to each person waiting in line in front of her desk. My request for an easel might have seemed insignificant to some, but Carol understood my need for one and took the time to locate an easel. She deserves a great deal of credit for all her efforts and patience.
I've been continued to be impressed by the time and energy spent to manage everything after this unexpected emergency. Especially by Dr. Fiege and Barbara Taylor.
Dr. Sam and Dr. Woodford and the Emergency Team kept the faculty and staff well informed. In addition, the centralization of the info was well organized to avoid mass confusion.

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Karen Mittura rearranged all nursing schedules without incidence. Those of us that have done scheduling before know the difficulty and scope of this service.
Too many people to name. Carol Baetz, Caroline Murray, all of the folks in IT, the trainers for online teaching, and all of the volunteers who did a remarkable job of moving all of the equipment out of Dickinson to FAC2.
Karen Mittura promptly updated the nursing schedule by asking for our advice and rescheduling the labs and class so well, that we made up for the missing time within 3 working days.

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It was so well organized that even the students responded without incident. The first day back we had been informed of the schedule update for the next 2 weeks, so we and the students, could plan.

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I think no one showed more organizational insight than Karen Mittura. She deserves much respect for her ability to solve problems in such a stressful crisis with grace and competence.
Both Bill Fiege and Deb Brock have been incredible with all of the adjustments tha have been made for the success of our students. They are positive and bright and have the tremendous ablity to see the "big" picture. They also appear to be unified and work very well as a team, this gives a sense of strength to all that consider them to be role-models.

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Caroline Murray and Carol Baetz with their ability to help students and staff and still keep their pleasant and cordial manner.

Mike Farris has displayed leadership and critical thinking skills that have aided the college well beyond his direct role of financial aid.

Security, IT and facilities staff have all been awesome!!!!!

All the faculty for their can-do attitudes. New teaching methods, news schedules, new courses, no office space, etc...thank you!

ALL OF THE GREAT GCC STUDENTS!!!! They are really a reflection of GCC!!!!
Dr. Bill Fiege and Dr. Deb Brock have been phenomenal. They have exuded an aura of calm that permeates the atmosphere of chaos in FAC 2. They have set the tone for the rest of us to follow. I have seen each of them in the hallways patiently talking to students, maintenance and security personnel, staff, and faculty; at all times their voices are calm and their mannerisms are placid and unhurried. They never act as if they are too busy to address my questions. Although they have hundreds of details to attend to, they treat me as though my questions and concerns are of high importance. Their behavior is what keeps despair and frustration from creeping in among us.
Lisa Smith deserves commendation for the MANY hours she served working on the revised college class schedule.
Anybody that worked over or extra deserves recognition on days college was closed but IT and PR did good keeping students public and staff informed as well as anybody on the team reorganizing classes and schedules ...
I appreciated all of the communication via the website and social media.

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The communication was accurate, efficient & timely.
The IT staff have worked very hard to make the necessary changes after the earthquake, all while combating the usual spam threats. The administration has also seemed admirably calm and organized during a very chaotic situation.
Buildings and Grounds staff. These guys were asked to "do it all" under very unusual circumstances--and they did! Creative solutions, hard work and positive attitudes worked for them throughout this disaster. Salutations to the B & G staff!
Julie Mersiowsky has worked tirelessly since Aug. 23rd to provide instruction and support for faculty who have had little or no Blackboard experience as well as to those of us with experience.
Donna Alexander provided any and all help that was asked of her, even if it didn't apply to her department.

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Julie Mersiowsky provided many extra hours of faculty training

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Muneeb Mobashar provided many extra hours of faculty and student training

Mike Zitz for being the messenger of some not so popular decisions and for being tactful in his responses, wordings, and demeanor.

ALL faculty members should be commended for their jump into action in preparing new timelines for their courses as well as changing formats in many cases.

The people who put together the training sessions, spending 12 hours each day to make sure that the students and the faculty knew how to handle the change in formats.

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I believe that the administrative staff should be congratulated for their achievement in getting the school up and running after the loss of FAC1. Their hard work has paid off and I believe that all faculty members were impressed by their efforts.
I don't know the names of everyone on the committee, but what a wonderful job by everyone. To have students back in class so soon is amazing. I am proud of how every one of Germanna’s employees have worked together.
In my short time at GCC and especially during this time of crisis, I found everyone involved to be professional and dedicated to finding ways to bring the campus back to life. Both deans, the IT staff, and my department chair, Vanessa Sekinger were instrumental in making sure information was communicated in a timely manner.

Blackboard training, though long and intense, was thorough and clear. Julie M. did a great job, was patient and calm during days of class time.
Drs. Brock and Fiege: Calming Faculty, determining how to procede, communicating this information to faculty.

Dr. Sam: For your kind explanation of events and our mechanisms for coping as a "family". For being in the trenches with us and for being at FAC2 on our Grand Re-Opening Day.

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TO WHOEVER HAD THE GREAT IDEA: The snacks provided on grand re-opening day were a wonderful idea. The black shirted hallway monitors were wonderful and most appreciated by our student body.

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To PAM Frederick: For her quiet ways that always bring out the best in all of us.
Garland Fenwick- maintaining order during extremely tense following few days.
Wow, this is hard because so many people went above and beyond. But I certainly hope that all of the Dean's are recognized for holding everything together while pulling together a new plan.
Carol Baetz (payroll)- professional, knowledgeable and positive

All the guys in Security- I stopped by for property on Friday of that week and they were supportive and helpful- from Chris Anderson to the individual guards

Julie Mersiowsky- terrific training and positive

Volunteers like Harvey Gold- donating their time to help people find their way

Doctor Sam- positive, organized and handled all the issues extremely well.

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Patricia Parker has been a leader in the math department through big changes in program, administration, and class organization. But, her leadership during this additional challenge has been above her required duties and has ensured that our students are still going to get what they need. She has made sure dev and credit instructors were informed of changes and details as soon as possible. She has made arrangements by email, phone, and face to face to be available to help any of us get up to speed on necessary technology changes. She has calmed the anxieties (which were varied in intensity and subject) from all instructors and students. And, she creates an environment where we all feel like community members working in partnership towards our group goal. We were very lucky that she was well in place when she was needed so much.
I have told several friends and family members that I am happy to work at an institution at which I know our leadership really cares about the well-being of the employees and students. I felt secure that my classes would stay available, and that my students would not be let down. I am grateful to Dr. Sam, the deans, and all the other administrators and assistants who put in long hours to make FAC-2 work as best it could for everyone.

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I know Julie Mersiowsky did a LOT of work to set up all of the training sessions, etc., with very little notice provided. And she did an excellent job!!
The maintenance department (especially Garland and Chris Cooper). To say how busy they have been would be an understatement, but they still made the time to communicate and stop to answer questions for individuals.

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Patricia Parker - excellent communication with our department throughout the "quake break"
Julie Mersiowsky: Pulled together full time and adjunct faculty to help train those who would be teaching online or new hybrids

Cheryl Huff: pulling together mentors for faculty new to teaching online

Diane Critchfield: Remembering adjuncts and using peoples skill sets effectively to meet the new needs the campus was facing

Diane Frausto: Helping military students get their housing benefits as classes were shifting online
Bill Fiege and Deborah Brock rewriting the schedule very quickly.

Allie Paterson volunteering to help instruction staff with setting up the new schedule.

Counseling staff for rescheduling students.

The black shirt volunteers helping students find their way.

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Security staff at LGC (helpful in opening the door for access to the building and in other ways during the time that the college was closed)
I admire the efforts of the Bill Fiege, Deb Brock and all of the administration to get the students back to school. This was such an unusual event and the administration reacted quickly to make the needed decisions to get the college back on schedule.
Just about everyone!

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Thank you to Forrest, who conducted the student blackboard training sessions. He helped students feel less nervous about the online and hybrid formats, gave them information, and made them feel confident.
Deb Brock and Bill Fiege -- both have worked triple overtime to completely re-haul the schedule, fitting two full buildings of classes and students into the single, smaller of the buildings. They worked out conflicts and resolved all sorts of scheduling mishaps.
Sarah Somerville: As an adjunct, I appreciated the time the Dr. Somerville to keep us up to date. She always makes sure that we get all the information.
The Emergency Leadership Team: The degree to which decisions were made successfully and with care for all those involved is impressive. Many positive comments have been shared among and between colleagues with regard to the quality of the decisions, especially when there were so many to be made in such a short time. Most of all, I appreciated the efforts to ensure safety for all students, faculty, and staff immediately following the earthquake and in the days to follow.

The degree and quality of communication with all constituencies was also noted positively.

The patience and good humor of those more directly involved in all the work to be completed in the near term has been appreciated, and particularly because we know that you were weary from the work and the weight of the decisions to be made.

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While the tasks to be completed constituted an impressive list, this core group has done an exemplary job of making decisions and communicating them effectively while guarding the safety of the college community. We couldn't have hoped for more.
Garland Fenwick - Garland has been on site, answering questions and having a good word for everyone, including students. On more than one occasion I've seen him ask a student if they needed something or if everything was okay. Garland seems to live the mission of a learning centered, student centric college. All of this while trying to accomplish a virtually impossible task.

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The team responsible for re-working everything - outstanding.
The Deans and leadership team - reorganization of classes

Support staff from both colleges - data input
Caroline Murray- Assisting with schedule development all week AND over weekend when changes were made.

Lisa Smith- Assisting with schedule development and offering help for any work required.

Debbie Brock- Worked tirelessly to continue instruction with minimal "damage" to the student.

Faculty with Schedule Changes- Too many to name individually but I heard no complaint for going online, hyrbid, or having significant time change. They all took their "orders" and got the job done!

Shashuna Gray- Assisted with re-design of schedule the day after eartquake and worked with science faculty to modify all science courses to hybrid modality.

Facilities- All around OUTSTANDING work!

As I work on this, I realize I could go on and on. The attitudes of all involved have been exemplary, and I cannot recall an instance of people being insubordinate.
The actions of our President, David Sam have been exceptional. Keeping communications open and informative. I firmly believe that he is here for a reason at the right time and this is based on his previous experiences. Thank you Dr. Sam.

The leadership team and their efforts to keep the impact on learning to a minimum.

Everyone, and I don't know who they are, who was called to work through the mess that this event has created.
Garland Fenwick and all of his staff - too many actions to list.
Garland Fenwick and Jacque Larsen helped lead efforts to relocate offices and classrooms from damaged areas to areas identified in the Workforce and Technology Building. Daniel Buhrman worked tirelessly to ensure equipment connected to our computer networks and relaxed security, where possible, to ease burdens on users as they adapted to their new environment.

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Martha O'Keefe and Jeanne Wesley worked diligently to find off-campus space to house various academic programs of the College knowing that their programs and offices would likely also be relocated but placing a higher priority on other programs and services first.

Bill Fiege and Deb Brock played a very significant role by completely revising classroom schedules and locations for the Fredericksburg area within a day and a half and helped identify computer and power needs for spaces, which then allowed Facilities and IT to begin physically relocating courses and programs.
Dean Brock

Dean Fiege

Daniel Buhrman

Aubrey B&G

Maggie Breeden

How can I really single people out...
Garland Fenwick for getting as much out of the building as he can while protecting his staff from harm.

Pam Frederick and all of student services for moving student services into cramped spaces but still making it work for the students: Win Stevens, Mark Haines, Maria Holley, Ann Lyons; the entire division.

Julie Mersiowsky for turning an 8 week on-line training into a three hour training, cheerfully, and with humor getting all the faculty and students trained.

The faculty for cheerfully moving out of their offices, and out of their comfort zones, into on-line learning because it is what the students need. The part time faculty for changing their syllabi, going on-line, getting trained, with few complaints, because it is what the students need.

Carol Baetz and Caroline Murray for answering endless questions from students and faculty.

Barbara Taylor for answering student and faculty questions into the wee hours of the morning, without once saying: "It was in paragraph three of the email!"

Mike Zitz for working with the media to get our message out and for sitting on Facebook late into the evening.

Dr. Sam for trusting all of us to do the right thing. Not micromanaging us but backing us up when we needed it.

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I think that our deans did a terrific job of making the best of a bad situation. Many faculty members also stepped up and assisted with training sessions. Mike Kuchinski gave sessions on Wimba all day long, which was going above and beyond the call of duty. Patricia Parker did a marvelous job of keeping the math dept. informed. These are just 2 examples with which I am familiar, I know there are many more.
Dr. Deborah Brock and Dr. William Fiege for their exemplary leadership throughout this situation. They had a plan and made use of all the College's instructional resources in order to continue to provide quality education to GCC's students.

Dr. David Sam for his role in guiding us through this process. And also for his foresight in recommending the purchase of iPads for our faculty and administrators! This greatly enhanced our ability to communicate for the first few days without access to laptops and desktop computers.

Jacque Larsen and all of the IT staff for their tireless efforts to retrieve IT equipment from FAC1 and making sure operations and communication could continue.

All of the Facilities and Grounds staff who have worked hard to set up makeshift offices, classrooms and instructional support areas.

The FAC Security staff who have kept us safe!

Chris Anderson has really responded to the challenge of being head of security during a crisis. He would normally be second in charge, but he really stepped to meet the need. With all of the personal items that were left in FAC1, there was potential for problems. He coordinated the recovery efforts very well.
Julie M. was fabulously organized and went above and beyond with her response with training options.

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Bill Fiege's attitude of helpfulness and consideration for the students' needs was (as always) inspiring.
Cathy, the security officer, was very encouraging and polite when I came back to retrieve my personal belonging.
Barbara Hall showed exemplary service to the Germanna staff, work study students and faculty when she came into the Locust Grove Campus when the college was closed to make sure that everyone was paid correctly. This took a lot of time and hard work but she did it because she knew that people needed to get paid. She showed real dedication to Germanna.

Kudos to the Emergency Management Team.

Germanna employees share stories of heroism during quake, Part 2

2011-09-28T14:29:00.000-07:00

Germanna Community College employees were asked to tell stories of heroism they witnessed during and after the Aug. 23 earthquake.

Here is Part 2:

Cathy Ryschon - she moved about the parking lot hurriedly to keep everyone informed and safe. She encouraged everyone to provide a ride for others who may not have had one and encouraged those who had cell phones to share with others.
Ryschon also evacuated FAC1 in an orderly and timely manner on that day.

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Security staff for conducting escorts in a orderly and efficient manner.

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The day of the earthquake, I was training with Lynn Lineberger and Terri Givler. When FAC1 began to shake, both ladies calmly took charge of the situation and instructed those in their area to immediately evacuate. Lynn and Terri's calm demeanor helped others to evacuate in an orderly fashion.

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The entire Maintenance crew did a great job getting everyone out of the building and then very carefully letting folks back in a few at a time to get their belongings. Security was also a big help.

Aubrey Collier. Minutes after the earthquake Aubrey was notified by Michelle Norton that she had let 3 hot plates on in the lab and that each hot plate had a different chemical in it and if they were to mix the chemicals could become volitale. Aubrey immediately went back into the FAC 1 building and found the hot plates with the items boiling and got them turned off.

Chris Cooper. Stayed on the job until 2am Wednesday morning evaluating the damage of GCC facilities.

James Haynes. Assisted in the removing a handicap student from the facility.

Forrest Donald. Went to DTC and LGC to do early evaluations of damage to the facilities.

Tom Stanley. Immediately started correcting damage areas of the LGC building so classes could go back into session ASAP.

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Security staff for conducting escorts in a orderly and efficient mannner.

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Patricia Parker-thorough information was given to all developmental math teachers and even personal phone calls were given to help relieve the stress...she went above and beyond in my opinion.

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Sara Somerville was firm and progressive -- got everyone in our area outside promptly!

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Mark Haines was key in helping to evacuate students from FAC 1. Mark along with James Haynes aided a wheel chair student safely off of the 3rd floor and out of the bldg.

Cathy Ryschon from security was very level headed and helpful with all that was needed during and post the earthquake. Cathy is always concerned about the needs of the students and the college. She always approaches any situation with a positive manner. She is a pleasure to have as a co-worker.
Bill Fiege going all over the parking lot making sure people were okay.

The people (Mark Haines and James Haynes) who carried the lady in the wheelchair down.

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Carol Baetz trying to answer everyone's questions and keep things organized (as usual!)

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The ACC staff at LGC had the wisdom to order the students out of room 204 and into room 203 and under desks to remove them from the danger of the HVAC falling in room 204. All students complied and came into 203, proceeded to get under desk and remain relatively calm until we were told to evacuate at which point the staff directed the students to the closest exit.
Upgrading Security paid off with their drills and in service slash cross training with faculty to safely evacuate fac1 like any other unexpected emergency ...

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Mark Haines, Coordinator of Counseling at FAC

James Haynes, Buildings and Grounds Staff

Both of these individuals went back into the building to assist the student who is constrained in a wheelchair.

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Kathy Ryschon- Security Guard who went back into the building to assist in evacuation.

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Ann Alizio in Admissions and Records who made sure counseling center was being evacuated.

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Carol Baetz from Instruction who made sure everyone stayed away from the building.
I'm Ron Williams the Project Inspector of the New Academic Service Building for GCC. I was on the 3rd floor as the building started to move I yelled to all workers on that floor to leave and went to the roof to make all those workers leave the building. Todd Cooksey, Donley's Superintendent was on the 1st floor and he had all workers to leave and went to the second floor and had them leave. We all meet at the construction trailer and took a head count and all workers were down and safe. The job was closed at that point.

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Debbie Bunch. Debbie owns and runs the food service at LGC. She calmly shepherded students and personnel in her area out to safety. As she isn't a GCC employee, I thought her actions rather selfless and exemplary.
Security at DTC campus. When I phoned to clarify the first email indicating classes were cancelled the evening of the earthquake, the security person answered the phone and provided me the information I needed.

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All safety monitors that helped move students out of the building to a safe location.

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Garland Fenwick and Aubrey in their courageous initiatives.

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Mark Haines rushing to the help of a full quadriplegic Courtney Dole.

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Wow- where to start? I do not know his name- but the man directing traffic away from the campus around 3 pm was helpful and polite. Those getting the word out did a great job. I do not know names of people in FACI at the time, but numerous students have commented how calm, professional and helpful people were.
All of security - They made sure that the buildings were emptied and they prevented re-entry of the building until they knew that it was safe to do so.

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Tina Parker - She worked with a security guard on directing traffic leaving the parking lot when she didn't have to do so.

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James Cassese - He went to 7-Eleven and got water for employees and students an hour or so after the earthquake occurred. Many people needed water at this point in time.
Stuart Smith: He stood for at least 90 minutes at the curb of FAC1 helping to keep folks from moving any closer to the building, explaining to them why they needed to move back to the light pole in the parking lot.

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Deb Brock and Bill Fiege: Patiently, calmly, and kindly moving throughout the parking lot to groups of people trying to determine who was without a ride home, organizing how those folks might be able to get home. Never would leave the grounds until everyone was taken care of.

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Nancy Noel: moved around the parking lot getting students to move back to the first light pole explaining why they needed to be that far back, calming them down and assuring them that if we were closed tomorrow that they would be contacted via email, notified on the home page, and probably on tv.

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Cathy Ryschon: WOW!!!!! She kept her cool when people were getting upset that they couldn't get back in the building to retrieve personal effects and car keys. She worked the students, the traffic out of the campus parking lot, and all the while kept people calm, explaining why things were being done the way they were! She gets GOLD STARS!!!!
I was not on campus during the earthquake. However, I felt that Dean Fiege did an excellent job of communicating via e-mail, and more importantly to me, was terrific about responding to questions and other issues.
Sarah Somerville taking charge of getting students out of the building.

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Pam Frederick helping retrieve car keys for the student who had a dog locked in her car.
Rick Brehm and Garland Fenwick (Both took charge of the situation at the LGC, surveyed the damage and gave instructions.)

******************************************************

Security staff at LGC (Were courteous and helpful.)
Right after the earthquake, James (on the maintenance staff) was walking the hallways of FAC 1 on the second floor checking on each of the classrooms and helping students get out of the building. It was very chaotic and he was taking charge of the situation to make sure that people got out of the building safely. He also helped one of the students in a wheelchair.
Just about everyone!
Thank you to the Security Staff who got everyone safely out of the buildings!
PT faculty member Nilo Burke held door for students next to a visibly damaged wall and staircase, and offered rides home to 2 faculty/staff whose keys were left inside the building.

**********************************************

Carol Baetz and James Haynes did an outstanding job firmly, but kindly, getting and keeping everyone out of and away from the building.
Tom Stanley. He was the first -- from our view on the ground -- to actually walk across the top of the Locust Grove building to inspect. That job could have been extremely dangerous!

************************************************

Debbie Bunch, operator of the food services facility at the Locust Grove Campus showed exemplary service to Germanna at the onset, through the duration of, and in the aftermath of the earthquake. Debbie knew what was happening and she immediately came out of the kitchen ushering all the students out of the building and into the parking lot - ensuring they were not in an erosion zone and thus in further danger in being outside.
She was sure to make the students and faculty move to the parking lot, away from the building and the grounds, recognizing the risks involved with shifting earth. I witnessed others moving students to areas substantially less safe and remaining outside next to the building, but Debbie took her endeavor much further and employed an authoritative tone that generated the necessary response from those confused and uncertain regarding what to do.
When the quake ended she re-entered the building to look for students in interior classrooms near the student lounge for the purpose of gathering them to go into the parking lot and await further instructions from the school. At no time did she hesitate and her concern was clearly for welfare of the students above herself.
Though not technically a Germanna employee, her actions were indicative of those that we would hope all faculty and staff would have when the safety of our students are concerned. I feel compelled to make this point not only because Debbie's actions were certainly exemplary, but because she knew what had occurred, she knew the inherent risks, and despite this went back into the building look for students and make sure everyone was safe.
While I was with Debbie while she did this (I was concerned for her safety as well as that of the students, but it was her initiative that I followed, admittedly), I witnessed other faculty members stood by doors yelling for students, faculty, and staff to leave the building. Certainly this is not a fault on the part of those faculty and staff members who did not actively go to look for students trapped inside or hiding inside due to fear - this is simply what happened and how events played out on that terrible afternoon.
Debbie showed phenomenal emotional strength and personal character in her concern for the students first and foremost. Debbie Bunch was truly fearless in the face of danger and while I did insist on accompanying her back into the building, it was she who immediately responded and acted solely with concern for the welfare of Germanna's students, faculty and staff. Her actions were truly those of a hero, and fortunately no one was injured at LGC, but I have no doubt that if Debbie had found an injured or panic stricken individual she would have gotten them to safety - for I did not see anyone else go about physically looking for students in need aside from Debbie that day.
***********************************

I was not present the day of the earthquake; however, I did hear how faculty and staff blocked off the building and strongly insisted no one could re-enter. I felt they were being very protective of students and colleagues and showing a great deal of compassion for their safety.

************************************

Thank you to everyone!!
Lisa Smith: Her calm efficiency as she handled the crisis.
Bill Fiege - He was calm and collected throughout the evacuation, guided students, make some very good managerial decisions and generally ran around the parking lot twenty times to check one everyone - students, staff and faculty.

************************************************
Chris Anderson- Handled situation beautifully at FAC. In charge, clear, confident!

Mark Haines- Assisting with student in wheel chair.

Matt Chambers- Getting water for folks at FAC late in the day.

Miguel Lechuga- Assisting with traffic.

Carol Baetz- Assisting with traffic.

Many Faculty and Staff- Helping keep students calm and informed
Dean Gilkey filtered among the faculty, staff and students to ensure that phone access was available so that contact with loved ones was attempted.

Phones were shared with others who did not have coverage with their service, there is no one person who did this as several, including myself gave their phones to others in need.

*******************************************

Dr. Sam; he was in a press conference with Senator Warner at the Library of Congress and he left immediately to the Daniel Center to determine the extent of the damage and what our response should be. In short, he took charge.

Germanna Hero Survey responses, Part 3

2011-09-28T14:16:00.000-07:00

Germanna Community College employees were asked to tell stories of heroism they witnessed during and after the Aug. 23 earthquake.

Here is Part 3:

The guards were great. They made sure everyone exited in an orderly fashion and they were not afraid to go back into the building to get people out.

************************************

I think students should get credit, too, for acting (mostly) in a calm, orderly manner. I did not see any pushing or shoving.
Mark Haines and James Haynes deserve credit for assisting the wheelchair-bound student down the stairs and to safety.
Many people offered to take others home since many of us left our keys and belongings in the building.
***********************************

As everyone else was looking confused and lacking direction, someone had the good sense to pull the fire alarm to start the evacuation of FAC1. I don't know who it was, but it was a great idea.

**************************************

Good to see VP Rick Brehm and VP Jeanne Wesley rolling up their sleeves and working side by side with employees.

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Rick Brehm. He took charge of a difficult situation, Made sure everyone outside was kept informed as well as checking the school out with the grounds crew, assessing and making decisions.( LGC)

***************************************

Mr. Rick Brehm and Mr. Garland Fenwick was so helpful. They checked the hallways and made me feel very secure.
I appreciate their quick response to the earthquake and the way they anticipated our anxiety. We were quickly informed about the magnitude of the earthquake, where the center was, and the expectations required for faculty and students. We were allowed to leave in a timely manner in order to check on our families, of which mine was located within 8 miles of the epicenter of the quake.

****************************************

I was in the Tutoring Center at the time, acting more like a deer caught in the headlights than anything else. Nicki Mahon, a new hire in Tutoring, spoke with authority and urged everyone to leave the building calmly, but immediately. She instructed people to take purses, but not take time to gather books and papers. That got us moving in an orderly fashion toward the door.

****************************************

I have to state that to see the "Germanna team" including all staff, faculty and administration as well as student response to the event was utterly amazing and almost made the event an unevent. Everyone did what they needed to do from the initial rumble and shake to the re-opening of classroom offerings. One word...Amazing

GERMANNA RECOGNIZED AS ONE OF NATION’S TOP COLLEGES IN USE OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY

2011-09-28T12:02:00.000-07:00

Germanna Community College was recognized when e.Republic’s Center for Digital Education and Converge Online announced today the winners in the seventh annual Digital Community Colleges Survey. The survey documents advances made by community colleges in utilizing information technology and recognizes which colleges are providing a high level of service to their faculty, students, and communities as a result.
The survey looked at technology integration into college curriculum and campus life, documenting use of online admissions processes, distance education, technology training for students and faculty, campus security alerts, use of Web 2.0 social and collaborative capabilities as well as online tutoring and advisory services. Use of mobile devices was also a key indicator of success.
"We pride ourselves on staying on the cutting edge of educational technology," Germanna President David A. Sam said. "We must do so in order to better serve our students’ communities. Further, as our enrollment continues to grow and our resources shrink, technology can help us be more efficient in the use of those resources.
"Our use of technology in our response to the recent earthquake makes this recognition even more meaningful,” he said. “Our stellar Distance Learning program, and our increasingly technology adept faculty and staff were able to serve our students with minimal disruption even after the loss of one-third of our classrooms. We quickly, seamlessly and relatively painlessly accommodated a move of 4,400 students and 321 classes made necessary by quake damage to one of our buildings. It was quite a test of our ability to use technology by increasing the number of online and hybrid classes in a matter of days, by allowing students to change classes online and by keeping students informed via text messages and social media. I'm proud to say Germanna passed that test."
Germanna tied for 4th place with Laramie (Wy.) County Community College and Lord Fairfax Community College in Warrenton in the Mid-Sized Colleges Category – those with from 5,000 to 10,000 students. GCC has about 7,600 credit students and about 3,000 non-credit students.
“As community college enrollments continue to increase, school leaders are incorporating new technologies to enhance student services and improve course curriculum,” said Cathilea Robinett, executive vice president of the Center for Digital Education. “Expanded distance learning offerings, use of mobile devices, and greater collaboration – among other efforts – demonstrate these winners’ drive to provide students with a high-quality education at a lower cost.”

GCC CELEBRATES EMPLOYEES’ SMOOTH HANDLING OF MASSIVE CHANGES NECESSITATED BY QUAKE

2011-09-27T12:53:00.000-07:00

Germanna Community College President David A. Sam turned the first hour of Fall Learning Day, a college-wide training event for several hundred employees held today at the Daniel Center in Culpeper, into a celebration.

Dr. Sam praised college staff, faculty, administrators and volunteers for their hard work into evenings and over weekends, and for what he described as their ability to adapt, their can-do mindset and their amiable nature under stress.

“Some of these folks worked 12-, 14-, 16-hour days,” Dr. Sam said.

The quake struck on Aug. 23, causing damage to the Fredericksburg Area Campus Dickinson Building, Germanna’s largest, leaving it structurally unsound and out of commission for a year. No other building at the college’s other locations in Massaponax, Locust Grove, Culpeper and Stafford were significantly affected by the quake. But the entire college was closed to avoid confusion due to the need to move 4,400 students and 321 classes through creative scheduling in time for a Sept. 6 re-opening.

Virginia Community College System Chancellor Dr. Glenn DuBois climbed up on the Daniel Center stage, then took off his suit jacket, tie, and crisp, white dress shirt to reveal a blue “Germanna Quake Break ‘11” t-shirt.

“I really came to give you a shout out because I was so impressed with the minimal disruption to the students, how the community stepped up and you all just stayed on your game,” Dr. DuBois said.

“You took a crisis and turned it around and did the very, very best you could for your students.”

Dr. Sam said: “This is the most positive place I’ve ever worked… The earthquake was an opportunity for dysfunction. But I’ve been told by people at the Chamber and by other business people, ‘It’s remarkable what you folks did.’ “

“We work well under stress, with good spirits, helping each other,” he said. Through several years of budget cuts, an earthquake, and a hurricane, he said, “we continue to care about each other.”

GCC's 'everyday heroes' rush to help paraplegic student stuck on third floor when quake struck

2011-09-26T13:00:00.000-07:00

At right: Structural damage to GCC's Dickinson Building. Elevators were damaged and Courtney Dole, a paraplegic student in a wheel chair was stuck on the third floor, with aftershocks to come.

As others fled Germanna's Dickinson Building, which was damaged in the Aug. 23 earthquake, Fredericksburg Area Campus Coordinator of Counseling Mark Haines and staffer James Haynes rushed up three flights of stairs, not sure what was going to happen.

The Dickinson Building is out of commission for about a year. Classes were moved to another building on the Fredericksurg Campus, and they resumed Sept. 6. Other GCC locations were unaffected.

Free Lance-Star story
Fredericksburg.com video.

Middle College students return to Germanna Friday, Sept. 23.

2011-09-21T13:53:00.000-07:00

Germanna Community College Middle College classes will resume on Fridays from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., beginning this Friday, Sept. 23, at Fredericksburg Area Campus Building Workforce and Technology Building (FAC 2), in room 232 until further notice.

Classes had been suspended due to earthquake damage to another building on the Fredericksburg Campus.

This is a short-term solution, according to GCC Middle College Director Carolyn Bynum, until a new location is established.

College officials continue to work on securing that location.

"In the interim, holding an all-day class on Fridays is a way to keep our current students engaged in their coursework and to keep them on track towards their goals," Bynum said. "We have been working on identifying online resources to supplement the in-class instruction so that even while students are away from campus they can continue to work on GED prep, career exploration and college coursework.

"The students are excited to get back to class after over a month-long hiatus," Bynum said.

Most other students returned on Sept. 6.

"They have been very patient through this whole process, but they're ready to get back on track," Bynum said.

Middle College help prepare students to get their GEDs and enter Germanna or another college's degree program.

Germanna named one of America's most military friendly colleges

2011-09-20T13:55:00.000-07:00

G.I. Jobs, a magazine for military personnel making the transition to civilian life, has named Germanna Community College to its 2012 Military Friendly School list. The list honors the top 20 percent of American colleges doing the most to embrace both active military service members and veterans as students.
Nearly 300 Germanna students took advantage of G.I. Bill benefits this summer, according to Dianne Frausto, GCC’s Veterans Affairs Representative, including some military dependents. The number is not available yet for the Fall semester.
“Many of the military personnel stationed at Quantico Marine Corps Base, Fort A.P. Hill and the Dahlgren Naval Surface Warfare Center and their families live in our area,” said Germanna President David A. Sam. “ Many more commute to the Pentagon and Fort Belvoir. Some have chosen to make the area their home after retiring from the military.
“Now many from our area who have served selflessly and valiantly in Iraq and Afghanistan are returning home,” Dr. Sam said. “We owe it to all those who have served to ease their transition back to civilian life, make them feel welcome and appreciated, and to prepare them for good jobs. The G.I. Jobs recognition is one way of paying them back for helping to keep us safe.”
The criteria set by the magazine include efforts to recruit and retain active military and veteran students and success in recruiting and retaining military and veteran students.
Germanna has a Veterans Affairs office, a Veterans Club, a counselor whose duties include assisting veterans, and a Web page. GCC also works closely with Wounded Warrior, a peer support organization that provides assistance to veterans as they make the adjustment to civilian life.
Military personnel and veterans seeking information about Germanna should contact Frausto at 540/891-3023 or dfrausto@germanna.edu
In its effort to help veterans choose the right college, G.I. Jobs conducted a first-ever survey of student veterans.
According to the magazine, the 1,518 colleges, universities and trade schools on this year's list place high importance on the recruitment of students with military experience. The 2012 list of Military Friendly Schools was selected from than 8,000 schools nationwide.
G.I. Jobs magazine is published by Victory Media, a veteran-owned business headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Get involved at Germanna's Club Carnival and get free Bruster's ice cream

2011-09-19T13:24:00.000-07:00

Check out Germanna's clubs--or start one yourself at the GCC Club Carnival.
Free Bruster's ice cream will be served!
At the Fredericksburg Area Campus: Tuesday, Sept. 20th, 11am-2pm. Tables will be set up outside the main entrance of FAC2.
At the Locust Grove Campus: Thursday, Sept. 22nd, 630 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. (Shortly before the 8 p.m. "Kung Fu Panda 2" Drive-In movie event on the lawn).

See 'Kung Fu Panda 2' fre Thursday, Sept. 22 at the Germanna Community College "Drive-In"

2011-09-16T14:36:00.000-07:00

Students and their families are invited to a free GCC "Drive In" movie showing of "Kung Fu Panda 2" on the front lawn of the Locust Grove Campus at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 22. There will be free Rita's Italian Ice starting at 7 p.m.

See the official trailer.

J.F. Fick foursome wins GCCEF's 6th Annual Ray Glazebrook Memorial Tournament, which raises $25,000

2011-09-05T13:32:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to the team from J.F. Fick Inc, which won the Germanna Educational Foundation's 6th Annual Ray Glazebrook Memorial Golf tournament at Cannon Ridge Golf Club.
The victorious foursome consisted of John Fick, Preston Cox, P.J. Cox and Carl Shade.
Taking second place was Pelham Court Motors, which consisted of Eddie Tolson, Eddie Bennett, Taylor Bennett and Richard Stapleton.
Hallberg & O’Malley Financial took third with a foursome of Chris Hallberg, Michael O’Malley, Nick Seay and Keith Wampler,
The event raised a preliminary total of over $25,000 for the GCC Educational Foundation, Executive Director Mike Catell said.

How administrators, staff, faculty and students worked together to pull off a post-quake miracle at Germanna

2011-09-02T13:23:00.000-07:00

GCC pursues online classes

Germanna nursing and dental hygiene students return to class as details are ironed out for all others

Date published: 8/31/2011

By PAMELA GOULD

Nursing and dental hygiene students resumed classes at Germanna Community College yesterday as deans finalized plans for the rest of the students whose classes were disrupted by an earthquake on the second day of the fall semester.

The challenge has been finding a way to continue instruction for the 4,400 people who registered for classes at the V. Earl Dickinson Building on the Fredericksburg Area Campus. That structure, built in 1997, suffered significant damage from the magnitude-5.8 earthquake on Aug. 23 centered in Louisa County.

The building won't be available for use until January at the earliest.

The goal has been to find a way to keep those students on campus this fall in the Massaponax area of Spotsylvania County, said Deborah Brock, dean of arts and sciences, and Bill Fiege, dean of technical and professional studies.

College spokesman Mike Zitz said many in the community responded to a request for space but, with a few exceptions, Germanna officials have chosen not to move classes.

Instead, the deans said Germanna has relocated some of the 321 classes scheduled for Dickinson into the Workforce and Community Education Building on the same campus.

Many classes were restructured. Forty will be taught totally online. Others will be a mix of online and classroom, while the rest will be in different classrooms. Fewer than five classes had to be canceled.

The college is adding a few 10-week courses to meet the needs of students who couldn't take their classes after they were rescheduled.

Those courses will begin Sept. 28, have longer meeting times, and end at the same time as regular 15-week semester classes, Fiege said.

They will meet at the Locust Grove Campus and on the Stafford campus of the University of Mary Washington, Zitz said.

Students started the fall semester on Aug. 22. Classes were in session when the earthquake began shortly before 2 p.m. last Tuesday.

Germanna President David Sam canceled classes indefinitely immediately after the earthquake so that structures at all campuses could be inspected.

Germanna offers classes in its own buildings in Culpeper, Orange and Spotsylvania counties. It also holds classes in office space in North Stafford.

Germanna Community College officials have been working over the past week to accommodate students enrolled for classes at the Fredericksburg Area Campus, whose chief academic building was significantly damaged in the magnitude-5.8 earthquake.

Only the Dickinson building has significant structural damage.

Though nursing and dental hygiene students returned to class yesterday at the Locust Grove Campus in Orange, students at all other sites will resume Sept. 6.

Germanna may lease space for noncredit classes and personnel being displaced from the Workforce building.

The Fredericksburg Area Campus lost 22 classrooms, its six science labs and two computer labs with the closing of the Dickinson building.

The Workforce building has 18 classrooms and two computer labs.

College officials are optimistic that even students who have shied away from online courses will find they like that option.

"We think some may be glad they have had the opportunity," Brock said.

Fiege cited a study that found 30 percent of college students have taken at least one online course. He also said that with today's technology, online learning can be very interactive.

He noted that faculty--many of whom now have iPads--can respond quickly, utilize online chats to communicate, and can rapidly post announcements using the college's electronic blackboard.

"It's very user-friendly," Fiege said.

Pamela Gould: 540/735-1972
Email: pgould@freelancestar.com

Germanna Community College officials have been working over the past week to accommodate students enrolled for classes at the Fredericksburg Area Campus, whose chief academic building was significantly damaged in the magnitude-5.8 earthquake on Aug. 23.

4,400--Number of students enrolled in classes meeting in the V. Earl Dickinson Building, which was damaged

321--Number of classes scheduled to meet there

10--Number of offices available for 150 to 200 faculty members

1--Number of GCC buildings significantly damaged

Volunteering to help Germanna with its post-earthquake transition: Please attend training session and free lunch at noon Friday, Sept. 2

2011-08-30T15:45:00.001-07:00

Thank you for volunteering to assist us with the post-earthquake transition!

Many of you offered to help with moving furniture/equipment from FAC1 to FAC2. For security reasons, only items that were essential to the day-to-day operations have been removed from the building; therefore, the majority of items will remain in FAC1 until security gives us the all clear. This could be weeks, possibly months from now.

In the meantime, classes are scheduled to begin on Tuesday, September 6. Classes that were scheduled for FAC1 have been relocated, transitioned to hybrid offerings (a mixture of face-to-face and online), or converted to online courses. We have communicated the schedule change with students; however, we anticipate that there will still be some confusion. We are looking for volunteers to help direct students to the appropriate classes during the first week of school. Volunteers will be needed as follows:

■Tuesday, September 6 between the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
■Wednesday, September 7 between the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
■Thursday, September 8 between the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m.
■Friday, September 9 between the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
■Saturday, September 10 between the hours of 8:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
You do not have to volunteer all day. Any time that you can give us (i.e. 2 hours on Tuesday morning, 3 hours on Thursday afternoon, 1 hour on Saturday, etc.) will be GREATLY appreciated.

It is extremely important that we provide you with the information that you will need to assist our students during the first week. We will be conducting Volunteer Training from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m. on Friday, September 2 in FAC2, Room 105. Lunch will be provided. During this training session you will receive information from Student Services, Instructional Services, Security and Academic Support. Please let me know, either by email or by phone, by noon on Thursday, September 1 whether or not you plan to attend the training. Thank you!

Pamela Duff Shifflett

Executive Assistant to the President

Germanna Community College

pshifflett@germanna.edu

.

Latest Germanna Post Quake Schedule Update: GCC Nursing, Dental Hygiene classes resume Tuesday, all other classes Sept. 6

2011-08-29T18:21:00.000-07:00

Students who are active in the following Nursing and Dental Care Program courses including Nurse Aide, Practical Nursing, Surgical Scrub, and Dental Hygiene need to report to school Tues. Aug 30th as scheduled. The prefixes for these classes are the following: DNH, PNE, HLT,NUR.
All other students report on Sept. 6th.
We realize the notes in the new online schedule are not up-to-date in all cases. They will be corrected tomorrow!
Here is how to read the schedule at www.germanna.edu/class_schedules/
Follow the class listing, not the note or lack thereof!
Examples:
a) If the class listing has a room and a full class time, then the class is traditional face-to-face. IE. ENG 111-F01 MW 9:00 – 10:15.
b) If the class listing has a room and a partial class time, then the class is a hybrid. I.E. ENG 111-F01 M 9:00 – 10:15 or MW 9:00 – 9:50. The time is not the full amount required and the difference is hybrid. Most of them are 50% online and 50% face-to-face although some are 2/3 in one direction or the other.
c) If the class listing has no room and no time listed, it is fully online.

Student Services will be open Wednesday, Aug. 31 and Thursday, Sept. 1 from 8:30 am – 7:00 pm and Friday from 8:30 am – 5:00 pm for students to meet with an advisor to discuss their individual schedules. Please come into the Fredericksburg, or Locust Grove Campus, if you have questions about your courses and need to meet with someone.

The bookstore will be open Wednesday, Aug 31 at 12 Noon at the Locust Grove Campus only.

For more information, go to www.germanna.edu.

New Germanna Community College class schedules online; 'Quake Break 2011' about to end

2011-08-27T10:57:00.000-07:00

Students,

Thank you for your understanding as we prepare to re-open the College.

You may now view your schedule at www.germanna.edu/class_schedules/, but you cannot make changes at this time. You should view your schedule in SIS and online so that you can see the notes that describe the changes made to your schedule.

Due to the earthquake on Tuesday, we have had to move classes out of FAC I. We had to change a lot of classes so students could take classes on the Fredericksburg Campus. Some classes that were completely face to face are now hybrid—a combination of face-to-face classroom instruction and online instruction. A few of those classes have gone totally online. We have made some time changes but have tried to keep those changes minimal.

We will be offering training in online learning next Wednesday and Thursday at the Fredericksburg Campus in the Workforce & Technology Building (FAC 2). We strongly encourage all students who are new to online learning to attend one of these sessions. Sessions for online training will be Wednesday, August 31, and Thursday, Sept. 1 beginning at 9:00 AM and running every hour, on the hour, with the last session of the day beginning at 8:00 PM and ending at 9:00 PM. We’ll have signs posted on the campus to direct you to the session locations.

Student Services will be available at all college locations on August 31 and September 1 from 8:30 AM until 7PM. Student Services will be available on Friday, September 2 from 8:30AM to 5:00PM. Financial Aid, Counseling Services, the Tuition Office, and Admissions & Records will be available to assist you as Germanna reopens. At the Fredericksburg Campus location, please be advised that services will be available at the Workforce & Technology Building (FAC 2).

We are developing a new academic calendar. We have revised the dates you can drop a course and get a refund as well as the time you can withdraw from a course without academic penalty. You will be able to see the revised calendar online by noon on Monday. It will also be available at the counseling sessions.

We will communicate further on Monday about the specifics of your individual schedule changes.

Germanna Community College

FAQ on Germanna Community College earthquake status

2011-08-25T16:39:00.000-07:00

Has Germanna closed for the semester?

No. On Aug. 30, Germanna Community College nursing and dental hygiene students will restart classes. All other students will resume classes on Sept. 6. Details will be available via email and on the Germanna Web site within 24 hours.(CLARIFICATION: Only nursing classes start on Aug. 30. Other classes being taken by nursing students start on Sept. 6.)
Check Blackboard, Germanna email and germanna.edu for the class schedule with new room assignments.

Is the Sept. 6 restart date (for non-nursing students) effective for online classes as well?

Yes.

Has the Fredericksburg Campus closed?

No. One building, FAC I, also known as the Dickinson Building, suffered structural damage that has put it out of commission for the semester. FAC II, the Workforce Building, was not damaged. Officials are working to move classes into FAC II. All classes will resume. Some students may have to go to classroom/online hybrid classes or to online classes to avoid moving to a classroom in another location. College officials are also considering space near the Fredericksburg Campus for classrooms.

Will the semester be extended? Will the final exams schedule change?

No and no.

Were other Germanna locations damaged in the quake?

The Locust Grove Campus and the Stafford Center are in good shape. The Daniel Center in Culpeper sustained minor damage to tiles in the auditorium ceiling and to an overhead projector. But classrooms at the Daniel Center were not affected. There was some damage to the George Washington Carver Center in Culpeper, where automotive program classes are to be held in the Fall. Culpeper County is determining how serious the damage is.

Will I be able to buy my text books before classes resume?

Yes. The book store will be operating out of the Locust Grove Campus and all of the text books are also available for order online. Those who had books waiting for pickup at the FAC I store will now have to drive to LGC to get them.
UPDATE: If you ordered books and have received an email advising you that your order is ready for pick up, you may pick up your order at the Locust Grove Campus bookstore beginning Wednesday, August 31st. We'll continue to post updates as we receive them.

What will the Fredericksburg Campus be like this semester?

FAC II will be cramped. There will be no room for lounging or studying, no food service and no cafeteria. Students will need to find other places to hang out, study and eat.

Germanna partnering with FRED bus service

2011-08-16T09:27:00.000-07:00

Germanna Community College has announced a partnership with FREDericksburg Regional Transit. FRED is a department of the City of Fredericksburg and provides scheduled bus service in the City and counties of Spotsylvania, Stafford, Caroline and King George.

Germanna’s contribution of $25,000 annually to FRED qualifies it as a Major Partner and member of FRED’s Public Transit Advisory Board (PTAB). As a Major Partner, GCC employees and students will be able to ride all regular FRED services free upon showing a valid ID.
“We are delighted to have Germanna Community College as a major FRED partner," said Kathleen Beck, Director of Public Transit for the City of Fredericksburg.

“Germanna Community College is equally pleased to become a FRED partner. With a growing student population and expanding facilities and staff, we see this opportunity to partner with FRED as a significant benefit for the GCC community, while supporting public transit in the region,” said Dr. Ann Woolford, GCC Vice President for Academic Affairs and Student Services.

GCC President David A. Sam said the partnership with FRED provides a greener way to get to the college and that “it can provide access for those who might not have a car.”

FRED has served the Fredericksburg Campus of GCC since December 1998. Recently, FRED restructured service in Spotsylvania County so that the campus now receives hourly service between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, with connections at Lee Hill Center to the rest of the FRED network.

GERMANNA RECEIVES GRANT TO SUPPORT USING NEW GREEN ACADEMIC BUILDING AT FREDERICKSBURG CAMPUS AS A TEACHING TOOL FOR STUDENTS, AREA RESIDENTS

2011-08-04T11:10:00.000-07:00

Germanna Community College has been recognized as a recipient of a $3,000 Greenforce Initiative Innovation Mini Grant. With support from this grant, GCC will design a program to train students to be guides for its new academic facility at its Fredericksburg Area Campus, which will be a green building, and provide an opportunity for engineering students to learn from the architects and builders as construction is in progress. The new Academic Services Building, slated for March 2012 completion, will incorporate reduced energy consumption concepts including a vegetated roof, passive solar heating, automatic shades, native plantings, water conservation, and superefficient heating and cooling. In total, four schools in Virginia and more than 15 nationally have been awarded a grant through the Greenforce Initiative.

The National Wildlife Federation and Jobs for the Future have joined forces on the Greenforce Initiative, a two-year project started in 2010, to spur innovation in the role of community colleges in the coming green-jobs revolution.

“We want to thank the Greenforce Initiative for helping us create an opportunity to increase the knowledge and awareness of green building and methods of reducing energy consumption,” said Dr. William Fiege, Germanna Dean of Professional and Technical Studies. “We are developing curricula and teaching modules for GCC’s engineering program that engage the mechanical systems and renewable energy features of the building. Here, the building itself is the laboratory, and students will get hands-on experience monitoring and calibrating a working green building.”

With support from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation and CS Mott Foundation, The Greenforce Initiative is strengthening green career pathways leading to postsecondary credentials and family sustaining careers; increasing access and success for lower-skilled adults; and using campus “greening” or sustainability efforts as “learning laboratories” for education and training. Building on the combined experience of NWF and JFF in environmental sustainability and workforce development, respectively, this commitment provides assistance to community colleges in six regions: Metro Chicago, Michigan, North Carolina, northern Virginia, Seattle, and South Texas. The Initiative has hosted eight summits in six locations, engaging hundreds of community college staff and faculty.

“We face a major challenge to retool and rebuild our workforce and meet the challenges of the coming clean energy economy," said Lisa Madry, Campus Field Director, National Wildlife Federation. "The Greenforce commitment will help accelerate America's ability to tackle the climate crisis while creating economic opportunities and pathways out of poverty."

Community colleges are increasingly called upon to both prepare graduates with the 21st century skills needed in a greener economy while also protecting community health and sustainability. "Post-secondary credentials are increasingly required for careers that pay family-sustaining wages," said Gloria Mwase, Program Director, Jobs for the Future. "While the labor demand in key "green" sectors offer job growth opportunities in many communities, it is critical that we ensure that under-prepared adults can access and succeed in these careers."

In Virginia, there are more than 336,000 jobs in a representative group of job areas that could see job growth or wage increases by putting global warming solutions to work, according to Huey Battle from the Northern Virginia Workforce Investment Board. The Virginia Community College System is committed to supporting the growth of sustainability-skilled jobs in Virginia, “By 2015 the Virginia Community College System hopes to be working with approximately 12,000 Virginia companies and we are starting to see demand for green jobs in Virginia in the weatherization, HVAC, and wind industries” said VCCS Chancellor Glenn DuBois.

Since its formation in 1936, National Wildlife Federation has worked with affiliates across the country to inspire Americans to protect wildlife for future generations. NWF seeks to engage and educate its 4 million members, partners and supporters with a focus on restoring habitat, confronting global warming and connecting people with nature. To learn more about NWF’s environmental higher education programs, visit the Campus Ecology www.campusecology.org and Greenforce Initiative www.greenforceinitiative.org pages.

Jobs for the Future develops, implements, and promotes new education and workforce strategies that help communities, states, and the nation compete in a global economy. In more than 200 communities across 43 states, JFF improves the pathways leading from high school to college to family-sustaining careers.

GCC Prof. Ashley Anglin and her Germanna 'family' play big part in 'The Sound of Music'

2011-07-25T08:58:00.000-07:00

Left to right, GCC's Matthew McKinney, Prof. Ashley Anglin and Hannah Martino play key roles in a community production of "The Sound of Music" that runs July 28-31.

Germanna Community College Prof. Ashley Anglin jokes that she's looking forward to adding singing soprano in Latin to her resume when she performs with students Hannah Martino and Matt McKinney Thursday through Sunday in a community theater production of "The Sound of Music" at Spotsylvania High School. Anglin is a professor of Spanish and Italian and the GCC Department of Modern Foreign Languages chair.
"And she sings it beautifully," says Marilyn Scott, who is the director of the show and of the local Christian Community Theater, a branch of the Christian Youth Theater.
This will be the first Fredericksburg CCT show. CCT is all ages. The cutoff age for CYT is 18.
Martino, 20, will play the lead role of Maria, McKinney will play Rolf, and Anglin will play Sister Sophia. Austin Fitzhugh, another former student of Anglin's, plays Max. Anna Godfrey, the show's stage manager, is a GCC student who has applied to the nursing program.
Anglin earns a 4.9 out 5.0 on RateMyProfessors.com for making learning fun. "We have a competition to see who can be rated the meanest teacher," she says with a laugh.
"She is so creative and so funny that she makes learning very easy," Martino says of Anglin.
Anglin, who earned degrees at Catholic University and William & Mary, taught at Northern Virginia Community College before coming to Germanna four years ago.
The 17-year-old McKinney, who has been a Dual Enrollment student at Germanna, won a GCC award for academic excellence in math. Martino, who has a semester to go, has been a member of the student government.
McKinney's character, Rolf, is a teenage boy who becomes a Nazi. The sweet-natured McKinney says playing the role is difficult. "I kind of turn into a jerk," he says with a smile. "It's hard for me to be mean. Hopefully, I can pull it off. I also have to be a flirt, which I really don't know how to do."
For Martino, playing Maria comes naturally. "I love being with the children," she says. She has worked as a full-time, live-in nanny and as a tutor." Singing harmony with so many young children is a bit difficult, though, she said.
"I grew up with Julie Andrews," she says. She says "The Sound of Music" is her parents' favorite movie. "My dad cries when [Andrews] sings 'Edelweiss.' " she says.
Pointing out that Martino's first role was Dorothy in "The Wizard of Oz," Anglin says with a laugh, "My first part was 'dancer No. 14.' "
Martino has been involved in CYT Fredericksburg since she was 16 in 2007. With CYT, she's also been in "Seussical the Musical" (Mrs. Mayor), "Les Miserables" (Fantine), "The Music Man" (Marian), and "Guys and Dolls" (Sarah Brown). She hopes to help disadvantaged children through the performing arts.

What: "The Sound of Music"
Where: Spotsylvania High School, 6975 Courthouse Road, Spotsylvania
When: July 28-31, 7 p.m.; 2 p.m. performances also on July 30-31 Cost: $13 online, $15 at the door, $11 group discount (10-ticket minimum)

For more:

The Free Lance-Star

Germanna's Kathryn Denner awarded Teacher Innovation Grant

2011-07-14T17:51:00.000-07:00

The Orange County Educational Foundation has honored Germanna Community College's Kathryn Denner with a Teacher Innovation Grant.
Denner (left), who is pictured with GCC Dean of Student Services Pam Frederick, will use her $250 award to purchase materials to support high achievement in mathematics as part of her Math Anxiety Reduction grant.
She's one of six recipients of OCEF's first Teacher Innovation Grants. The six teachers were selected from among 25 Orange County educators who submitted applications.
The grants were designed to assist with the development of projects to increase student achievement, promote tolerance, and exhibit new technology in the classroom.
“The Education Foundation was glad to be able to award grants to strengthen the quality of education for students in Orange County,” said Sam Kessler, chair of the OCEF Teacher Innovative Grant Committee. “We are grateful to all the teachers who submitted grant proposals and look forward to offering additional grants in the 2011-2012 school year.
Winners of this spring’s teacher innovation grants will be honored at their individual schools and as a group at 2011-2012 Convocation Ceremonies. The recipients, representing five different schools and covering students from kindergarten through post secondary education include Denner, Vickie Baker of Orange County High School, Sarah Duffy of Locust Grove Middle School and Gloria Pullen, Sharon Mohrmann and Carolyn Herndon, all of Orange Elementary School.

Gov. McDonnell appoints former Germanna Dean Jane Ingalls to Virginia State Board of Nursing

2011-07-12T13:07:00.001-07:00

The three deans who have overseen GCC's nursing program: Dr. Jane Ingalls, (left), the late Dale Featherston (center) and current Dean Mary Gilkey. Dr. Ingalls has been appointed to the State Board of Nursing.

Gov. Bob McDonnell has appointed a former Dean of Nursing at Germanna Community College to the Virginia State Board of Nursing.
Dr. Jane R. Ingalls of Fredericksburg is a registered nurse and Professor Emeritus at Germanna Community College, where she retired as Dean of Nursing in 2009.
"I have so much respect for the Board of Nursing staff and the members of the Board," Dr. Ingalls said.
She did an internship with the Board of Nursing in 1993, when she was working toward her doctorate.
Dr. Ingalls said the function of the board is "to protect the health, safety and well being of the citizens of the Commonwealth of Virginia," through both practices and the education of future nurses. "That's a pretty important task. I'm just really honored to be appointed. It's a real opportunity for me to serve."
GCC Dean of Nursing Mary Gilkey R.N. said the Board's mission of assuring "quality patient care delivery by caring and competent caregivers" is dear to Dr. Ingalls' heart. Gilkey said Dr. Ingalls' experience as a nurse educator and care advocate "will serve all Virginians well ... and, most assuredly, assist us all to best define the future of nursing."
Along with Dr. Ingalls, Gov. McDonnell appointed Evelyn A. Lindsay of Richmond, an LPN at Virginia Commonwealth University Health System, and
Trula E. Minton of Richmond, Chief Nursing Officer at CJW Medical Center.

Germanna preparing rising ninth graders to lead

2011-07-11T09:25:00.000-07:00

A group of rising ninth-graders began Germanna Community College's week-long Launch into Leadership summer camp program for rising ninth-graders today.
Launch into Leadership provides an introduction to key leadership skills that are valuable in any situation and relevant tonew high schoolers.
Rising freshmen are exposed to some of the challenges and expectations they can expect in high school. They prepare for participating in and leading student and organizations and also develop improved confidence, communication skills and raising consciousness about the impact we all have on one another.
The curriculum includes:
Importance of teamwork.
Verbal and written communication and body language.
Prepared and extemporaneous speaking.
Etiquetts and protocol.
Assignments including writing a daily journal entry.
The development of a personal mission statement that includes long- and short-term goals and a plan to achieve them.
Creating a PowerPoint presentation that students may show families at the closing session.

For more informaton, contact the GCC Center for Workforce & Community Education at 540/891-3012 or email gccworkforce@germanna.edu or visit us on the Web at www.germanna.edu/workforce

Germanna Dean of Nursing completes mental health first aid training program

2011-07-06T14:07:00.000-07:00

Germanna Dean of Nursing Mary Gilkey has graduated from a Mental Health First Aid trainer program offered in Boston. She is now certified to teach Mental Health First Aid.
According to mentalhealthfirstaid.org:
Mental Health First Aid is a groundbreaking public education program that helps the public identify, understand, and respond to signs of mental illnesses and substance use disorders.
It's offered as an interactive 12-hour course that presents an overview of mental illness and substance use disorders in the U.S. and introduces participants to risk factors and warning signs of mental health problems, builds understanding of their impact, and overviews common treatments.
Upon class completion, participants are certified as Mental Health First Aiders. The claas provides skills, resources and knowledge to help an individual in crisis connect with appropriate professional, peer, social, and self-help care.
The course can benefit a variety of audiences and key professions, including: primary care professionals, employers and business leaders, faith communities, school personnel and educators, state police and corrections officers, nursing home staff, mental health authorities, state policymakers, volunteers, young people, families and the general public.

Changes in G.I. Bill educational benefits to take effect on Aug. 1, 2011

2011-06-23T08:36:00.000-07:00

Germanna Community College Veterans Affairs Orientation sessions on July 8 will provide information and answer questions about changes in the G.I. Bill.
12 p.m. to 2 p.m.-- Fredericksburg Campus' Sealy Auditorium
5 p.m. to 7 p.m. -- Fredericksburg Campus' Sealy Auditorium
Handouts from the orientation will also be available in the lobby at the Fredericksburg Campus and the Admissions Office at the Locust Grove Campus.
For more information, contact Germanna Veterans Affairs Education Representative Dianne Frausto at dfrausto@germanna.edu or 540/891-3023.
Changes to take effect on Aug. 1 include:
•For Veterans and their transferees - simplifies the tuition and fee rates for those attending a public school and creates a national maximum for those enrolled in a private or foreign school
◦Pays all public school in-state tuition and fees;
◦Private and foreign school costs are capped at $17,500 annually;
◦The Yellow Ribbon Program still exists for out-of-state fees and costs above the cap.
•For Active Duty Members and their transferees - creates a national rate for those active duty members enrolled in a private or foreign school pursuing a degree
◦Pays all public school in-state tuition and fees;
◦Private and foreign school costs are capped at $17,500 per academic year (an academic year begins August 1)
•Allows VA to pay MGIB (chapter 30) and MGIB-SR (chapter 1606) ‘kickers’, or college fund payments, on a monthly basis instead of a lump sum at the beginning of the term
•Prorates housing allowance by the student’s rate of pursuit (rounded to the nearest tenth)
◦A student training at a rate of pursuit of 75% would receive 80% of the BAH rate.

The hot new degree?

2011-05-04T18:09:00.000-07:00

Germanna is considering an associate's degree in Fire Science Technology, a program offered to provide students with a broad-based knowledge of current and future advances in the fire science field. The program is projected to start in August 2012. The college has offered a Fire Science Technology certificate program since 2007.

Would you be interested in pursuing a degree?

Let us know what you think.

Student Survey Link

Employer/Volunteer Agency Survey

Jeffrey Bailey wishes Germanna Community College offered an online Fire Science Technology program when he was starting out as a volunteer at the Brandy Station firehouse in Culpeper County 30 years ago, when he was a 16-year-old, but the Internet didn't even exist then.

In 2007, the 48-year-old Culpeper resident, who's been a career firefighter for two decades, had the chance to pass on what he learned in all those years of doing this dangerous work to students as Fire Science Technology Director at Germanna when the college started a certificate program.

Now Bailey says Germanna is in the planning stages of implementing an Associate's Degree Program in Fire Science Technology. The projected startup is August 2012. "Many of our students have been asking for the associate degree," he says.

"One of the first steps is to find out exactly how much interest there is in this program from two facets," he says. "The first being the potential student body--is there enough support from students and or potential students that want to earn an associate's degree in Fire Science Technology? The second facet is the employers-- including volunteer agencies--would there be a benefit for them to have employees or members that have been through the program, are currently enrolled in the program or are planning on taking the program?" Most students are expected to be active volunteer and career firefighters.

The degree would make firefighters safer in their work, and make area residents safer in their homes.

Thousands of firefighters live in the Germanna service area of Stafford, Spotsylvania, Caroline, King George, Culpeper, Orange and Madison counties and the city of Fredericksburg. Some of them work as career firefighters in places like Fairfax County and Richmond and also volunteer

Volunteer at the 2011 Marine Corps Half Marathon

2011-04-25T23:07:00.000-07:00

The Germanna Student Veteran’s Association needs your support. Volunteer at the Marine Corps Half Marathon in Fredericksburg, representing Germanna Community College by passing out water to thirsty runners at Water Station No. 5.
Volunteers will need to commit from the hours of 6:00am to 10:30am on Sunday, May 15.
Directions for volunteer registration are as follows:
1. To register for the event, click on the following link:
http://www.marinemarathon.com/Register/Volunteer.htm
2. Click on the middle grey box that states “ Marine Corp Historic Half Marathon Join a Volunteer Group”
3. Group name is “Germanna Community College”
4. Password is “Dodgers10” make sure you capitalize the “D”
5. You will be asked to fill out the volunteer registration form and sent a confirmation email shortly after with further directions on the volunteering protocol
Students, staff, faculty, friends and family may join our volunteer group.
If you have any questions about volunteering or running the race, you may email GSVA club advisor Shelly Palomino at apalomino@germanna.edu or GSVA club president Meggen Sliger at mms2746@email.vccs.edu .
Volunteer Registration Deadline is April 27th!

Thanks for your support!
Germanna Student Veteran’s Association

Record total of scholarship funds raised at Germanna's Monte Carlo Night

2011-04-11T19:32:00.000-07:00

Despite difficult economic times, Saturday night’s Germanna Educational Foundation Monte Carlo Casino Night scholarship fundraiser at the GCC Daniel Center in Culpeper set a record by raising over $100,000. All proceeds go the Germanna Guarantee Scholarship Program, which helps students who have financial need and can’t get enough aid from other source. One hundred and eighty people attended the event.

Germanna Educational Foundation 2011 Monte Carlo Night Co-Chair Clarissa Berry of Madison County said Saturday night’s event “couldn’t have gone any better.”

The foundation easily surpassed its goal of raising $100,000.

“This is our 17th year and we’ve raised more money than we ever have, and have one of the biggest crowds we’ve ever had,” Berry said. “The fact that people came out during hard economic times has blown me away.”

Culpeper resident Erica Hodge, a GGP scholarship recipient who graduated and became a nurse in 2010 altered the course of her life and saved her family’s home.

“If it wasn’t for the Germanna Guarantee Program, I would still be in school after having to take a year off,” Hodge said. “Because of it, I was able to start my career and grow my family [she expecting a second child] and focus on continuing my education.” (Rhonda--See document attached to previous email for more details--Mike)

The 29-year-old Hodge, who has a 5-year-old son, was on the verge of dropping out of Germanna in December 2009 when her husband’s work hours were cut because of the recession. The scholarship she then received from GGP allowed her to stay and school and get her degree and become an LPN, then get a job working in a doctor’s office in Fredericksburg.

Because of the impact the recession had on her family’s income, they had found themselves in a whole, “and my first paycheck as a nurse came just in time to save our house,” she said.

“Everything fell into place for me because of the Germanna Guarantee,” Hodge said Saturday night during Monte Carlo Night at the Daniel Center. “When I found out about the Germanna Guarantee Program, I was amazed that people care so much about their community that they would help students they don’t know--help people like me and my family.”

As if to add an exclamation point, she then won a free trip for two to Las Vegas as Monte Carlo Night wound down Saturday.

Each year, the event features Las Vegas-style gambling for big prizes, libations, dinner, live music and dancing.

Leading economist says job growth in area will triple the national rate over next decade

2011-04-11T19:21:00.000-07:00

Employment in our area will grow at three times the national average over the next decade, Dr. Christine Chmura, one of the leading economists in Virginia, said during Wednesday's Germanna Annual Workforce Advisory Meeting at the GCC Daniel Center in Culpeper.
"You're performing a lot better than the nation overall," Chumura told business leaders from Fredericksburg, Culpeper, Stafford, Spotsylvania, Orange, King George, Caroline and Madison. And she said the recession didn't hit the area as hard as it did most of America. "Your region is much better off."
Chmura said jobs in education, health care and "high skill jobs" will be the most plentiful in our area during the coming decade.
She is President and Chief Economist, Chmura Economics & Analytics in Richmond. She currently serves on the Governor’s Economic Advisory Board.
Chmura said the region’s proximity to Washington and relatively low cost of living had shielded much of the area’s population from the brunt of the recession and will result in a faster recovery.
She said teachers, health care workers and "high-skilled workers" in general will be among the most sought after employees here in the coming decade.
And she said even though it may not feel like it, that the national economy “is starting to pick up. ” She said the recession was not severe enough to have the kind of long-term effect on consumer behavior that the recession did, and that consumers “are feeling better about the economy six months out,” but said it may take until 2015 for the U.S. economy “to reach the previous peak.”
Chmura said the recession didn't hit the area as hard as it did most of America. "Your region is very much better off than the U.S. overall," she said, She said the region defined above lost a relatively small number of 2,340 jobs. She pointed out that the January unemployment rate for the region was 6.7 percent, compared to 6.9 percent for the state and 9.8 percent at that time for the nation. She said 60 percent of the unemployed in our region have a high school degree or less.
She said that Germanna will play an important role in the recovery because of the Workforce certifications and academic degrees it provides its students, about 98 percent of whom remain in the area, and community colleges’ ability to pivot quickly to meet local needs.
GCC President David A. Sam told regional business leaders at the Annual Workforce Advisory Meeting, "We are needed more than ever" as the area recovers from the recession. "More people will come to us to retrain and upgrade their skills." But he said guidance is needed from area businesses. "Our job is to train people and educate people for careers that have not been invented yet."
GCC Vice President for Workforce and Community Relations Jeanne Wesley said employer feedback called for training enhancing “soft skills,” meaning communication skills, conflict resolution and negotiation, creative problem solving, strategic thinking, team building, customer service skills and selling skills. She said they also saw a need to enhance employees’ math and analytical skills.

Steve Watkins' new book "What Comes After" a powerful local story of child abuse. He will do a reading from the book and sign copies at GCC March 29

2011-03-26T20:03:00.000-07:00

Steve Watkins, author of "What Comes After," brings his new book to GCC's Frederickburg Campus at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, March 29.

Award-winning journalist and author Steve Watkins will do a reading from his new book, "What Comes After," and sign copies of the new work at 7 p.m., Tuesday, March 29 at Sealy Auditorium at Germanna Community College's Fredericksburg Campus in Spotsylvania off U.S. 17 near Cosner's Corner.
The event is free and open to the public. He'll also sign copies of the paperback version of his award-winning book 'Down Sand Mountain."
"What Comes After" will be available at Germanna before it goes on sale on the Internet and in stores on April 12.
Watkins, an English professor at the University of Mary Washington, explains that "What Comes After" is based on a local incident:
“In a way, the story of Iris Wight in 'What Comes After' started several years ago when I was sitting in a juvenile and domestic relations court during an emergency removal hearing, reading an autopsy report on a little 5-year-old boy who had been beaten to death. His name was Donny. He had more than 40 pronounced contusions, two broken ribs, a broken collar bone, and a skull fracture — all in various stages of healing, indicating that he had sustained the injuries over an extended period of time. In the autopsy photos he appeared emaciated, as if he’d been starved. He also had two severe traumas to his abdomen caused by what the medical examiner said were powerful external blows. The second, and most recent, was the one that killed him.

“None of us who worked on that case, which lasted two long years and led to terrible revelations about even more physical and sexual abuse of Donny and his siblings, have ever been the same. It was my job as a Court Appointed Special Advocate to investigate Donny’s story, and the stories of his brothers and sisters, and to write a narrative that would bring those children to life for the judge presiding over the case — and, in a way, to bring Donny back to life, if only in my report, and if only for a little while, and if only for the court. None of us doubted that the surviving children would be scarred forever by what happened to them, but thanks to the love and dedication of a lot of people involved in the case —therapists, attorneys, social workers, foster parents, teachers — Donny’s brothers and sisters ended up with families who loved them and promised to take care of them. They had a chance — at least a chance — to recover, and grow up safe, and live meaningful lives.

“When I read an article two years ago in our local newspaper about a girl who had been badly beaten by her cousin, on orders from her guardian aunt, I was struck by how few details there were about the girl — though that is usual in the case of underage victims, who are rarely identified to the public by police or prosecutors. The article didn’t say what her life had been like before she was beaten, or what happened to her after, except for this one sentence: ‘The girl is now in foster care.’ The more I thought about that girl and what happened to her, though, the more I felt drawn to tell her story, too — as I imagined it — for a wider audience than the court. I knew she wasn’t just another foster care kid, and she wasn’t just another victim. She must have had a life, and a story worth telling. All children do.”

DALE FEATHERSTON, ICONIC 'FORCE OF NATURE' WHO GAVE LIFE TO THE GERMANNA COMMUNITY COLLEGE NURSING PROGRAM, WILL BE MISSED

2011-03-02T20:36:00.000-08:00

This photo was taken one of the last times that all three Germanna deans of nursing had lunch together. Left to right, Jane Ingalls, Dale Featherston and Mary Gilkey. “That meal was most enjoyable as it was peppered with her very wry sense of humor-- she had a contagious giggle,” current GCC Dean of Nursing & Health Technologies Mary Gilkey said.

Dale Featherston was a nurse in a M.A.S.H. unit in Korea. She once snuck an injured dog into the Mary Washington Hospital emergency room for treatment. And her revolutionarily proactive, intelligent and caring approach to teaching nursing made Germanna Community College’s program something special from the beginning.

Featherston, who was director of nursing when Germanna opened its doors at Locust Grove in 1970, passed away on Feb. 28, 2011. She was far ahead of her time, teaching nursing 30 years ago the way it's being taught today, with an emphasis on preventing illness rather than waiting to treat it after it develops, and working to create a healthy community as a whole to prevent the spread of disease and reduce health care costs.

“She called waiting for people to become ill ‘sick care,’ not ‘health care,’ said Dr. Jane Ingalls, R.N., who succeeded Featherston as dean of nursing at Germanna Commmunity College in 1992. Dr. Ingalls said it required courage for Featherston to take what was then considered a radical approach.

"She would present ideas to the Board of Nursing that they did not particularly approve of - but within a few years, those ideas became models for other nursing programs and the Board wanted her to share them all the time," said Sandy Demotses, who worked with Featherstone.

“Dale Featherston pioneered Germanna Community College's nursing program,” said GCC President David A. Sam. “She was a force of nature and a loved presence. We at Germanna will miss her deeply and extend our deepest condolences to her family.

“She provided visionary and entrepreneurial leadership---without her, Germanna's nursing program would not be the world-class program that it has become," Dr. Sam said. "Through her leadership, her sense of humor, her ethic of compassionate care, and her spirit of challenge, Dale Featherstone served not only as a great teacher and a powerful leader, but lived a life of service that is the model of the nurse who ministers to the body, the mind and the spirit.”

“Dale was the conscience of the college, always loving, always caring, and always giving. Mother Teresa now has company,” said Dr. Rich Gossweiler, a professor of history at GCC who was Dean of Instruction and Student Services during Featherstone's time at at Germanna.

Alice Doeppe MSN, RN, an assistant professor of nursing at GCC, was one of Featherston’s students during the 1980s.

Doeppe said that after retirement from Germanna, Featherston helped organize nursing programs in Alaska and Russia and worked with Indian reservations to improve nursing there. She also developed the nursing program at Blue Ridge Community College.

“Dale was a M.A.S.H. Army nurse during the Korean War and loved to tell her students stories about her adventures,” Doeppe said. “She loved animals as much as people, and I think my favorite story was the one she told about when she was a nurse at Mary Washington Hospital. Apparently she or a friend had an ailing dog that they smuggled into the E.R. in the middle of the night for treatment.

“Dale influenced me in so many ways, but perhaps the biggest impact on me was the example she set, Doeppe said. “Her honesty, fairness, love of mankind, and passion for teaching ignited the spark in me that has led me to where I am today. Just to have known Dale Featherston was a privilege and an honor.”

Featherston, who lived in Fredericksburg, was devoted to her family and cared for her parents, a sister with disabilities, and her ailing brother.

“She had a gruff voice and a most contagious laugh that made you feel happy just to be around her,” Doeppe said.

“Dale Featherston was a nurse’s nurse,” said Mary Gilkey, who is now GCC’s Dean of Nursing & Health Technologies. “She was known for her advanced vision for the role of nursing. She was committed to making sure students were prepared to serve and provide the best health care for their patients. Even in her final days she was urging us at Germanna to petition a way to bring baccalaureate education to Germanna so all ‘her’ graduates would return to school and get that degree. In the short time I interacted with her she clearly shared with me the importance of believing that ‘each one of us can make a difference.’”

“I urge all those who were impacted by her to continue her mission,” Dean Gilkey said. “Provide the best patient care you can.”

“She walked in the room and took over --- in an exciting and positive way,” said GCC’s Locust Grove Campus Coordinator of Counseling Sarah Somerville. “She very frequently wore black leather pants and and a jacket and she was so striking. Her hoarse- toned voice was mesmerizing....she had been a heavy smoker and in those days you could smoke anywhere in the building. She cared so much for the students -- I can genuinely say I learned some of my passion and compassion for students from her. She would come into Counseling and tell you the entire life story of a student and what they needed in way of help. She many times confided that she had ‘taken them under her wing’ and if I am not mistaken, even probably put some of the most desperate in her basement when the need was at that level. She would do absolutely anything for a student. She wanted them to succeed and she knew them all--each and every one... She was aggressive in making sure they got all the support and resources they needed to have a chance at success.

'There is no exaggeration in what you hear about the extent of Dale Featherston's graciousness and charity towards all she came in contact with -- but especially and particularly Germanna nursing students," Somerville said. "She was tough, though....She didn't put up with nonsense. She expected the students to step up and meet the bar she set for them. She knew what they had to face as nurses and she did not sugar coat anything.”

Survivors include her daughter, Susie Kilian and husband, Jim; three granddaughters, Rachel, Rebecca and Olivia; and her sister, Mary F. Ball.

A rosary service will be held at 6 p.m. on Thursday, March 3, 2011, with visitation following until 8 p.m. at Covenant Funeral Service, Fredericksburg.

A funeral Mass will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Friday, March 4, 2011 at St. Mary Catholic Church in Fredericksburg with Rev. Donald Rooney officiating. Interment will follow in Sunset Memorial Gardens.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Germanna Community College Educational Foundation, Dale Featherston Endowment for Nursing Scholarships, 2130 Germanna Highway, Locust Grove, VA 22508.

Dean Gilkey added: “We can all honor her when we recommitment ourselves to our roles as nurses and as a further tribute please consider sending a small donation in her memory to the school she loved, Germanna Community College Nursing Program. She believed that nursing gave people the means to feed, clothe and take care of their family as they care for others. We need to continue this legacy. RIP Dale, you will be missed.”

Michael Zitz
Director of Media & Community Relations
Germanna Community College
540/846-5163

“CHINA IS CRUNCHING US.” IF VIRGINIA IS TO COMPETE FOR GREEN JOBS, COMMUNITY COLLEGES LIKE GERMANNA MUST PREPARE STATE’S WORKFORCE

2011-02-22T19:52:00.000-08:00

Terry McAuliffe, chairman of GreenTech Automotive, says he’s bringing 5,000 “green collar” jobs to America from China, and that he’d like for a lot of those jobs to go to Virginians. His company bought a Chinese car manufacturer and is transplanting it to the United States.

During the Greenforce Summit hosted by Germanna Community College’s Center for Workforce and Community Education last week at the Daniel Center in Culpeper, McAuliffe, said, “I’m looking for a trained workforce here in Virginia” and that community colleges must play a key role in that training or the U.S. could lose the growing competition for green jobs to emerging ecomomies such as China’s.

“Not only in Virginia, but in America, we have got to get in front of this,” he said. “China is crunching us.”

McAuliffe said he’d like to locate a lot of jobs involving construction of electric and hybrid vehicles in a part of Virginia with a high unemployment rate.

He said the site must, “have good rail access, be close to a port and have quality workforce development. It doesn’t do any good unless I can get people to work in the factory.”

Virginia Community College Chancellor Glenn DuBois said the state’s community colleges are up to the job of preparing the workforce for to fill green jobs.

“Until recently I didn’t see a huge demand for jobs, but we are now starting to see it and starting to respond,” DuBois said.
“There is much more to do,” DuBois said. “We have to teach it and prepare the workforce for it.”
He is optimistic about the VCCS’ ability to deliver in part because: “I’ve never seen a better environment for grants. And green sustainability is at the top of the list.”

Grants from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation helped fund the Germanna summits as part of the national Greenforce Initiative, organized by the National Wildlife Federation and Jobs for the Future.

“Community colleges across the country,” said Victor Branch, marketing manager for Bank of America, “are at the forefront of green growth and innovation whether it’s addressing their own sustainability, developing new curricula to cultivate the green workforce or making their campus operations a classroom by integrating sustainability into education to prepare graduates for jobs in the renewable energy and low-carbon economy.”

It's been a wonderful life for GCC 2011 Distinguished Person of the Year winner

2011-02-13T16:30:00.000-08:00

When the Germanna Educational Foundation named Edward V. Allison Jr. its 2011 Distinguished Person of the Year Friday night at Fredericksburg Square, GCC President David A. Sam explained Allison's impact in a way everyone could understand.
Former winners of the honor include former state Sen. John Chichester and Dr. Jane Ingalls, R.N.

Germanna President David A. Sam said: "At the end of the movie, ‘'It's a Wonderful Life,’' George Bailey receives a book from the angel Clarence with the inscription: ‘'No man is a failure who has friends.’' Ed Allison is so far from a failure as demonstrated by all the friends in the room tonight and in our community.

“"But to have friends, you must be a friend. And to be a friend, you must give of yourself,” said Sam. “Ed Allison does that. He is a servant leader, living the ideal of giving of himself through leadership to a cause of calling larger than himself. He is a model for all of us, and most deserving of this recognition.”"

Mike Catell, director of GCC's Educational Foundation, said: "Ed Allison's extraordinary service has positively impacted thousands of lives throughout our region. He is a true servant-leader, and the Educational Foundation is honored to recognize and celebrate his life of service."

Chichester, a lifelong friend of Allison and himself the 2010 Distinguished Person of the Year, said "Most every city, county and town are blessed with ... one or two individuals who are always ready and willing to contribute to the betterment of their community, church, neighborhood or whatever may need a helping hand. Fredericksburg is a community that possesses one such individual. We are fortunate that Ed Allison lives here. Ed is, and has always been, totally committed to his community."

Chichester praised Allison for his contributions to higher education and banking, saying: "He always kept a keen eye on how he could contribute to the overall betterment of the entire Fredericksburg area. He is truly a deserving recipient of this most prestigious award."

Allison retired in 2003 as President of Virginia Heartland Bank
He was a member of the Fredericksburg School Board from 1971-77 and is currently a member of the University of Mary Washington Foundation, Mary Washington Hospital Foundation, and is on the board of the Rappahannock United Way.

The awards dinner raised $50,000 for the GCC Educational Foundation.

Fredericksburg Square and StellarOne Bank were sponsors of the event.

GCC Educational Foundation names Ed Allison its 2011 Distinguished Person of the Year

2011-02-11T21:29:00.000-08:00

Germanna Community College's Educational Foundation named Edward V. Allison, Jr. its 2011 Distinguished Person of the Year Friday night at Fredericksburg Square in recognition of his extraordinary record of service spanning
40 years.

Former winners of the honor include Sen. John Chichester and Dr. Jane Ingalls, R.N.

Chichester, a lifelong friend of Allison, and the 2010 Distinguished Person of the Year, said "Most every city, county and town are blessed with ... one or two individuals
who are always ready and willing to contribute to the betterment of their community, church, neighborhood or whatever may need a helping hand.

"Fredericksburg is a community that possesses one such individual. We are fortunate
that Ed Allison lives here. Ed is, and has always been, totally committed to his community."

Chichester praised Allison for his contributions to higher education and banking, saying: "He always kept a keen eye on how he could contribute to the overall betterment of the entire Fredericksburg area. He is truly a deserving recipient of this most prestigious award."

Fredericksburg Square and StellarOne were sponsors of the event.

DiversityJobsUSA Mentoring Leadership Recruitment Program:

2011-02-11T20:44:00.000-08:00

Program Opportunity Position:  A College Student Participant With DiversityJobsUSA Mentoring Leadership Recruitment Program
Rquirements:  Students Must Be Ambitious. Have a 3.5 or Above GPA. Must Exemplify Leadership Characteristics. Have A Great Personality. Must Be Reponsible/ Reliable & Diligent Workers. Must Have transportation  To Attend The Interview Sessions On February 24th, 2011 and February 25th, 2011 (Interview Location Will Be At- The Marriott in Fredericksburg, Virginia).
College Student Benefits  of Participating With DiversityJobsUSA Mentoring Leadership Recruitment Program:   The Program Will Afford Selected Students The Opportunity To Establish Hands-on Mentoring Relationships With The Programs Success Mentors In The Corporate, Business and Civic Industry Arenas. Build Relationships With Hiring Managers, From Fortune 1000 Companies; Participate In High Impact (Local & National) Internship Opportunities With Major Employers; Interview For Career Opportunities/ Job Opportunities With Leading Companies.
To Reserve An Interview Slot For This Program: Please Email A Resume & Coverletter To NLCarter@bellsouth.net (ASAP)
Date of Program Interviews Will Be:   Thursday-  February 24th, 2011 & Friday- February 25th, 2011 8:00 a.m. to  4:00 p.m.
Event Description:   DiversityJobsUSA/ Natha Communications Inc. will be hosting on-site interviews with selected college students, for DiversityJobsUSA (Fredericksburg) Mentoring Leadership Recruitment Program on  Thursday-  February 24th, 2011 and on Friday- February 25th, 2011  from  8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. at The Marriott Hotel. Therefore, DiversityJobsUSA will be selecting 25 college students (Fresmen to senior level) students to participate in this program.
If You Are Interested In This  Leadership Program Opportunity, Please Contact: Nicole Carter at nlcarter@bellsouth.net or  NCarter@diversityjobsusa or  (954) 364-6260 ASAP.  Please note, that students will be selected for the on-site interviews based on them meeting the program requirements and on a first-come, first serve basis.

Groundbreaking for third building at GCC's Fredericksburg Area Campus 'an expression of faith and an investment in a positive future'

2011-01-30T18:34:00.000-08:00

Left to right, GCC Local College Board chairman Dick Scheibe, Germanna President David A. Sam, Gov. Bob McDonnell, Rep. Rob Wittman, VCCS Chancellor Glenn DuBois and Gary Skinner of the Spotsylvania Board of Supervisors.

MASSAPONAX--Germanna Community College broke ground Friday, Jan. 28, 2011 on Phase III of its Fredericksburg Campus in Spotsylvania--a three story, 50,000-square- foot academic building.

"In a time of uncertainty and economic crisis," GCC President David A. Sam said, "this building is an expression of faith and an investment in a positive future:

"for Germanna
for the students and communities we serve
for the Commonwealth of Virginia
and indeed for our nation."

Virginia Gov. Robert F. McDonnell, U.S. Rep. Rob Wittman and Virginia Community College System Chancellor Glenn DuBois also spoke, as did Gary Skinner of the Spotsylvania Board of Supervisors.

DuBois called McDonnell the strongest supporter of community colleges to serve as governor since Mills Godwin, who started the VCCS in the 1960s. "This governor is a partner in our mission," DuBois said.

McDonnell complimented Germanna President Sam for his handling of challenge of the explosive growth Germanna has experienced in recent years, and he complemented GCC's leadership for what he called "the vision behind Phase III--a lot of emphasis placed on the (scientific) disciplines ... necessary "to maintain American exceptionalism" and compete with economic powers on the Pacific Rim.
l
Rep Wittman said that during a recent conversation with Steve Ballmer of Microsoft, Ballmer told him that stressing the teaching of science is critical to attracting innovative companies to a state. "A strong Workforce development program is the key for so many of these companies" as they chooses places to expand or relocate," McDonnell said.

The green building, designed by Clark Nexsen and to be built by Donley's Construction, will include a 13,000-foot state of the art library/learning resource center with stacks for 16,000 volumes, reading spaces, a multimedia lab, project and study rooms, four biology labs, two engineering labs, two environmental chambers for biology experiments, two chemistry labs, two two physics labs and two general purpose classrooms. It will also include office space for a dean, 18 full time faculty and 12 adjunct faculty; meeting rooms, a break room and IT space.

The project budget is $25,483,842. Construction is scheduled to begin March 1. Completion of Phase III is expected by Fall 2012.

Community colleges need non-state monies to pay for about 10 percent of any construction project. GCC's share of the original project budget was estimated to be about $2.5 million. Most of those funds came from a line of credit secured from the Educational Foundation ($1.6 million) and from the Spotsylvania County Board of Supervisors, which "spiritually committed" to contributing $1.2 million toward the project over a seven-year period.

"My gratitude goes to the local governments who have provided support for the college, and especially to Spotsylvania County who have already committed to helping fund this project," Dr. Sam said.

Germanna has separate plans for a parking structure at the Fredericksburg Campus to help meet increased demand for parking there. Clark Nexsen has been awarded the contract due to its work with the College on Phase III and its familiarity with the campus.

GCC, which also has a campus at Locust Grove and centers in Culpeper and Stafford, needed to expand because it has been the fastest-growing community college in the state and one of the fastest-growing in the country in recent years. In the year after Germanna added its Stafford Center in July 2009, that center had already filled up and the Fredericksburg Campus serves the majority of GCC's 7,500 credit students. Germanna's total headcount---the number of students taking at least one class, including non-credit classes--is approaching 14,000.

Germanna's service region includes the city of Fredericksburg and the counties of Caroline, Culpeper, King George, Madison, Orange, Spotsylvania, and Stafford.

GCC opened its original campus at Locust Grove in October 1970. Phase I of the Fredericksburg Campus, the Dickinson Building, opened in January 1997. Phase II, the Workforce Building, opened in October 2004. The Daniel Technology Center in Culpeper opened in 2006. The Stafford Center opened in 2009.

GCC's new Early Childhood Development degree will ramp up preparedness of area's preschool teachers

2011-01-02T18:22:00.000-08:00

Head Start official Elaine Keville talks about Germanna's new Early Childhood Development program, which is preparing students to meet new standards for preschool teachers.
Student Alli Reed talks about the program here.

Close to a degree for years, former Stafford County Supervisor Kandy Hilliard sees finishing up at Germanna as a Win-Win situation

2010-12-22T17:15:00.000-08:00

Germanna is one of only six community colleges in Virginia chosen for Project Win-Win, which helps those close to degrees return to school and finish.

Kandy Hilliard has been elected to the Stafford Board of Supervisors and had a good career without a degree. With one, she says the sky's the limit.

Why did Culpeper High's top scholar pick Germanna Community College?

2010-12-14T18:58:00.000-08:00

Michael Ly will the first person in his family to earn a degree when Germanna's Fall semester ends. Now he feels ready to move on to George Mason University. He won't stop till he gets a Ph.D. "I want to be called 'doctor,' " Ly says.
He says GCC's first-rate faculty, small class sizes and affordability were factors in his decision. So was being able to stay home while he got his bearings.

'Germanna Today' TV program debuts on Channel 21: How can Germanna grow fast enough to keep up with area's growth during an era of budget cuts?

2010-12-10T14:44:00.000-08:00

'Germanna Today' program debuts with GCC President David A. Sam talking to Channel 21's Jonathan Krawchuk about the college's mission of serving a total headcount approaching 14,000 and a region the size of Delaware during a time of economic upheaval and budget cuts.
"Who we are, why we're here is more important than ever. People are being laid off ... People need us more than ever."

Great Expectations: Fostering powerful change

2010-11-30T09:47:00.000-08:00

The VCCS' and Germanna's Great Expectations program helps get at-risk foster youth aging out of the system on track toward good-paying careers. Comments from GCC Educational Board member and Great Expectations program supporter Connie Kincheloe is featured in video.

Capital One donates $20,000 to Germanna's Middle College to help high school dropouts get GEDs, make transition to regular college

2010-11-21T16:29:00.001-08:00

Raymond R. Hall, District Manager for Capital One, left, and Bill Fulton, the company's Cosner's Corner Branch Manager, pass the first of two annual checks for $10,000 to Germanna Community College Educational Foundation Executive Director Mike Catell and Middle College Director Carolyn Bynum. GCC's Middle College helps young adults who have not earned a high school diploma get their GEDs and make the transition to regular college academic classes and Workforce training. "If this helps one student become a success in life, it will be worth it," Hall said. "We want to give back to people in the community--to people in our back yard. Ninety percent of our local branch associates were born and raised in the area and we want to make a difference here."
"Believe me, this will help more than one person," Bynum said. "Germanna and the Middle College greatly appreciate Capital One's support."
"We look forward to a long relationship with Capital One," Catell said.
Capital One's Fulton said he's gratified that the funds will help "the less fortunate--those that have great need for help-- in the area."
The funds will help GCC Middle College programs from across the region, including Culpeper, Madison and Orange. Middle College is not funded by the state and depends on local donations.

Culpeper Regional Health System named Germanna Community College's 2011 Philanthropist of the Year

2010-11-15T14:30:00.000-08:00

Culpeper Regional Health System Board Secretary Wayne Hawkins accepts Germanna Educational Foundation Philanthropist of the Year Award from Bruce L. Davis, foundation president.

Germanna Community College’s Educational Foundation named Culpeper Regional Health System its 2011 Philanthropist of the Year Friday night at the Lake of the Woods Clubhouse.
Culpeper Regional Health System's total investment in its partnership with Germanna over the last 10 years is $539,266, said Mike Catell, Director of the GCC Educational Foundation & Alumni Relations. The donations have been been made in the form of scholarships, grants for nursing program development and a faculty position, and contributions to events like Monte Carlo Casino Night and Distinguished Person of the Year, which support the Germanna Guarantee Program. The hospital and its affiliated organizations have also invested in the Jane R. Ingalls Nurse Educator Fellowship.
“The relationship between Culpeper Regional Health System and Germanna Community College is vitally important to our future,” said Wayne Hawkins, Secretary of the Board of Culpeper Regional Health System , in accepting the award. “We look forward to our continued collaboration and partnership for many years to come.”
"Culpeper Regional Health System is a critical partner in our mission,” Catell said, “and the Educational Foundation is very grateful for their extraordinary investment and long-standing partnership.”
Germanna President David A. Sam said support from partners like Culpeper Regional Hospital has made it possible for GCC to make sure the area has enough nurses as the Baby Boomer population ages and demand for health care increases.
Bruce L. Davis, President of Germanna’s Educational Foundation, and a member of its Local College Board, said Culpeper Regional Health System has displayed leadership in the community and vision in its consistent and generous support of GCC. The college doubled the size of its nursing program this year and added non-credit Workforce health care certifications. Meanwhile, the total headcount of students taking classes is approaching 14,000, including nearly 8,000 students taking credit classes. “Enrollment is way up, demand for academic programs and Workforce training is way up, state funding is down, and we need more funding from local partners and donors,” Davis said.
Doris Buffett, the Fredericksburg philanthropist and sister to Warren Buffett also spoke, explained her own support of GCC by saying: “Germanna and I do much the same things and share the same goals—including helping people who otherwise couldn’t afford to go to college get degrees . We both work in the real world.”

Caroline County student to earn Associate's Degree at GCC before high school graduation

2010-11-15T14:09:00.000-08:00

Paige Romeo will begin college as a junior, thanks to Germanna's affordable Dual Enrollment program
Caroline High School student Paige Romeo will walk at Germanna Community College's commencement in May before she graduates from CHS in June. GCC's Dual Enrollment program, which allows students to get credit for college courses at their high schools, has allowed her to leap ahead and save money at the same time. The cost of GCC courses is about one-third of the cost of classes at four-year-colleges and universities.
The 18-year-old Romeo is also more comfortable with the idea of going off to college because of her GCC Dual Enrollment experience. She plans to attend Virginia Tech in the fall. "I've gotten a taste of what college is like and still had the (home) support system," she said, adding that she believes it will make adjusting to college life away from home easier.
"The experience has been awesome. All the professors have been nice. I thought their expectations might be too much, but all you have to do is do the work."

John Hollis, author of “Life in the Paint: A Black Man Fighting for His Identity” will speak at GCC's Sealy Auditorium at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 4

2010-11-02T21:34:00.000-07:00

John Hollis with his 5-year-old son, Davis. His "Life in the Paint" teaches people to be themselves. Don't try to be white. Don't try to be black. Just be you.

When he was growing up in Fredericksburg, John Hollis found a way to not only live, but thrive, in both the black and white worlds at the same time.

His skills in the classroom earned him scholarships to Woodberry Forest and U.Va. His skills on the basketball court earned him the respect of other young black males who considered getting good grades to be "white."

He's gone on to write for CNN and Time and to cover professional sports for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

And his brutally honest book, "Life in the Paint: A Black Man Fighting for His Identity" provides clues on how we can fix one of the major problems affecting our education system.

Q: Your dad left and your mom, Phyllis Hollis, a Stafford County teacher, raised you guys on her own, right? She drilled into all three of you the importance of education, didn't she? Have you had contact with your dad in later years--has he congratulated you on your success?

JOHN HOLLIS: Yep, my mother (A Howard University grad who has a master's degree in education from U.Va) raised the three of us on her own after divorcing my father when I was very, very young. We were still living in Germany--my father was in the U.S. Army--when their marriage ended and my mom returned to the U.S. with three sons to support. My youngest brother, Rick, was just a newborn baby at the time. I vaguely recall seeing my father once or twice while growing up, but not all since I was about 8 or 9, I guess. He sent two e-mails to me a few years ago in 2003, congratulating me on my success. I never responded back to either of his e-mails, although I did a few years ago speak via phone to the 20-something-year-old son he had by the German woman from his second marriage. I have never hated my father or anybody else for that matter. I truly have no feelings towards him whatsoever. He just wasn’t there when we needed him while growing up, so I don’t need him now. In fact, I look at it as a blessing of sorts that he wasn’t in my life because there’s a good chance I wouldn’t be the person I am today had there been such negative daily influences around me during my formative years. As for my mom, she was always preaching the value of education to us, ingraining in us at a young age that we would be good students, that we would be going to college and that our behavior in the classroom would be as exemplary as our academic performances. As I’ve grown into a man and become a parent myself, I realize how important that was in setting high goals for us and challenging us to meet those goals. All the more so for young black men. According to the statistics, my brothers and I should most likely be either dead or in jail. I’ll be forever indebted to my mother for demanding excellence from us. It’s a lesson from many other people could learn.
Q: Do you agree with the messages of Bill Cosby and President Obama that black families need to stress the importance of education more?

JOHN HOLLIS: I think President Obama and Bill Cosby were both right on the mark in chastising some African-American parents for failing to put the proper emphasis on education. They were both roundly criticized by apologists from within the black community for reasons still unclear to me, other than it’s always easier to simply blame the messenger rather than take a hard look at the message. Let's call it what it is and address the problem rather than bury our heads in the sand and pretend it doesn't exist. I certainly can’t speak for all African-American families, but I do think many of those I see daily here in the Atlanta area anyway concede education, for whatever reason, as somehow an exclusively white domain, that somehow the sports arena is the only avenue out of a poor socio-economic situation. Black kids who excel in school or speak proper English are often ribbed as “acting white” as if underachieving were somehow synonymous with African-Americans. Black kids who athletic, however, are the unquestioned kings of the kingdom, free to have whatever they wish. It’s absurd, and it has to stop. Don’t get me wrong – I love sports and it has always played a major role in my life. But there’s never been a doubt that I or my brothers could always do a lot more than that. We have never bought into this ridiculous and incredibly insulting concept that all African-American males can do is either play basketball or be a rapper. The failure of our nation’s education systems has long been well documented, but nowhere is it more glaring than among young black men, only about half of whom graduate from high school these days, dooming themselves to a challenging life that more often than not leads to poverty and criminal behavior. I’ve always been dumbfounded by this line of thought because of the flawed underlying premise that says there are certain things African-Americans can’t or won’t do. It’s because there are such low expectations of black men in America – from both whites and blacks alike – and rather than be insulted and hell bent on proving people wrong, too many folks just meekly go along with the status quo. Bad grades and poor efforts in school are tolerated by way too many African-American parents because the bar is set so low and that’s what is expected of them. It’s about time we in the African-American community started asking – no, demanding - better from all black students, especially black males. That means turning the TV off at night to do schoolwork, it means becoming involved with your children’s education and it means not letting their son play sports if he or she is not getting it done in the classroom.I have been amazed at how many African-American parents in the Atlanta area anyway see nothing wrong with letting their son play sports despite their academic shortcomings. Many of those same parents – especially in the case of the fathers- couldn’t ever be found in a parent/teacher conference, but you can bet they won’t miss their son’s football game or practice. It absolutely makes no sense to me, and it is detrimental to the entire black community as a whole. Sports is a privilege to be earned, not a right. We played all kinds of sports while growing up, but my mom always made it very clear to us it was a luxury we would lose if we didn’t get the job done in the classroom. Critics will say that these young black men often come from broken homes with no strong parent to guide them like my mom did. But such academic deficiencies are nowhere near as prevalent among African-American females, many of whom come from the same homes. The difference is that expectations are considerably higher of black females. I would like to see young black males held to the same high standard so they, too, can have a chance at a good life. Many will rise to meet the challenge if only they are pushed. We owe them that much. I was raised by a single mother who instilled in us a belief from a young age that we were smart and that we could do anything or be anything that we chose. I have firmly believed that my entire life and will always believe that. It wasn’t easy, but we overcame the major life obstacles in front of us b/c much was always expected of us. Others can do likewise, but it’s going to take a lot more effort from more African-American parents

Q: You say that your ability on the basketball court allowed you to straddle the line and relate to both sides. What do you think would have happened if you didn't have those skills?

JOHN HOLLIS: I’m not sure what might have happened if I didn’t have a little game back in the day. That innate confidence to know I could thrive in whatever my environment I might have found myself has been very pivotal for me. I might have turned out differently without the basketball skills, but who knows for sure?

Q: You write about other black kids you played basketball with being as smart as you but either being killed or going to jail for selling drugs because they bought into the idea that doing well in school was a white thing.

JOHN HOLLIS: I’m not sure that the friend of whom I spoke in the book as being as bright as me ever bought into the idea of studying made you “white.” I always believed this friend “Jimmy” was more a victim of life’s circumstances than anything else. He turned to selling drugs when the single mom raising him and a younger sister became ill. But there are plenty of young black males who don’t have the confidence to dare go against the grain. Often young and looking to fit in, too many black males do buy into that flawed premise, often with terrible consequences. I was always blessed to have lots of self-confidence, and I was determined to never let other people or different environments define me. Only I could define me. Yes, I was different than a lot of guys I played pickup basketball with, but I think I earned their respect because I always had the confidence to just be me and not try to be something else.

Q: Sports were a real blessing to you---they not only helped you relate to others who might have shunned you, they got you your start in journalism. But isn't it true that for many, they lead a lot of kids—especially poor kids-- to believe they can succeed without studying?

JOHN HOLLIS: “I’ve always believed sports can serve as a great life lesson. You learn to win with class and dignity, as much as you learn to lose gracefully as well. And when you lose, you go back, practice and get better so you can do it right the next time. You learn teamwork in sports and how to work together towards a common goal with others who might be different from you. Kids who want to be successful athletes will have to be talented, yes, but they’ll also have to be willing to put in the long practice time and planning necessary to be good. The same principles apply to school as well. African-American parents just need to expect more of their sons in this realm as well and hold them accountable when they don’t meet expectations. Just like their coaches would.”

GCC to host information sessions on low-interest Federal Direct Stafford Loans Nov. 4 at Locust Grove and Nov. 11 at Massaponax

2010-10-26T14:51:00.000-07:00

Germanna Community College will offer Federal Direct Stafford Loans beginning with the spring 2011 semester. Federal Direct Stafford Loans are offered through the Department of Education and are being offered as a responsible alternative to private borrowing.

Click here for YouTube video about White House Community College Summit.

Direct loans are intended to help students and their families offset the rising cost of college tuition. Currently, Germanna offers several types of financial aid to our students including grants, scholarships, work study programs, and private student loans. The college is now able to offer Stafford loans, as well for those students who need additional financial aid to meet their educational expenses.

Stafford Loans have lower interest rates, longer repayment terms, deferment and forbearance options as well as early loan forgiveness for graduates working in public service.

For more information, click here. Or attend one of the following Information Sessions:

• Thursday, 11/4 at the Locust Grove Campus 10 a.m.-11 a.m. or 5:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m. Room 202

• Monday, 11/8 at the Fredericksburg Area Campus 10 a.m.-11 a.m. or 5:30 p.m.-6:30 p.m. Room 212

Daniel Center reschedules Green Jobs Conference for Earth Day, April 22, 2011

2010-10-13T18:43:00.000-07:00

The Germanna Center for Workforce and Community Education Green jobs conference set for Monday, Oct. 25, 2010 has been rescheduled for Earth Day, April 22, 2011. It's only $20, including lunch.
Call 540/937-2900 and register now to learn from experts about opportunities for green living & working through a series of quick workshops including Green Building Professional Development, Green Building Training and Certification Options, Marketing Green Homes, and the Top Ten Home Energy Upgrades for Consumers.

For more information, please click here.

Solid as a Brock

2010-09-15T20:12:00.001-07:00

Germanna found a perfect fit in its new Dean of Arts & Sciences Deborah Brock, who as a passion both for leadership and teaching. GCC didn't have to look far. she's a longtime Fredericksburg resident.

Learn about marketing, branding your small business through GCC's Center for Workforce

2010-08-12T18:42:00.000-07:00

Susan Carol, who runs Fredericksburg's top PR firm, talks about branding during a Germanna Center for Workforce and Community Education class at the Stafford Center.

At Germanna, instead of being pitied, she decided who she was going to be

2010-07-14T21:22:00.000-07:00

Amherst College has given Devon Geary nearly a full scholarship after Germanna Community College helped her excel academically in spite of entering the school with a rare and debilitating disorder.

She was so sick in 2006 that she had to drop out when she was a sophomore at James Monroe High in Fredericksburg. She suffers from postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS). The rare genetic disorder can be debilitating. For those with the disorder, sitting up or standing can cause heart rates to soar and blood flow to the brain to decrease, resulting in fainting.

Some POTS sufferers can't go to school or work. Devon's case is complicated by Ehler-Danos syndrome, which affects connective tissue between joints and makes movement agonizing. At 16, Devon was faced with the prospect of being bedridden or in a wheelchair for the rest of her life.

Her doctor gave her little hope.

But she refused to give in.

In 2008, she came to Germanna in a wheelchair and got her GED.

In 2009, she began classes at GCC, using a walker, and frequently fainting.

"There was no way I could have gone to a four-year school," Devon says. "I could barely walk. I could barely stay conscious."

"I would sometimes find Devon in the fetal position," says Winford Stevens, GCC's Coordinator of Disability Services.

She was able to stick with it, she says, because at Germanna, "Nobody stared at me. Nobody laughed at me. I had been in a wheelchair for 2 ½ years. I was used to pity stares. But I didn't get that here. People were very kind and accommodating, but they didn't pity me."

Devon thrived on the kind of one on one attention students get from faculty at Germanna.

Her condition gradually improved, and though there is still pain, she now not only walks on her own, but is an assistant dance instructor. The outcome: nearly a full scholarship to Amherst, one of the top liberal arts schools in the country.

At Germanna, instead of being pigeonholed, she decided who she was going to be.

"If anything, I'm the 6-foot-tall redhead with the 4.0," Devon says. "I was never defined by my illness here and I really appreciate that. I don't know if it would have been that way at a 4-year school," she says. "I think I did pretty well, but it was because of the environment."

GCC Workforce & Economic Development Partnership series offers quick-hit courses that can help your company grow

2010-07-06T14:39:00.000-07:00

GIVE YOUR SMALL BUSINESS A QUICK SHOT IN THE ARM WITH THE GERMANNA WORKFORCE & ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT REGIONAL BUSINESS SERIES, WITH UPCOMING MINI-COURSES IN CAROLINE, KING GEORGE, STAFFORD, CULPEPER AND SPOTSYLVANIA
In the current economic environment, small businesses with shrinking staffs need to find ways to invigorate themselves without devoting a lot of time to retraining.

So Germanna Community College is offering a Workforce & Economic Development Regional Business Series that allows employers to enhance skills in a hurry.

GCC, which is offering the series in partnership with local economic development authorities and chambers of oommerce, is offering a two-hour course on Branding & Marketing at the Daniel Center in Culpeper from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. on July 16.

There will also be a Branding course on the same day at the same time at the Germanna Stafford Center.

Two weeks later, there will be a course titled Develop a Strategic Business Plan at GCC's Fredericksburg Area Campus in Spotsylvania from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. on July 30.

On Aug. 13, there will be a Legal Fundamentals course from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the Caroline County Business Center.

And on Aug. 27, there will be a course entitled Develop a Marketing Plan from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. at the King George Community Citizens' Center. The two-hour courses cost $29. Call 540/891-3012 for more information and to register.

'Thank you for believing in me when I didn't believe in myself'

2010-06-29T12:16:00.000-07:00

Anita Newhouse of Culpeper didn't believe she was smart enough. She was wrong ...

I came up with every excuse I could think of:

“I have a child.

“I work full time.

“I wasn’t a good student in high school.”

The truth is, my self esteem and confidence were so low that I honestly didn’t think I would be successful in college. I thank God I listened to a friend who pushed me to enroll at Germanna Community College in 2000. She suggested taking one class at a time until I was used to that, and then later taking more than one class each semester. As each semester passed, my confidence increased and I held my head a little higher.

I couldn’t believe that I was going to college and that I was working towards an associate’s degree! No one in my family had ever attended college, and now I was. It felt amazing.

One of my professors at GCC, Randy Martin, encouraged me to check with the University of Mary Washington to find out what classes that I had already taken would transfer as well as what other classes I could take at Germanna that would transfer. I humored him, still not believing it was realistic. Mr. Martin checked with me periodically to see where I was in the process. He even said that he was not going to let me stop at an associate’s degree.
One day I realized that if he believed in me and he thought I could do it, maybe I should pursue it. But I didn’t have the money to continue my education. And though my self esteem had increased during my time at Germanna, I was still not confident enough in myself to believe that I could also be successful at a university. I simply thought I was not smart enough.

I met with an advisor at UMW and was able to take a lot of classes at GCC that would transfer. Germanna provided me with educational assistance for tuition for these classes as well as for the books.

In addition to working full time and attending school, my husband and I are small business owners, and this takes a lot of my time. I was only able to take one class a semester at UMW. I didn’t really have the time or money to devote to any more than that.

In April of 2009, an email about a fellowship program was sent to all state employees. I quickly closed the email without really reading it because at the time I didn’t realize what it was. Later that day my wonderful supervisor, Sarah Somerville, came to me and asked if I had read the email. I told her I looked at it briefly but that I didn’t really know what it was or if it even pertained to me. She explained to me that it was the Chancellor’s Fellowship scholarship and she encouraged me to apply for it. If she hadn’t brought it to my attention, I would never have applied. I did, and I was awarded the scholarship which provided me the opportunity to be a full-time student for the first time ever.

Not only could I be a full-time student and not have to balance work, but I also had no worries about the cost of attending the university as my salary and tuition would be taken care of during the academic year in which I was attending school. Dr. David Sam, Germanna’s president, called to tell me that I was awarded the scholarship and when I hung up with phone with him, I cried. I cried because I was so grateful for the opportunity and I couldn’t believe that I was going to be receiving my Bachelor’s degree.

As a full-time student, I was able to network and build relationships. This was something I was never able to do before while balancing other things in my life. When I finished classes at Germanna, I would always rush home to my family. As a full-time student, I was able to stay after class to discuss my thoughts on various things and build relationships that I will continue to maintain.

On May 8, 2010, I graduated from the University of Mary Washington with my Bachelor’s degree in Leadership and Management. I am forever grateful to so many people for supporting me through this journey and providing me with this opportunity.
Thank you, Chancellor Glenn DuBois, for providing such a scholarship. Thank you Sarah Somerville, for being such a wonderful and selfless person and encouraging me to take advantage of this opportunity though it would mean I would have to leave the counseling office. Thank you Randy Martin for believing in me when I didn’t believe in myself. Also, thank you Pam Frederick for being so supportive of me at all times.
I can’t tell you how much it means to have such wonderful supervisors who encourage growth and want the best for their employees. Joan Fischer, Kelly Wolfe, Katey Denner, and Dean Rowe, thank you all for always believing in me! Dr. Sam and Victoria Waldron, you both were willing, without hesitation, to write letters of reference for me and I am so grateful for that as your opinions and insight are extremely valued.

Thank you as well to every single employee at Germanna who has believed in me, and shared in my exciting journey.

God bless you all!

--Anita Newhouse

Germanna's on-site Apprenticeship Program makes career ladder easier to climb; doesn't require students to leave work

2010-06-28T15:57:00.000-07:00

After spending the last six years making airplane parts at Euro-Composite in Culpeper, 29-year-old Doug Bray saw a chance to advance his career when the company began an apprenticeship program in partnership with Germanna Community College's Center for Workforce and Community Education. The program opened the door to an associate’s degree and a journeyman’s license in industrial maintenance.
The four-year Workforce apprenticeship program combines classroom work with on-the–job training at the work site. It’s designed to meet the need for trained industrial maintenance technicians and intended for those who wish to work as maintenance employees or those who have recently been hired as maintenance employees. It also allows current employee to upgrade the skills necessary to support and maintain high-technology equipment.

“It was definitely a good opportunity for me, going to Germanna,” said Bray, who has a wife and child. “I think it’ll allow me to look at my job a little different. It’ll help me to excel at what I’m doing. It could mean promotions, raises. It’ll just benefit me all around and look at different things I’m doing and come up with new ideas to do my job that maybe I wouldn’t without taking the program and without getting my license.”

“It’s been a little bit of a learning experience,” Bray said. “It’s taught me things I never knew and also helped me refresh on things I learned in high school and never really used while I was working. It will definitely help me to think more critically. It’s been a little tough at times, but it’s definitely been enjoyable.”

Call 540/891-3012 or go to www.germanna/workforce/.edu for more information.

GCC honors Sen. John Chichester

2010-06-23T15:20:00.000-07:00

Karen Chichester, Sen. John Chichester and GCC President David Sam at the Distinguished Person of the GCC Educational Foundation of the Year banquet.

Retired Sen. John Chichester, long a supporter of higher education in Virginia, is Germanna Community College's Distinguished Person of the Year for 2010. He was honored at a GCC Educational Foundation Banquet for which Mary Washington Healthcare was the major sponsor. Speaker of the House Bill Howell, VCCS Chancellor Glenn DuBois and Germanna President David A. Sam were among the speakers at the event.

Students missing out on Pell Grants simply because they don't apply

2010-06-21T14:57:00.000-07:00

Too many Germanna Community College students are leaving money on the table because they're unaware they're available for Pell Grants.

In the 2007-08 academic year, 58 percent of Pell Grant-eligible students who attended community colleges either full or part-time applied for federal financial aid, compared with 77 percent of eligible students at four-year public institutions

During the two-year period from fall 2007 to fall 2009, full-time enrollment at U.S. community colleges increased by 24.1 percent

Students are reluctant to apply for aid in part due to a lack of basic understanding. Click here for the rest of the story.

ABC NEWS VIDEO: DORIS BUFFETT PLAYS FAIRY GODMOTHER TO GERMANNA MIDDLE COLLEGE GRADUATE AUNDREA HANDY ON ABC NEWS' NIGHTLINE

2010-06-10T10:43:00.000-07:00

Above, philanthropist Doris Buffett, 'The Sunshine Lady,' with Sunshine Lady Foundation board member Diane Grimsley.

Click on graph below to see Nightline report

Nightline visited Germanna recently to capture the moment when philanthropist Doris Buffett surprised Aundrea Handy, who had been homeless before attending GCC's Middle College, which helps high school dropouts get their GEDs and prepares them for college.
Buffett also recently donated $150,000 to the GCC Educational Foundation's Germanna Guarantee Scholarship program and donated the profits from a booksigning at the Fredericksburg Campus to the Middle College.

At a November GCC Educational Foundation dinner, Ms. Buffett heard three Germanna students on scholarships speak and decided to get involved with GCC: “I thought, ‘These are exactly the people we want to help.' I have a high regard for what Germanna's doing. They're into the real world. They're helping people to a good life through a good education."

Carolyn Bynum, director of the Middle College at Germanna, wrote in a letter to Ms. Buffett:

"I can tell you that Aundrea is a remarkable young woman. I knew it from the first moment I met her. She was homeless but not discouraged; down but not out. She knew then and knows now that education is the key to a better life and she is taking on the challenge to ensure a better life for herself and her children. I have no doubt that your foundation made a wise choice in selecting her to benefit from your generosity.

"I would also like to thank you for donating the proceeds of the sales of your book at the recent event at Germanna. These funds will help more young people as they come through Middle College and strive to change their lives as well. I can truly say that working with this program and helping my students find their way to a better future has been the most rewarding experience I have ever had in my professional life. So I can appreciate the warm feeling you must get when you know you have helped so many that may not have otherwise made it through whatever trying situation they may encounter."

Doris Buffett is the big sister of Warren Buffett, one of the world's richest men. She has donated over $100 million of her own money, much of it to individuals like Aundrea after talking with them one on one. At 82, she says her goal in life is to give all of her fortune away to those in need and hopes that her last check bounces

GCC student on Nightline Monday

2010-06-02T15:57:00.000-07:00

Germanna student Aundrea Handy will be featured on ABC News' Nightline Monday night, June 7, at 11:35. That's all we can tell you. The rest is a surprise.

Germanna nursing the winner as Culpeper loses weight

2010-05-21T14:30:00.001-07:00

Thanks to Joe and Linda Daniel, Germanna nursing the winner as Culpeper loses weight ...

"Just Drop It" dropped nearly $160,000 into Germanna nursing program piggy bank.

The Culpeper "Just Drop It" Campaign resulted in more than 3,132 pounds lost by participants and a resulting donation of $156,610.00 for the Nursing and Allied Health Programs at Germanna Community College.

The goals of helping people to be healthier and better manage their diets were possible through the leadership and support of Culpeper Regional Hospital, Powell Wellness Center, Mr. and Mrs. Joe Daniel and Germanna Community College.

The Hospital, Wellness Center and the Daniels committed financial support to the College and its joint program in nursing with Eastern View High School as a way of challenging participants and investing in the long-term health of the community. This donation will go a long way towards helping Germanna educate the next generation of nurses and health care workers. We thank them for their ongoing support

Our deep appreciation to Sandy Boone at the PWC, Lee Kirk from CRHS, Greta Haggerty from GCC, Joe and Linda Daniel, and other stakeholders including our faculty and nursing students. And congratulations to all the participants. You won both by becoming healthier and by helping Germanna Community College and its students.
--Germanna President David A. Sam

Germanna graduates its biggest class ever

2010-05-13T14:28:00.000-07:00

Friends and family snap pictures of Germanna's Class of 2010 in this photo by Peter Cihelka of The Free Lance-Star ...

By PAMELA GOULD

The Free Lance-Star

James Richardson is a second-generation Germanna Community College graduate who said his father's words inspired him to complete his degree despite self-doubt and challenges.

"My father always told me, 'James, you have to do the hard thing,'" Richardson said last night before a crowd of about 2,500 at the Fredericksburg Expo and Conference Center.

Richardson, a 20-year-old Falmouth resident, was the community college's student speaker at last night's commencement ceremony. He spoke of the determination, sacrifice and belief in self that were needed to meet the requirements for his associate degree.

He spoke not only of his own struggles but also those of classmates who worked full time and who had families.

"It takes determination to get up in the morning and go to class knowing that after you're done you have to go work for eight hours so you can pay for your house," he said. "It takes determination to study for a test when you've got kids who want and need your attention."

He added that teachers can't teach determination.

"It's something that you have to work at and want. It is the difference between those who make it and those who don't," Richardson said. Click here for the rest of the story.

Chichester to be honored at June 3 Germanna Educational Foundation dinner

2010-05-03T11:48:00.001-07:00

Retired Virginia State Sen. John Chichester has been named the Germanna Community College Educational Foundation’s Distinguished Person of the Year.

Mike Catell, Director of the GCC Educational Foundation, said Chichester was chosen “because of his extraordinary commitment to higher education--in particular his support of the mission of community colleges.”

Mary Washington Healthcare is the title sponsor of a June 3 event in his honor.

Chichester was President Pro Tempore of the Virginia Senate when he announced his retirement in 2007. He represented the 28th district in the Senate from 1978 to 2007. He initially entered that body by winning a special election following the death of Paul Manns, who had held the seat.

In 1985, the Republican Party nominated him for lieutenant governor, but he lost to Doug Wilder, who went on to become Virginia’s first African American governor since Reconstruction.

In 1995, Chichester became co-chair of the Senate Finance Committee. When the Republicans took control of the Senate in 1999, he became the committee’s chairman, a position of power and prestige.

There will be a 6 p.m. reception on Thursday, June 3 at Fredericksburg Square, followed by dinner and an award presentation.

The dinner is $100 a plate, with all proceeds going to the Educational Foundation. Contact the Educational Foundation office at 540/423-9060 or foundation@germanna.edu for more information and to purchase tickets.

For sponsorship and other gift opportunities, please contact Darla Burton, Foundation Executive Committee member at 540/371-3566 or Mike Catell, Foundation Director at 540/834-8988

Deadlines approaching for application to Germanna RN and PN programs

2010-04-21T15:46:00.000-07:00

Apply for admission to GCC nursing programs now ...

The deadline for applications to Germanna's Registered Nursing Program at the Locust Grove Campus is July 1.

The deadline for the GCC Practical Nursing Program with classes at Eastern View High School is May 7.

Call 540/423-9821 or email nursing@germanna.edu or visit the nursing office at the Locust Grove Campus for to apply or to request more information.

Above: Members of the Certified Nurse Aide class of Spring 2010. The CNA program quickly prepares students to enter the health care field, allowing them to earn a living in nursing while further studies move them up the ladder.

Germanna's Monte Carlo Night draws big crowd, raises big money for students who couldn't otherwise go to college

2010-04-20T18:13:00.000-07:00

Germanna's Monte Carlo Night fundraiser hits the jackpot ...
The Germanna Educational Foundation raised netted $70,000 with Saturday night's Monte Carlo Casino Night fundraiser at the Daniel Center. All the proceeds go to the Germanna Guarantee Program, which helps students in need.
Above, Culpeper native Dana Brill plays the slots at Monte Carlo Night.

Saturday's Monte Carlo Night: Fun for a good cause

2010-04-15T21:26:00.001-07:00

The Daniel Center hosts scholarship program's black tie fundraiser Saturday ... BY MICHAEL ZITZ
Life itself is a game of chance, says Germanna Community College President David A. Sam.

"And Germanna Community College is about second, and even third, chances," he said.

A little bit of Las Vegas comes to Culpeper on Saturday, when Germanna Community College's 16th annual Monte Carlo Casino Night returns to the Daniel Technology Center, located 30 minutes west of Fredericksburg, just off State Route 3.

But buying a ticket--or even better, a table--for Monte Carlo Casino Night is no gamble, Sam says. It's more than a roll of the dice.

It's a sure thing.

Monte Carlo Night is what they would call in Las Vegas "a mortal lock"--that is, at least in terms of helping local students who have financial need, and helping to jump-start the area's economy at the same time by making its work force more competitive.

The black-tie event has become a highlight of Culpeper's social season, while providing scholarship funds for the Germanna Educational Foundation's Germanna Guarantee Program. See Free Lance-Star story on Monte Carlo Night and photos of last year's event.

Germanna student immigrates from Brazil, wins top 10 All-Virginia Academic team honors and becomes one of two GCC Coca-Cola Scholar national finalists

2010-04-04T18:58:00.000-07:00

GCC's Rosana Marzullo-Dove racking up academic honors ...

Germanna Community College student Rosana Marzullo-Dove has been named one of the top 10 students on the 2010 All-Virginia Academic Team, earning a $500 scholarship.

Marzullo-Dove, a psychology major, is GCC's Phi Theta Kappa Chapter President and Psi Beta Chapter Treasurer.

She has also has been selected as a 2010 Coca-Cola National Finalist, along with fellow Germanna student Pamela Petzold, based on scores earned in the All-USA Academic Team competition. This program is sponsored by the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation and is administered by Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society. National finalists win $1,000.

Marzullo-Dove and the Coca-Cola Scholars Foundation will be attending Phi Theta Kappa’s 92nd Annual Convention in Orlando, Fla., April 8-10.

With help from Germanna's Middle College, single mom gets her life back on track after dropping out of high school

2010-04-02T18:50:00.000-07:00

My name is Aundrea Handy. I’m 24, and a single mother of two children. I graduated from the Germanna Middle College Program in 2009 and received my General Education Diploma.

As a high school dropout, there aren’t many options when it comes to jobs: the only experience I had was customer service. Therefore, a minimum wage job was all I could get. As the economy slowed down in 2007, I began to struggle. I was living paycheck to paycheck and could barely afford my rent; then business slowed even more and my hours were cut completely. I could no longer afford my home and had to move into a homeless shelter.

I was devastated; I did not know what to do next. Then I saw an ad in the newspaper for The Middle College Program at Germanna and started to think. I thought about my kids and how I didn’t want them to make the same mistakes I did. What better way to show them this than to go back to school, become a great role model, and show them that school is necessary for a better life and a great career.

Going back to school to complete my high school education was the best decision I ever made. Middle College opened my eyes and gave me a new outlook on life. Everything started to fall into place, I became more confident and motivated and I even landed a better paying job. I moved out of the shelter and am now living a very comfortable, stable life and my kids are very happy.

My daughter sees me doing homework and it inspires her, she loves going to school every day. Completing the program and graduating was a dream come true, I never thought I’d be given another chance to graduate. Middle College gave me that chance. This inspired me to want to continue with my education. I thought 'Why stop here? The sky is the limit and school has been the best thing to happen to me.'

I am a Germanna student, and it feels great to say that. I have always wanted to be a successful businesswoman and a psychologist to help people. So I am currently taking classes to earn a degree in both Business Administration and Psychology. I hope to become an Organizational Psychologist. In this career I will apply the principles of psychology and human behavior to personnel, administration, management, sales and marketing problems.

I was so happy to find this occupation, as it is also a part of human services, counseling, and mental health services which I am very interested in. This has been an eye-opening and reassuring experience for me overall. I am so thrilled to continue this journey and grateful for the opportunity that the Middle College Program at Germanna has given me.

Rep. Wittman hears concerns about jobs, health care reform at Germanna Community College small business roundtable

2010-02-19T13:10:00.000-08:00

GCC President David A. Sam welcomes Rep. Rob Wittman to Germanna for a talk today with small business owners ... --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"When I see the talent out there that cannot find a job, it scares me to death," Laurie Newman of Taskforce told Rep. Rob Wittman (R-1st Va) today during a small business roundtable discussion with area business leaders and regional chamber of commerce members at Germanna Community College. "We have to [create] jobs, we have to have places to put them. There's no end in sight. They just keep coming and coming."

The regional roundtable, hosted by GCC's Center for Workforce, was a forum intended to allow the congressman to hear directly from employers on what steps government can take to incentivize real growth. Small businesses account for 70 percent of the new jobs created each year, and Wittman said he is committed to ensuring they have the tools they need.

Others at the meeting told Wittman that small, "main street" banks are ready and willing to make loans to small businesses, but are finding their hands tied by red tape.

On the topic of health care reform, Wittman said he wants to end the perception of the GOP as "the party of no." He said the Democrats are expected to try to pass a reconciliation of its House and Senate health care bills on Feb. 21, four days before a summit is to be held at the White House during which President Obama has promised to open the floor to all ideas. When someone asked if the Republicans would show up for that meeting, Wittman said he hoped so.

"I think we have an obligation to put forth our ideas," he said. He said the Republicans should attend the meeting to offer proposals for tort reform and allowing cosumers to buy health insurance from companies competing across state lines.

"We are hopeful the meeting on the 25th is still open to ideas," he said.

Former firefighter who was disabled as he responded to Sept. 11 attack on Pentagon wins scholarship

2010-02-18T19:36:00.000-08:00

Greg Foley, at left, is pictured with VCCS Chancellor Dr. Glenn DuBois, delegates Ed Scott and Bobby Orrock, and his daughters.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Germanna student Greg Foley, a first responder after the Sept. 11 attack on Pentagon, was one of two recipients of the new $3,000 Virginia Education Wizard Scholarships Wednesday night. A firefighter injured during the response and now retired, Foley is enrolled in his second semester at GCC, where he has a 4.0 grade-point average. With a fixed disability income, Foley plans to complete his associate degree before continuing his education at a Virginia university, with a long-term goal of earning a doctorate in psychology. “Being able to continue with my education is not just important for myself,” the single father of two said. “Being a good example to my young daughters, getting their ‘help’ with my school work and having them share in my success are wonderful things.”

"Nobody wants to be politically honest about what’s really happening to our country...We’re running out of time to live in denial.'

2010-01-16T10:29:00.000-08:00

Admiral who ran U.S. military study on obesity's impact on the future of health care to speak at Germanna Tuesday and Wednesday nights ...

The way things are going, who's going to be "the Biggest Loser?"
America, says a nationally known expert on health care and "futurist."

Dr. William Rowley, a retired rear admiral in the U.S. Navy and a futurist at the Institute for Alternative Futures, says America can’t handle the truth when it comes to the health care reform debate.

The nation can cut its health care expenses by 75 percent by making simple lifestyle changes like doing things as simple as throwing away the TV remote so we have to move around more and eating meals with sensible portion sizes.

“The reality is that our lifestyle is the biggest disease we have in America--it’s killing us,” says Rowley, who will speak at Germanna Community College’s Daniel Center in Culpeper at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 19 and at GCC’s Fredericksburg Campus in Spotsylvania at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 20.

Rowley trained as a vascular surgeon and has been chief executive officer of two medical centers and a large managed care organization.

He was chairman of the Department of Defense Military Health System 2020 research project, which studied the future of health care and its possible impact on military medicine. Rowley is particularly concerned about what this is doing to our children, but is encouraged by efforts like “Drop It: The 2010 Healthy Living Challenge,” which kicks with a fair from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Jan. 23 at Germanna Community College’s Daniel Center in Culpeper. That will be followed by a “Biggest Loser” type 12-week Weight Loss and Healthy Living Challenge with cash prizes of up to $1,000 for kids and prizes for kids including a Nintendo Wii with Wii Fit. Children are encouraged to make healthier choices, but not required to lose weight.

Culpeper Regional Hospital and Germanna are teaming on this effort to help Culpeper live healthier. Rowley’s talk is part of the Drop It campaign.

Rowley says: ”There are a couple of things health care reform does not tell us. No. 1 is that we’re creating far more disease than our society can afford to pay for. And that’s never gonna change unless we change our lifestyle.

“No. 2 is that we all assume that somebody else is paying for our health care. The reality is we are paying for everything. We pay for it with rising health insurance premiums. And if it’s not our insurance paying for it, it’s our taxes. About 50 percent of what’s paid for health care [already] comes out of governments.”

He notes that health care cost inflation has recently run at 17 percent a year and by 2020, will be 21 percent.

“Until we start honestly talking about what’s going on in our society and putting a limit on what a third party is required to pay and change our lifestyles, we can’t change it.

“Nobody wants to be politically honest about what’s really happening to our country.

“We’re running out of time to live in denial. This is gonna come bite us. And the lobbies are incredibly powerful.”

But we have the power to change things ourselves.

He says a study a few year ago asked 175,000 adults four questions:

Are you a non-smoker?

Are you maintaining a normal body weight?

Are you eating five fruits and vegetables a day?

Do you get at least 30 minutes of physical activity five times a week—including walking?
Shockingly, only 1.5 percent of men and 4.2 percent of women said yes.

“That’s really pathetic,” Rowley says. “It’s not all that hard to get 30 minutes of walking in and eat five fruits and vegetables.”

Studies show 70 percent of premature death is lifestyle-related, Rowley says.

People who follow the simple guidelines above, he says, have:

A 60 percent reduced risk of cancer

A 90 percent reduced risk of diabetes

An 80 percent reduced risk of heart disease
“If you’re 60 and older, 50 percent of the illnesses and injusires could be eliminated if you just did those four simple things,” Rowley says. “Seventy-five percent of our health care costs could be prevented if we got people to modify their lifestyles”

Today, 25 percent of Virginians are obese.

Five years from now, 40 percent of all adults in Virginia will be obese.

By 2030, almost 50 percent will be obese. “It's amazing how fast this came on,” Rowley says.

An overweight 18-year-old has a 30 percent chance of developing diabetes. One who is obese has a 57 percent chance. One who is very obese has a risk of getting diabetes of 70 percent.

Rowley says the growing obesity problem is draining America’s coffers due to related health care expenses and crippling the nation’s economic productivity and competitiveness.

Rowley cited a Duke University study of its own employees that showed that severely obese employess filed twice as many workman compensation claims, had seven times higher medical costs and lots a whopping 13 times more days from work.

“In other words, as an employer, you cannot afford to have severely obese employees. They’re not capable of working up to their full potential and their costs are unbelievable.”

Today there 680,000 people in Virginia with diagnosed cases of diabetes. That’s 8.5 percent of the population, and that figure is underreported and growing.

Rowley says this year in Virginia there will be:

About 755 new cases of blindness due to diabetes About 1500 people need dialysis because of renal failure due to diabetes. Almost 2,400 are going to have amputations due to diabetes.

In the past, people didn’t typically develop type 2 diabetes until their 50s, 60s and 70s.

“Unfortunately, now we’re seeing it even in teenagers and it’s not uncommon for people in their 40s,” Rowley says.

They’re going to die 10 to 14 years prematurely, he said. And they will have 18 to 21 years of life in which their quality of life is essentially cut in half.

“If you have an amputation and some other problems, maybe you lived all year, but your quality of life was maybe a half a year.” He says. “Get diabetes at age of 40, you lose 20 ‘quality life’ years. That means they’re gonna have an awful lot pain and suffering and [early deaths] due to heart disease, kidney failure, amputations and things like that. So this has a huge impact on our society.”

Seventy-two percent of seniors--those 65 and over—either have diabetes or have pre-diabetes, which means they will develop it unless they change their lifestyles.

There are 977,000 seniors in Virginia, and 165,000 have diagnosed cases of diabetes, another 140,000 have diabetes but they’ve never been never tested and almost 400,000 have pre-diabetes.

“In Virginia, 540,000 seniors desperately need to get tested,” Rowley said. “Either they have it or have pre-diabetes and they don’t know it.”

Rowley says we must face reality and make simple changes in our lifestyle.

“Unfortunately, once you get a chronic disease like diabetes or cardiovascular disease or high blood pressure, it’s very unlikely you’re gonna cure it. We can manage it with a lot of expensive medicines and other therapies. But once you get these diseases, they rarely go away.

“You’ve probably seen the commercial: ‘I’m struggling with my family finances. We’re in a recession. How dare you tax soft drinks?’ “ Rowley says. “ Well, one of the biggest changes for adolescents is school vending machines filled with soft drinks. It’s not unusual for kids to drink two or three 20 ounce bottles a day. You can get 800 to 1,000 calories just in our soft drinks.”

He says it’s vital that schools only stock vending machines with low-calorie drinks and parents make sure children’s meals consist of sensible portion sizes.

The food industry, he says, has turned America into a “obesenogenic” society.

The last study of the American military, in 2005, showed that 62 percent of all active duty military were overweight,” he says, and that’s in a situation where people are required to train for endurance and are weighed twice a year.

“Today, the average American adult is eating 500 calories more a day than in the 60s or 70s. Kids eat 300 more. And 3,500 calories is a pound. You could be gaining a pound a week.

“Everything is supersized. If I go to McDonalds today and get a standard meal, that’s got 800 calories more than when I went to McDonalds in 1960 and got a standard meal. Eight hundred calories takes about three hours of vigorous physical activity to burn off.”

“We have no idea what we’re doing to our bodies,” he says.

“You can go to a restaurant and have a 1,000 calories as an appetitizer before you ever eat your meal.

“And we’ve redesigned out environment so you don’t need to get any physical activity and our work life so there’s no time anyway.

“Kids ride the bus to school and back, gym is eliminated to save money, then they go into the house and play video games and watch television,” he says.

“If 50 percent of the adults in Virginia are gonna be obese in the next 20 years, that shows you what’s going on. Society doesn’t want to deal with it.”
--Post by Mike Zitz

HCA donates $100,000 to Germanna Community College

2010-01-10T18:28:00.001-08:00

Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center donates $100,000 to Germanna Community College
Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center has given the nursing program at Germanna Community College extra reason to celebrate the New Year. The hospital’s Chief Executive Officer, Tim Tobin, presented the college with a check for $100,000 Friday.

“Nursing schools are the lifeblood of a hospital’s workforce,” said Tobin. “This donation recognizes the vital work being done by Germanna Community College, and it represents the beginning of what will surely be a strong and collaborative working relationship between our two organizations.”

"We at Germanna Community College value and appreciate this second donation from HCA as further testimony of our growing and mutually beneficial partnership," Germanna President David Sam said. "Their support for and trust in our nursing program will be a vital factor in our ability to produce the increasing numbers of nurses and other health professionals desperately needed in our area, especially as the new Spotsylvania Medical Center opens its doors across the street from our campus entrance. This is a promising start for the New Year for Germanna, and those in our community who need our help, thanks to HCA."

HCA has donated a total of $150,000 to GCC. Medicorp has donated $1.4 million to Germanna over the years.

Construction activity on the hospital and the adjacent Pogonia Medical Arts office building continue on schedule. The office building is expected to open its doors in March (confirm?), with the hospital to follow in June. SRMC will add some 375 full-time jobs to the economy at that time, with more to follow as the hospital grows. “The countdown is on,” said Tobin. “Building a new enterprise from the ground up is a challenging but exhilarating experience, and our entire team is grateful for the ongoing support we’re receiving from physicians, the business community, county officials and others.”

About Spotsylvania Regional Medical Center: This technologically advanced, 126-bed hospital will open June 2010 on a 75-acre campus near Fredericksburg, just south of Exit 126 of Interstate 95 and adjacent to GCC's Fredericksburg Campus. It will have all private rooms and provide a wide range of in- and outpatient services, including 24-hour emergency care, obstetrics, advanced diagnostic imaging, intensive care, cardiac catheterization, orthopedics, and behavioral health services. Adjoining the hospital will be the Pogonia Medical Arts office building, an 80,000-square-foot complex that will house physician offices.

About HCA Virginia: HCA Virginia is the state’s most comprehensive healthcare network with two dozen locally managed hospitals and outpatient centers in Central, Southwestern, and Northern Virginia. With a workforce of more than 10,000, it is one of the state's largest employers and healthcare providers. Each year HCA Virginia facilities provide approximately $100 million in free charity care to needy patients and pays $100 million in taxes that support vital community services.