Friday, September 14, 2012

Great Bay Community College off to a Strong Start

Students at Great Bay Community College are excited to get back to school (courtesy photo)

Plans underway to open academic center in Rochester


PORTSMOUTH –
At the start of classes this week, Great Bay Community College is again reporting an increase in enrollment for the start of the academic year.  According to Dr. Bruce Baker, vice president for enrollment management and student services, enrollment numbers are expected to be up 5 percent, in keeping with the growth trend in recent years.  Lower tuition rates, strong academically relevant programs and an environment that supports academic success have helped to foster growing interest in the college. Currently, GBCC offers more than thirty associate and certificate degree programs in addition to non-credit courses and customized training offered through their Business & Training Center.
“New students alone are up 24 percent” said Baker, “and we continue to see an increase in our Liberal Arts programs, traditionally filled by students looking to complete their associates degree and transfer on to a four year program.  This fall, the Liberal Arts Engineering Science Program, Liberal Arts Biological Sciences, Biological Sciences Transfer and Chemistry programs, as well as our new Liberal Arts Environmental Studies program are particularly strong. Each provides a transfer pathway program developed specifically with the University of New Hampshire. This is particularly encouraging given our focus on increasing graduates and transfer students in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).”  Baker also reports that the college’s cohorts for technical allied health programs - capped programs that include nursing, veterinary technology and surgical technology - are all at full capacity.
“I am excited to start the year,” said Jessie Schanck of Dover, a first year student enrolled in the liberal arts Pre-Nursing program. A licensed Practitioner Nurse in the Army Reserves, Schanck was encouraged to apply for the program by her squad leader who is also at Great Bay.  “After high school, my vision of college was not well established.  Seven years later, I am so glad to be at this point.  I can see my goals and I know it can be done. The people at Great Bay that I have met don’t just love the school, they are passionate about it!”
Twenty-three year old Marketing major Ashleigh Cronshaw of Dover was also excited about the new semester.  “I was ready to start, be with people my own age and learn something.  Getting started has been really easy. They never made me feel rushed or pressured into doing something that I didn’t want to do,” she said.
In addition to Liberal Arts Environmental Studies, Great Bay has also added other new programs and initiatives this fall, including a new Health Information Technology (HIT) Associate degree program.  According to Nancy Withee, program coordinator for the HIT program at Great Bay, HIT graduates will be able to choose from a variety of career opportunities, including Health information Technician, Health Information Analyst, Coding Technician, and Utilization Review Coordinator. They can also work in a multitude of settings throughout the healthcare industry, and graduates are also eligible to sit for the CCA (Certified Coding Associate) or CCS (Certified Coding Specialist) exam through the American Health Information Management Association  (AHIMA).
In terms of non-credit offerings, the college continues to offer programs designed specifically to enhance workplace preparedness. Since starting last October, WorkReadyNH , a program funded by a grant from the New Hampshire Job Training Fund, has seen a steady increase in enrollment. The program is designed to provide unemployed or underemployed individuals who work thirty hours per week or less, the training to build competitive job entry skills. In addition to focusing on developing skills in communication and teamwork, participants also prepare for the interview process as well. Graduates receive a National Career Readiness Certificate.
Plans this fall are also underway for Great Bay Community College to open an academic center in Rochester early in 2013.  Last year, the Community College System of New Hampshire was awarded a $19 million grant through the US Department of Labor to develop training programs for advanced manufacturing.  The grant involves all of the state community colleges with Great Bay being the lead on the project.  To start, the new Rochester site will enable the college to offer a range of programs linked to industry partners Albany Engineered Composites, Inc. and Safran Aerospace Composites - global leaders in advanced composite manufacturing for the aerospace industry.
“This partnership will significantly impact the local economy by providing our workforce training and education for middle skill career opportunities in advanced manufacturing,” said Dr. Will Arvelo, president of GBCC. “These are the jobs of the future. They will require strong communication, analytical, math, technical and team building skills, and they are the jobs that will advance the economy in New Hampshire and keep us competitive on both a regional and global stage.”
For more information on Great Bay Community College, visit www.greatbay.edu