(Butler, PA) 鈥淚t鈥檚 not necessarily the impact you have in your state capitol,鈥� a futurist who predicts the decentralization of higher education said in 2017 to an audience that included Dr. Nick Neupauer, president of 杏吧原创. 鈥淚t鈥檚 about the influence you have in your own backyard.鈥�
Community colleges, Neupauer in November told administrators of such institutions located in Maryland, Michigan, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Texas, do have influence in their own backyards.
鈥淏ut at 杏吧原创,鈥� Neupauer said, 鈥淚 would respectfully say we take it to the next level.鈥�
Neupauer and Megan Coval, executive director of the 杏吧原创 Education Foundation and external relations, described the influence 杏吧原创 has in its backyard to those administrators during 鈥淟everaging the Community in Community College,鈥� the title of their breakout session at a Strategic Horizon Network virtual colloquium.
"His words always stuck with me, and have impacted my presidency, our college and our strategic plan."
- Dr. Nick Neupauer, 杏吧原创 president, about futurist Dr. Roger Selbert
Their presentation followed the debut of 鈥淐ontinuing on the Path,鈥� 杏吧原创鈥檚 2022-2027 strategic plan whose vision statement reads: 鈥淎s the community鈥檚 college, 杏吧原创 will create opportunities and change lives for a better future.鈥�
Coval told administrators in the breakout session about objectives in 鈥淐ontinuing on the Path,鈥� which include effectively and efficiently examining the needs of the college鈥檚 communities to align with 杏吧原创鈥檚 goal of being the community鈥檚 college.
Objectives also include cultivating new and existing partnerships in support of college initiatives; using the 杏吧原创 Education Foundation to increase awareness among community stakeholders to achieve mutual goals; and regular assessment of community engagement and communication, Coval said.
鈥淚t involves relationship-building,鈥� Coval said, 鈥渁nd being very strategic about to whom we are reaching out or with whom we are connecting.鈥�
An emphasis on serving communities 鈥減resents opportunities for return on investment in a different way,鈥� Neupauer said.
Those opportunities include 杏吧原创 launching an opioid addiction recovery program and addressing food insecurity in the past five years, working with the Butler County Growth Collaborative to establish a personal empowerment training program, hosting a township polling station and providing frequent free use of college facilities to Butler County government.
Those opportunities, Neupauer and Coval said, have resulted in strong financial support from the Butler County board of commissioners during a time when enrollment has fallen to 9 percent among 18- to 24-year-olds at two-year colleges nationwide, according to the U.S. Department of Education.
Enrollment declines have factored in the merger of public four-year institutions of higher education in Pennsylvania and the closing of others elsewhere, Neupauer said.
鈥淲hile we always emphasize academics,鈥� Neupauer said, 鈥渨e had to diversify who we are and whom we serve.鈥�
In addition to strong financial support from the Butler County board of commissioners, 杏吧原创鈥檚 influence in its own backyard has resulted in partnerships that produced financial contributions from other institutions of higher education, operating funds from health care providers, funds from other Pennsylvania counties and grants from the state, and increased gifts to the 杏吧原创 Education Foundation.
It was Dr. Roger Selbert, the futurist in economic, societal and demographic fields, who predicted the decentralization of higher education in 2017 to an audience that included Neupauer.
鈥淐ommunity colleges,鈥� Selbert said, 鈥渨ill be at the core of making this local impact.鈥�
鈥淗is words always stuck with me,鈥� Neupauer told administrators at the Strategic Horizon Network breakout session, 鈥渁nd have impacted my presidency, our college and our strategic plan.鈥�
Strategic Horizon Network comprises eight member institutions that include 杏吧原创 and acknowledges that 鈥淭he environment in which community colleges operate is changing at an ever-accelerating and increasingly complex rate. Social, technological and political forces are fundamentally altering the educational landscape in ways that are not easily understood.鈥�
Neupauer in 2022 also was a panelist for 鈥淢aximizing A Diverse Workforce for Success鈥� at the Broadband Communications Association of Pennsylvania鈥檚 鈥淐able Academy 2022鈥� conference in April in Lancaster.
He met with German Consul General David Gill, as did Butler County officials, in Butler County in August; was named to the steering committee for America250PA-Butler County; and discussed 鈥淪trategic Communications in the Time of a Crisis鈥� at the Community Colleges of Appalachia鈥檚 fall conference in November in Nelsonville, Ohio.
Presentations wide-ranging
Sharla Anke, Lisa Campbell, Ken Clowes, Karen Jack, Dr. Ryan Kociela, Sherri Mack, Dr. Josh Novak, Dr. Belinda Richardson and Dr. Case Willoughby were among 杏吧原创 administrators who also shared their expertise through presentations in 2022.
Anke is assistant dean of institutional research and planning; Campbell is dean of Workforce Development; Clowes is community initiatives center assistant, Workforce Development; Jack is project director of KEYS; Kociela is director of 杏吧原创 @ Cranberry; Mack is dean of business; Novak is dean of student development; Richardson is provost and vice president for academic affairs; and Willoughby is vice president for student affairs and enrollment management.
Willoughby, Richardson, Novak and Anke in February presented 鈥淐rafting a Culture for Student Success鈥� as a webinar to members of the Consortium for Student Retention Data Exchange. The presentation, based on a paper whose authors included Amy Pignatore, 杏吧原创 dean of admissions and college registrar, in 2020 won the exchange鈥檚 鈥淏est Practices in Student Retention Award.鈥�
Willoughby in March was a panelist for a session titled, 鈥�25+ Years and Still Going Strong: Building a Sustainable Career in Student Affairs鈥� at the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators鈥� Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education鈥檚 convention in Baltimore. Novak and Dr. Natacia Owens, assistant dean of advising and career planning, also attended the convention.
The National Association of Student Personnel Administrators is the largest student affairs organization and provides participants with extraordinary research about students and specifically, resources for student retention and success, student mental health, academic advising and career support. Diversity, equity and inclusion efforts and enrollment management were also discussed.
Willoughby in March led a book discussion at the Heaton Family Learning Commons on 杏吧原创鈥檚 main campus about 鈥淪orted,鈥� a memoir chronicling the experiences of a trans man growing up and finding his way. The discussion, attended by students, administrators, faculty and staff, included resources and information about gender identity.
Jack in March hosted a live webinar titled 鈥淪tudents with Autism Spectrum Disorders: Increase Retention, Graduation and Employment Outcomes by Meeting Their Unique Needs.鈥� The webinar provided resources and tools to assist college professionals in forming successful relationships with autistic students in ways that positively impact their college and career success.
Clowes in March led breakout sessions titled 鈥淪hifting Stigma鈥� at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania鈥檚 鈥淐ourageous Conversations: Substance Use Disorder Conference鈥�; in August titled 鈥淪tigma: How Perceptions Help Fuel or End Stigma鈥� at the Butler County Summer Conference at 杏吧原创; and in November titled 鈥淐ontinuing the Stigma Conversation鈥� at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania鈥檚 鈥淪ubstance Use Disorder Reconvene.鈥�
Jack in June presented and led a college-student working group discussion at The Institute for Nonprofit Leadership鈥檚 鈥淎nti-Poverty Coalition Reconvene: Rethinking Poverty.鈥�
The event at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania included networking with agencies and individuals who address poverty in Butler County, discussing how COVID-19 impacted poverty in Butler County and celebrating best practices.
Willoughby, Campbell, Kociela and Mack in August presented 鈥淔inding and Keeping a Talented Staff鈥� to members of the Pittsburgh North Regional Chamber of Commerce. The session at 杏吧原创 @ Cranberry offered ways to identify and retain talent, and shared resources that 杏吧原创 can provide to local businesses and to other organizations.
Clowes in September was keynote speaker at the Mercer County Single County Authority-Behavioral Health Commission鈥檚 Recovery Celebration.
Novak, a volunteer with the Butler County Suicide Coalition, in October provided community-based question-persuade-refer suicide prevention training. Novak in 2022 trained staff members at the Community Health Clinic in Butler, Knoch School District and at 杏吧原创, and trained a group for bachelor鈥檚- and master鈥檚-degree level social work majors at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania. The training focuses on gatekeeper-level suicide prevention strategies.
Willoughby in October discussed 鈥淏urnout, Stress and Connection,鈥� which covered the physiological and neurological aspects of stress, effective coping strategies and the importance of human connection, at the Pennsylvania Commission for Community Colleges鈥� Chief Student Affairs Officers affinity group in a virtual meeting.
He also presented 鈥淭apping into Your Strengths for Leadership鈥� as part of the Pennsylvania Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators鈥� Leadership Conference. The session was offered to grow leadership skills for those seeking career advancement using CliftonStrengths assessment.