Additional Commission and Council Updates
West Virginia Higher Education Policy Comm Community and Technical College System of Wes
WVNET Initiatives
The West Virginia Network (WVNET) took a significant step towards avoiding interruption of service or loss of data by building duplicate copies of data storage and computer systems. A NetApp 50 TB disk storage array and a Cisco UCS Rack Server were brought to life in another data center in Charleston by WVNET. As a result, WVNET has duplicate computer systems and data in both northern and southern West Virginia, both attached to its 10GB fiber ring. Using a process called replication, the two sites stay in sync at all times.
For the sixth time in two years, WVNET lowered its prices for Internet access.
In January 2014, the price was lowered to $19.95. In January 2015 WVNET will further lower its price to $9.95 per megabit per month, more than a 50 percent reduction.
In October of 2013 WVNET hosted its annual West Virginia Higher Education Technology Conference. The theme “Trending Technologies and Community Engagement” offered participants an opportunity to engage in discussions about the ways in which collaboration and social engagement enhance learner outcomes, retention, self-efficacy, and workforce preparedness in higher education. Over 200 higher education employees attended the conference that featured thought-inspiring keynote speakers, 60+ concurrent sessions, and the latest technological advances demonstrated by exhibitors, and networking with educators from all of West Virginia.
OASIS Implementation
The Commission and Council worked with institutions to implement the procurement and financial phase of wvOASIS, the state’s Enterprise Resource Planning Project. Colleges and universities are interfacing transactions between their financial systems and wvOASIS. Planning is in progress for the next phase, which will include human resources management and payroll processes.
Commission, Council, K-12 Partnership
West Virginia is part of the Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium (SBAC), a group of over 20 states working collaboratively to develop assessment aligned to the Common Core. In West Virginia, nearly 100 teachers across the state customized these standards to benefit West Virginia students and their needs
These standards are called Next Generation Content Standards and Objectives with a primary goal to recognize an agreed upon performance level for 11th grade assessment of English and mathematics. The aim is to improve college readiness in these subject areas and to reduce the number of high school students requiring developmental mathematics or English in their first year of college. The
Commission and the West Virginia Department of Education are participating in the SBAC to set appropriate levels of performance to determine college readiness in those subjects.
The Commission created the statewide Higher Education Smarter Balanced Advisory Council to assist in dissemination of Smarter Balanced information and goals to campuses across West Virginia. One goal of the Advisory Council is to provide professional development for teacher education and content area faculty.
A Smarter Balanced workshop was held for teacher education majors in August and was well attended with over 150 students and faculty from across the state participating. Other Advisory Council goals include generating higher education support and strengthening and expanding partnerships between higher education and K-12.
WEST VIRGINIAREPORT CARD2014 The Bridging the Gap Consortium
In October 2013, West Virginia’s nine community & technical colleges received $25 million from the Department of Labor’s Trade Adjustment Assistance Community College and Career Training (TAACCCT) funding program to create the Bridging the Gap Consortium. The focus of the Bridging the Gap Consortium is to train adults, with a focus on displaced workers and veterans, for high-wage, high-demand jobs within the areas of energy, advanced manufacturing, construction and information technology through focused career pathways, flexible learning opportunities, and expanded student support services. In order to meet this goal, the state’s community and technical colleges have partnered with the state’s seven Workforce Investment Boards, the Affiliated Construction Trades, and 55 employer partners. This four-year grant-funded program is anticipated to serve approximately 1400 participants and increase credential attainment in high-demand programs of study by 58 percent.
Community and Technical College Developmental Education Reform
In 2013, Chancellor Skidmore issued a challenge to all public two-year institutions across West Virginia to phase out traditional forms of developmental education delivery and primarily offer co-requisite developmental education courses. Co-requisite developmental education enrolls students in college-level courses with the additional supports needed for students to be successful with college-level coursework and has been shown to increase the success of students who require developmental education. By the fall of 2014, 70 percent of students requiring developmental education were enrolled in a co-requisite course.
Advanced Technology Center
In the fall of 2014, a ribbon cutting ceremony at the West Virginia Regional Technology Park was held to dedicate the Advanced Technology Center (ATC) of South Central West Virginia. This facility addresses the emerging needs of West Virginia in offering a well-trained, technically advanced workforce and providing a state-of-the-art setting for collaboration in the delivery of technical programs among community and technical colleges. Built through a state-supported initiative, the center offers high-tech facilities, current resources, and technologically advanced education to continue the legacy of technical innovation in the Kanawha Valley and South Central West Virginia. The ATC also offers ample laboratory space for programs such as: Advanced Manufacturing Technology, Chemical Process Technology, Advanced Welding Technology, Computer Networking Technology, and Emergency Management Technology. A second ATC is being constructed in Fairmont under the direction of Pierpont Community and Technical College.
Workforce Development
Through the convening of different industry sectors, the Community and Technical College System engages employers to identify their critical workforce needs. These efforts have resulted in community and technical colleges throughout the state implementing new programs in Petroleum Technology, Process Technology, Advanced Manufacturing, and Instrumentation Technology. The programs support the immediate needs of the growing oil and gas, manufacturing, and chemical industry sectors. In addition, employer engagement has led to more Learn and Earn Cooperative Education Programs that provide valuable work and financial assistance for community and technical college students while completing their degree.
www.wvhepc.org www.wvctcs.org