Foundation Presents Mini-Grants to Faculty and Staff
The A-B Tech Foundation has awarded five mini-grants to faculty and staff for $9,500 for 2006-07, funding projects such as a student business incubator and an arboretum.
The purpose of the A-B Tech Foundation mini-grants program is to provide funds to support creative projects, teaching methods or activities that benefit students or for professional development activities that benefit a broad spectrum of the College.
Criteria required proposals to be creative and innovative. Program innovation mini-grants proposals were also required to provide evidence that the project will have a significant impact and a way to measure the impact. Project implementation needed to be realistic and short-term within a year of the award.
Faculty and staff development mini-grants proposals needed to document how the employee's professional abilities and professional growth will be developed and demonstrate the relationship of the proposal to the employee's Performance Enhancement Plan. The experience should also have shared value to the College and other employees and will ultimately benefit the experience of the students.
Mini-grants were awarded to the following projects:
A-B Tech Arboretum, proposed by Scott Jackson, Biology instructor, for $2,000. This project will produce a beautification of the campus, increase educational opportunities, and increase ecological functioning within the campus. Biology students will benefit in particular, as there will be more samples of organisms. The project includes planting 40 trees and placing labels on 50 trees. There are also plans to use GPS equipment to develop a database of campus trees.
Library Lecture Series, proposed by Carol Fleming, director of Library Services, for $1,500. The library is interested in working with the Diversity Committee and other organizations such as Together We Read to bring authors and speakers to A-B Tech. The project seeks to establish a regular Speakers Series with a monthly speaker/author.
Student Business Incubator, proposed by Jill Sparks, assistant director of the Small Business Center and Incubator, for $2,000. The Student Business Incubator will offer office space for current full-time, part-time and non-degree seeking students. The goal is to provide a nurturing, supportive environment to students from across campus who have a viable business plan.
"Career Wise," proposed by Peggy Bulla, career counselor, for $2,000. Students will have access to view award-winning career videos featuring a job-shadowing component, to give them a first-hand look at what it would actually be like to work in various occupations. The video series offers 26 career clusters and 200 specific occupations and will begin in September 2006.
Clinical Competency Tracking for Medical Laboratory Technology and Phlebotomy Students proposed by Melissa Hyatt, Medical Laboratory Technology Chair, for $2,000. The implementation of the Skill Manager Software program will eliminate obstacles in verifying student competencies. A Palm Pilot recording device can travel easily to wherever student assessment takes place. Instructors will become more efficient with instruction time. The time and need for forms and checklists will no longer be necessary.
Hospitality Job Expo Draws Crowd
Cecil Hayes Riddle, left, and David Vaughn visit the A-B Tech second Annual Hospitality Job Expo April 13 in the Magnolia Hospitality Education Building. This year's fair had over 250 attendees with 25 recruiters, more than doubling last year's attendance.
Goodwill Service Works
Students in Terri Sizemore's HRD's Customer Service Training Program at Goodwill created a break area for Goodwill Employees as part of a service project component to the curriculum. Students standing are, from left to right, Matalene Waters and Aaron Finkel; seated are Shirley Entwistle and Anita Lewis.
Sizemore added the service project component to the curriculum. Three teams took on tasks around Goodwill over the past few weeks. The other teams volunteered to spruce up the outside smoking area and another created a sample product display for Colbond. The students had two weeks to do their project and were not allowed to spend more than $5 of their own money. "They took what they learned from class to do these service projects," Sizemore said. "It helps them to develop other work skills."