City of Oneonta presents resolution honoring Wallace State Community College
ONEONTA, ALA. – In celebration of Wallace State Community College’s 50th Anniversary and April as Community College Month, the Mayor of Oneonta, Ross Norris, signed a resolution honoring Wallace State.
Classes will be offered in Oneonta beginning May 26 at a temporary site located at 728 2nd Ave. E., until a permanent facility is built. Registration is currently available online at www.wallacestate.edu and will be offered on-site in Oneonta beginning May 4. An open house will be held May 3, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and the public is invited to attend.
Pictured with Mayor Norris shown holding the proclamation are, from left, Dr. Beth Bownes Johnson, Dean of Academic Affairs; Dr. Vicki Karolewics, president of Wallace State; and Jason Morgan, Dean of Financial and Administrative Services. The text of the resolution follows.
A RESOLUTION HONORING WALLACE STATE COMMUNITY COLLEGE DURING COMMUNITY COLLEGE MONTH
WHEREAS, Wallace State Community College is celebrating its 50th anniversary, having served its communities with distinction since 1966; and
WHEREAS, Wallace State is a national pacesetter, chosen as one of 30 community colleges in America to participate in the American Association of Community College’s Pathways Project; and
WHEREAS, Wallace State is the only Community College in Alabama ranked among the nation’s fastest growing community colleges with enrollment of 5,000 or more by Community College Week; and is currently the third largest Community College in the State of Alabama; and
WHEREAS, Wallace State has expanded to open a new campus in Oneonta in 2016, serving Blount County and surrounding areas;
WHEREAS, Wallace State has also been ranked among the Top 120 community colleges in the U.S. by the Aspen Institute two times in the last four years; and
WHEREAS, Wallace State has been ranked No. 20 in the U.S. in the number of associate degree health care graduates produced by community colleges in the United States, and No. 32 among all community colleges and universities by Community College Week; and
WHEREAS, Wallace State was ranked No. 2 in the South for Workforce Development training by Southern Business and Development Magazine; and
WHEREAS, Wallace State has been ranked the first choice among community colleges for students taking the ACT; and
WHEREAS, Wallace State is a member of the prestigious Achieving the Dream national reform network, focused on student success, and has undertaken such initiatives as Learning Communities, the Common Read, and Arts in April series of cultural events contribute to this effort; and
WHEREAS, Wallace State is one of only two community colleges in the nation to be designated an All-Steinway School; and
WHEREAS, Wallace State was one of 10 community colleges in the U.S. to be chosen to participate in the American Association of Colleges and Universities Roadmap Project for its leadership related to student outcomes; and
WHEREAS, Wallace State achieved the distinction as a Military Friendly® College; and
WHEREAS, Wallace State’s student success rates are among the highest in the nation, with a completion agenda focused on helping students to Start Early, Start Right, Finish and Succeed. As a result, Wallace State’s programs report outstanding licensure and job placement rates; and
WHEREAS, Wallace State maintains a growing Fast Track Academy and dual enrollment program for motivated high school students, including a Fast Track for Industry program and a newly announced Fine and Performing Arts Academy, giving high school students the education and training they need to further their academic studies or enter the workforce; and
WHEREAS, Wallace State aggressively pursues new programs and partnerships that create efficiencies for students, such a new Joint Admission agreement with the University of Alabama in Huntsville, which joins other such agreements; and
WHEREAS, Wallace State’s connection with local businesses and industries has resulted in the development of stackable credentials in health and applied technology programs, providing students with proven job-ready skills throughout the curriculum. The College has partnered with area industries to provide apprenticeships for students to practice the skills they have learned, and established the new REHAU Academy, an international model apprenticeship program, in partnership with Cullman County Schools and REHAU; and
WHEREAS, Wallace State continues to expand its online degree offerings, creating efficiencies for students, and recently added Child Development to the programs available 100% online; and
WHEREAS, Wallace State provides cultural enrichment to its communities through fine and performing arts events, museum exhibitions, film screenings, and lectures, and the Common Read program. The College also offers international educational opportunities to students and community members annually, instilling in citizens a global literacy necessary for our increasingly interconnected world; and
WHEREAS, Wallace State is home to championship athletics and notable alumni such as PGA golfer Fredrik Jacobsen; MLB pitchers Craig Kimbrel and Derek Holland; country music star Kip Moore; Jimi Westbrook, singer with Little Big Town; NASA rocket scientist Mary Hovater; Jason Simpson, WHNT 19 chief meteorologist, Dr. Lance Nail, Dean of the School of Business, Texas Tech University, among others; and
WHEREAS, Wallace State remains steadfastly committed to excellence which transforms lives and communities. In its 50 year history the College has benefited countless individuals seeking to improve their lives and the lives of their families through education; now therefore
BE IT RESOLVED that Wallace State is to be commended for providing world-class educational opportunities that transform lives and communities, and hereby honored during Community College Month this April 2016.
Resolutions are also being presented to Wallace State from other communities it serves. For more information about Wallace State, visit www.wallacestate.edu or call 256.352.8000.
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Kristen Holmes
Director, WSCC Communications & Marketing,
and Administrator, The Evelyn Burrow Museum
Wallace State Community College
801 Main Street NW, Hanceville AL 35077
256.352.8118 office
256.339.2519 cell
kristen.holmes@wallacestate.edu