Welcome New Employees

I’d like to introduce to you three new employees to the York Tech family.

Teresa Faile joined the College on June 1 as an Administrative Assistant in the Center for Teaching and Learning. Teresa is a native of Lancaster and has lived in Rock Hill for the past 26 years. She previously worked at Premier, Inc. in Charlotte, NC for 18 years. Teresa is a graduate of York Technical College, where she received an Associate Degree in Computer Programming and an Associate Degree in Secretarial Science. Teresa also received a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration/Management from Limestone College.

Brittany Burton, Employment Coordinator in Human Resources, joined the York Tech family on July 1. Brittany is a native of Columbia, SC. Her previous work experience includes the SC Department of Health and Human Services as a Program Assistant and the SC Department of Probation, Pardon, and Parole Services as a Training Coordinator in Human Resources Development. She received a Bachelors in Business Administration in Management Information Systems from Francis Marion University and an Master of Arts in Conflict Management from Columbia College.

Bree Robinson, Program Coordinator/Loan Counselor in Financial Aid, joined the College on July 1. Bree is a native of Darlington, SC. She previously worked as a Financial Aid Counselor at Central Carolina Technical College. Bree received a Bachelor of Arts from South Carolina State University and a Master of Arts from Webster University.


Welcome to York Tech – Teresa, Brittany, and Bree!

New Commission Member

I am pleased to announce that Ms. Claudia Douglass has joined the York Technical College Commission. Ms. Douglass has worked for both non-profit and for-profit health systems. She spent six years in healthcare consulting with Arthur Andersen out of Atlanta, Georgia. Her first hospital position was in 1994 with Sarasota Memorial Hospital in Sarasota, Florida. She has been with Tenet for over eight years, two years as the Regional Director of Business Development for the Florida Region and the past six years at Piedmont Medical Center as the Senior Vice President of Operations and Chief Operating Officer.

Ms. Douglass is a Fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives. She is also a member of the York County Regional Chamber of Commerce Government Relations Task Force, Rock Hill Economic Development Committee Quality of Life Task Force, and serves on the Board of Directors Executive Committee for the Community Blood Centers of the Carolinas. She is a member of St. John’s United Methodist Church in Rock Hill.

Ms. Douglass replaces Ms. Carolyn Carpenter, who retired after 20 years of service to the College.

The other nine governing board seats are held by:

Mr. Charles Z. Robinson (Chair)
Human Resources Consultant, Prosperity Resources, LLC

Ms. Geri H. Rucker (Vice-Chair)
Regional Vice President, Founders Federal Credit Union

Mr. E. Paul Basha
President & CEO, York Electric Cooperative, Inc.

Mr. James “Jim” C. Hardin, III
Attorney at Law, James C. Hardin III, PLLC

Dr. A. Douglas “Doug” Marion
Ophthalmologist, Eye Associates of Chester, PA

Mr. Robert “Bobby” B. Meek
Owner, Century 21 Palmetto Homes Realty

Mr. Harry M. Miller
Executive Vice President for Planning and Development, Comporium Communications

Mr. Jeffrey C. Sigmon
President, JEFCO Communications

Mr. Bruce “Tony” A. Vaughan
Retiree

July Summer Camps

The campus is buzzing with activity this month as several of our summer camps get underway. The following three grant-funded camps introduce participants to the College and to potential careers.

The Digital Design Camp, funded by the US Department of Education and hosted by the TRiO Talent Search program, will include 45 middle and high school students. The camp focuses on careers in digital technology and is scheduled for July 18 – 22. Nikita Baxter may be contacted for more information.

The Workforce Development Summer Camp, funded by the J. Marion Sims Foundation, will include approximately 40 participants from YouthBuild and Community Powerhouse in Lancaster County. Participants will explore careers in both credit and non-credit programs. The camp dates are July 11, 13, 14, 18, 20, and 21. Kiwanna Brackett may be contacted for more information.

The Summer Institute & Workshop, funded by the National Science Foundation – National Network of Pulp and Paper Technology Training, will include rising high school freshman through college students. High school and college faculty are invited to participate. Abitibi Bowater will also participate in this important summer workshop. The camp focuses on careers in the Pulp and Paper field and is scheduled for July 21 – 22. John McGill and George Russell may be contacted for more information.

I am very grateful to all who have planned these wonderful summer camps!

New Vice President for College Advancement

On August 1, Melanie E. Jones will join the York Tech team as our new Vice President for College Advancement. Melanie is an experienced fundraising and marketing professional with extensive experience in developing and expanding advancement programs at institutions of higher learning. Most recently, she served as the Vice President for Institutional Advancement at Allen University, Columbia, South Carolina since February 2008. Her areas of responsibility included development, alumni and parent services, communications and marketing, sponsored programs, church and community relations, and special events. Prior to her tenure with Allen University, Melanie was employed at Saint Augustine's College, Raleigh, North Carolina, where she served as Director of Development and External Affairs. Before her move to North Carolina, Melanie served as a high school chemistry teacher in Chattanooga, Tennessee and as a program manager at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

Melanie is a 2007 graduate of Leadership North Carolina, where she served as class leader. In September 2010, she was named Young Professional of the Year by the Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce. Melanie is a graduate of Spelman College, Atlanta, Georgia where she received a bachelor's degree in chemistry and mathematics. She also earned a master's degree in educational leadership from Tennessee Technological University, Cookeville, Tennessee. Melanie is a native of Huntsville, Alabama.

We look forward to having her on the team!

Board Approves Tuition Increase

Occasionally, I come to you with news that is more of a necessity than a cause for celebration. I recognize that this is one of those times. At our most recent Commission meeting, the Board voted to approve a tuition increase of $5.50 per credit hour (or 3.93%). Also, the Commission approved the removal of the tuition cap to allow the College to begin charging tuition and fees for all credit hours taken, beginning fall 2011. Other fees will remain the same for the coming academic year.

The decision to increase tuition was a difficult one. We take our students financial burdens very seriously. The need for change was driven by decreases in State support resulting from changes to the State’s formula for allocating funding and the requirement that the College’s tuition stay above the minimum value established by the State. The College believes that this increase represents a reasonable balance of its financial needs and those of its students.

Please see the related press release for more information.

Graduates Pass National Exams!

Thirteen of our dental hygiene students graduated on May 10 and recently took the National Board Dental Hygiene Exam. I’m happy to report that all of the students (100%) passed their exam on their first attempt. In addition, 92 percent of the students passed the SC clinical exam (only one student missed by just .75 points). The one student plans to retake the exam in the near future. I greatly appreciate the hard work of Edna Martin, Wanda Hayes, Pam Sherer, Dr. Charles Crosby, and Ginny West for preparing the students for the licensure exams.

In addition, our Radiologic Technologists graduates sat for the ARRT (American Registry of Radiologic Technologists) certification exam within five days of graduation and all passed. This cohort scored the highest mean average score in at least a decade, possibly ever, of 91.2 out of 100. At the present time, York Technical College's Radiologic Technology program results for 2011 place us in the 92nd percentile of programs nationally (and a few internationally). This ranking is not just for two-year Associate degree programs but all Radiography program graduates including four-year Bachelor degree graduates in Radiologic Sciences sitting for this exam. Congratulations Michele Wells and Kim Ford!

In many cases, learning outcomes can be challenging to measure and difficult to adjust our strategies for success. In other fields, such as this, we see the direct results of a focus on those outcomes and the great job faculty do to help students achieve. Thank you all for your dedication to our students’ success!

SACS Visit

As part of our Fifth-Year Interim Report with the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACS COC), new off-campus sites that have been reported to SACS COC since our last reaffirmation will be visited next week.  A committee of six peer evaluators from community colleges in the southeast will visit Rock Hill High, Northwestern, South Pointe, Lancaster, and York Comprehensive to validate that the resources and services offered through our dual-enrollment offerings are adequate.  The Committee arrives on Monday, May 16 and will begin their high school tours on Tuesday morning.  The visits at the high schools will entail interviews with the high school dual-enrollment coordinator, media specialists, faculty, and students.  On Tuesday afternoon, they will visit our campus to interview additional personnel.  If you see them touring our campus, please make them feel welcome.  If you have questions about the visit, please contact our Accreditation Liaison, Jacquelyn Nesbitt (jnesbitt@yorktech.edu).