Archive for the ‘Degree Programs’ Category

Pellissippi State’s new AMTEC Center driven by auto manufacturing needs

Friday, October 16th, 2009

Beginning with the opening in the 1980s of Nissan’s Smyrna assembly operation and Toyota’s Georgetown, Ky., production plant and continuing with the recent decision by Volkswagen to build a factory in Chattanooga, Tennessee has become the avenue for many employment opportunities for people skilled in the technology end of automotive manufacturing.

Pellissippi State Community College’s new Industrial Maintenance concentration is geared to meet the growing needs of that industry—a vast roadmap of parts and systems manufacturers like DENSO and PBR/Bosch and “feeder” suppliers whose products are destined for the Tennessee and Kentucky plants.

“Pellissippi State is one of a select group of schools across the U.S. that are members of the AMTEC [Automotive Manufacturing Technical Education Collaborative] National Center for Excellence in Advanced Automotive Manufacturing,” said Mike Hudson. Hudson is the college’s director of Certificate Programs. He also serves as an AMTEC co-principal investigator, traveling to partner sites in other states and helping to build the coalition.

AMTEC is a nationwide cooperative between community colleges and automotive manufacturing companies. The centers provide the latest in technology and training for students to learn what they need to know in an industry known for its rapid changes. Funded by a grant from the National Science Foundation’s Advanced Technological Education program, AMTEC centers like Pellissippi State serve as a collaborative multi-skill development program.

“Thanks to the college’s unique partnerships, Pellissippi State students gain hands-on experience with companies that operate daily in the changing manufacturing environment,” said Hudson.

Students who complete the two-year curriculum earn an Associate of Applied Science degree in Engineering Technology with a concentration in Industrial Maintenance, or “Mechatronics.” Mechatronics combines mechanical and electrical engineering courses.

“Pellissippi State developed the Industrial Maintenance concentration in Engineering Technology in response to extensive studies of manufacturing industry needs,” said Judy Gosch, director of curriculum and new program development. The college also participated through AMTEC in research specifically aimed at automotive manufacturing.

The research has paid off in a curriculum that closely meets the needs of employers: Mechatronics graduates are equipped to work in a variety of automotive and other manufacturing areas—among them, robotics, computer-assisted design, controls and instrumentation, and electricity and electronics.

To enroll in or learn more about Mechatronics, visit www.pstcc.edu/mech/index.html or contact Enrollment Services at (865) 694-6400.

For additional information about the AMTEC National Center for Excellence in Advanced Automotive Manufacturing, contact Hudson at (865) 694-6416 or mhudson@pstcc.edu.

Posted in Degree Programs | Comments Off

Pellissippi State offers fast-track degree in industrial maintenance

Tuesday, July 14th, 2009

Want to advance in an engineering technology career but don’t have the time? Thanks to a program beginning fall semester at Pellissippi State Community College, people who work full time can complete a two-year associate’s degree in Engineering Technology with a concentration in Industrial Maintenance in only 20 months.

The full-time program meets 4:30-8:30 p.m. two or three evenings a week over five accelerated semesters, and it’s specifically intended for individuals working full time. Students enroll in the fall and take classes with the same group of peers, or cohort, throughout the program.

The Industrial Maintenance concentration prepares students for careers in large manufacturing companies, working as multicraft, industrial machinery maintenance and repair technicians.

“This new concentration gives students the chance to improve their education and skill level and advance to a supervisory role at their current place of employment,” said Anthony Wise, vice president of the Learning Division at the college.

Scholarships are available that cover tuition, fees and books.

For more information, call Rick Horner at (865) 694-6400.

Posted in Degree Programs, Registration | Comments Off

Pellissippi State’s AHEAD program prepares manager for franchise ownership

Monday, July 6th, 2009

One of the biggest reasons people continue in the same job rather than advancing? Lack of additional, often required, education or training. And one of the main barriers for workers to enrolling in college? Lack of time.

For Daniel Lefevre, manager at Chick-fil-A in downtown Knoxville, the time constraints proved a stumbling block—until he discovered a degree program at Pellissippi State Community College that was created with busy adults in mind.

“I was trying to sign up for a class,” said Lefevre, “but I couldn’t register for it.” He contacted a faculty member at the college and was told that the course was part of the AHEAD—Accelerated Higher Education Associate’s Degree—program.

AHEAD provides the opportunity for working adults to earn a two-year associate’s degree in only 16 months. Students attend class two nights each week on campus and supplement the in-class experience with online learning. The program is specifically designed with working adults in mind: it combines the flexibility of independent study with the support of regular personal contact with professors and fellow students.

Daniel Lefevre graduated from Pellissippi State’s AHEAD program in May with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Business Administration, concentrating in Management.

“When I started at Pellissippi State in 2006, they didn’t have AHEAD. I jumped into the program in fall 2007, and now I’ll finish my bachelor’s at Tusculum next fall. I worked 50-60 hours per week at Chick-fil-A while I was in the program. It helped me finish a lot faster … probably saved me at least two semesters.”

The aspect of AHEAD that Lefevre found particularly appealing was its structure. Students enroll as a “cohort,” staying with the same peers throughout the 16 months.

“I loved the cohort,” he said. “It was the same group of about 20 people through all of the classes. We learned everyone’s standard of quality and helped push each other. For one of my first presentations, I got to see a classmate’s presentation the day before my turn. I knew I had to go home and be better prepared for my presentation the next day to even be near the level I should be for that class. The group really helps raise the bar for your own work and for each other.”

Lefevre enjoys keeping in touch with his fellow AHEAD cohorts on Facebook and via e-mail.

“We all know each other. If one knows of a job opening that’s good for someone in the group, we can tell each other about it.”

Lefevre, for one, won’t be looking for a job any time soon. He’s been a manager with Chick-fil-A for the past six years, and he intends to stay where he is … that is, until he purchases his own franchise. That was his motivation for working 50-to-60-hour weeks and earning his associate’s degree in 16 months.

Although a college degree is not required of Chick-fil-A franchise owners, according to Lefevre, the competition is so fierce that he wants every advantage when he is ready to apply for his own store.

“I think Chick-fil-A looks at about 10,000 applications but only opens approximately 80 new stores each year. I want to be able to show not only management experience but a strong business background. That’s why I wanted to get finished with my associate’s degree so quickly.”

Enrollment is now under way for the fall 2009 AHEAD program. Space is limited. For additional information, visit www.pstcc.edu/ahead, e-mail admissions@pstcc.edu or call (865) 694-6400.

Posted in AHEAD | Comments Off

Pellissippi State expands Early Childhood Education options

Friday, June 12th, 2009

Thanks to a new agreement, Pellissippi State Community College students taking classes in the Early Childhood Education associate’s degree program now have the option of pursuing a four-year licensing or non-licensing program by transferring to East Tennessee State University.

The transfer agreement allows students to take two years of classes through Pellissippi State, then attend ETSU for their remaining junior and senior classes. Students completing the prekindergarten–third grade licensure path are qualified to teach in Tennessee’s public schools.

Thanks to government funding, there has been a recent growth in the number of pre-K jobs offered in the public sector. Students with a four-year degree increase their professional marketability in applying for both public and private teaching positions. Candidates who can benefit from the non-licensure track include those applying to social services programs that require a four-year degree.

In addition to the new transfer option, Pellissippi State also offers the following in its two-year Early Childhood Education program: coursework required for the Child Development Associate credential; the two-year Associate of Applied Science degree, which prepares students to enter the workforce as assistant public school teachers, Head Start employees or child-care professionals; and the state-issued Administrator credential, designed for day-care directors.

With many of the required classes available online and supported by an in-the-field practicum, the program offers a high level of flexibility to individuals already employed in early childhood education careers. For qualified candidates currently working in the child-care field, funding for tuition and textbooks may be available through Tennessee Early Childhood Training Alliance, (423) 439-7855.

Information on the degree program is available by contacting Shari Lillestolen, assistant professor of Early Childhood Education at Pellissippi State, at srlillestolen@pstcc.edu or (865) 539-7229.

Posted in Degree Programs, Students | Comments Off

Pellissippi State fast-track program allows professionals to get AHEAD

Thursday, April 30th, 2009

Have you considered enrolling in college to advance your career but been concerned about balancing work, family and school?

The AHEAD program offered by Pellissippi State Technical Community College might just be the perfect fit for you. AHEAD (Accelerated Higher Education Associate’s Degree) provides the opportunity to earn a two-year associate’s degree in only 16 months.

AHEAD gives working adults the flexibility of independent study coupled with the support that comes from face-to-face contact with professors and peers. Students attend classes two nights a week at Pellissippi State and supplement the in-class experience with online instruction. AHEAD participants are members of a cohort, a group of students who begin and graduate with the same peers.

Students completing the program earn an Associate of Applied Science degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Management. Graduates may go on to start their own businesses, advance in their careers or continue at four-year colleges with accelerated bachelor’s degree programs.

Enrollment is now under way for the fall 2009 AHEAD program. Space is limited.

Find out more at www.pstcc.edu/ahead, or contact Pellissippi State at (865) 694-6400 or admissions@pstcc.edu.

Posted in AHEAD | Comments Off

Pellissippi State student earns prestigious ADDY award

Thursday, March 12th, 2009

In any industry, it can be difficult to stand out from competitors. But in the advertising world, where professionals are paid to garner attention for their clients, the struggle to be noticed is especially aggressive. It seems an unlikely place for an industry newcomer in graphic design to be recognized with an award that some veterans have yet to achieve.

But that’s exactly what happened to Pellissippi State Technical Community College student Cordelia Norris. At the annual Knoxville ADDY (American Advertising Federation) Awards ceremony in late February, Norris stood beside seasoned professionals in accepting a silver Student ADDY Award for the graphic design work on her Neiman Marcus brochure.

The well-known department store is not a client; students in Pellissippi State Assistant Professor Todd Duren’s graphic design classes regularly choose either fictitious or real companies for their portfolio projects. Norris selected Neiman Marcus with the beginnings of a campaign already in mind.

“I wanted to do something around the idea of paper dolls,” she said. “I researched the stores’ fall 2008 collection to see what they were selling.”

In creating the brochure, Norris drew old-fashioned paper dolls and created reproductions of Neiman Marcus’ fashions in which to “dress” them.

Norris estimates she spent an initial 60 to 80 hours on the project and another 40 hours refining it. The multipage brochure is retro in look and feel, and the end product is geared not to consumers but to fashion-industry decision makers.

“The brochure is intended as a sneak preview for the fashion industry: writers, reviewers, fashion magazine editors.”

Duren, who teaches in Communication Graphics Technology, speaks highly of Norris’ work: “Cordelia brought academic accomplishments with her to Pellissippi State—she already had a degree in another field. With the combination of the technical and creative skills that we teach, we help students develop a professional portfolio.

“I’m excited for Cordelia. This is a great opportunity for her to distinguish herself in a very competitive job market, especially in this economic crisis.”

Susie Norris (no relation to Cordelia Norris), owner of Orange Apple Branding Boutique and herself an ADDY recipient, agrees.

“The awards ceremony itself is a great opportunity for a student to network. Cordelia was at the banquet and met people who could hire her or give her an internship.”

It was Susie Norris who visited Duren’s class to make students aware of the ADDY awards and encourage them to apply.

“When I was a student, my teacher encouraged us,” she said. “The American Advertising Federation of Knoxville makes an effort to reach out to students. It’s good for the Knoxville advertising community to get students involved. It raises the bar.”

For Cordelia Norris, the news that she could even enter the ADDY competition was key.

“I knew about the ADDY, but thought of it as only open for professional, high-level competition. If it hadn’t been for professor Duren and Susie Norris reaching out, I wouldn’t have pursued it.”

Norris’ winning work now continues to the next level of competition in the national ADDY awards. She works as a freelance graphic designer while completing her studies at Pellissippi State.

Posted in Degree Programs | Comments Off

First cohort class completes Pellissippi State’s AHEAD program

Tuesday, January 27th, 2009

Jan. 26, 2009

December was especially joyful for 15 students at Pellissippi State Technical Community College. They make up the first class to complete the college’s Accelerated Higher Education Associate’s Degree program.

AHEAD was created with working adults and their full schedules in mind. The program provides the opportunity for students to earn an associate’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Management in just 16 months. The accelerated program also combines classroom and online instruction, with the hybrid classes meeting four hours two evenings a week.

“This first AHEAD class was very dedicated to excellence in the classroom and was a pleasure to teach,” said Roger Crowe, an associate professor of Management. “We were very encouraged by the strong commitment of the AHEAD group to complete their degrees. And we feel they validated the quality of the curriculum.”

Besides benefiting from the shorter duration and hybrid classes, AHEAD students have the advantage of going through the entire program with the same group of peers.
“Going through the program with the same people is a huge benefit,” said cohort member Kelly Davis. “You’re building a great support system.”

Davis has worked for Alcoa for 15 years.

“The reason I wanted to do it was mainly to advance my career,” Davis said. “I’ve reached a point that I’m not going to get any further without a degree. I’d been taking classes, maybe one or two a year. It was going to take me years to get an associate’s, and I want to go even further and get my bachelor’s.”

Sixteen months and 61 credit hours later, Davis has passed a major hurdle in her educational and career goals.

Cohort member Jeannette McAlister says she had always regretted not finishing her college degree. Like Davis, she took advantage of the AHEAD program to further her education.

“I always felt like I was at the back of the pack at work because I didn’t have my bachelor’s degree,” said McAlister, a manager at 21st Mortgage Corporation and mother of two grown children.

Armed with what she’s learned in the AHEAD program, McAlister is now prepared to forge ahead toward a four-year degree. Meanwhile, she is already applying what she’s learned to her job.

“This has been a huge benefit for me,” said McAlister. “It has helped me become a better manager. The overall knowledge I have gained has helped me tremendously.”
“It required sacrifices to get it done,” said Davis, “but it was well worth it.”

Those interested in registering for the fall 2009 cohort should contact Pellissippi State’s Enrollment Services at (865) 694-6400.

Posted in AHEAD, Degree Programs | Comments Off