Archive for February, 2009

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Class in planning weddings offered by Pellissippi State

Thursday, February 26th, 2009

Feb. 25, 2009

“Wedding planners in Knoxville can make from several hundred to several thousand dollars per wedding,” according to Sonya Scott, the state’s only Master Bridal Consultant. “The average wedding in Tennessee costs around $28,000.”

Scott will teach a one-evening non-credit class, “So You Want to Be a Wedding Planner,” on March 10 at Pellissippi State Technical Community College. The class, offered by the college’s Business and Community Services, meets 6-8 p.m. on the Pellissippi Campus on Hardin Valley Road.

If you’ve been toying with the idea of launching your own wedding planning business, the cost of the class–$49–should be well worth the money.

Scott has worked for five years as a wedding planner in Knoxville, and owns A Perfect Day! consulting business. She is the Tennessee state coordinator for the Association of Bridal Consultants.

“Wedding Planners are receiving lots of attention these days,” Scott said. “They are in movies, reality TV shows, books and magazines. The profession is often recommended as a great home-based business, with little initial investment.

“As a result, more and more individuals are investing in wedding planning businesses before investigating the local market, and without an understanding of the profession.”

The class will cover the pros and cons of the business, startup costs and what to expect as a wedding planner. Scott will discuss the “Six P’s of Success”: product, price, promotion, place, planning and people.

To register for the class or to receive additional information, contact Nancy Corum at (865) 539-7167.

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Pellissippi States spring enrollment highest ever

Thursday, February 26th, 2009

Feb. 25, 2009

The economy may be in turmoil, but enrollment at Pellissippi State Technical Community College has never been better. In recently released figures, the college reports that student numbers for the spring 2009 semester are 8,417–an increase of 2.77 percent over last year.

That is also the highest spring attendance in the history of the school, which was established in 1974 as State Technical Institute at Knoxville. The past two spring and fall semesters have all reported record enrollments as well.

“We are certainly pleased that Pellissippi State continues to be an excellent educational value to our students,” said President Allen Edwards.

The latest increases in student numbers are, in part, related to the economic crisis, says Rebecca Ashford, vice president of Student Success and Enrollment Management.

“Anytime the economy takes a downturn, community college enrollment increases,” she said. “When people in this area lose or fear losing their jobs, they look to Pellissippi State to pursue a new career or upgrade their skills.”

Pellissippi State is also recognized in the community as a high-quality, affordable school with small classes. Those factors remain constant, both for students who want to enter the workforce directly after earning their two-year associate’s degree and for those who plan to transfer to a four-year school.

“Pellissippi State is a great place to begin,” said Zach Armistead, a 2006 Pellissippi State graduate and current East Tennessee State University senior. “I enjoyed the small class size and one-on-one interaction with professors. It was also an easier financial transition into college because I could live at home and commute.”

For more information about what Pellissippi State has to offer, contact Enrollment Services at (865) 694-6400.

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Remote Area Medical founder and Wild Kingdom co-star to visit Pellissippi State

Wednesday, February 25th, 2009

Feb. 25, 2009

Stan Brock, founder and volunteer director of operations for Remote Area Medical, is scheduled to speak Friday, Feb. 27, 10:45 a.m. at Pellissippi State Technical Community College.

An authority on wildlife conservation management, Brock is remembered by many for his role as co-star and associate producer of “Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom,” a weekly wildlife series that premiered originally in 1963.

Brock’s appearance at Pellissippi State is in conjunction with faculty member Tracey Bradley’s Social Problems and Social Change class. Initially scheduled to address only that audience, Brock will now speak in the Goins Building Auditorium on the Pellissippi Campus on Hardin Valley Road as well.

“It appears that there are several Stan Brock fans out there,” said Bradley of the move to a larger venue.

Since founding Remote Area Medical in 1985, Brock has worked to bring medical, dental, vision and veterinary services to impoverished and geographically isolated regions of the U.S. and other countries. More than 41,000 RAM volunteers have provided in excess of $36.5 million in free care to 377,000 patients and 64,000 animals. The publicly supported organization has been featured in numerous media outlets, including CBS’ “60 Minutes.”

Brock’s presentation is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Bradley at (865) 694-6471.

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Pellissippi State hosts Career Assistance Day Feb. 28

Monday, February 23rd, 2009

Feb. 23, 2009

Unemployment is rising and layoffs are becoming all too frequent. In response to the crisis, Pellissippi State Technical Community College is hosting Career Assistance Day on Feb. 28. The event is planned to help affected workers connect with the resources needed to find new employment or return to school.

Career Assistance Day takes place 10 a.m.-2 p.m. in the J.L. Goins Administration Building on the Pellissippi Campus on Hardin Valley Road.

The adjustment to becoming unemployed can take time, says Teri Brahams, director of Pellissippi State’s Business and Community Services Division.

“There’s a shock factor,” said Brahams. “People have to get past ‘I just lost my job.’ There’s a time period necessary before many are able to move forward.”

To provide support, Career Assistance Day will offer a series of workshops scheduled during three sessions:

The 10:30-11:15 a.m. workshops include “Hot Careers During a Recession,” “Transitioning From Job Loss to Job Search” and “Resume Tips to Impress.”

The 11:30 a.m.-12:15 p.m. sessions are “Transition to College,” “De-stressing in Stressful Times,” “Entrepreneurship: Is It for You?” and “Budgeting Through Hard Times.”

The 12:30-1:15 p.m. topics include “Financing Your College Education,” “Resume Tips to Impress,” “Budgeting Through Hard Times” and “Transitioning From Job Loss to Job Search.”

The event also will include information tables staffed by career and educational experts from the college and affiliate organizations.

For more information on Career Assistance Day, call (865) 694-6400.

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Pellissippi State generates $142 million annual economic impact

Monday, February 23rd, 2009

Feb. 18, 2009

Pellissippi State Technical Community College pumped an average of $142 million each year into the local economy over the past five years, a recent study shows.

The 21st annual analysis of the economic impact of the college on the Knox and Blount county area revealed that the value of business volume, jobs and individual income amounted to about $711 million in the 2003-2008 period, or $142 million each year.

Fred H. Martin, an educational consultant who completed the study, says local business volume–the total amount generated locally by businesses from the college’s direct and indirect expenditures–was $350 million for the five-year period. Of that total, more than $271 million came from non-local revenues, such as state appropriations, state and federal contracts and grants, and federal and state student financial aid revenues.

Although Pellissippi State had an average of only 433 full-time-equivalent employees per year during the period, the total employment created by the college’s expenditures was estimated at 24,641 jobs for the five years. Of that number, 18,881 jobs were created by external or new funds.

Using the more conservative of two different calculations, Martin has estimated that the impact of the college’s expenditures on personal income in the area amounted to about $362 million during 2003-2008, of which $286 million came from external or new funds.

Of the college’s $711 million total economic impact, about $557 million ($111 million each year) could be attributed to the infusion of new non-local revenues.

“This impact would likely not have occurred without the presence of Pellissippi State in the area,” said Martin.

The economic impact study notes that each dollar of local revenue coming into Pellissippi State generated a “return on investment” of about $3.39 in local business volume. The individual income generated ranged from $3.51 to $3.81, for a total return on investment of at least $6.90.

The study did not measure such intangible economic effects as corporate relocation and expansion decisions based on the presence of the college in the area, or wages paid to and taxes paid by Pellissippi State graduates. The college directly boosts the local economy through such things as employee salaries and benefits, construction and maintenance work, and local purchases of equipment and supplies.

“The results of this economic impact study clearly demonstrate that Pellissippi State continues to be a major contributor to the economic base of Knox and Blount counties,” Martin said. “The economic impact is expressed in this study in terms of jobs created, business volume generated and personal income earned.”

For more information about the college, visit the Web site at www.pstcc.edu.

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Pellissippi State students to perform at March 3 recital

Monday, February 23rd, 2009

Feb. 17, 2009

Students recently went head to head at Pellissippi State Technical Community College, all hoping for a spot in the annual Student Honors Recital on March 3.

“The 20 students chosen will showcase a wide variety of genres,” said Bill Brewer, associate professor of Music and recital organizer. Students will perform everything from Franz Schubert and Johannes Brahms to Charlie Parker and Stevie Ray Vaughn.

“Students are chosen through audition by the Music faculty for this event,” said Brewer. “The audience will hear some of Pellissippi State’s finest students, vocal and instrumental, who are pursuing a Music degree.”

The public is invited to the recital, which takes place 7-8:15 p.m. in the Clayton Performing Arts Center at the Pellissippi Campus on Hardin Valley Road.

The concert and parking are free, but donations to the Pellissippi State Foundation for Music Scholarships will be accepted at the door.

For more information, contact Bill Brewer at (865) 694-6701.

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Pellissippi State present sacred choral concert downtown

Monday, February 23rd, 2009

Feb. 16, 2009

Several years ago Pellissippi State Technical Community College’s choral groups were invited to participate in a monthlong series of concerts for the 160th anniversary of First Baptist Church of Knoxville.

“Since then, my students have asked to sing there again each year,” said Bill Brewer, an associate professor at Pellissippi State and a First Baptist Church member. “It’s become a tradition. The church has wonderful acoustics for choirs, and the students look forward to this concert.”

On Sunday, March 1, the college’s Concert Chorale and Variations Ensemble, both student choral groups, will present a concert of sacred music at the church, located at 510 W. Main St. in downtown Knoxville.

The college’s Brass Ensemble will play at 6:40 p.m., and the concert will begin at 7.

“Our resident composer, Susan Naylor Calloway, has written a piece for the choirs that will be performed,” said Brewer. “The Concert Chorale and Variations Ensemble will combine to sing ‘We Wait Upon the Lord.’”

Free parking is available in the Locust Street Garage. The concert is free and the community is invited to attend.

For more information, contact Bill Brewer at (865) 694-6701.

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Pellissippi State hosts regional middle school math competition

Monday, February 23rd, 2009

Feb. 17, 2009

Challenging, yet fun, math will be the order of the day on May 1, when Pellissippi State Technical Community College’s Mathematics Department hosts the ninth annual Tennessee Middle School Mathematics Competition.

The free event is 8 a.m.-1:30 p.m. at the Pellissippi Campus on Hardin Valley Road.

The Pellissippi State Foundation received a $14,000 grant from Oak Ridge Associated Universities to support the competition, and trophies and gift cards will be awarded to the top 10 students at each grade level.

The competition is designed for East Tennessee sixth-, seventh- and eighth-grade students who excel in mathematics. Participants will be able to see how their math ability compares to that of other students in the region.

The contest is a multiple-choice exam designed by math faculty from Pellissippi State, Austin Peay State University, Middle Tennessee State University, Tennessee Technological University, the University of Memphis, the University of Tennessee at Martin and Walters State Community College.

Contestants should compete at their grade level and not at the grade level of the math class in which they are enrolled. For example, a seventh-grader enrolled in an eighth-grade math class should compete at the seventh-grade level.

Students will be permitted to use a calculator, including a graphing calculator, on the exam.

To be eligible for the team competition, each school must bring at least four students at each grade level. Schools must limit the number of students at any level to a maximum of 10.
The competition also is open to home-school students.

The registration cutoff is April 10. The space for students is limited and may fill up prior to the deadline, so early registration is recommended.

Check-in will take place at the Clayton Performing Arts Center, 7:30-8:15 a.m. The competition exam is scheduled 8:30-10 a.m., followed by a trip to Zuma Fun Center and then the presentation of awards. All students in attendance will enjoy a free lunch at Zuma Fun Center and have access to unlimited games, go-karts and other activities.

Schools interested in participating should contact Jonathan Lamb, associate professor of Mathematics, for registration instructions. Contact Lamb at (865) 694-6699 or jwlamb@pstcc.edu.

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Pellissippi State presents Word Players’ ‘Walk, Don’t Ride’

Monday, February 23rd, 2009

Feb. 16, 2009

Pellissippi State Technical Community College’s Magnolia Avenue Campus invites the public to a free presentation by The Word Players, a Knoxville-based theatre troupe, noon-1 on Feb. 20.

“Walk, Don’t Ride: A Celebration of the Fight for Equality” is part of the college’s annual celebration of Black History Month. Visitors may park free behind the campus, 1610 E. Magnolia Ave.

“This one-act play by Peter Manos is a presentation in drama and song of three major events in the American Civil Rights Movement,” said Rosalyn Tillman, assistant dean of the Magnolia Avenue Campus. The events are the Montgomery, Ala., bus boycott; the Nashville lunch counter sit-ins; and the Greyhound/Trailways freedom rides.

“Walk, Don’t Ride” chronicles the Montgomery bus boycott of 1955-56. The play shares the words of the famous and lesser-known figures who took part—Rosa Parks, Martin Luther King Jr., Claudette Colvin.

The presentation punctuates the events by integrating many of the songs that heartened participants of the boycott: “Oh, What a Beautiful City,” “Keep Your Eyes on the Prize,” “When the Saints Go Marching In.”

The second segment is the story of the 1960 lunch counter sit-ins in Nashville. “I’m Gonna Sit at the Welcome Table” is the song that adds power and poignancy to the presentation.

Finally, the play dramatizes the events related to the Greyhound/Trailways freedom rides of 1961. “Nobody Knows the Trouble I’ve Seen” is the song chosen for this section of the play.
For more information, contact Rosalyn Tillman at (865) 329-3101.

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Pellissippi State’s Blount County Center accepting book sale donations

Thursday, February 12th, 2009

Feb. 12, 2009

Pellissippi State Technical Community College’s Blount County Center is currently accepting books, CDs, DVDs, videos, vinyl records, computer games and puzzles for the college’s annual book sale, set for March.

Members of the community are encouraged to join Pellissippi State faculty, students, staff and alumni in donating new and gently used items to the Faculty Senate Book Sale, proceeds of which go to the Pellissippi State Foundation for student scholarships.

“Last year’s sale raised about $8,000 collegewide,” said Trish Roller, English instructor and chair of the 2009 event. “It’s a way to contribute back to the students that helps them succeed.”
Items range from 50 cents to $4, the same as in 2008. But organizers hope to raise even more money than last year.

“The book sale is particularly important in these stressful economic times,” said Bookie Reynolds, Pellissippi State English professor, “because it provides money for students who might not otherwise be able to afford college. Scholarships are more important now than ever.”

The sale takes place not only at Blount County Center but also at Pellissippi State’s other three locations–the Pellissippi Campus, Division Street Campus and Magnolia Avenue Campus.

Here are the dates and times:

Blount County Center, March 16-17, 8 a.m.-6:30 p.m., and March 18, 8 a.m.-1 p.m.

Magnolia Avenue Campus, March 18-19, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

Division Street Campus, March 19, 8 a.m.-6 p.m., and March 20, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

Pellissippi Campus, March 25-26, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.

At Blount County Center, items may be taken to the main office through March 6. For additional information, including the drop-off points at the other campuses, contact Roller at (865) 539-7316.

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