GERMANNA RECOGNIZED AS ONE OF NATION’S TOP COLLEGES IN USE OF DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY

Germanna Community College was recognized when e.Republic’s Center for Digital Education and Converge Online announced today the winners in the seventh annual Digital Community Colleges Survey. The survey documents advances made by community colleges in utilizing information technology and recognizes which colleges are providing a high level of service to their faculty, students, and communities as a result.
The survey looked at technology integration into college curriculum and campus life, documenting use of online admissions processes, distance education, technology training for students and faculty, campus security alerts, use of Web 2.0 social and collaborative capabilities as well as online tutoring and advisory services. Use of mobile devices was also a key indicator of success.
"We pride ourselves on staying on the cutting edge of educational technology," Germanna President David A. Sam said. "We must do so in order to better serve our students’ communities. Further, as our enrollment continues to grow and our resources shrink, technology can help us be more efficient in the use of those resources.
"Our use of technology in our response to the recent earthquake makes this recognition even more meaningful,” he said. “Our stellar Distance Learning program, and our increasingly technology adept faculty and staff were able to serve our students with minimal disruption even after the loss of one-third of our classrooms. We quickly, seamlessly and relatively painlessly accommodated a move of 4,400 students and 321 classes made necessary by quake damage to one of our buildings. It was quite a test of our ability to use technology by increasing the number of online and hybrid classes in a matter of days, by allowing students to change classes online and by keeping students informed via text messages and social media. I'm proud to say Germanna passed that test."
Germanna tied for 4th place with Laramie (Wy.) County Community College and Lord Fairfax Community College in Warrenton in the Mid-Sized Colleges Category – those with from 5,000 to 10,000 students. GCC has about 7,600 credit students and about 3,000 non-credit students.
“As community college enrollments continue to increase, school leaders are incorporating new technologies to enhance student services and improve course curriculum,” said Cathilea Robinett, executive vice president of the Center for Digital Education. “Expanded distance learning offerings, use of mobile devices, and greater collaboration – among other efforts – demonstrate these winners’ drive to provide students with a high-quality education at a lower cost.”

GCC CELEBRATES EMPLOYEES’ SMOOTH HANDLING OF MASSIVE CHANGES NECESSITATED BY QUAKE

Germanna Community College President David A. Sam turned the first hour of Fall Learning Day, a college-wide training event for several hundred employees held today at the Daniel Center in Culpeper, into a celebration.

Dr. Sam praised college staff, faculty, administrators and volunteers for their hard work into evenings and over weekends, and for what he described as their ability to adapt, their can-do mindset and their amiable nature under stress.

“Some of these folks worked 12-, 14-, 16-hour days,” Dr. Sam said.

The quake struck on Aug. 23, causing damage to the Fredericksburg Area Campus Dickinson Building, Germanna’s largest, leaving it structurally unsound and out of commission for a year. No other building at the college’s other locations in Massaponax, Locust Grove, Culpeper and Stafford were significantly affected by the quake. But the entire college was closed to avoid confusion due to the need to move 4,400 students and 321 classes through creative scheduling in time for a Sept. 6 re-opening.

Virginia Community College System Chancellor Dr. Glenn DuBois climbed up on the Daniel Center stage, then took off his suit jacket, tie, and crisp, white dress shirt to reveal a blue “Germanna Quake Break ‘11” t-shirt.

“I really came to give you a shout out because I was so impressed with the minimal disruption to the students, how the community stepped up and you all just stayed on your game,” Dr. DuBois said.

“You took a crisis and turned it around and did the very, very best you could for your students.”

Dr. Sam said: “This is the most positive place I’ve ever worked… The earthquake was an opportunity for dysfunction. But I’ve been told by people at the Chamber and by other business people, ‘It’s remarkable what you folks did.’ “

“We work well under stress, with good spirits, helping each other,” he said. Through several years of budget cuts, an earthquake, and a hurricane, he said, “we continue to care about each other.”

Middle College students return to Germanna Friday, Sept. 23.

Germanna Community College Middle College classes will resume on Fridays from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., beginning this Friday, Sept. 23, at Fredericksburg Area Campus Building Workforce and Technology Building (FAC 2), in room 232 until further notice.

Classes had been suspended due to earthquake damage to another building on the Fredericksburg Campus.

This is a short-term solution, according to GCC Middle College Director Carolyn Bynum, until a new location is established.

College officials continue to work on securing that location.

"In the interim, holding an all-day class on Fridays is a way to keep our current students engaged in their coursework and to keep them on track towards their goals," Bynum said. "We have been working on identifying online resources to supplement the in-class instruction so that even while students are away from campus they can continue to work on GED prep, career exploration and college coursework.

"The students are excited to get back to class after over a month-long hiatus," Bynum said.

Most other students returned on Sept. 6.

"They have been very patient through this whole process, but they're ready to get back on track," Bynum said.

Middle College help prepare students to get their GEDs and enter Germanna or another college's degree program.

Germanna named one of America's most military friendly colleges

G.I. Jobs, a magazine for military personnel making the transition to civilian life, has named Germanna Community College to its 2012 Military Friendly School list. The list honors the top 20 percent of American colleges doing the most to embrace both active military service members and veterans as students.
Nearly 300 Germanna students took advantage of G.I. Bill benefits this summer, according to Dianne Frausto, GCC’s Veterans Affairs Representative, including some military dependents. The number is not available yet for the Fall semester.
“Many of the military personnel stationed at Quantico Marine Corps Base, Fort A.P. Hill and the Dahlgren Naval Surface Warfare Center and their families live in our area,” said Germanna President David A. Sam. “ Many more commute to the Pentagon and Fort Belvoir. Some have chosen to make the area their home after retiring from the military.
“Now many from our area who have served selflessly and valiantly in Iraq and Afghanistan are returning home,” Dr. Sam said. “We owe it to all those who have served to ease their transition back to civilian life, make them feel welcome and appreciated, and to prepare them for good jobs. The G.I. Jobs recognition is one way of paying them back for helping to keep us safe.”
The criteria set by the magazine include efforts to recruit and retain active military and veteran students and success in recruiting and retaining military and veteran students.
Germanna has a Veterans Affairs office, a Veterans Club, a counselor whose duties include assisting veterans, and a Web page. GCC also works closely with Wounded Warrior, a peer support organization that provides assistance to veterans as they make the adjustment to civilian life.
Military personnel and veterans seeking information about Germanna should contact Frausto at 540/891-3023 or dfrausto@germanna.edu
In its effort to help veterans choose the right college, G.I. Jobs conducted a first-ever survey of student veterans.
According to the magazine, the 1,518 colleges, universities and trade schools on this year's list place high importance on the recruitment of students with military experience. The 2012 list of Military Friendly Schools was selected from than 8,000 schools nationwide.
G.I. Jobs magazine is published by Victory Media, a veteran-owned business headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pa.

Get involved at Germanna's Club Carnival and get free Bruster's ice cream

Check out Germanna's clubs--or start one yourself at the GCC Club Carnival.
Free Bruster's ice cream will be served!
At the Fredericksburg Area Campus: Tuesday, Sept. 20th, 11am-2pm. Tables will be set up outside the main entrance of FAC2.
At the Locust Grove Campus: Thursday, Sept. 22nd, 630 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. (Shortly before the 8 p.m. "Kung Fu Panda 2" Drive-In movie event on the lawn).

How administrators, staff, faculty and students worked together to pull off a post-quake miracle at Germanna

GCC pursues online classes



Germanna nursing and dental hygiene students return to class as details are ironed out for all others



Date published: 8/31/2011



By PAMELA GOULD



Nursing and dental hygiene students resumed classes at Germanna Community College yesterday as deans finalized plans for the rest of the students whose classes were disrupted by an earthquake on the second day of the fall semester.



The challenge has been finding a way to continue instruction for the 4,400 people who registered for classes at the V. Earl Dickinson Building on the Fredericksburg Area Campus. That structure, built in 1997, suffered significant damage from the magnitude-5.8 earthquake on Aug. 23 centered in Louisa County.



The building won't be available for use until January at the earliest.



The goal has been to find a way to keep those students on campus this fall in the Massaponax area of Spotsylvania County, said Deborah Brock, dean of arts and sciences, and Bill Fiege, dean of technical and professional studies.



College spokesman Mike Zitz said many in the community responded to a request for space but, with a few exceptions, Germanna officials have chosen not to move classes.



Instead, the deans said Germanna has relocated some of the 321 classes scheduled for Dickinson into the Workforce and Community Education Building on the same campus.



Many classes were restructured. Forty will be taught totally online. Others will be a mix of online and classroom, while the rest will be in different classrooms. Fewer than five classes had to be canceled.



The college is adding a few 10-week courses to meet the needs of students who couldn't take their classes after they were rescheduled.



Those courses will begin Sept. 28, have longer meeting times, and end at the same time as regular 15-week semester classes, Fiege said.



They will meet at the Locust Grove Campus and on the Stafford campus of the University of Mary Washington, Zitz said.



Students started the fall semester on Aug. 22. Classes were in session when the earthquake began shortly before 2 p.m. last Tuesday.



Germanna President David Sam canceled classes indefinitely immediately after the earthquake so that structures at all campuses could be inspected.



Germanna offers classes in its own buildings in Culpeper, Orange and Spotsylvania counties. It also holds classes in office space in North Stafford.



Germanna Community College officials have been working over the past week to accommodate students enrolled for classes at the Fredericksburg Area Campus, whose chief academic building was significantly damaged in the magnitude-5.8 earthquake.



Only the Dickinson building has significant structural damage.



Though nursing and dental hygiene students returned to class yesterday at the Locust Grove Campus in Orange, students at all other sites will resume Sept. 6.



Germanna may lease space for noncredit classes and personnel being displaced from the Workforce building.



The Fredericksburg Area Campus lost 22 classrooms, its six science labs and two computer labs with the closing of the Dickinson building.



The Workforce building has 18 classrooms and two computer labs.



College officials are optimistic that even students who have shied away from online courses will find they like that option.



"We think some may be glad they have had the opportunity," Brock said.



Fiege cited a study that found 30 percent of college students have taken at least one online course. He also said that with today's technology, online learning can be very interactive.



He noted that faculty--many of whom now have iPads--can respond quickly, utilize online chats to communicate, and can rapidly post announcements using the college's electronic blackboard.



"It's very user-friendly," Fiege said.



Pamela Gould: 540/735-1972

Email: pgould@freelancestar.com



Germanna Community College officials have been working over the past week to accommodate students enrolled for classes at the Fredericksburg Area Campus, whose chief academic building was significantly damaged in the magnitude-5.8 earthquake on Aug. 23.



4,400--Number of students enrolled in classes meeting in the V. Earl Dickinson Building, which was damaged



321--Number of classes scheduled to meet there



10--Number of offices available for 150 to 200 faculty members



1--Number of GCC buildings significantly damaged

Latest Germanna Post Quake Schedule Update: GCC Nursing, Dental Hygiene classes resume Tuesday, all other classes Sept. 6

Students who are active in the following Nursing and Dental Care Program courses including Nurse Aide, Practical Nursing, Surgical Scrub, and Dental Hygiene need to report to school Tues. Aug 30th as scheduled. The prefixes for these classes are the following: DNH, PNE, HLT,NUR.

All other students report on Sept. 6th.

We realize the notes in the new online schedule are not up-to-date in all cases. They will be corrected tomorrow!

Here is how to read the schedule at www.germanna.edu/class_schedules/

Follow the class listing, not the note or lack thereof!

Examples:

a) If the class listing has a room and a full class time, then the class is traditional face-to-face. IE. ENG 111-F01 MW 9:00 – 10:15.

b) If the class listing has a room and a partial class time, then the class is a hybrid. I.E. ENG 111-F01 M 9:00 – 10:15 or MW 9:00 – 9:50. The time is not the full amount required and the difference is hybrid. Most of them are 50% online and 50% face-to-face although some are 2/3 in one direction or the other.

c) If the class listing has no room and no time listed, it is fully online.



Student Services will be open Wednesday, Aug. 31 and Thursday, Sept. 1 from 8:30 am – 7:00 pm and Friday from 8:30 am – 5:00 pm for students to meet with an advisor to discuss their individual schedules. Please come into the Fredericksburg, or Locust Grove Campus, if you have questions about your courses and need to meet with someone.



The bookstore will be open Wednesday, Aug 31 at 12 Noon at the Locust Grove Campus only.



For more information, go to www.germanna.edu.

New Germanna Community College class schedules online; 'Quake Break 2011' about to end

Students,



Thank you for your understanding as we prepare to re-open the College.



You may now view your schedule at www.germanna.edu/class_schedules/, but you cannot make changes at this time. You should view your schedule in SIS and online so that you can see the notes that describe the changes made to your schedule.



Due to the earthquake on Tuesday, we have had to move classes out of FAC I. We had to change a lot of classes so students could take classes on the Fredericksburg Campus. Some classes that were completely face to face are now hybrid—a combination of face-to-face classroom instruction and online instruction. A few of those classes have gone totally online. We have made some time changes but have tried to keep those changes minimal.



We will be offering training in online learning next Wednesday and Thursday at the Fredericksburg Campus in the Workforce & Technology Building (FAC 2). We strongly encourage all students who are new to online learning to attend one of these sessions. Sessions for online training will be Wednesday, August 31, and Thursday, Sept. 1 beginning at 9:00 AM and running every hour, on the hour, with the last session of the day beginning at 8:00 PM and ending at 9:00 PM. We’ll have signs posted on the campus to direct you to the session locations.



Student Services will be available at all college locations on August 31 and September 1 from 8:30 AM until 7PM. Student Services will be available on Friday, September 2 from 8:30AM to 5:00PM. Financial Aid, Counseling Services, the Tuition Office, and Admissions & Records will be available to assist you as Germanna reopens. At the Fredericksburg Campus location, please be advised that services will be available at the Workforce & Technology Building (FAC 2).



We are developing a new academic calendar. We have revised the dates you can drop a course and get a refund as well as the time you can withdraw from a course without academic penalty. You will be able to see the revised calendar online by noon on Monday. It will also be available at the counseling sessions.



We will communicate further on Monday about the specifics of your individual schedule changes.





Germanna Community College

FAQ on Germanna Community College earthquake status

Has Germanna closed for the semester?



No. On Aug. 30, Germanna Community College nursing and dental hygiene students will restart classes. All other students will resume classes on Sept. 6. Details will be available via email and on the Germanna Web site within 24 hours.(CLARIFICATION: Only nursing classes start on Aug. 30. Other classes being taken by nursing students start on Sept. 6.)

Check Blackboard, Germanna email and germanna.edu for the class schedule with new room assignments.



Is the Sept. 6 restart date (for non-nursing students) effective for online classes as well?





Yes.





Has the Fredericksburg Campus closed?



No. One building, FAC I, also known as the Dickinson Building, suffered structural damage that has put it out of commission for the semester. FAC II, the Workforce Building, was not damaged. Officials are working to move classes into FAC II. All classes will resume. Some students may have to go to classroom/online hybrid classes or to online classes to avoid moving to a classroom in another location. College officials are also considering space near the Fredericksburg Campus for classrooms.



Will the semester be extended? Will the final exams schedule change?



No and no.



Were other Germanna locations damaged in the quake?



The Locust Grove Campus and the Stafford Center are in good shape. The Daniel Center in Culpeper sustained minor damage to tiles in the auditorium ceiling and to an overhead projector. But classrooms at the Daniel Center were not affected. There was some damage to the George Washington Carver Center in Culpeper, where automotive program classes are to be held in the Fall. Culpeper County is determining how serious the damage is.



Will I be able to buy my text books before classes resume?



Yes. The book store will be operating out of the Locust Grove Campus and all of the text books are also available for order online. Those who had books waiting for pickup at the FAC I store will now have to drive to LGC to get them.

UPDATE: If you ordered books and have received an email advising you that your order is ready for pick up, you may pick up your order at the Locust Grove Campus bookstore beginning Wednesday, August 31st. We'll continue to post updates as we receive them.





What will the Fredericksburg Campus be like this semester?



FAC II will be cramped. There will be no room for lounging or studying, no food service and no cafeteria. Students will need to find other places to hang out, study and eat.