Central New Mexico Community College (CNM) and the University of New Mexico (UNM) will use a $2 million joint grant to increase the number of students pursuing associate and bachelor’s degrees in the humanities and to support the transfer of humanities students from CNM to UNM. The grant comes from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.
“Students who earn degrees in the humanities enrich our community and state in so many ways,” CNM President Katharine Winograd said. “Graduates of the humanities are critical to a healthy society and they often become outstanding leaders in business and industry.”
The two institutions will plan events and outreach activities to spark student interest in the humanities, including a summer academy for CNM humanities students considering a transfer to UNM. They also will share data and align courses.
In other CNM news, the college’s welding program will receive unused metal pipes from the New Mexico Gas Company. The pipes will supply welding labs to give students an opportunity to work with industry-based materials to help hone their welding skills.
California
Woodland Community College culinary students will get a chef coat, knife kit and textbooks for the spring semester thanks to a $10,000 donation from Lake County Wine Alliance. The funds were raised at the annual Wine Alliance fundraiser.
Texas
Amarillo College (AC) has received a $187,500 grant from the Texas Workforce Commission to integrate basic education classes with workforce training programs that prepare adult learners for high-demand jobs. The “Accelerate Texas IV: Integrated Education and Training” grant provides scholarships and support for 75 students in AC’s adult education and literacy programs as they pursue certificates along several pathways, including electromechanical technology, truck/commercial vehicle operations, nursing assistant/aide and welding.
Virginia
Virginia Western Community College’s fundraising campaign is off to a good start, with a $1 million gift from the Strauss Family. The gift will support initiatives to help students and the region’s economic development. The college dedicated the Maury and Sheila Strauss Family Student Life Center in recognition of the philanthropic leadership of the Strauss Family. Maury Strauss is a Roanoke business leader and founder of the Strauss Development Corp.
The goal of the unrestricted endowment campaign is to raise $15 million and with the Strauss donation, the college already has identified gifts in excess of $4 million.
Washington
Walla Walla Community College’s Institute for Enology & Viticulture received a $15,000 grant from the Auction of Washington Wines, an annual nonprofit wine event. The funding will help allow students to earn an income and gain real-world experience on the path to their degree.
West Virginia
New River Community and Technical College students at the Advanced Technology Center now have another resource for gaining hands-on experience. Appalachian Power Company (AEP) donated an International 4400 Freightliner truck for student use in the college’s workforce training and technical programs. The college has partnered with AEP on many projects, and AEP has made past donations of materials to improve the student experience.
