The Community College Baccalaureate Association (CCBA), with a $150,000 grant from ECMC Foundation, will work to set the standard for community college baccalaureate (CCB) degree development and implementation.
The organization will identify all CCB degree programs in the country to create a national CCB program inventory. CCBA will collect promising practices that are linked to high-quality CCB degree programs, and disseminate and promote information on these degrees to help scale up high-quality programs and practices.
CCBA is an affiliate council of the American Association of Community Colleges.
Tennessee
With a $17,500 grant, Northeast State Community College can better assist dual-enrollment students. The grant from the Gene Haas Foundation will fund scholarships to students enrolled or planning to enroll in a CNC technology or CNC machining program at Northeast State.
The grant also makes available up to $2,500 of funds to support the college’s SkillsUSA chapter to participate in CNC/Manufacturing competitions.
Alabama
A $50,000 donation to Gadsden State Community College will support nursing students. The Chad Hawkins Education Foundation made the donation to the college’s Cardinal Foundation for a scholarship fund to benefit second-year students in the nursing program.
The scholarship fund is named in memory of Chad Hawkins, who passed away in 2004. Hawkins led the creation of Gadsden State Junior College in 1965, where he served as dean of academics for 20 years. Upon his retirement, a scholarship was established by Gadsden State faculty, students and friends in his honor.
His daughter, Lynn King, said Hawkins took it upon himself to serve others his entire life.
“His greatest joy was to see others succeed and provide the encouragement and support to keep them on the path of prosperity,” she said.
Colorado
The Foundation for Colorado Community Colleges has received a $1 million gift from Kaiser Permanente to create the endowed Kaiser Permanente Colorado Equity Scholarship Fund.
“Education can be the great equalizer, but only if all students have the same chance at success,” said Joe Garcia, chancellor of the Colorado Community College System. He added that the establishment of the scholarship fund means “our students with diverse perspectives and strengths will be able to achieve their goals and move into health care careers with fewer obstacles in their way.”
The foundation will award at least 28 scholarships annually.
Florida
Miami Dade College (MDC) honored alumni and raised more than $1.2 million during a special Heroes Edition of the MDC Alumni Hall of Fame event this month. The funds will support student scholarships.
At the socially distanced event, MDC recognized 10 alumni on the frontlines of the pandemic response and recovery. They included people working in education, medicine and emergency management.
Massachusetts
Quinsigamond Community College (QCC) has received $150,000 and a total state bond investment of $25 million for a renovation to create an innovation center for advanced manufacturing and robotics.
The investment will allow the college to upgrade and expand its current athletic center to showcase and highlight advanced manufacturing, robotics, artificial intelligence and hospitality programming. These programs will help address a significant workforce and regional economic development need.
“This investment from the Commonwealth is another validation of the amazing work that our faculty and staff perform to ensure that our students are being trained not only for the jobs of today, but for the jobs of tomorrow,” said QCC President Luis G. Pedraja.
Missouri
Metropolitan Community College will use a $16,000 donation from the Assistance League of Kansas City to help underserved students. The donation will provide scholarships that students can use for books, tuition and fees, essential food for the food pantry or other educational expenses.
New Jersey
Union County College students will benefit from a $5,000 grant from Investors Foundation. The college will use the grant to continue to fund the Investors Bank “First in the Family” scholarship.
Developed in 2018, the scholarship provides support to first-generation college students. In the past three years, Investors Bank has contributed more than $20,000 to this scholarship and has supported fundraising events for the college’s foundation.
