In my previous post, I highlighted a few of the new and exciting things that have recently taken place at Clinton Community College. The focus of that post was on academic affairs in general, and the curriculum in particular. In today's post, the focus shifts to items that are not directly related to the curriculum, but are important and exciting nonetheless.
Earlier this year, work was completed on two historic cottages that were part of the 100-year-old Hotel Champlain here on Bluff Point. One of the cottages is now known as The Alumni Cottage and is home to the Office of Institutional Advancement. The other cottage is the new home of the former Continuing Education Department, which was recently renamed The Center for Community and Workforce Development (CCWD). The new name was chosen to better reflect the department's important role in the community. Among the many projects completed by CCWD this year was a major training project that supported the expansion of the NovaBus manufacturing facility here in Plattsburgh.
Several weeks ago, the North Country's first Class 1000 clean room was completed and opened for business at CCC. The facility was built with the assistance of Senator Betty Little to support workforce development initiatives related to the pharmaceutical industry, the electronics manufacturing industry, and health care and food production industries. The first contract training course was held in the facility on April 17.
This year was the first year of Clinton's Presidential Scholarship program, which allows the top students from local high schools to attend CCC free of charge. More than twenty Presidential Scholars enrolled at CCC this year. Applications for next year's program are very strong, indicating that Clinton is attracting more of the area's top scholars.
Over the course of this year, Clinton has made arrangements for as many as a dozen Chinese students to study here next fall. The students are from Beijing University of Business Administration (BUBA) and Sichuan International Studies University (SISU). The presence of these international students will enrich the educational experience of the 2300 local students who attend Clinton, and help them to prepare for careers in the global economy. These international students will also bring financial resources to the College and to the community, as they will pay double tuition and undoubtedly make significant purchases during their stay in our community.
A major software conversion project on campus is in its final stages. Over the past twelve months, Clinton has converted 40 years of student and institutional records from its legacy software system, which is no longer supported, to a modern Internet-based system. On April 1, the College's financial management systems were converted to the new Microsoft Dynamics/GP platform. Next month, the College's academic management systems will move to the Comprehensive Academic Management System (CAMS). The importance of these software conversions is immense. The project is on budget and on schedule for completion by June 14.
Last summer's major community/cultural focus on campus was a series of events associated with the quadricentennial celebration of Samuel de Champlain's discovery of the Lake in 1609. In the summer of 2010, CCC will be the host site for some 2000 bicyclists from Quebec who are taking part in Le Grand Tour. Most of these cyclists will make camp on our campus for two nights in August, while others will find lodging in local hotels. The economic impact of this event, which is being coordinated by the Plattsburgh-North Country Chamber of Commerce is estimated to be $1.5 million.
All of us at Clinton Community College are working hard to give the best possible return on investment to the people of Clinton County. By making significant contributions through our academic and non-academic programs, we strive to strengthen our economy, develop our workforce and enhance the quality of life in this region.
As always, I welcome your feedback at presidentsblog@clinton.edu. Please do not hesitate to send me your reaction to this or any post in my blog.
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