|
|
|
College News
Delaware Tech Awarded National Science Foundation Grant
Renewable energy and sustainability programs to be developed
Delaware Tech Confers 1,779 Awards during Commencement Ceremonies
Delaware Tech Awarded National Science Foundation Grant
Renewable energy and sustainability programs to be developed
Delaware Technical & Community College has been awarded $785,000 by the National Science Foundation (NSF) to educate students and the local community about wind, solar, and bio-fuel renewable energy technologies and environmental sustainability. This three-year grant will fund a program entitled Energizing STEM Education, which will be developed and housed at the Stanton campus.
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) fields are central to U.S. economic competitiveness and growth and play a significant role in helping society develop ways to live and work more sustainably. The NSF funding will be used to energize the STEM curricula by incorporating renewable energy topics into existing technology programs, including electronics and computer engineering, chemistry, biotechnology, and chemical processing. The multi-year project will teach students about the concepts of sustainability and how to incorporate renewable energy technologies into their lifestyles. Outreach activities in the form of workshops, camps, middle and high school student enrichment activities, and teacher internships will follow. An experienced interdisciplinary team, including engineering and technology faculty, business representatives, and industrial advisory committees will participate in the development and implementation of the STEM program.
The addition of sustainability and renewable energy topics into new and existing courses, with extensive hands-on and applied curricula, will address the need for development of a workforce ready for new green industry opportunities. "Our offerings are fully aligned with the Governor's vision which has produced new mandates and incentives to drive the 'greening' of existing jobs and create new energy-related jobs for Delawareans," said Delaware Tech President Orlando J. George, Jr. "We are proud to be partners in the State's commitment to capitalize on economic development opportunities while making Delaware an even better place to live."
Senator Ted Kaufman (D-Del.), the only engineer in the Senate, agrees: "One of Delaware Tech's strengths has always been its flexibility in adapting itself to the demands of the workforce and preparing its students for the jobs of tomorrow. Delaware Tech has made a smart and savvy decision in focusing part of its curriculum on clean energy technology training. In order to create real economic growth in the United States, we need more scientists and engineers to develop the most innovative technology systems, and we need the best-skilled workforce to build, install, and maintain them. Delaware Tech's foresight and reputation for excellence creates a great environment for Delawareans to gain STEM degrees, which will serve them and the country well for a very long time."
This NSF grant is part of Delaware Tech's vision for energy education that includes three energy education instructional facilities--one in each county--and an applied energy program. Initial offerings include energy auditing and weatherization (currently available), followed by energy management (available this fall), solar technology, and off-shore wind. For more information about applied energy programs at Delaware Tech, visit http://www.dtcc.edu/AppliedEnergy/.
Delaware Tech Confers 1,779 Awards
Delaware Technical & Community College granted1,779 associate degrees, diplomas and certificates to 1,476 individuals at commencement ceremonies held the week of May 10, 2010. Of this year's graduating class, 93% are residents of Delaware, underscoring Delaware Tech's history of educating more Delawareans than any other higher education institution in the state. The graduating class is diverse, consisting of 61% female and 27% minority; the average age of this year's associate degree student is 28.
This year's graduates will join the ranks of Delaware Tech alumni who are employed by more than 450 businesses around the state; the largest number of 2010 associate degrees were awarded in nursing and allied health programs followed by business administration and human services. A survey of 2009 graduates found that the median starting salary for a Delaware Tech graduate was $41,190. Nursing graduates reported the highest average salary ($53,270) followed by graduates in Allied Health ($44,419).
Delaware Tech in Top 1% of Community Colleges for Energy Reduction Plans
As the nation prepares to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Earth Day, Delaware Technical & Community College is announcing a comprehensive, strategic plan to reduce its carbon footprint by 20% by 2020, putting the College in the top 1% of community colleges nationwide who have committed to such a reduction.
"Our Sustainable Energy Management Plan demonstrates that Delaware Tech is committed to practicing what we teach," says Delaware Tech President, Dr. Orlando J. George, Jr. "Right now, the College is building the first of three energy education facilities at the Owens Campus as part of a statewide learning system. These facilities will be used to teach students and the community about energy efficiency and the use of alternative energy sources in both residential and commercial environments. To be a leader in energy education, we need to make sure that our own operations serve as a role model for our students, for the businesses we serve, and for the community. This energy plan will help us do just that."
With the help of the University of Delaware's Dr. John Byrne and his team at the Center for Energy and Environmental Policy, the College recently completed an energy use inventory on every campus to determine the energy consumption of each of the College's buildings. Based on the results of the inventory, the Sustainable Energy Management Plan outlines a strategy for reducing the College's carbon emissions by 20% by 2020. A key element of the plan is the installation of solar panels at all four campus locations which is estimated to provide the College with 10-12% of its electricity needs and which will also serve as a learning tool for students in the College's applied energy programs. Byrne, a Nobel Laureate for his work on the 2007 report by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), is very pleased with the outcome of the process: "Of the approximately 1200 community colleges in the U.S., less than 10% have energy plans like this one. And even fewer community colleges -- less than 1% --actually have committed to 20% by 2020. Delaware Tech is now part of that 1%." He added, "Rare are the opportunities that have a wide-reaching positive impact in addition to significant economic benefits for the College. This action plan represents such an opportunity."
Although the plan estimates an average payback of four years, the College is seeking to lower the initial capital costs associated with such an aggressive goal. One way the College expects to do this is through a solar power purchasing agreement (PPA) in which the costs to install and maintain the solar panels on each campus are paid for by the provider who benefits from tax credits and income generated from the sale of electricity. The College also hopes to contain costs with the assistance of Delaware's Sustainable Energy Utility which is helping state agencies and non-profits retrofit their buildings through the use of energy performance contracts, an innovative program announced by Governor Jack Markell earlier this year.
"The College's Sustainable Energy Management Plan, our planned energy education facilities, and our current offerings in applied energy are all part of the college's vision to become a regional center of excellence in energy education and to become more sustainable in all aspects of our operations," says George. "Our vision is fully aligned with Governor Markell's goals of creating new energy-related jobs for Delawareans, of leading by example, and of creating a healthier environment for all of us."
Delaware Tech Educates Delawareans for a New Green Economy
Delaware Tech's newest offerings in applied energy are providing Delawareans with opportunities to work in an emerging green economy. That was one of the themes of the "Green Jobs" program, the latest in a 5-part series on sustainability and the environment entitled "Green Matters in the Delaware Region." Alan Levin, Director of the Delaware Economic Development Office (DEDO) and former President and CEO of Happy Harry's Drug Stores of, and Frances H. Leach, EdD, Dean of Instruction at the Stanton/Wilmington Campus of Delaware Tech were the featured speakers at the event held on February 17, 2010 at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Newark (UUFN).
 |
| Alan Levin, Director of the Delaware Economic Development Office (DEDO) and Frances H. Leach, EdD, Dean of Instruction at the Stanton/Wilmington Campus of Delaware Tech. |
"We believe that environmental responsibility and economic growth are not mutually exclusive," Secretary Levin told the audience gathered at UUFN, "but we need to ensure that Delaware is friendly to green industries. We know that the best companies choose locations with great education systems and skilled workers, and there is no better place to get the practical education Delawareans need to enter the workforce than Delaware Tech."
Following Levin, Leach outlined the College's new "green" offerings which include:
Facilities Energy Management Certificate Program: designed for HVAC technicians and facilities managers to help them achieve more efficient operation of heating, cooling, lighting and other power equipment.
Industry-Certified Residential Energy Auditor Certificate Program: prepares graduates to work as consultants, helping consumers identify ways to make their homes more efficient by reducing air leaks, replacing aging appliances or installing extra insulation.
Weatherization Certificate Program: prepares graduates to install materials in residential buildings to conserve energy and reduce energy costs.
Offerings currently in development for rollout within the next six months include:
Solar Photovoltaic Certificate Program: prepares graduates to install, operate and maintain solar systems.
Two-Year Degree in Energy Management: prepares graduates to manage lighting, heating, cooling, and ventilation systems for maximum energy efficiency through conservation and renewable energy improvements.
"Our offerings are fully aligned with the Governor's vision which has already produced new mandates and incentives that will drive the greening of existing jobs--such as higher efficiency standards for new construction -- as well as create new energy-related jobs for Delawareans," noted Leach. "We are proud to be partners in the State's commitment to capitalize on economic development opportunities while making Delaware an even better place to live."
For more information on the College's applied energy offerings, please contact Lisa Hastings-Sheppard at 302-562-8600.
|
Delaware Tech Collaborates with Local High Schools
to Help Students Earn College Credit
In an effort to provide Delaware high school students opportunities to earn college credit, Delaware Tech is collaborating with many local school districts to provide innovative programs and services that are motivating students to achieve.
"One way to increase a student's chance of success in college is to assess his or her English and math skills as a junior using a college placement test like the one we use here at Delaware Tech," notes Stephanie Smith, vice president for academic affairs. "The test determines whether a student is prepared for college-level work. If the scores aren't where they need to be, a student has a chance to improve during his or her senior year." Several districts in New Castle are currently investigating purchasing access to Accuplacer, Delaware Tech's online testing software, in order to offer this service to juniors. Other districts in Kent and Sussex have either encouraged students to test at the College or organized group visits. For example, in spring of 2009, the Sussex school districts brought a total of 247 students to the College's Georgetown campus for testing. And Indian River is collaborating with faculty there to potentially develop a new senior year math course that will help their students prepare for the Accuplacer.
Delaware Tech is also working with various school districts across the state to offer college-level courses to fully-qualified high school students. Here's an overview of existing and future programs.
- In Sussex County, the Academic Challenge Program, established in 1987, is a partnership between the nine Sussex County School Districts and Delaware Tech's Owens Campus in Georgetown. Its mission is to nurture the scholastic and creative abilities of highly motivated and academically talented students in math and English. The students range from eighth graders to high school seniors, and the five-year program offers them the standard high school curriculum in math and English at an accelerated pace allowing for college course work during their junior and senior years. The college courses are provided at the Owens Campus through Delaware Tech and the University of Delaware, and students may earn as many as 12 college credits in English and 15 college credits in math all of which are paid for by their district. Rachael Chamberlin, a graduate of Milford high school, is thankful for her participation in Academic Challenge which helped her get started on a degree in public policy from George Washington University in D.C.: "The program gave me early exposure to challenging, college-level work. I was able to enter college with a full year of credits and graduated with a double major in just three years."
- In Kent County, the Terry Campus is currently piloting a program in partnership with Caesar Rodney High School in which Delaware Tech faculty teach college-level English and math on site. Known as dual enrollment, the program allows high school students to earn high school credit for senior math and English while simultaneously earning college credit from Delaware Tech. College Composition was offered in the fall of 2009, and College Math and Statistics is being offered this spring. Participating students pay the cost of tuition while Caesar Rodney pays for course fees. According to Terry's Dean of Instruction, John Buckley, "The students who are taking both English and math are really excited because they will ultimately earn seven college credits that are highly transferrable to both in-state and out-of-state institutions. We're excited as well because the College has built a great partnership with CR that we hope will serve as a model for other districts.
- In New Castle County, Red Clay School District is collaborating with Delaware Tech's Stanton-Wilmington Campus to plan dual enrollment courses at the Conrad Schools of Science, once Conrad's enrollment is adequate to support the offerings. In the meantime, Red Clay is considering offering dual enrollment courses to all its students in a centralized location after school and on Saturdays.
"We're truly proud of the partnerships we've developed and continue to develop with local high schools because it fully aligns with our mission of providing access to higher education to all Delawareans," notes Smith. "These programs and services are motivating students to do well not only in their high school courses but to challenge themselves to earn college credit. We thank the districts for being proactive and working with us to help make this possible." For more information on opportunities for high school students to earn college credit at Delaware Tech, please call Lisa Hastings-Sheppard at 302-562-8600. To learn more about the Academic Challenge program offered at the Owens campus, please visit http://www.dtcc.edu/owens/academicchallenge/
|
| Follow us on Facebook and Twitter! |
Owens Campus
Owens Campus news, special events and activities. |
Terry Campus
A complete listing of Terry Campus news & events. |
Stanton/Wilmington Campus
News, events, schedule a campus tour, information session dates and times, and much more. |
Inclement Weather Information For All Campuses
|
Owens Campus
Information about the delay or cancellation of day, evening or weekend classes will be available by calling the campus: 856-5555 or 856-5400. Announcements will be made also on the following television and radio stations:
|
| Radio: |
FM |
AM |
| WAFL |
97.7 |
|
| WYUS |
|
930 |
| WJWL |
|
900 |
| WZBH |
93.5 |
|
| WGBG |
98.5 |
|
| WRBG |
101.7 |
|
| WJWK |
|
1280 |
| WJNE |
95.3 |
|
| WJYN |
103.5 |
|
| WOCQ |
103.9 |
|
| WDOV |
|
1410 |
| WQHQ |
104.7 |
|
| WLVW |
105.5 |
|
| WGMD |
92.7 |
|
| WWFG |
99.9 |
|
| WOSC |
95.9 |
|
| WXGN |
105.9 |
|
| WICO |
97.5 |
|
| WSCL |
89.5 |
|
| WDEL |
|
1150 |
| WSTW |
93.7 |
|
| WDSD |
94.7 |
|
| Television: |
|
|
| WBOC |
Channel 16 |
|
| WMDT-TV |
Channel 47 |
|
|
Terry Campus
Please visit our own Inclement Weather Web Page for up to the minute closing information. You can also get find information about cancellation of day, evening and weekend classes by calling the main campus phone number at 857-1000 or by listening to the following broadcast stations. |
| Radio: |
AM |
FM |
| WDEL/WSTW |
1150 |
93.7 |
| WDOV/WDSD |
1410 |
92.9 |
| WRDX |
94.7 |
|
| WECY |
98.3 |
|
| WILM |
1450 |
|
| WJBR |
99.5 |
|
| WKEN |
1610 |
|
| WYUS/WAFL |
930 |
97.7 |
| WXPZ |
101.3 |
|
| Television: |
|
|
| WBOC |
Channel 16 |
|
| WMDT |
Channel 27/47 |
|
|
Stanton/Wilmington Campus
When circumstances dictate that the facilities at the Stanton-Wilmington Campus must open late or close completely, announcements will be posted to local radio stations, television stations and three telephone announcement numbers by 7:00 AM for daytime hours and 3:30 for evening classes, unless the circumstances occur after that. “Facilities” refers to the total campus, buildings, Conference Centers, Child Development (Day Care) Center, as well as both credit and non-credit classes. Conditions will be evaluated throughout the day and evening.
No one is permitted to enter the facilities or parking lots until 15 minutes prior to the scheduled opening time, except for persons officially designated as Essential Personnel. This policy is an effort to allow those essential personnel adequate time to clear the parking lots and walkways to ensure the safety of staff and students prior to arrival. When a decision is made to close for evening classes, all buildings will be vacated by the announced time.
Please stay tuned to media outlets throughout the day in case changes in status occur, such as a late opening being changed to a closure. If possible, we will always provide the exact time we will open on MyDTCC, radio and television stations, and recorded telephone announcements. However, some stations do not allow specific times to be reported, but instead may report the length of a delay. Based on our official starting time of 8:30, if you hear an announcement that we are opening one hour late, this means all facilities will open at 9:30 AM. If you hear an announcement that we are opening two hours late, that means we will open at 10:30 AM.
Telephone announcements will be available on the recorded information and announcement line at 577-5555, and the two main campus numbers, 454-3900 and 571-5300.
The following radio stations carry Stanton/Wilmington announcements: |
|
Stations
|
Channel
|
Website
|
City
|
|
WDEL
|
1150 AM
|
www.wdel.com
|
Wilmington
|
|
WWTX
|
1290 AM
|
|
Wilmington
|
|
WILM
|
1450 AM
|
|
Wilmington
|
|
WDOV
|
1410 AM
|
|
Dover
|
|
WSTW
|
93.7 FM
|
www.wstw.com
|
Wilmington
|
|
WJBR
|
99.5 FM
|
|
Wilmington
|
|
WDSD
|
92.9 FM
|
|
Dover
|
|
WRDX
|
94.7 FM
|
|
Wilmington
|
|
WXCY
|
103.7 FM
|
|
Havre de
Grace
,
MD
|
|
|
|
