White House says Cincinnati State is a “Champion of Change”
September 21, 2011
Dr. Monica Posey, Academic Vice President at Cincinnati State, was among a group of panelists from across the country invited to participate in a White House roundtable discussion today (Wednesday, Sept. 21) concerning the contributions of community colleges to the nation’s economy.
Each week, the White House said in a release, the administration highlights “Champions of Change” who are “making an impact in their communities and helping America rise to meet the challenges of the 21st century.”
It said Dr. Posey and Cincinnati State were being recognized for their “clear focus on career development, creating pathways to employment for students.”
As its chief academic officer, Dr. Posey leads Cincinnati State in establishing academic partnerships to advance student success and build pathways to employment. This includes relationships with more than 700 co-op employers, the Greater Cincinnati STEM Partnership, the Health Careers Collaborative, and the Minorities in Mathematics, Science & Engineering organization.
In her remarks Wednesday, Dr. Posey highlighted the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) program, which brings 11th and 12th grade students onto the Cincinnati State campus to take specialized courses for dual high school and college credit. She noted that the program includes Cincinnati Public Schools and the University of Cincinnati as well as such corporate partners as Procter & Gamble and General Electric. “It has been a wonderful experience for the students and for the families,’’ she said.
Dr. Posey also cited the efforts between Cincinnati State and the Great Oaks Career Campus system to build a more seamless approach to nursing education. It allows students to take nursing courses from Cincinnati State faculty at the Great Oaks campuses and pursue degrees through a coordinated, cohesive curriculum.
In its release, the White House also said:
“In an increasingly competitive global economy, America’s economic strength depends upon the education and skills of its workers. In the coming years, nearly 8 in 10 new jobs will require higher education and workforce training. To meet this need, President Obama set a goal for America: to reclaim the highest proportion of college graduates in the world by 2020.
“America’s community colleges are essential to reaching that goal, and the President is working to support community colleges in graduating an additional 5 million students by the end of this decade.”
