Governor signs bill creating Northshore Technical Community College

It has been more than 80 years since Bogalusans created the state’s first trade school and in that time, many things have changed.

And things are about to change once again.

Founded in 1930 as Sullivan Memorial Trade School, it was the first post-secondary public technical school in Louisiana. The original school was built on Mississippi Avenue in Bogalusa, Louisiana with funds contributed by school children, local sawmill workers and citizens of the city in memory of the city's first mayor, William H. Sullivan.  The late Commissioner of Education, J.P. Starns suggested that a memorial to Sullivan be established in the form of a "manual arts training" center.  Initial capital requirements were quickly exceeded, and the training center became a reality.

Then, in 1970, the school known locally as simply “Sullivan” became the first vocational/technical institute to be accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

In addition to being known as “Sullivan,” it has officially been known as Louisiana Technical College-Sullivan Campus as well as Northshore Technical College-Sullivan.

Now, following the signing of SB 69, authored by Sen. Ben Nevers (D, Bogalusa), Northshore Technical College is poised to become Northshore Technical and Community College.

The change is more than in name only.

Unlike NTC-Sullivan, NTCC will be able to grant degrees and students will be able to transfer to other degree-granting institutions. The law, which became Act 209 when Gov. Bobby Jindal signed it into law on June 27, levels the playing field between the state’s oldest technical school and other community colleges in the state.

“The campuses in Bogalusa, Hammond and Greensburg can now offer associate degrees,” Nevers explained to mywpnews. “We can have locally enrolled students in high school working toward college hours and all of these can be applied to an associate’s degree or a baccalaureate degree.”

Nevers, a former educator and member of the Bogalusa City School board, said he could only imagine the frustration of someone, having gone through a course of study at one of the technical college campuses only to learn those credits are not transferable.

“The LPN course at Sullivan is a prime example,” he said. “I have been fighting that nursing issue since the seventies, when I served on the (Bogalusa) school board. Our students can leave Sullivan and go to Mississippi and get more credit for their courses than we gave them in Louisiana.”

No more.

Now, students attending the nation’s seventh-fastest growing technical college system will be able to either follow a technical curriculum to certification of quick entry into the work force or go through the community curriculum and earn an associate’s degree and, if they choose, take that degree, their hours and credits and transfer to a four-year school.

“That’s the reason the name is Northshore Technical Community College … to keep the technical component as well as add the community component. I believe this change will encourage students to stay in post-secondary education, rather than starting over.”

On Monday, William Wainwright, dean of Northshore Technical Community College, told mywpnews that work is under way to officially announce the name change and other new information tied to the changes created by the legislation.

LSU Mobile Classroom a hit with community

Daniel Vlosky, Mobile Classroom & Training
Coordinator for LSU, gives pointers to a nearly
full house for Marketing 101.
(Photo by John H. Walker)

If today’s first two classes were any indication, the LSU Mobile Classroom at Northshore Technical College is a hit.

“We had a couple of classes fill up, a waiting list for another … it’s great,” Bogalusa Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Marilyn Bateman told wpnewsblog.

“We would ask if someone cannot attend to please give us as much notice as possible, because we may be able to get that seat filled.”

The classes are being taught by Daniel J. Vlosky, MBA, mobile classroom and training coordinator for the B.J. Ourso College of Business at LSU.

A portion of those attending the Marketing
101 class in the LSU Mobile Classroom on
Tuesday morning. (Photo by John H. Walker)

“This is kind of a broad-based approach,” Vlosky said after the Marketing 101 class. “Of course, you can’t cover everything in an hour or so.”

Vlosky told participants to take advantage of the Small Business Development Center at Southeastern University.

“They are closer than we (LSU) are and they do some really good things,” he said.

Tuesday’s session opened with Starting and Financing Your Business, followed by Marketing 101. Afternoon classes on Tuesday include Working With Your Bank to Get a Loan and Professionalism in the Workplace.

The free classes resume at 9 a.m. Wednesday with Customer Service, Growing Your Business Online and Creaying a Facebook Page for Your Business.

A total of 61 persons have signed up for the program. The classes are free and are sponsored by LSU, the Louisiana Small Business Development Center, Bogalusa Chamber of Commerce, Northshore Technical College, Washington Economic Development Foundation and the City of Bogalusa.

Interest high in Mobile Classroom, two classes full

Sixty-one persons have signed up for next week's LSU Mobile Classroom, scheduled to be held Tuesday and Wednesday on the campus of Northshore Technical College-Sullivan Campus.

Marilyn Bateman, executive director of the Bogalusa Chamber of Commerce, told wpnewsblog that two of the classes — Starting a Business and Customer Service — are full and closed to further registration.

Space remains available in three Tuesday classes — Marketing 101, Working With Your Bank to Get a Loan and Professionalish in the Workplace. The professionalism class is a recent addition, and fills a slot that had been taken by one of two Facebook classes.

The two Facebook classes have been combined and will be held on Wednesday, along with Growing Your Business Online. Both classes still have available space.

The classes are free and is sponsored by LSU, the Louisiana Small Business Development Center, Bogalusa Chamber of Commerce, Northshore Technical College, Washington Economic Development Foundation and the City of Bogalusa and sign-up sheets are located at a number of high-traffic locations throughout the community.

Classes begin at 9 a.m. each day with four sessions set for Tuesday and three on Thursday. The classes will be conducted by certified trainers in the respective field being taught.

To register, call Patty Sandifer at 732-6211, ext. 347; fax your registration to 735-7347 or email your information to jerrybailey@I-55.com. Registration may also be completed at http://tinyurl.com/5vaeu6u.

Class added, two consolidated for mobile classroom

Two classes have been consolidated and another added as interest remains high in the LSU Mobile Classroom, scheduled to be in Bogalusa on Tuesday and Wednesday, July 26 and 27. The classroom will be located at Northshore Technical College and all courses are free, but space is limited.

 

Marilyn Bateman, executive director of the Bogalusa Chamber of Commerce, said persons who needed to make adjustments because of the schedule changes should call 732-6211, ext. 347.

“We’ve had pretty good interest thus far,” said Bogalusa City Administrator Jerry Bailey. The free program is available through pre-registration only.

The program is sponsored by LSU, the Louisiana Small Business Development Center, Bogalusa Chamber of Commerce, Northshore Technical College, Washington Economic Development Foundation and the City of Bogalusa and sign-up sheets are located at a number of high-traffic locations throughout the community.

Classes begin at 9 a.m. each day with four sessions set for Tuesday and three on Thursday. The classes will be conducted by certified trainers in the respective field being taught.

Tuesday classes include:

            • 9-10:30 a.m. – Starting and Financing Your Business

            • 10:45-12 p.m. – Marketing 101

            • 1-1:50 p.m. – Working With Your Bank to Get a Loan

            • 2-3 p.m. – Professionalism in the Workplace (New)

Wednesday classes include:

            • 9-9:50 a.m. – Customer Service

            • 10-11:15 a.m. – Growing Your Business Online

            • 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. – Creating a Facebook Page for Your Business (consolidated with another Facebook page that had been on day one)

To register, call Patty Sandifer at 732-6211, ext. 347; fax your registration to 735-7347 or email your information to jerrybailey@I-55.com. Registration may also be completed at http://tinyurl.com/5vaeu6u.

Sign-up under way for LSU's mobile business classroom

About 30 people have signed up for seven business-related courses that will be presented in Bogalusa through the LSU Mobile Classroom. All courses are free, but space is limited..

“We’ve had pretty good interest thus far,” said Bogalusa City Administrator Jerry Bailey. The free program will be available through pre-registration only.

The mobile classroom will be at Northshore Technical College-Sullivan Campus on Tuesday, July 26 and Wednesday, July 27.  The program is sponsored by LSU, the Louisiana Small Business Development Center, Bogalusa Chamber of Commerce, Northshore Technical College, Washington Economic Development Foundation and the City of Bogalusa.

Classes begin at 9 a.m. each day with four sessions set for Tuesday and three on Thursday. The classes will be conducted by certified trainers in the respective field being taught.

Tuesday classes include:

            • 9-10:30 a.m. – Starting and Financing Your Business

            • 10:45-12 p.m. – Marketing 101

            • 1-1:50 p.m. – Working With Your Bank to Get a Loan

            • 2-3 p.m. – Effectively Using Facebook for Your Business

Wednesday classes include:

            • 9-9:50 a.m. – Customer Service

            • 10-11:15 a.m. – Growing Your Business Online

            • 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. – Creating a Facebook Page for Your Business

To register, call Patty Sandifer at 732-6211, ext. 347; fax your registration to 735-7347 or email your information to jerrybailey@I-55.com. Registreation may also be completed at http://tinyurl.com/5vaeu6u.

Nevers: SB 69 most important legislation since creating technical colleges in Florida Parishes

Sen. Ben Nevers (D, Bogalusa), fresh from chairing a committee meeting on the morning of the last day of the 2011 Regular Legislative Session, sounded tired.

Sen. Ben Nevers
(D, Bogalusa)

But he also sounded excited at the same time, energy and adrenalin coursing when asked about SB 69, which was passed this week by the House.

“It’s a piece of legislation I’ve been working on for five years,” he told wpnewsblog. “It’s headed for the Governor’s desk now.”

Nevers said there were a lot of hurdles to getting the legislation passed, especially in a tough budget year.

“We got a lot of help from the Northshore delegation,” he said. “We got a lot of support from Dr. Joe May, from William Wainwright and Dr. John Crain.

“I think this is the best thing since we created the technical college program in the Florida Parishes. We now have a community college system we can call our own.”

May is president of the Louisiana Community and Technical College System, Wainwright is Northshore dean and regional director of the Northshore Technical College system and Crain is president of Southeastern.

What the legislation does is to create a new community college system on par with others in the state.

“The campuses in Bogalusa, Hammond and Greensburg can now offer associate degrees,” Nevers explained. “We can have locally enrolled students in high school working toward college hours and all of these can be applied to an associate’s degree or a baccalaureate degree.”

Nevers, a former educator and member of the Bogalusa City School board, said he could only imagine the frustration of someone, having gone through a course of study at one of the technical college campuses only to learn those credits are not transferable.

“The LPN course at Sullivan is a prime example,” he said. “I been fighting that nursing issue since the seventies, when I served on the (Bogalusa) school board. Our students can leave Sullivan and go to Mississippi and get more credit for their courses than we gave them in Louisiana.”

Nevers said he could only imagine what this will mean for the Northshore system.

“Right now, that region is the seventh fastest growing technical college system in the nation. I think this change will accelerate that (growth).”

Nevers was quick to point out that the change to a community college structure “takes no emphasis from the technical aspect of what we do.

“That’s the reason the nate is Northshore Technical Community College … to keep the technical component as well as add the community component. I believe this change will encourage students to stay in post-secondary education, rather than starting over.”

Nevers said he was hopeful he could persuade Gov. Bobby Jindal to come to Bogalusa, site of the state’s first trade school more than 80 years ago, to sign the legislation.

The Legislature adjourns at 6 p.m. today (Thursday).

(Published first at http://www.wpnewsblog.blogspot.com)

Nursing classes over, studying goes on

Recent graduates of the practical nursing program at Northshore Technical College-Sullivan Campus may now be out of the college classroom, but they are still studying.

Recent Sullivan Campus practical nursing
graduates (from left) Melissa Fortenberry,
Brandie Hansel, Darren Canova and Brandie
Arabie (back to camera) use group study to
prepare for their NCLEX.
(Photo by John H. Walker)

Despite having met the college's requirements for graduating and receiving their nursing pins, the students have one more hurdle ahead of them — a big one.

Before they can actually practice as a nurse, they must pass their state boards before they become licensed practical nurses.

On Tuesday, four members of the spring class of 2011, put their heads together for a study group at the Bogalusa home of one of their former instructors.

Darren Canova, Brandie Hansel, Melissa Fortenberry and Brandie Arabie discussed the respiratory system and received pointers on how to study for the test, known as NCLEX, from Stephanie Walker, RN.

"It was definitely beneficial," Canova, from Covington, said. "The fact Mrs. Walker was willing to help us when we asked was great and she asked the questions in ways that really make you think."

"I would definitely advise students to take advantage of an instructors willingness to help when asked," Hansel, of Metairie, said. "I'd love to say I was going to study every day, but we don't have our tests dates yet (from the state) and will probably wait until I get my date, the study for the two weeks before the test."

Walker said that, "Over the past couple of years, I've had the opportunity to study with graduate nurses to help prepare for the NCLEX. I do it as a volunteer and my sole expectation from them is hard work and dedication."

She added: "Some study better in groups and some study better individually. I'm just willing to try and help those who want it ... but passing the NCLEX is the result of studying all the way through the program and not waiting until the very end."

Northshore Technical graduates new nurses

Northshore Technical College-Sullivan Campus nursing director Judy Wamsley tells the audience at First Baptist Church about the rigorous curriculum the 20 soon-to-be-graduates followed to become nurses. (John H. Walker photo)

On Friday, May 13, Northshore Technical College-Sullivan Campus, held a combined pinning and graduation ceremony for 20 members of the 2010-2011 Practical Nursing class. The ceremony was at First Baptist Church of Bogalusa.

Members of the class included (alphabetical) Letisha Andrews, Brandie Arabie, Cadie Burr, Darren Canova, Melissa Fortenberry, Brandi Hansel, Andreleta Higgins, Chelsea Jackson, Marlinda James, Lori Knight, Hannah Ledlow, Ashley Luper, Ashley May, Jared Mizell, Keyonna Oatis, Portia Peyton, Amber Scott, Keisha Smith, Christopher Taylor and Riva Williams.

Brandi Hansel won the academic award and Hannah Ledlow was recognized by the nursing staff as most caring. (Published first at http://www.wpnewsblog.blogspot.com/)